“Golf is the only thing I know. I don’t know anything else.”
Steve Elling suggested that it looked like Jim Thorpe had been suspended by the Champions Tour prior to his jail time, and this non-denial from the tour helped make his case:
“If he isn't allowed to play and I tell you that, that would be discussing our disciplinary policies, wouldn't it?” Votaw wrote in an email. “We don't discuss our disciplinary policies, as you know.”
Now we learn from Jim McCabe that Thorpe has been suspended. Thorpe learned via email in a Friday afternoon news dump of sorts. Thorpe sounds contrite:
“I don’t know the bylaws and there’s probably something in the (regulations),” he said. “I guess they feel they have to protect other players.
“I’m quite sure it’s an uncomfortable position for (PGA Tour commissioner) Tim Finchem and (Champions Tour president) Mike Stevens and the entire Tour staff, but I’m hoping we can (win the appeal), come to some sort of compromise and get back out there.
“Golf is the only thing I know. I don’t know anything else.”
Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 08:35 AM
Reader Comments (20)
It's BS on his part. It conduct unbecoming of a professional. He has disgraced the tour and the other players and he should be suspended.
The problem with Thorpe is he is sorry he got caught, not that he is sorry he tried to cheat and stiff the US Treasury.
I really don't fell sorry for him. He has always been a time bomb and his use of the f word every other word has made him a liability for sponsors and TV networks.
Steve Elling mentioned the conviction as one of "tax evasion" and I think Steve Elling needs to be careful in that regard. I am not saying that Elling is wrong, but informally, it is my understanding that Thorpe pled only to Willful Failure to Pay, and Willful Failure to Maintain Records, and that satisfied the U.S. Attorneys and the IRS. Not "tax evasion," although that may have been in the charging document. The extent to which any felony "fraud" attaches to any of those things, I leave to the tax experts. Thorpe got a one-year federal sentence, and that seems standard for similar convictions, in my very limited experience in those matters. I read Thorpe himself claiming it was a "misdemeanor" that he pled gulity to. No matter what, Thorpie will have a hard time with any effort to appeal that sentence, having pled guilty.
Dr. Phillips; I would expect that the golf suspension would have to last through his federal sentence (it'll be very close to a year, although he'll probably get some credit along the way) and then be revisited based upon the terms of his federal probation. The IRS wants Thorpe to repay; they don't want him in debtors' prison. I don't see that the Tour has any need to prolong the federal punishment.
This story has of course raised all kinds of questions about Jim Thorpe. But I remember meeting him, and he was a very friendly, very decent guy. I got the impression that he was very much liked by his peers, too, which always says a lot about somebody.
Thorpe told the feds that from 2002-04, he won and lost $1.7 million at the track and gaming tables, and that his gambling winnings were used to pay his betting debts. He did not file a tax return for those years until he was confronted by federal agents, according to the Justice Department."
At his age and spending a year off his playing career is over. He'll need to do some corporate events and become a teaching pro. Would be interesting to see if his pension at the PGA is raided by the IRS.
My suspension would be two years.
...if Thorpe deserved 2 years, what does Tiger get? And McCarron?
Separate topic, but Fred Couple played Ping eye-2 SG wedge this week, is he going to get the full treatment like Phil did?
Mr. Thorpe's suspension and prison term will be what it will be...bottom line...don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
Man up, take the punishment that comes with breaking the law, and move on with life.
But the issue for Thorpe, as stated by Doubtful, was "conduct unbecoming of a professional" and "disgracing the tour"...I'm just trying to understand the matrix of potential punishments to be levied when those conditions are present.
Personally I'm with Tighthead and would be fine with it if Thorpe were allowed to keep playing, but I can also understand the suspension and wouldn't put up a big argument against it.
If "conduct unbecoming" and "disgracing" are the variables to be judged I don't think there's any doubt that Tiger's actions were WAY more unbecoming and brought a TON more disgrace...so what's he get, a 10 year suspension?
Hell I think McCarron's screw-up was more unbecoming and disgraceful, especially since it was specifically directed at another tour player...so 4 years for him?
Bottom line, in my book, is that the tour is way too vague with when/why/how players are dealt with -- if there's a bylaw that says "get convicted of a felony and we'll kick you off tour for a while", just say so. As it stands now favorites are being played routinely.
Be interesting to see if a labor lawyer pops up and inserts himself into the situation...
Anyway, how about if you commit (or are convicted of) a felony you are out for life? What is wrong with that, after all it is a gentlemens game?
As for Mr. Thorpe, stupid is as stupid does, but my sentiments lie with Tighthead. When he gets out of the big house Big Jim should be allowed to resume his career. At which time I imagine that a large portion of each check will be direct-deposited into the US Treasury.
I also agree with Dr. P on TOUR discipline. The Commissioner seems to have way too much discretion when it comes to how he metes out punishment, with interesting but somewhat marginal players like Ken Green (anyone remember those shoes or his calling out Seve at the Masters over that drop?), Jonathan Kaye (George W. Bush seems to be reading from the wrong page), and Doug Barron getting hosed, while the more mainstream marginal players like McCarron get something less. Or nothing visible. Even for slandering a fellow player in McCarron's case. Last time I checked he was missing another cut...while not slandering Fred in the process. Progress, I reckon.
I was looking at my Golf World dated Feb. 1 and there's a pic of Phil and Dave Stockton on page 24 doing some short game work, Phil has the Eye 2 wedges in his hand, a little foreshadowing we all missed.
Funny thing is McCarron is pictured on page 22, and highlighted for his comments singling out Anthony Kim for taking the pass to play in Dubai or wherever he was...McCarron missed that week too. I ain't no fan of his but for some perverse reason I think he's going to channel all this and get pissed and win one pretty soon.
MRP, did you know this weeks 36 hole leader was once busted for B&E and topped that off with a DUI in the recent past? I personally don't get too worked up about it, Tour players are nothing more than a subset of society broadly and they aren't exempt from doing dumb things and seriously fucking it up now and then... To me first and foremost it's entertainment...now the NBA, they have PROBLEMS!!
I did not know that Steve Stricker got busted for breaking and entering and a DUI recently...that is news to me. Nevertheless, neither one is neccessarily a felony.
Regardless, I wasn't really lobbying for Mr. Thorpe to be banned for life, I was trying to get conversation going about setting more form and structure around the rules for the PGA regarding conduct issues. It seems that it is to willy-nilly...this guys gets hammered...this guy gets off light...type of thing. That is all.
Is he still considered a contender for Finchem's job? Might not have helped his cause with divorce No. 2.
The fact is, you can't cheat uncle sam in his own backyard! The spotlight kills many celebrities. Spending with no limitations, it seems. But Jim will be okay. He has had a good run and has plenty of time to still enjoy golf.
Gee, I guess this means that the tour will be suspending Tiger, as well....
Again, Tiger didn't plead guily to a felony charge. He pleaded guily to a small driving violation.
Yes he has disgraced the tour but being a sex addict and having dozens of affairs is not illegal. It;s imoral.
Thorpe is a different story. He has broken federal law and now must do hard time in a federal prison.
Interesting that you don't see Tiger's behavior as "conduct unbecoming of a professional".
"Disgracing the tour" and "being a sex addict and having dozens of affairs" is OK with you, but cheating on your taxes is so much worse!
I have to laugh at some people's sense of right and wrong!
Then again, I guess that it's hard to conduct oneself in such a way as to lower the standards of conduct for today's professional athlete.