Comments on: Wanna play golf, ladies? Learn to speak English. http://languagelabunleashed.org/2008/09/03/wanna-play-golf-ladies-learn-to-speak-english/ Language learning and technology for teachers and technologists, K-16 Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:32:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Ryan http://languagelabunleashed.org/2008/09/03/wanna-play-golf-ladies-learn-to-speak-english/#comment-10028 Ryan Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:49:48 +0000 http://languagelabunleashed.org/?p=514#comment-10028 Sure, and I completely understand the league needing to stay afloat. In the article Barbara posted in her comment, a legislator was quoted as saying: "To require players to schmooze with corporate sponsors and value that over their ability to play golf is 'very demeaning to the sport.'" Well, yes, but golf isn't just a sport. It's a business. And if it wasn't a business, the golfers wouldn't be getting paid, and most of them probably wouldn't be golfing. <br /> So yes, schmoozing with sponsors is part of the business, and I understand why the LPGA needs that. But suspending players because of their language skills? That is ridiculous. Every sport, be it individual or team-based, has a small percentage of its players that serve as "ambassadors" to sponsors and the general public. And yes, some will have to do more schmoozing than others. But if marketing isn't going well, don't blame the players. It's their primary job to compete, and to help out with marketing on a secondary basis. Instead, put the blame where it belongs - with the LPGA's marketing department. Perhaps they should learn a little Korean and focus their efforts overseas. Sure, and I completely understand the league needing to stay afloat. In the article Barbara posted in her comment, a legislator was quoted as saying: “To require players to schmooze with corporate sponsors and value that over their ability to play golf is ‘very demeaning to the sport.’” Well, yes, but golf isn’t just a sport. It’s a business. And if it wasn’t a business, the golfers wouldn’t be getting paid, and most of them probably wouldn’t be golfing.

So yes, schmoozing with sponsors is part of the business, and I understand why the LPGA needs that. But suspending players because of their language skills? That is ridiculous. Every sport, be it individual or team-based, has a small percentage of its players that serve as “ambassadors” to sponsors and the general public. And yes, some will have to do more schmoozing than others. But if marketing isn’t going well, don’t blame the players. It’s their primary job to compete, and to help out with marketing on a secondary basis. Instead, put the blame where it belongs - with the LPGA’s marketing department. Perhaps they should learn a little Korean and focus their efforts overseas.

]]> By: Ryan http://languagelabunleashed.org/2008/09/03/wanna-play-golf-ladies-learn-to-speak-english/#comment-10027 Ryan Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:39:18 +0000 http://languagelabunleashed.org/?p=514#comment-10027 awesome! thanks for the update. awesome! thanks for the update.

]]> By: Sharon Scinicariello http://languagelabunleashed.org/2008/09/03/wanna-play-golf-ladies-learn-to-speak-english/#comment-10021 Sharon Scinicariello Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:59:39 +0000 http://languagelabunleashed.org/?p=514#comment-10021 Our local newspaper covered this fairly extensively. It is very much a "follow the money" issue, although it has little to nothing to do with television or physical attractiveness. Players on the LPGA (like male players in the PGA) are expected to play pro-am rounds--and mingle at receptions--with major sponsors and local celebrities. Apparently, some of the players with weak English skills were either begging off or being excused from this duty. Since some of these players are the biggest stars right now, this is a problem for the various golf courses/clubs that host these events and need to find local sponsors, i.e., money. In addition, the women who were fulfilling these marketing duties felt they were doing a disproportionate share of the work. I don't think you can compare this to the situation with team sports; no one expects those players to play routinely with those who fund their sports. Our local newspaper covered this fairly extensively. It is very much a “follow the money” issue, although it has little to nothing to do with television or physical attractiveness. Players on the LPGA (like male players in the PGA) are expected to play pro-am rounds–and mingle at receptions–with major sponsors and local celebrities. Apparently, some of the players with weak English skills were either begging off or being excused from this duty. Since some of these players are the biggest stars right now, this is a problem for the various golf courses/clubs that host these events and need to find local sponsors, i.e., money. In addition, the women who were fulfilling these marketing duties felt they were doing a disproportionate share of the work. I don’t think you can compare this to the situation with team sports; no one expects those players to play routinely with those who fund their sports.

]]> By: Barbara http://languagelabunleashed.org/2008/09/03/wanna-play-golf-ladies-learn-to-speak-english/#comment-10010 Barbara Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:54:17 +0000 http://languagelabunleashed.org/?p=514#comment-10010 Well lookee here... sanity has returned to the LPGA: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-lpga6-2008sep06,0,325521.story Well lookee here… sanity has returned to the LPGA:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-lpga6-2008sep06,0,325521.story

]]> By: Ryan http://languagelabunleashed.org/2008/09/03/wanna-play-golf-ladies-learn-to-speak-english/#comment-9979 Ryan Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:25:20 +0000 http://languagelabunleashed.org/?p=514#comment-9979 So then, how is mandating that players be "effective" in English going to change things? It's not going to change the looks of the players, and many will likely speak English with a heavy accent, which I would suggest will only INCREASE the "foreignness" of international players to folks whose eyes and ears are not accustomed to dealing with such difference. I think you're right on the money with this one, Trip - I just can't wrap my mind around it. As for the MLB, add in the fact that you're talking about teams, not individuals, and that fans of MLB are probably more likely to live in a city, where they would be more exposed to a multicutural atmosphere. Baseball fans can be amazingly un-PC as well (don't even get me started on the Atlanta Braves' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Chant" rel="nofollow">Tomahawk Chop</a>) but I just think the dynamics and the nature of the sport give them a better chance of tolerance. Plus baseball's just less <i>boring</i> than women's golf, so there's less time to conjure up conspiracy theories. :-D So then, how is mandating that players be “effective” in English going to change things? It’s not going to change the looks of the players, and many will likely speak English with a heavy accent, which I would suggest will only INCREASE the “foreignness” of international players to folks whose eyes and ears are not accustomed to dealing with such difference. I think you’re right on the money with this one, Trip - I just can’t wrap my mind around it.

As for the MLB, add in the fact that you’re talking about teams, not individuals, and that fans of MLB are probably more likely to live in a city, where they would be more exposed to a multicutural atmosphere. Baseball fans can be amazingly un-PC as well (don’t even get me started on the Atlanta Braves’ Tomahawk Chop) but I just think the dynamics and the nature of the sport give them a better chance of tolerance. Plus baseball’s just less boring than women’s golf, so there’s less time to conjure up conspiracy theories. :-D

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