Tiger May Play Phoenix Event to Kick Off 2015

[Golfingdad]

For me, it's not about the caddy races or the throwing, but rather the continued need to try to legislate the fun out everything these days.....

Be honest tho ... How much fun are they really taking away here? If the cheerleaders at the baseball or hockey game forgot their tre shirt cannons one night, would you notice?

[jamo]

Be honest tho ... How much fun are they really taking away here? If the cheerleaders at the baseball or hockey game forgot their tre shirt cannons one night, would you notice?

I know you were asking him, but for me it's 0%.

[David in FL]

Be honest tho ... How much fun are they really taking away here? If the cheerleaders at the baseball or hockey game forgot their tre shirt cannons one night, would you notice?

It doesn't matter. For me, the point has nothing to do with whether you or I found it entertaining.

[Golfingdad]

It doesn't matter. For me, the point has nothing to do with whether you or I found it entertaining.

What about my point regarding somebody getting hurt? There are things to stand up against - I get that - but this seems like something that would rank about 9 billionth on that list.

[Zeph]

Let the golf players play golf. I have no problem with them not being allowed to distribute items to the crowd.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Exactly ... how much LESS interesting was the tournament because they eliminated the stupid caddy races?  I'm gonna say for most people probably something 0.0000000000001% less.

I'm sure I'm sounding like an old fuddy-duddy here but that couldn't be further from the truth.  Everything about the Pheonix tournament and the 16th hole in particular is great.  I've love the rowdiness, I love the cheers and the boos, I love the Fenway park like setup, the scoreboards, and the guys having fun with it like Mr. Gangnam style from a couple of years ago, but the caddy races (meh) and the throwing of hats (whoopty-do) don't interest me.

They were smart to eliminate the caddy races before one of those guys hurt themselves, and they're smart to eliminate the throwing of stuff into the seats before some dipshit lunges and falls over the railing and into a cactus or onto a rock.

Think about the repercussions of the 16th hole atmosphere if they waited until after something like that happened to curb this stuff?

You're right...

......you sound like an old fuddy-duddy.

I beg to differ. @Golfingdad is a young fuddy duddy!

The races were fun for a while but got old.  The merchandise throwing as well.  I like the tournament for the course itself.  The par 3 16th should be an easy hold for these guys but the stadium makes it much harder.  The driveable par 4 is nice too.

[boogielicious]

From golfchannel.com

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/nicklaus-tiger-may-be-trying-find-confidence-phoenix/

Quote:

Nicklaus: Tiger may be trying to find confidence in Phoenix
By
Jason Sobel
January 14, 2015, 12:57 pm

Jack Nicklaus wasn’t consulted on Tiger Woods’ decision to open his year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in two weeks, but he can certainly understand the rationale.

“Sometimes I would go play tournaments early in the year that actually you did shoot some low scores, because I didn't feel like I was quite ready to challenge a difficult golf course,” Nicklaus said during a Wednesday teleconference with reporters. “Sometimes I would go where I could build confidence in my own game, so my guess is Tiger is going to Phoenix so he can build confidence in his own game and get some self‑confidence because he hasn't played for a long time.”

[turtleback]

Exactly ... how much LESS interesting was the tournament because they eliminated the stupid caddy races?  I'm gonna say for most people probably something 0.0000000000001% less.

I'm sure I'm sounding like an old fuddy-duddy here but that couldn't be further from the truth.  Everything about the Pheonix tournament and the 16th hole in particular is great.  I've love the rowdiness, I love the cheers and the boos, I love the Fenway park like setup, the scoreboards, and the guys having fun with it like Mr. Gangnam style from a couple of years ago, but the caddy races (meh) and the throwing of hats (whoopty-do) don't interest me.

They were smart to eliminate the caddy races before one of those guys hurt themselves, and they're smart to eliminate the throwing of stuff into the seats before some dipshit lunges and falls over the railing and into a cactus or onto a rock.

Think about the repercussions of the 16th hole atmosphere if they waited until after something like that happened to curb this stuff?

I'm fuddier and duddier than you because I do not like any of it.  Personally I do not understand the fun of being allowed to behave in a way that, IMO, is completely inappropriate to the situation.  It is golf, not football.  I'll watch it this year because of Tiger, but generally this is not a tournament I make a point of watching.  I'm guessing I am in a (pretty small?) minority on this,but that's OK.

As an aside, the reason the NFL put up nets behind the end zones and fines players who toss footballs into the stands is that people were fighting over the balls in the stands.  Snce I haven't been watching it I don't know if that concern was a factor in Phoenix's decision.

[Golfingdad]

As an aside, the reason the NFL put up nets behind the end zones and fines players who toss footballs into the stands is that people were fighting over the balls in the stands.  Snce I haven't been watching it I don't know if that concern was a factor in Phoenix's decision.

If it has , I have a hard time understanding why anybody would complain about this rule change.

If it hasn't , I still have a hard time understanding why anybody couldn't understand them foreseeing it in the future and trying to be preventative.  Especially considering that they know Tiger is coming this year and so the rowdiness will be even more magnified (if that's even possible.)

Imagine if in 2001 the NHL decided to put up nets along each end of the ice to protect fans.  I believe (based on this thread) that there would have been a few people like @David in FL objecting about the lawyers and the regulations, etc, etc.  "It's ridiculous that they think they feel the need to restrict our vision, and thus our enjoyment of the game, by 0.4%.  Why???  Stupid lawyers!"

But in 2002 when they went up, not many people were complaining much about them.  Why?  Because a girl DIED at a game from being struck by a puck.

Why is it so hard for people to see that maybe, just maybe, the organizers are trying to be proactive here rather than reactive, and avoid an accident before it happens?  And while doing so, they're taking NOTHING away from the event.  Does anybody really care that the guy who woke up this week and said: "what, no chance for a free hat?  Well, forget it then, I'm not going to a stupid golf tournament" is going to stay at home next week?

[David in FL]

What about my point regarding somebody getting hurt? There are things to stand up against - I get that - but this seems like something that would rank about 9 billionth on that list.

By that argument, spectators shouldn't be allowed on the course at all. They can, and do get hurt. Crap happens. I simply hate that we've gotten to the point that everything that could even remotely pose some minuscule risk is shut down. Come on....throwing a freaking hat to a fan?! Ever watch the scramble for a foul baseball? Silliness.

[Golfingdad]

By that argument, spectators shouldn't be allowed on the course at all. They can, and do get hurt.

Crap happens. I simply hate that we've gotten to the point that everything that could even remotely pose some minuscule risk is shut down. Come on....throwing a freaking hat to a fan?! Ever watch the scramble for a foul baseball?

Silliness.

Yes, "everything" is being shut down.  They're not telling fans not to come, they're not telling fans not to be loud and rowdy, they're not telling fans they can't drink, they're not saying ANYTHING besides 'please don't throw shit into the stands.'

So, yeah, I get your point.

[Ernest Jones]

If the cheerleaders at the baseball or hockey game forgot their tee shirts cannons one night, would you notice?

Hell yes!

[Golfingdad]

Hell yes!

And if the cheerleaders remembered their tee shirts but forgot their "cannons" I'd imagine you'd notice that as well, eh?

[David in FL]

Does anybody really care that the guy who woke up this week and said: "what, no chance for a free hat?  Well, forget it then, I'm not going to a stupid golf tournament" is going to stay at home next week?

That you appear to think that this is the point, indicates that you don't understand my point.  My communication failure.....

Anything more is getting way OT though as we're getting off the tournament and into personal and moral philosophies, so I'll quit here.

[Golfingdad]

My communication failure.....

Yes, I agree with this.  Let's go back and look at what you wrote:

For me, it's not about the caddy races or the throwing, but rather the continued need to try to legislate the fun out everything these days.....

OK, here you mention that it's about legislating FUN out of everything.  Then I said "Be honest, how much less fun is it really?"  To which you responded:

It doesn't matter. For me, the point has nothing to do with whether you or I found it entertaining.

Next, you further "explain" (and I use that term verrrrrrrry loosely) that it's not about you or I.  OK, I get it.  You're not arguing on behalf of me and you, but the other people who DO find this entertaining.  I think I see where you're headed with this ...

Does anybody really care that the guy who woke up this week and said: "what, no chance for a free hat?  Well, forget it then, I'm not going to a stupid golf tournament" is going to stay at home next week?

That you appear to think that this is the point, indicates that you don't understand my point.

Perhaps you can see why it's hard to understand your point?

"It's about the fun!"

"But I don't even find it fun."

"No, not yours or mine"

"Oh, OK, then somebody elses?"

"Nope, you miss my point."

Why is it so hard for people to see that maybe, just maybe, the organizers are trying to be proactive here rather than reactive, and avoid an accident before it happens?

Also, I'm curious as to your opinion on this particular point.  Considering the example I gave about the NHL, and also even more analogous would be the guy who died falling over a railing reaching for a baseball tossed his way by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton a few years ago.

Anything more is getting way OT though as we're getting off the tournament and into personal and moral philosophies, so I'll quit here.

I'm sure they'll give us a little leeway here.  After all, this is related to the tournament, and the tournament doesn't even start for another week. ;)

[Wally Fairway]

At least the Masters is not a PGA tour event, so they can't make them stop skipping golf balls across the pond on 16 and that whole par 3 tournament is just way too fun with letting kids/wifes caddy and then letting caddies putt.

IMO - if it is getting out of hand it is due to alcohol way more than the caddy races and throwing swag to the crowd.

I would like for a player, hopefully a prominent play, to write "Or What" on the bottom of the poster in great big letters.

It is a PGA event, so unless they are breaking some golf rules and get penalized what is the Phoenix Open committee going to do if a player throws some swag - kick them off the course, have them arrested?

Unless the player is there on a sponsors exemption then I don't think they can not invite them back either.

[k-troop]

@Golfingdad I think you are missing the point of @David in FL 's objection.

You're looking at it from one side:  the issue at hand (throwing hats) is relatively inconsequential, so what's the harm if we rule it away?  I think David's point is that any rule which restricts people from doing what they want should be based on actual harm to others.  Restricting freedom of the players to do what they've always done is in itself a harm, so it shouldn't be done without good cause.

It is the PGA Tour's right to set the rules at their events, but it is a stupid rule.  The 16th at Phoenix is not golf, it's theater.  Everything contributes to it:  caddy races, drunk fans, wild cheering, booing bad shots, and players tossing stuff into the stands as they walk off the green.

It probably is the lawyers' fault.

[RandallT]

If we're voting, I'd fall more on the side of this rule seems overly cautious. Is it a big deal? No- I'm not outraged to the point where I'd really care to debate it much. There is, however, something disconcerting about more and more rules to prevent ourselves from having stupid accidents. It doesn't seem to me to be indicative of a society that is bold, innovative, and free. It makes me feel just that tiny bit more like I'm part of a society that is becoming cautious, staying inside comfortable rules lest someone get hurt, and more restrictive. All in all, it's just another brick in the wall (my daughter has developed a liking to Pink Floyd- I'm so proud- even if she likes Korn's version better).