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Originally Posted by Jason14h
Good riddance to the tour. And the top players now forming a higher paid 'tour' - Hypocrites. "Have to keep the best players" - Soooo it's ok for you to stay and get paid more (forced by the LIV) but those who left first for the LUIV are villain's for doing it first?
There is nothing wrong with playing for $$, or leaving for more $$. What is wrong it the tour being a non-profit while lining the pockets of their executives, refusing players NIL rights, and ensuring a small group of players - Tiger Woods and his buddies, get extra money through programs like "Player Impact Program" - Which paid Tiger $8 million in 2021 to not play.
Good thing the tour (and executives... err 5 metrics) controls that money instead of allowing the players to earn their own NIL $$ individually.
https://insidesources.com/as-pga-exe...profit-status/
The LIV is certainly a joke, but so is a lot of things about the PGA tour. The fact how quickly the tour can pivot and "find" all this extra cash for players is the first proof of how corrupt it is. |
I don't know how accurate it is to say that the players don't control their own NIL. Ricky Fowler can film a million commercials of him playing golf and keep all the money (I think), and take millions from Puma and Cobra to wear their gear in tournaments. Phil's argument was that he couldn't take his highlights from pga tournament broadcasts and sell NFTs of his greatest moments on tour or put them on his tiktok channel or whatever.
The executive salaries seem excessive, but not totally out of line of other sports or business. Goodell makes more than any player.
The non-profit status is a tad overblown. The NFL and MLB both used to be non-profit, but gave it up mostly so they (ironically) did not have to disclose executive salaries. It seems doubtful that the non-profit status inflates executive salaries, and they are decided by the player's committee or whatever. Incorporating as a business and giving out owner's stakes to whoever, is not going to help the player's cause and executives salaries would all be tax deductible anyway.
Finding extra cash to invest in keeping players is not proof they are "corrupt". They just decided to re-direct that money that was likely for future investment into keeping their star players in this battle with liv.
I see more as guys like Rory, JT, Tiger, Spieth telling the tour what they need to do to keep the other big names who may be on the fence. That core seems committed to staying, but if the other big names leave, then there isn't much worth saving any more. The PGA tour's existence is at risk and that is the entire goal of Greg Norman and the Saudis. If Cam Smith is the only top 15 player to leave, then they should be fine, but if half the top 15 leaves, then pro golf is done.