Rear Admiral's Reign Off To A Rip-Roaring Start
Let's review.
- The LPGA sends out an announcement and then amends it to remind everyone that it is embargoed. The announcement release says that a 1 p.m. EST press conference will be held on the Golf Channel. But since it's embargoed, no one can write even a Tweet or blog post suggesting LPGA fans could tune in to The Golf Channel to find out what the event is about.
- The LPGA allows no media (other than Golf Channel) present at this "announcement" to ask questions. We did have Christina Kim present and Annika Sorenstam on a phone line that died almost as soon as she started talking.
- Carolyn Bivens is present at the announcement of her resignation and is shown on television, but she does not speak. Cynics will presume that her presence indicates she received a substantial buyout. And why will cynics presume this?
- Marsha Evans is named the interim commissioner. A Bivens selected board member, Evans is a specialist in bouncing around boards and other executive jobs. She was on the Lehman Brothers board and we know how that turned out. She received a $780,000 buyout after resigning as head of the Red Cross just days before a likely humiliating Hurricane Katrina congressional hearing.
- She's got a husband and he likes golf! Marty DeVine in an extensive profile detailing her career, her campaigning for McCain/Palin and other information, includes this: "Nonprofits have tapped her talents as well and she serves on the boards of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, which raises money to support education of midshipmen beyond what the federal budget provides, and the Ladies Professional Golf Association. An avid golfer, her husband Jerry particularly enjoys the LPGA board meetings in prime golfing sites."
- The in-studio analysis job from Kelly Tilghman, Laura Baugh and Charlie Rymer with most of the conversation sounding like an LPGA infomercial and Baugh seeming to imply that the non-English speaking players were part of the Bivens downfall. Oy.
- But hey, Bivens is gone and that's a start. But with all but one Board member not appointed during her tenure, it's hard to imagine this amounting to a sea change for the organization.
Monday, July 13, 2009 at 11:16 AM
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Reader Comments (20)
You are NEVER going to be competition for the PGA Tour (which will NEVER be competition for the NFL), so don't even try. Grow your niche and have a nice time with it. . .
The interim Commish and her dodgy CV don't seem important.
Further to Smols points: Retrench, make yourself a good value, fan friendly sports event and move forward on that basis.
It is not in the driver's seat when it comes to negotiating with event organizers and sponsors. It has to recognize its limited appeal and act accordingly.
The LPGA does not need another commissioner with a chip on her shoulder who is trying to prove that women's professional golf is something it is not. That said there are plenty of opportunities for the tour under the right leadership
Yes. Sarah Palin will be looking for work soon. But it could be that the Admiral will ask the Lipstick-wearing Pit Bull to serve on the Board since they speak the same language. As Geoff said, "Oy!"
According to Geoff it was Laura Baugh with the racially insensitive remarks. Not Kelly Tilghman. But why would the no-win wonder of the LPGA Tour have anything useful to add? She must live in Orlando.
What Smols said, as usual. Even if Finchem and his 32 vice-presidents don't get it RE the "Fall Schedule" and the "Fed-Up Cup."
Geoff, why no articles or mention of a 72nd hole birdie and (arguably) exciting finish as Kerr collapsed, and another young player rose to the challenge with a final hole birdie to win?
Are you making a statement here by not publicizing the women's Open?
Curious...
"dbh, if you were a sponsor/event that was on the fence would you sign a new agreement with an interim commissioner?" Especially one that is cut directly from the Bivens-cloth."
Sure! If it was legal, binding and benefited my interests.
Seriously, they had to parachute someone in pronto. This person was on the Board. I wouldn't put too fine a point on their interim selection.
The real work starts now.
I have to concur with dbh on this one. You can't tell me that these sponsors -- in places like Rochester, Toledo and Corning -- wanted to step away from the LPGA tour. You can feel just how committed to the tour they were, but they're not idiots. Yes, it would be grand if they could quintuple their contributions to the tour, but that simply wasn't realistic. The agreement isn't going to be with the commissioner. It will be with the tour.
I took interest in the following:
"In the late 1980s, Evans became the first woman to command the Naval Station at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. She was also the first woman to command the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Both were extremely nice postings and yet challenging."
The Treasure Island post was challenging?
Smol, I concur that Toledo, Rochester, Corning, add Atlantic City, are all eager to be involved with the Tour at the right price -- an I really hope they all come back -- but their relationship with the tour was broken by Bivens and I think the tour will be hard pressed to get them to all commit without a permanent commissioner in place. I very well could be wrong, we'll see.
Reminds me of when a bad salesperson screws up a good/existing account. Once the business is gone it takes a while to get it back (if ever), and it comes back only after a good salesperson rebuilds trust, takes time.
Gilligan's island jokes anyone?
Let's debate the meaning of "is" instead.