Women and the Masters, here we go again

[jr/shotglass]

Very good.

 

[imjustagirl]

You obviously haven't read it.

Which is snide, but I'd love to know what you think of it. I have to go sleep, but I'll think on it and weigh in tomorrow. I'll say this: I feel like the point she made with her kicker wasn't the point she was making throughout, and it felt cheap to me.

 

[jr/shotglass]

I read fast.

I thought it read well.

And actually, come to think of it, his persona around the 12th hole yesterday was of someone who probably could have used his parents in the house.

 

[Alma]

It's the biggest/most important golf tournament of the year.

Do I feel bad for Tara? Yah. But I also see this as a faux pas by ANGC. This isn't policy of the turn-ament.

While this is true...it's only true because the media makes it so. The Masters is a media creation. It's not a championship. It's not anything but a "major," that no one officially sanctions. It doesn't have the strongest field. It doesn't have the biggest purse. It doesn't typically produce the best winners. It operates on nostalgia. Who generates that? The press.

 

[jr/shotglass]

What does that have to do with what transpired here regarding the reporter? I don't get it.

 

[SF_Express]

It's the biggest/most important golf tournament of the year.

Do I feel bad for Tara? Yah. But I also see this as a faux pas by ANGC. This isn't policy of the turn-ament.

While this is true...it's only true because the media makes it so. The Masters is a media creation. It's not a championship. It's not anything but a "major," that no one officially sanctions. It doesn't have the strongest field. It doesn't have the biggest purse. It doesn't typically produce the best winners. It operates on nostalgia. Who generates that? The press.

Well, Alma, maybe at the beginning, but we're long past that. Your post implies that if the press could somehow stop covering the Masters tomorrow, it would revert to being the Texas Open.

That probably wasn't true 25 years ago, and it's certainly not true anymore -- if the press said, "Nope, not going to cover it anymore," Masters.org would, and they'd set up their own syndicated TV, and it would still be one of the biggest sports events of the year.

As for the other, it was obviously bad for all the stated reasons, but for those who say, "This should be a first-class event and this shouldn't happen," I say: If you find a way to guarantee that no new and inexperienced human being is ever involved in these kinds of things, ever again, throughout time, let me know. You'll be the first.

 

[MartinonMTV2]

It's the biggest/most important golf tournament of the year.

Do I feel bad for Tara? Yah. But I also see this as a faux pas by ANGC. This isn't policy of the turn-ament.

While this is true...it's only true because the media makes it so. The Masters is a media creation. It's not a championship. It's not anything but a "major," that no one officially sanctions. It doesn't have the strongest field. It doesn't have the biggest purse. It doesn't typically produce the best winners. It operates on nostalgia. Who generates that? The press.

Well, Alma, maybe at the beginning, but we're long past that. Your post implies that if the press could somehow stop covering the Masters tomorrow, it would revert to being the Texas Open.

That probably wasn't true 25 years ago, and it's certainly not true anymore -- if the press said, "Nope, not going to cover it anymore," Masters.org would, and they'd set up their own syndicated TV, and it would still be one of the biggest sports events of the year.

As for the other, it was obviously bad for all the stated reasons, but for those who say, "This should be a first-class event and this shouldn't happen," I say: If you find a way to guarantee that no new and inexperienced human being is ever involved in these kinds of things, ever again, throughout time, let me know. You'll be the first.

Except he's right. It is a media creation. Its reality and its hype are two different things.

People bench a lot about the NCAA tournament or the Super Bowl not living up to their hype. This tournament gets a pass too much of the time. It's an outdated relic and should be treated as such.

 

[Azrael]

There are plenty of things to rip Augusta for, but they aren't guilty here of anything other than employing an overzealous, poorly trained security guard.

ANGC is responsible for the training. Sorry.

 

[21]

There are plenty of things to rip Augusta for, but they aren't guilty here of anything other than employing an overzealous, poorly trained security guard.

ANGC is responsible for the training. Sorry.

This, and if you're the target of an annual debate about your club's sexist mentality and membership practices, probably a good idea to be sure you don't give folks more proof.

 

[MileHigh]

There are plenty of things to rip Augusta for, but they aren't guilty here of anything other than employing an overzealous, poorly trained security guard.

ANGC is responsible for the training. Sorry.

This, and if you're the target of an annual debate about your club's sexist mentality and membership practices, probably a good idea to be sure you don't give folks more proof.

Agree completely. While it's policy to allow women reporters into the locker room, that needs to be spread to all outsourced security, especially those guarding the doors to the locker room. On that point, ANGC failed and while the apology is all nice and good, it should still take heat for this.

I'm curious, were Tara and others stopped earlier in the week from going into the locker room, or was it just an issue Sunday afternoon?

 

[vivbernstein]

Rufino,

First you dismiss all criticism by Liz Mullen with that napalm comment meant to discredit her as some radical. Then you dismiss the entire incident as a mere inconvenience. Think it would be a mere inconvenience if it happened to you?

It matters, because:
1. A female sports reporter wasn't allowed to do her job because of her gender.
2. It happened at a major sporting event.
3. That event was at Augusta National, which has a history of treating women as second-class citizens. As Barry Svrluga commented on twitter, "Augusta National says exclusion of female reporter from locker room interview was "mistake." Think culture of club had anything to do w/ it?"

You have something in common with that security guard (whose gender is irrelevant, by the way). Neither of you get it.

 

[Mediator]

There was an intern at my old paper who had the same problem at a PGA Tour event. Barred from the locker room, and some nasty comments while in there doing her job, though not from the golfers. The whole thing was mortifying to her and she ultimately left the business.

You want to to know why the number of women in our business remains stagnant? Stuff like this, at small tournaments, to interns, discourages women from sticking around.

Obviously, Tara isn't easily intimidated. But those other issues rarely make a headline.

Yes it matters. No it's not minor. And the PGA Tour should train all security guards at the locker door to know how federal law applies to their job.