"If these players today want to go back to being the red-headed step child, and getting kicked around by the PGA Tour, just getting the scraps, and not having a pension, then, yeah, buy out Carolyn."
Don't miss Randell Mell's GolfChannel.com piece featuring Hollis Stacy's vitriolic take on the current players for ousting her pal Carolyn Bivens. Mell reports that Stacy flew to the the Women's Open from Denver to try and talk players out of their decision.
“This is a big, big mistake,” Stacy said. “Unfortunately, these players are naive, and they’re wrong. They need to be called out.”
Stacy believes the new business model Bivens created is smart and valuable and would build the tour a stronger financial future, even with Bivens struggling to renew sponsors and find new ones.
“In the nine hours it took me to fly here, I’ve gone through the whole spectrum of emotions, from being really upset to being bewildered and then sad, and finally to thinking, `Are these kids stupid?’” Stacy said. “It breaks my heart.”
Gee I'm sure they were really receptive to your message with that attitude!
You're stupid! I'm calling you out!
I think I know why Bivens and Stacy are friends.
Still, Stacy, a business consultant and friend to Bivens, says the tour has already gone from barely covering its operational costs to a profitable business, even in these difficult financial times. She blames the sponsorship issues solely on the economy.
“I lived on the tour for 26 years, and we were always struggling,” Stacy said. “Carolyn wasn’t hired to be liked. She was hired to build the brand and make money and she’s doing that. She’s building the brand globally.
“If these players today want to go back to being the red-headed step child, and getting kicked around by the PGA Tour, just getting the scraps, and not having a pension, then, yeah, buy out Carolyn. But it’s a big, big mistake. I don’t think these players understand we’ve had former players die near poverty.
“I’m behind Carolyn. She’s tough. She’s had to be tough. Women have been taken advantage of for years.
“People who work for me, I don’t want them playing nice. I want them representing the best interests of the players.”
Unfortunately, women being taken advantage of is not what this is about.
For all of Bivens' dreams--many of which were quite noble--playing opportunities remain the most important thing for a professional golfer. Not the brand, not the health care, not the Oscars, not the pension and not interacting with fans.
Male or female, old geezer or teenager, they want to play golf. And Bivens' stubbornness was positioning them to play a whole lot less.
In other Bivens news, Paul Rogers filed this thoughtful analysis just before news broke of her resignation yesterday. Well until he quotes me. Alan Shipnuck says it came down to hubris but does think there was "inherent sexism" may have played a role in her downfall.
Friday, July 10, 2009 at 08:49 AM
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Reader Comments (11)
Bivens's goals may have been admirable, but at what cost? Losing Corning, losing Rochester or Toledo? Marketing people are supposed to have a handle on the media, an ability to spin their point of view (e.g., the recent vote/non-vote on a groove delay). For all of the bad things we say on this blog and elsewhere about Tim and his Ponte Vedra posse (the FedUp Cup remains a pathetic joke. . . one which hopefully the folks in Memphis will pull the plug on soon), they don't have week after week of no golf for their members.
This isn't about being "tough" or not getting "pushed around." Does Hollis really believe that sponsors like Corning and Wegman's didn't have the best interest of the LPGA at heart? After all they did over the years?
Good riddance to CB. Let's move on. . .
An effective employer should make the empoyees feel they have her ear. Affection for the employer isn't required, but the employees should never feel they are being asked to do something the employer would not do. In other words the employer should command respect of the employees. Although media reports can be misleading Carolyn Bivens appears to have failed the leadership test.
I will continue to watch and enjoy the LPGA. And some weeks (such as this weekend when an LPGA major is scheduled against a PGA event with few of its top players) I will prefer the LPGA to the PGA. But in general I'll watch the men preferentially so it's better if they don't televise the 2 tours head to head, same time bracket. Wie success may rejuvenate the LPGA but she will never be Tiger...or even Phil. And that's why the men can demand greater purses and why the LPGA will never compete with the PGA Tour.
One last thing for anyone stubborn or foolish enough to read this far. One of the commenters remarked about the lesser quality of television reporting on the LPGA tournaments. I disagree. There are some reporting stars out there (Judy Rankin is outstanding). But most of it is mediocre regardless of particular tour...and some are crap, as one of our more scatalogical reporters would likely say. Johnny Miller is very good - despite some of his comments making him look like an insufferable prick - because he has the experience to describe what the golfers are feeling and does an incredible amount of pre-round study of the course. If I wanted to tout a tv announcer for LPGA commisioner it would be Judy before Johnny.
The key to effective negotiation is undertanding the strenghts/weaknesses of each side's position and adopting the right tactics.
When my wife and I bought a car a few months ago, we had all the cards and the dealer had very little. As a result, I pushed the dealer very hard and he gave me a very good deal. Had he attempted to be a "tough" negotiator, I would have gone to the dealer down the road.
Bivens (and Stacy) don't seem to get it. Any business willing to put up money to sponsor an event can dictate terms.
"Male or female, old geezer or teenager, they want to play golf. And Bivens' stubbornness was positioning them to play a whole lot less."
It can't be reduced any further than that.
(I might have changed "was" to "is")