Why I'm Protesting Fantasy Golf This Week

by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 18, 2010 9:15 AM EST in Fantasy Golf

Normally on Wednesdays, I would offer up some kind of fantasy golf advice as a complement to the two leagues that Waggle Room is concurrently running on Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

For the past two weeks, I've actually had the tournament winner in my picks, so I'm on a bit of a streak. As Lou Brown in Major League would say, "One more and we have a winning streak."

But, this week, I'm not bothering to offer any advice. Why? It doesn't matter. Yahoo! has chosen to give us crap on a stick by forcing fantasy golf players to choose between the slew of middling pros that are in Mexico for the Mayakoba Classic.

Played in the Mexican Riviera, this tournament is likely to make less news than some frisky newlyweds that will do the nasty in a hot tub at a Seacrets Resort. It is designed to give the also-rans a good chance to play amongst themselves at the kids table of the PGA Tour while the adults battle it out mano a mano in the desert.

(By the way, we golf writers could make match play sound a whole lot sexier. I mean, this is Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton level stuff. But instead of making a legend of it like we should, it turns into the folly that the Dairy Council made of the duel with those "Aaaaon buhhhh?!" commercials.)

Golf fans are interested in playing fantasy golf because it helps them track their favorite players and get to know some other players better. They don't play with the expectation of having to pick between the pool of guys that did not get into the limited-field event.

Yahoo, how do you expect me to take fantasy golf seriously when Bobby Clampett is on the A-list this week?

And the sad thing is that this is the only time this season that I'll get to use this rant. At all four majors, the other WGCs, and the Players, Yahoo! has team owners pick from the Bob's Big Boy event that week. That means, then, that Yahoo! simply feels unequipped to handle the assignment of match play points within fantasy golf. The answer is simple: LIKE EVERY NCAA TOURNAMENT POOL YOU'VE EVER PLAYED.

One point for round one, two for round two, three for round three, six for round four, twelve to the semis, and 24 to the winner. Bonus points goes to the players with the three largest margins of victory that day.

(8&6, Alvaro Quiros? Really? Now you're a punchline like Stephen Ames. Well, I guess the creator of that punchline - Tiger - is a bigger joke these days, but that's just kind of how irony rolls.)

It's simple. Give the fans what they want. They demand match play. And if they don't beat the drum enough, I will. Besides, I have to get my bongo practice in now for when I take my honeymoon at Riviera Maya.

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the "A" list players were

the biggest joke of them all. Didn’t know who 90% of the guys were. Heath Slocum as an A list player? Really? Any tournament where Bobby Clampett is now playing is questionable. That course down there is pretty cool though, so if you are really taking the honeymoon down there, I recommend it. But it’s ridiculously priced.

by Jeff.Palopoli on Feb 18, 2010 9:28 AM EST reply actions

“we golf writers” ? wow – that didn’t take long. Please ! Step away from the “golf writer” arrogance pills they gave you when you got the secret fraternity handshake diagram.

“crap on a stick”
“middling players”

Alvero Quiros is a punchline like Stephen Ames ? Ummm – when did Quiros say something that was technically true, but would have really gotten Weir fired up to beat….a higher seeded player ? What could possibly make you think that Mike Weir is a 9 birdies in the first 10 holes kind of player like Woods ? What you saw was an amazing display of golf, not the big man on campus flexing his muscles to let the little man know that he’s still listening.

“Aaron Burr – Alexander Hamiltion stuff” ? You do remember that golf isn’t exactly a high speed game, don’t you ? It isn’t a one shot and done – over in 30 seconds with the 10 paces included kind of game. This is 4 hours over 18 holes.

So here you go, Mr Golf Writer – Fantasy sports are built on a computer program – that program requires CONSISTENT INPUT – not apples and oranges. Match Play and Medal Play aren’t the same. Adding points by round doesn’t fit with scores, rounds, and finishing position.

If you’re trying to win the fantasy league, but are going to complain about these odd weeks and are going to take your keyboard and go home this week, then all you do is hurt your chances to win by giving up points. And why ? Because you don’t get to pick Mickelson as your A player ? Are you kidding ? Here’s a little help – DON’T PICK BOBBY CLAMPETT ! Who cares that he’s on the A-player list ? If someone is dumb enough to pick him – that works in your favor.

When you can go out and beat any of these guys, I’ll accept this kind of rant – but these guys are still PGA Tour players. If you’re a “golf writer”, you should be more familiar with guys past the top 10 on the rankings.

By the way – at the Accenture was a guy named Michael Sim. Sim is in the top 64…because he graduated the NATIONWIDE TOUR ? That’s crazy. Heath Slocum won an FEC playoff event last year and played in the final 30. How can Sim be ranked top 64 and not Slocum ? Then there are the Mollinari Brothers. They won a TEAM event – not even an individual tournament. Eduardo was on the European CHALLENGE Tour last year – and they are both in the top 64 ahead of Slocum ? Give me a break.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Feb 18, 2010 9:59 AM EST reply actions

You took the thoughts right out of my head, Court.

I write about golf at www.tees2greens.com, too.

by red tees on Feb 18, 2010 10:08 AM EST up reply actions

See there RB ?

That’s TWO tear stained keyboards from us little people of Waggle Room who are disappointed that you have gone “golf writer” on us !

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Feb 18, 2010 10:20 AM EST up reply actions

At the beginning of the week there were only two players on the “A-list” then one of them dropped out. Yahoo probably added Clampett and the No-Names (doo-wop group from the 50s, right?) so there would be someone to choose from.

Someone (Ryan?) has commented that there are C-list players that should be on the A or B-list. My theory is that Yahoo is trying to spread the distribution a little so even though collectively the A players are better than B players who are better than C players, we’re not stuck with total “duds” when we get to C.

Please add me to the list of those who feel a little miffed by the “golf writer” comment. We’re all “golf writers” here.

Truth has a well-known liberal bias.

by dianemarie on Feb 18, 2010 10:28 AM EST reply actions

I don’t understand why you guys took “golf writers” to mean something pertaining to GWAA. “We golf writers” implied everyone who writes about golf. Not just GWAA members or anything like that. I mean bloggers or FT journos or anyone who cares to write about golf as a hobby or for their job. In no way did I insinuate that I was excluding anyone from that moniker.

So I’m going to throw the question/responsibility back on your and ask why you thought that was what I was implying when I clearly showed no such favortism?

Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.

by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 18, 2010 11:41 AM EST reply actions

because you never used the term until you got into GWAA.

We “golf bloggers” don’t have any pull with the national media and we know it. We talk about what’s going on – we don’t try to build a golf tournament up to be something it’s not – and if one of us does, the rest of us try to bring him or her back to reality.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Feb 18, 2010 11:45 AM EST up reply actions

Actually, “we golf bloggers” do have pull. Believe it or not, but we do. I still run a golf blog, not a golf site. But I’ve always been a golf writer. I find it kind of insulting for someone who runs a blog to have to call themselves a blogger. That’s not what I do. I write. Sometimes I blog, sometimes I opine, sometimes I do reporting. Those are all categories of writing. I honestly feel that blogger should not be a job description.

Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.

by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 18, 2010 11:48 AM EST up reply actions

are you a professional member of a media outlet…TV, print, or radio ? bloggers are grass roots…which works great in golf (bah-dum-bum) – not media professionals. You have written articles that have been put onto media sites, but you’re not considered a staffer.

you have a fulltime job to pay the bills – this is still a hobby for you.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Feb 18, 2010 11:54 AM EST up reply actions

I’m a paid employee of SB Nation. I work for a media outlet. Definition of “professional” is being compensated in cash for services.

Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.

by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 18, 2010 12:05 PM EST up reply actions

oh the fun we could have with this one ! :-)

Ballangee-gate – what else have you been hiding from “the public” ? When will we get an apology ? Just who do you have to sleep with to get a drink around here ? (oh wait – wrong scandal) :-D Do you have Elin’s sister’s phone number ?

Does SB Nation send you to tournaments to get live reports, or do you get your information mostly second hand ? Except for the interviews you’ve started doing, of course.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Feb 18, 2010 12:23 PM EST up reply actions

I’d say I get my info these days about 60/40 original vs. second hand.

Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroomryan, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.

by Ryan Ballengee on Feb 18, 2010 12:28 PM EST up reply actions

60/40 ? That’s a pretty high percentage for someone who doesn’t go to tournament sites.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Feb 18, 2010 12:38 PM EST up reply actions

It’s that silly semantics thing again.
Honestly, I didn’t think of the golf writers thing when I read your post…but after reading CG’s comments I could see how he could interpret what you said in that way.

My points of contention were the idea that we all have the expectation that we want the WGC as part of Yahoo golf…I’ve been doing fanstasy golf for 3 years on Yahoo and I have no expectation that they will have WGC – it doesn’t fit the format of their game. Big deal if we have 1 or 2 weeks where we need to pick from not so “A List” players. I don’t play fantasy golf to follow my favorite players…I enjoy the competition with my friends! My problem is I pick my favorites too many times and they don’t come through for me. I keep trying to remember, STATS, not emotions!

So you’re not banging the drum on my behalf – I am doing a WGC bracket with some pals and that is fun – but I don’t see how it would fit into Yahoo, and I think it would be silly to try to change the entire format for one week. That was my gripe.

I write about golf at www.tees2greens.com, too.

by red tees on Feb 18, 2010 12:18 PM EST up reply actions