Hank Haney Made Some Controversial Comments, Sues PGA Tour

[Vinsk]

What did Haney say that was sexist? You tell me. He said ' I can't name 6 players on the LPGA.' That's sexist? He didn't know their US Open was starting this week, so...HH doesn't follow the LPGA. I don't follow hockey. So you tell me oh wise one, what's sexist about that?

[mdl]

3 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

What did Haney say that was sexist? You tell me. He said ' I can't name 6 players on the LPGA.' That's sexist? He didn't know their US Open was starting this week, so...HH doesn't follow the LPGA. I don't follow hockey. So you tell me oh wise one, what's sexist about that?

Again, try a little harder.  I'm guessing you're not autistic, so you can yell the difference between,  you know I'm not a fan of that sport, I have no idea, and a mocking, mean dismissal calling on sexist and racist signals to assist the mockery. Don't be pathetic. 

[Vinsk]

Just now, mdl said:

Again, try a little harder.  I'm guessing you're not autistic, so you can yell the difference between,  you know I'm not a fan of that sport, I have no idea, and a mocking, mean dismissal calling on sexist and racist signals to assist the mockery. Don't be pathetic. 

FFS you're a mess. I though you actually had a good argument. You're just a damn troll. Forget it. Hell, you probably didn't even read Hank's comments. I'm done with ya putz.

[iacas]

I can see both sides of it from where I’m sitting, so I encourage both of you to try harder to see the other dude yourselves.

And stop with the name calling immediately.

[hoselpalooza]

what haney said was ignorant and insensitive. ignorant because he clearly doesn't know jack about the LPGA and insensitive because he failed to consider how his comments might make others feel.

the quote in question doesn't condemn him as a racist or sexist in my book but i could understand how someone might perceive his comments that way. he's a respected authority in golf who was flippant when asked about a women's major and instead of owning up to his ignorance he made a stupid comment with borderline racial undertones. 

will be interesting to see how his PR team handles this.

[boogielicious]

What is most disappointing to me about HH is that for someone who professes to want to grow the game, he did THE GAME a great disservice but being a dolt and giving people reason to call him sexist. I would much rather watch the LPGA than listen to him drone on about anything. I met him a few years ago and he came off as a nice guy, but that was because he was trying to sell himself and the TM M1 driver. And yes there were women there including women reporters from Golf Digest.

His comments were inappropriate for someone who claims to be all about golf.

[Vinsk]

57 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

What is most disappointing to me about HH is that for someone who professes to want to grow the game, he did THE GAME a great disservice but being a dolt and giving people reason to call him sexist. I would much rather watch the LPGA than listen to him drone on about anything. I met him a few years ago and he came off as a nice guy, but that was because he was trying to sell himself and the TM M1 driver. And yes there were women there including women reporters from Golf Digest.

His comments were inappropriate for someone who claims to be all about golf.

That’s very well said. And I also believe that going straight to calling his remarks sexist isn’t really the best way to call him out. My point was to the bold part. By calling his comments sexist regarding his lack of knowledge about the LPGA it leads to only one response, an apology. That just gave him the all too familiar easy way out. 

Had the clap back been making him address why someone who is so into golf and trying to grow it would feel that way and say such  things on air would’ve really put him under the gun. 

 

[krupa]

I thought his comments were condescending.  Is that condescension coming because they're women? Only Hank could answer that question, but I'm guessing probably a bit. HIs apology, like most public apologies these days, came off as disingenuous.

As for watching LPGA, I like it as much as PGA... probably more because there aren't screaming morons after every shot.  

[Wally Fairway]

While I don't agree with how Haney presented his comments, and he is much more "about" golf than I am; I will say that the LPGA tour has changed over the last 7-10 years. The change is that although I'm certain that the quality of play has improved (as it generally has in all sports) there is no star power or anyone with "it".
I'm not sure I can define what "it" is - but I used to follow that tour a little bit, people (and their story) from the  likes of  Nancy Lopez, to Beth Daniel, Annika, Karrie Webb Lorena Ochoa, and it didn't hurt that there was a player from my home town (Elaine Crosby), but the tour seems devoid of leadership from network presence to stars to majors.
I had to look up what the Women's majors are (I did know that there are now 5) the names have changed, when they play them seems to have changed.

I also think that as the Golf Channel expanded coverage of the European (mens) Tour events that it is detrimental to the LPGA as well, as far as how much time people spend watching golf.
Maybe it's just me, but I can't tell you the last time I planned my schedule around watching any LPGA event - and I remember, albeit years ago, that I'd watch some of the majors and maybe a bit of some final rounds if it was players that I liked to follow. (please don't call me racist or misogynistic)

[saevel25]

Another issue is that if he just sat back and said, "I don't keep up with the LPGA tour much these days, so I can't comment". You know, an honest straight forward admission. He would get ripped anyways as sexist. Which of course does not prove a person to be sexist at all.

Yes, in the moment his comments lacked tact. Guess what world, people lack tact all the time. It doesn't mean they are a racist or sexist. To me there is a wide spectrum of actions and the quantity of actions when it comes to claiming someone as racists or sexists. I don't know how Haney reacts every moment of his life, but his off the cuff remarks does not mean he is himself sexist or racist. Were they inappropriate, sure. They should be judged at inappropriate and should be counted as evidence of sexism and racism if further instances happen.

This gut reaction to label someone, and give them a scarlet letter, is getting out of hand.

[iacas]

Ironically…

[xrayvizhen]

HH has never been one to think first, then talk, but I did hear his comment on the radio when he first said what he said and felt he was taking aim more at the state of American female golfers rather than being racist. Given the population disparity between the US and South Korea, he believes American female golfers should be doing better than they're doing but what we're usually seeing on the LPGA leader boards week after week seems to indicate that the South Korean ladies are working harder and are more dedicated than their American counterparts. I think that's what he meant and he probably thinks that the LPGA should be doing more to develop young American female golfers but again, he didn't take 30 seconds to put together a coherent thought.

Edited May 30, 2019 by xrayvizhen

[Vinsk]

37 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Another issue is that if he just sat back and said, "I don't keep up with the LPGA tour much these days, so I can't comment". You know, an honest straight forward admission. He would get ripped anyways as sexist. Which of course does not prove a person to be sexist at all.

Yes, in the moment his comments lacked tact. Guess what world, people lack tact all the time. It doesn't mean they are a racist or sexist. To me there is a wide spectrum of actions and the quantity of actions when it comes to claiming someone as racists or sexists. I don't know how Haney reacts every moment of his life, but his off the cuff remarks does not mean he is himself sexist or racist. Were they inappropriate, sure. They should be judged at inappropriate and should be counted as evidence of sexism and racism if further instances happen.

This gut reaction to label someone, and give them a scarlet letter, is getting out of hand.

Thank you. Exactly what I was trying to say.

[Groucho Valentine]

Stupid comment. We would fit right in with the MAGA crowd. The LPGA does have a marketing problem though, but i don't think its the fault of the Asian players. The problem with woman's golf (and woman's sports in general) is that women don't support it. Left to men to be the primary consumer, woman's golf is always going to have to be part pornograhpy to be successful. Which means you're going to need more telegenic blondes winning tournaments or American men will pretty much tune it out. For good or bad, more golf fans know who Paige Spiranac or Blair O'Neal are rather than anyone relevant on the LGPA tour. If more women support the game, all this nonsense about asian players ruining the LPGA goes away. 

[DaveP043]

53 minutes ago, xrayvizhen said:

HH has never been one to think first, then talk, but I did hear his comment on the radio when he first said what he said and felt he was taking aim more at the state of American female golfers rather than being racist. Given the population disparity between the US and South Korea, he believes American female golfers should be doing better than they're doing but what we're usually seeing on the LPGA leader boards week after week seems to indicate that the South Korean ladies are working harder and are more dedicated than their American counterparts. I think that's what he meant and he probably thinks that the LPGA should be doing more to develop young American female golfers but again, he didn't take 30 seconds to put together a coherent thought.

I think you are giving him a lot more credit than his remarks deserved.  My interpretation is that he:

1.  doesn't follow women's golf very much, but,

2.  has noticed that there is a seemingly disproportionate number of players from Korea, as compared to the US and/or Europe

3.  and has noticed that Lee is a pretty common surname for Korean golfers.

4.  and decided to try to make a joke about each of those points, without considering how it might be interpreted.  

Not being interested in women's golf doesn't make it sexist by itself, but choosing to remain uninformed (ignorant is a fair word here) about a major sector of professional golf is a pretty poor choice for someone who makes his money by talking about golf on a daily satellite radio show.  Seeing a trend in the demographic make-up of the LPGA Tour doesn't make him racist, but making a joke about common names does make him look worse.

I listen to Haney occasionally when I'm on the road, and I don't think he's very good on the radio.  He struggles to form sentences, he struggles to find enough different topics to fill up his 2-hour (I think) show, his knowledge of rules is dismal, his unreasoning disdain for the USGA is tiresome.  He has probably said things that are similarly uninformed and/or offensive, this one just got noticed.

[DeadMan]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

Another issue is that if he just sat back and said, "I don't keep up with the LPGA tour much these days, so I can't comment". You know, an honest straight forward admission. He would get ripped anyways as sexist. Which of course does not prove a person to be sexist at all.

Yes, in the moment his comments lacked tact. Guess what world, people lack tact all the time. It doesn't mean they are a racist or sexist. To me there is a wide spectrum of actions and the quantity of actions when it comes to claiming someone as racists or sexists. I don't know how Haney reacts every moment of his life, but his off the cuff remarks does not mean he is himself sexist or racist. Were they inappropriate, sure. They should be judged at inappropriate and should be counted as evidence of sexism and racism if further instances happen.

This gut reaction to label someone, and give them a scarlet letter, is getting out of hand.

There's a difference between saying something racist (which Haney absolutely did) and being an actual racist (which we don't know for Haney). I feel like that's a distinction that gets missed often. And, honestly, I haven't seen anyone brand Haney as a racist beyond you and @Vinsk. Michelle Wie called it an example of racism (it was) and sexism (not sure on this), but didn't call Haney racist.

Honestly, if he makes an attempt to understand why what he said was racist and actually apologizes for that, then we can shrug it aside. But he started by saying he's definitely not racist and then gave an apology that didn't really address his racism. That's a bigger problem to me than his original joke.

[Sandy Divot]

Looks like Hank's show is not on today.

[rehmwa]

2 hours ago, Vinsk said:

That’s very well said. And I also believe that going straight to calling his remarks sexist isn’t really the best way to call him out. My point was to the bold part. By calling his comments sexist regarding his lack of knowledge about the LPGA it leads to only one response, an apology. That just gave him the all too familiar easy way out. 

Had the clap back been making him address why someone who is so into golf and trying to grow it would feel that way and say such  things on air would’ve really put him under the gun. 

 

This was well put and hopefully more clear to those that just beat on you for not following the mindlessscript....

Hank made some insensitive and asshole comments. So instead of being specific and communicating why they were poor and how they hurt and what should be done to be better about it in the future, instead we get a knee jerk name calling (virtue signaling) reaction that's just stock and trite and overplayed in today's world.

He screwed up, AND the generic response to his ignorance once again missed the chance to educate and inform, instead going for the lazy and worn out fake outrage response we're all getting numb to.