(06-10-2022 06:19 PM)Big Red Wrote: [ -> ]NIU current administration does not seem bright or pointed in the right direction, but hoping they don't cut ties with a wealthy alumni who by all counts seems like a wonderful human being and generous donor. I don't like LIV like many because its Saudi product and likely architected PR machine. I did though talk to a PGA/Korn Ferry player ironically yesterday on the subject, and he said most players don't dig LIV for the Saudi reasons, but also mentioned that a number of Saudi/middle east businesses throw sponsor money at the PGA currently anyway, so the players may as well chase the better pay check. Also there seems to be a lot of angst in the PGA about how much $ it takes in, and how much it shares with the players, especially those not on the top $ list.
I find it odd that if you asked them, those leaving would be pretty conservative in values see this as a capitalistic, personal decision of wealth over what PGA does. Other than Phil. A lot of these guys aren't liked, at minimum, polarizing especially from US, haven't won a lot and the euros are past their prime. 50m though for Ian Poulter, how do you pass it up?
On the flip side, it's pretty ironic that the Saudi "special fund" or whatever through in $400,000,000 to start. I can only imagine the outcry if the USA or any euro government wrote a check for a sport like that to pay players, not even from this country to boot, directly.
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How quickly would public sentiment change if the Saudi's started a basketball league and started out by giving Stef Curry 500M to join up for 5 years and then followed it up with a bunch of other signings of slightly older guys who would love to get a huge payday?
At this point, there's nothing stopping the Saudi's from doing it with other sports. They're throwing money at a PR issue and are buying international ambassadors.
I watched a little of the LIV 1st round coverage yesterday and, the least engaging aspect was the actual golf (btw, I watch most tournaments year round). The announcers were over the top with their gushing about the historic moment and how they were changing the sports landscape forever. They went on and on about the excitement at and around the event and how it was sold out.
Well...they gave away tickets for free and there were better attended PGA events during the early days of the pandemic.
It's hard to get excited about an event where 70% of the guys, literally no one has heard of and they're still at the top of the leaderboard while the big names are all shooting par or worse.
Btw, their website didn't even have the leaderboard anywhere on it. That tells you a lot.
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Big Red your response was exactly what I was missing. What is the angle for this toruurnament? Why it is PR. Not caring about the score does say alot. Then the comments about the announcers and what they are "selling". Ug. Everything is being sold to us in 1 fashion or another.
This is 1 giant infomercial.