Brandel Gives Tiger an F/ Tiger's Agent Hints at Legal Action Against Chamblee

[newtogolf]

I would think Tiger, the USGA, Augusta National Rules Committee and Players Championship Rules Committee all have Brandel on their list to ignore in 2014.  While his cheap shot is directed at Tiger, it also indirectly questions the ethics of the USGA and Tournament rules committee.

Brandel, like Miceli keeps his name in the headlines by trashing Tiger.  Just about every thread on this site about Brandel is about a headline or comment he's made that disparages Tiger.  At some point it's going to cost him a job or his career because eventually Tiger is going to boycott speaking to Brandel and anyone associated with him.

[mchepp]

I normally don't mind the overly aggressive shots Brandel takes. He is trying to be controversial on purpose as others have said. This one went over the line. I fully expect Brandel to apologize for crossing the line calling him a cheater. GC may demand it after the firestorm this will start. Good news for Brandel after he apologizes, the results will have been the GC gets a bunch of coverage and Tiger gets his apology, everybody is happy. In my book the GC has done controversial things in the past. They did this instructor search scam that was done to pick someone they already hand picked and get a bunch of traffic on the website. So they don't mind controversy for traffic/viewers.

[Golfingdad]

Steiny dipping into the Mac O'Grady playbook.  I'm gonna sue you!  Don't think anything will actually come of this, just a PR move.

OK, so on the preview I read that as "skinny dipping into Mac O Grady ..." and of course all that makes me think of those gawd-awful pictures/videos of him in his little 80's running shorts ... so, umm, thanks for that.

At some point it's going to cost him a job or his career because eventually Tiger is going to boycott speaking to Brandel and anyone associated with him.

If I was a betting man, I'd put my money on yesterday being that point.

[Mr. Desmond]

I bet there are a lot of people who would have never read this story except for Steiny opening his ill-tempered mouth...

" Chamblee's uninformed and malicious opinions, passed on as facts , and his desperate attempt to garner attention is deplorable."

Steiny says it's Chamblee's opinion, and then tries the slander angle with "'passed on as facts," which I find amusing, the second part of the sentence is true, although I doubt Brandel is desperate.

As a public figure, Brandel can go after Tiger more aggressively as long as it's not in malice or is reckless. Well, Brandel expresses his admiration for Tiger, and in many people's opinions (in the public), Tiger cheated, or attempted to do so during the year.

I think there is a rational and fair basis for Brandel's opinion.

Steiny is talking out of his @## (my opinion based on reading Steiny's and Brandel's stories).

[ghalfaire]

I am usually a Brandell fan and like his articles.  But I have to admit that implying Tiger might have cheated without evidence is across the line. But I doubt anyone will sue anyone over this.

In Brandell's defense how would you write an article on grading the pro's without including Tiger?   He won 5 times I believe and was player of the year.  So you can't ignore the man or the season he had.  But there were four rules incidents and because of Tiger's status in the game any article that did not mention this would be incomplete.   It is a lot more than one would have expected from a player of Tiger's experience and therefore noteworthy. I don't know, maybe Tiger was just unlucky or Karma did it.

[Golfingdad]

But there were four rules incidents ...

Three.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghalfaire

But there were four rules incidents ...

Three.

I don't see how some people find this so difficult to understand.  There was no rules incident at the Players.  None.  Period.  Tiger hit his tee shot in the water.  He went through all of the proper procedures in determining where to drop.  He dropped correctly.  Case closed.

[ghalfaire]

Three.

I don't see how some people find this so difficult to understand.  There was no rules incident at the Players.  None.  Period.  Tiger hit his tee shot in the water.  He went through all of the proper procedures in determining where to drop.  He dropped correctly.  Case closed.

OK there were three which doesn't really close the case.  The point was and is that is more than I'd expect from Tiger or any professional.  One incident maybe but after that I would have thought Tiger would ask for a rules official whenever there was any doubt or even if there wasn't any doubt in his mind.  I don't think he cheated but he surely made some bad decisions in not asking for a rules official.

[iacas]

One incident maybe but after that I would have thought Tiger would ask for a rules official whenever there was any doubt or even if there wasn't any doubt in his mind.

When there's doubt or even if there's no doubt? That's literally every shot.

And if you had just said "when there's doubt" he could have done that and had no doubt on the second and third instance.

[dsc123]

I don't agree with giving him a pass because he was just doing his job. He could get traffic by writing good articles, but he chooses to make a name for himself by a job by relentlessly attacking tiger.

[Spitfisher]

I bet there are a lot of people who would have never read this story except for Steiny opening his ill-tempered mouth...

"Chamblee's uninformed and malicious opinions, passed on as facts, and his desperate attempt to garner attention is deplorable."

Steiny says it's Chamblee's opinion, and then tries the slander angle with "'passed on as facts," which I find amusing, the second part of the sentence is true, although I doubt Brandel is desperate.

As a public figure, Brandel can go after Tiger more aggressively as long as it's not in malice or is reckless. Well, Brandel expresses his admiration for Tiger, and in many people's opinions (in the public), Tiger cheated, or attempted to do so during the year.

I think there is a rational and fair basis for Brandel's opinion.

Steiny is talking out of his @## (my opinion based on reading Steiny's and Brandel's stories).

agreed, he did praise him and his accomplishments for 2013, his assessment of a grade is an opinion, his own opinion.  It is what it is. Time for many of the tiger fan club to move on from this. Calling for possible  legal action is idiotic and an impossibility.  Calling for  Chamblee's job is almost just as bad.

[ghalfaire]

When there's doubt or even if there's no doubt? That's literally every shot.

And if you had just said "when there's doubt" he could have done that and had no doubt on the second and third instance.

Alright so I'm an engineer and not an English major.  I certainly did not mean he should consult a rules official on every shot, but I suspect you knew that.  I would add it goes without saying that if Tiger had a doubt of how to handle a situation under the rules I believe he would have called an official. I guess what I was trying to say is if he felt he needed to take an action like a ball drop under the rules that he would have consulted an official whether he believed he knew the rules or not.  I have seen a lot of pros do exactly that just to ensure that as some later point they are not penalized or DQ'ed for an incorrect score card.  I would also have to believe this is true if you think you "oscillated" a ball you would call a rules official and explain what happened just to avoid the controversy (especially if there had been other earlier controversy over rules).  After all the events these PGA Pros are playing are not the local club championship, these events are worth millions of dollars and I would have to believe a dose of extra caution in how to handle any unusual situation would be called for.  I think these PGA Pros should be like Cesar's wife when following the rules (not just conduct yourself above reproach but to also always appear above reproach).

[dsc123]

agreed, he did praise him and his accomplishments for 2013, his assessment of a grade is an opinion, his own opinion.  It is what it is. Time for many of the tiger fan club to move on from this. Calling for possible  legal action is idiotic and an impossibility.  Calling for  Chamblee's job is almost just as bad.

It's not an opinion. The rules are what they are and he did what he did. There's no room for opinion. And Making false statements about someone that harms their reputation is illegal. Calling tiger a cheater clearly harms his reputation, and he didn't cheat. Like desmond said,the standard for public figures is harder, but it's really not too far off.

[Strandly]

I don't agree with giving him a pass because he was just doing his job. He could get traffic by writing good articles, but he chooses to make a name for himself by a job by relentlessly attacking tiger.

That's typical of even non-sporting news now a days.  It's not news, it's entertainment masquerading as news.

[newtogolf]

agreed, he did praise him and his accomplishments for 2013, his assessment of a grade is an opinion, his own opinion.  It is what it is. Time for many of the tiger fan club to move on from this. Calling for possible  legal action is idiotic and an impossibility.  Calling for  Chamblee's job is almost just as bad.

Why can Chamblee have an opinion on Tiger that affects his career but we can't have an opinion on Chamblee and call for his job.  I don't like him or his methods for getting attention.  As a viewer, in a key demographic, of the GC I'd prefer he not be given a platform to spew his garbage from, that's my opinion.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spitfisher

agreed, he did praise him and his accomplishments for 2013, his assessment of a grade is an opinion, his own opinion.  It is what it is. Time for many of the tiger fan club to move on from this. Calling for possible  legal action is idiotic and an impossibility.  Calling for  Chamblee's job is almost just as bad.

Why can Chamblee have an opinion on Tiger that affects his career but we can't have an opinion on Chamblee and call for his job.  I don't like him or his methods for getting attention.  As a viewer, in a key demographic, of the GC I'd prefer he not be given a platform to spew his garbage from, that's my opinion.

Good call.  That gate swings both ways.

[phan52]

Why can Chamblee have an opinion on Tiger that affects his career but we can't have an opinion on Chamblee and call for his job.  I don't like him or his methods for getting attention.  As a viewer, in a key demographic, of the GC I'd prefer he not be given a platform to spew his garbage from, that's my opinion.

It has zero effect on Tiger's career. It is an opinion, and a valid one as well. Maybe it actually will help Tiger to a degree in that he won't be as careless as he was at the Masters anymore. Calling for guy's job isn't even close to the same thing.

[k-troop]

Suing Brandel is ridiculous.  It won't happen, because any lawyer good enough to get Tiger as a client will undoubtedly know that Brandel's actions weren't libelous.  Since the comments were about Tiger's actions on the course, and he's the most famous and influential figure currently in the game of golf, I think almost every court would agree that the public figure doctrine applies:  Brandel would have to knowingly make false comments about Tiger with the intent to injure him.

I agree that Tiger's agent probably gave this story a lot more traction than it otherwise deserved.

So-called journalists say untrue crap all the time.  A talk-show host on Fox News just the other day ran with a clearly false story about the President that they got from a news-satire blog.  "Sports commentary" shouldn't be held to any higher standard; nor should you put any more stock in what they report.  It's entertainment at best, and even then only if you find such things entertaining.