Bubba's behavior, DISSAPOINTING

[Vindog]

[quote name='Hot Rod 71' timestamp='1401540788' post='9401895']
If it were me and my daughter in that situation, I would have given Bubba a piece of my mind. What a d:ckhead.

How was it the little girl's fault that he was playing poorly? Bad karma Bubba.......what happened to "do unto others"?

The real question is - how would Bubba have reacted if he and his son were at an NBA event where there was fan/player interaction and Lebeon told his kid that? I bet he would go off.
[/quote]

How in the world was Bubba to know that she would break down over something so innocuous? My lord, folks. It's not like he made her cry on purpose. Giving him a piece of your mind only makes you look as bad. Save your energy for consoling your child and explaining to them that sometimes you just don't get what you want.

[Cicero]

[quote name='Hawkeye77' timestamp='1401540114' post='9401857'][quote name='Cicero' timestamp='1401538931' post='9401813']
[quote name='Bellyhungry' timestamp='1401538392' post='9401789'][quote name='Hawkeye77' timestamp='1401536949' post='9401709']
[quote name='Bellyhungry' timestamp='1401535095' post='9401637']
Perspective....

Bubba's action towards the little girl pale in comparison to how Rory treated another girl.
[/quote]

Consenting superstar adults vs. squashing hopes of defenseless child? Apples and onions.
[/quote]

It is the 'HOW,' not the 'WHY.'[/quote]
"Not today, not the way I'm playing."

Fact is, that little girl probably would have been in tears with just about any rejection; she was 7, and sounded nervous based on what the original poster said. But (without the benefit of the context of tone and body language) I don't have a problem with what he said.
[/quote]

His quality of play in a pro-am affects his ability to interact like a responsible adult with a small child? The fact his statement is so lame just makes it worse.[/quote]

As high-strung and emotional as he is, I'm sure his play in just about any setting would affect his interactions with people. He's mercurial, to say the least. But why is declining an autograph not acting like a responsible adult? While he didn't handle the situation overly delicately, it doesn't sound like he was disrespectful, either.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

I'm a fan of Bubba' game, but he's always struck me as being wrapped way too tight emotionally. I've always felt that on a bad day he could lose it and go postal.

[Hot Rod 71]

[quote name='Vindog' timestamp='1401541738' post='9401955']
[quote name='Hot Rod 71' timestamp='1401540788' post='9401895']
If it were me and my daughter in that situation, I would have given Bubba a piece of my mind. What a d:ckhead.

How was it the little girl's fault that he was playing poorly? Bad karma Bubba.......what happened to "do unto others"?

The real question is - how would Bubba have reacted if he and his son were at an NBA event where there was fan/player interaction and Lebeon told his kid that? I bet he would go off.
[/quote]

How in the world was Bubba to know that she would break down over something so innocuous? My lord, folks. It's not like he made her cry on purpose. Giving him a piece of your mind only makes you look as bad. Save your energy for consoling your child and explaining to them that sometimes you just don't get what you want.
[/quote]

Disappointment is a part of life, and obviously this little girl has to learn that lesson. I get that.

But in this situation Bubba was frustrated because he was as playing poorly and took it out on someone else who had nothing to do with that. That's my issue.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

[quote name='Hawkeye77' timestamp='1401505695' post='9400605']
Heaven forbid someone treats Caleb badly. Bubba would likely have an alternating tirade and tear filled press conference.

[/quote]

Now that's funny.

[frybot]

Is there any reason whatsoever to think anything about the op's experience is false or untrue.

I don't think so. Seems to be a perfectly reasonable account of what occured to me.

How can anyone defend a grown man being kind of d!ck to little girl. Pro whatever has nothing to do with it at all.

[Vindog]

[quote name='Hot Rod 71' timestamp='1401542423' post='9401993']
[quote name='Vindog' timestamp='1401541738' post='9401955']
[quote name='Hot Rod 71' timestamp='1401540788' post='9401895']
If it were me and my daughter in that situation, I would have given Bubba a piece of my mind. What a d:ckhead.

How was it the little girl's fault that he was playing poorly? Bad karma Bubba.......what happened to "do unto others"?

The real question is - how would Bubba have reacted if he and his son were at an NBA event where there was fan/player interaction and Lebeon told his kid that? I bet he would go off.
[/quote]

How in the world was Bubba to know that she would break down over something so innocuous? My lord, folks. It's not like he made her cry on purpose. Giving him a piece of your mind only makes you look as bad. Save your energy for consoling your child and explaining to them that sometimes you just don't get what you want.
[/quote]

Disappointment is a part of life, and obviously this little girl has to learn that lesson. I get that.

But in this situation Bubba was frustrated because he was as playing poorly and took it out on someone else who had nothing to do with that. That's my issue.
[/quote]

I don't see it as "taking it out on them" personally, but so be it. We like to exaggerate things here on WRX especially if there are players who make themselves easy targets. Surely, I know that Bubba doesn't do himself any favors out there, but I think a lot of times we (yep I do it too) like to make things bigger than what they are.

Then again...if we didn't this place would be pretty boring

[IH82BOGEY]

[quote name='Andy L' timestamp='1401541986' post='9401961']
I've always felt that on a bad day he could lose it and go postal.
[/quote]

I think it will happen. He will run into the 'wrong" person one day on national TV. Fisticuffs along the ropes somewhere.

[Tiptx1122]

Well maybe he is not obligated to be friendly to the fans but why go thru being such a jerk. That little girl didn't care if he was playing poorly on a Pro-Am or not as she may not even know what a birdie means but seriously Bubba, your behavior needs to be address.

[Musky]

[quote name='Forged4ever' timestamp='1401541556' post='9401939']
[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1401510421' post='9401013']
[quote name='Rock Chalk Jayhawk' timestamp='1401510191' post='9400995']
Professional athletes do not owe their fans anything. Period. They are paid to play a sport, not be a role model.
[/quote]

Don't people get tired of spouting this tired cliche?
[/quote]I'm not defending Chalk's comment and it may well be "tired," I guess that it depends which side of the table that you sit, however a cliche is nothing more than a statement of truth that has withstood the test of time.

False, innaccurate statements do not reach cliche status.

I happen to agree with Chalk's cliche, however I do not believe that an individual, be they athlete, entertainer or another in the public eye, should use it as a carte blanche pass to act/speak like an *ss.

Again, I'm by no means defending Bubba, because I don't know him, plus, I've gotta lot of glass in my house, so I'm selective who I "launch" at, lol.

Well, have a great season Musky

Fairways & Greens My Friend,
Richard
[/quote]

No, that is not a truth that stands the test of time. It's an untrue statement concocted by Nike to sell sneakers. Athletes have been roll models, they shouldn't be primary role models obviously, since long before the evil that is Nike stood Barkley up to utter that nonsense. The admiration of athletes is interwoven within the culture. That some choose to overlook and actually champion the obvious dickheadedness displayed by many is baffling to me. Everyone should have a line they draw on what behavior you deem acceptable before you can admire someone. That line can be different for individuals. Bubba is by no means the devil, but he has a long track record of people accusing him of being a dick.

If it looks like a dick and acts like a dick, it's probably a dick. It's fine to not to care about that kind of behavior. Your line of what's acceptable may be drawn elsewhere, but at least admit he's a dick.

[Poor Posture]

What if the OP is FoS?

[imakaveli]

[quote name='RJRJRJ' timestamp='1401503786' post='9400377']
Come on, the guy walks by thousands of kids every single tournament. There is a 100% guarantee a lot of them will go home disappointed no matter how hard he tries to be nice.
[/quote]

Yeah, like he tries to be nice

Never liked Bubba Watson, never will (and to anticipate some silly answers, yeah I know he couldn't care less about my opinion)

[station2station]

I don't believe the story is true but I certainly love a good old fashion Bubba bashing!

Guy is a dou che.

[imakaveli]

[quote name='Rock Chalk Jayhawk' timestamp='1401510191' post='9400995']
Professional athletes do not owe their fans anything. Period. They are paid to play a sport, not be a role model.
[/quote]

They owns they fans [i]everything[/i], without them he would be just a poor weird guy wearing an unknown green jacket in a trailer

[Forged4ever]

[quote name='Hot Rod 71' timestamp='1401540788' post='9401895']
what happened to "do unto others"?

The real question is - how would Bubba have reacted if he and his son were at an NBA event where there was fan/player interaction and Lebeon told his kid that? I bet he would go off.
[/quote]First Rod, let me say that I agree with the premise of your post, however the one thing that I learned a long time ago, and I wish that I could say that a mentor told me or that I read about the "Platinum Rule" somewhere, however I happened to experience it very young amd basically grew up under it by someone very close to me that as a young child, I idolized(Though he was a collegiate athlete, he was not a professional, and my feelings for him had nothing to do with his athletic or professional prowess).

What I'm getting at is that I do not treat you or anyone else how I'd like to be treated.

I try to treat You and all that I meet and interact with how YOU & THEY want to be treated.

Why would you or anyone else care how I'd want to be treated?

That's working under the assumption that I want to be treated a certain way or that I even care how I'm treated.

The individual that I learned this from is educated, successful individual who interacts with many people daily both professionally and personally, though he could care less how you treat him, lol. If you don't treat him in the manner that he like to be treated, he just has nothing to do with you. I used to think, "wait till he gets older, he's gonna be a lonely, bitter middle aged man," then his 40s & 50s flew by, and I thought, "ok, NOW he's gonna be a lonely, bitter old man," and his 60s went by and he's halfway through his 70s amd he still has 2-3 close friends and has no problem getting a foursome together, lol.

So I guess I'm saying that there is a group of individuals out there, and I find them to be professionally, very successful, regardless of their field or profession, who really don't care how they're treated, because if you or I don't treat them his they EXPECT to be treated, there are plenty of people out there who will, based on their professional titles or standing.

And while I'm sure that the Bubster would be upset if his little Boy were mistreated or treated disrespectfully, he would explain to him that this is the way of the world, that overall, people are selfish and out for #1, and that's why he has to work extremely hard to get where his daddy is, so he is in control and may choose who he associates with.

Hopefully, the little Boy's Mother is like mine and many others, and explains to him that #1, all people are not like his Daddy says, and #2, kindness is not a weakness and it takes no more effort to be kind than it does to be mean or rude.

I'm bettin Bubba's Mother never told him that or didn't have the influence that his Father had, so that he'd listen to her.

So, I think if people treat others as THEY want to be treated, well, whether it's the workplace, the golf course or this board, we'd be a much nicer, more civil world

Have a great week-end Rod

My Best,
Richard

[shortgame85]

[quote name='jj9000' timestamp='1401510314' post='9401003']
Is Bubba any different than the MLB player that comes out of the dugout during BP, looks at the kids with baseball cards, baseballs, and Sharpies in their hands and passes them by?

Not really.

Is it bad that a little girl cried? Sure is.

Is it bad that predetermined expectations have been set for a professional athlete to never let anyone down under any circumstances? Sure is.

If we focus on expectations we can better understand why tears were shed.
[/quote]
I agree with what you have stated. I have the following to add: Is boorish behavior ever attractive: no. Despite his occasional brilliant play, have I ever found Bubba Watson an appealing sports figure: no. Do I expect relatively wealthy, somewhat spoiled athlete/entertainers to behave in an exemplary fashion: no. Am I surprised that Bubba acts out in public: no. Do I wish public figures, such as Bubba, would behave better: yes. Do I sometimes get tired of explaining to my children that adults can often exhibit in their behavior poor judgement: yes. Comment: Bubba seems to be an unimpressive individual with an impressive ability to play golf. Meh.

[WJLIII]

As we are all aware, medicine and society have put many different handles on personalities like Bubba's. Some people just don't see a straight line as the shortest distance between 2 points and they never will change. Relationships will always be difficult whether it is with a child, stranger, friends or family. He may have gone back looking for that little girl, never thought about it again or woke up in the middle of the night concerned about it. We probably will never know.

Not a Bubba fan but wish him nothing but continued success. I enjoy watching his shot making abilities. My crazy shots are usually followed by "Oh Crap" and never any applause. I am puting this post to rest and rounding up my own band of misfits and heading to the course. Good Luck.

[Conrad1953]

Yesterday McCord said Bubba has the best hands in golf. In
light of all this McCord should retract that statement.

Question is; should he do it in the "Bubba" thread or the
"McCord" thread or both?

[Desert Golf]

It's well known that Bubba is afflicted with attention deficit disorder and irrelevant stimuli causes him great distress.

The little girl should be ashamed of herself for intentionally distracting Bubba.

[TeeBonZ]

I kind of get the phone thing. Frankly, I think they should be checked at the door. But that's my opinion.

The kid's autograph scenario is bull$hit though, especially on pro-am day. Are you kidding me?!!

Lighten up Francis!!

[PZero]

[quote name='Poor Posture' timestamp='1401543865' post='9402081']
What if the OP is FoS?
[/quote]

Well, I can confirm that he wasn't signing autographs in between holes during the pro am. One of very few. The rest of the story seems likely though.

[kal32473]

[quote name='jj9000' timestamp='1401510314' post='9401003']
Is Bubba any different than the MLB player that comes out of the dugout during BP, looks at the kids with baseball cards, baseballs, and Sharpies in their hands and passes them by?

Not really.

Is it bad that a little girl cried? Sure is.

Is it bad that predetermined expectations have been set for a professional athlete to never let anyone down under any circumstances? Sure is.

If we focus on expectations we can better understand why tears were shed.
[/quote]

Right, because other guys have done it, it makes okay for Bubba to do it. If he doesn't want to sign for anyone, that's totally okay. Just excuse me if I don't buy into him being an "ordinary guy" and change the channel the next time he starts crying on TV.

[Titleistman1010]

One thing that opened my eyes was the story about Wyndam Clark on golf channel. Golf is a game and in the big picture it doesn't mean anything. People will remember those like Payne Stewart because what a great person he was. They will remember Bubba for yelling at his caddy for giving him the wrong yardage.
I understand having a bad day and getting annoyed with people always wanting your autograph....but he must have a lot of bad days because it seems to be a recurring incident.

[Fishing4fun]

The father should use this as a life lesson. Everyone in life is not nice. She can find another golfer to like. I have the same problem at work- everyone is always coming to me for my autograph- I sure hope no one from golf wrx is not looking because I occasionally am in a bad mood!

[URStillAway]

He was a weird dick in the years before he won the Masters and is more so now.

Some of these guys should be embarrassed they way they act towards fans and volunteers. They either don't care or were brought up as spoiled prima donnas and never taught how to behave in public.

Maybe it is time for him to go on another Euro trip. That was entertaining.

[PGArox]

[quote name='mjtoal' timestamp='1401527235' post='9401515']
Every time there is one of these threads, someone pops up with an unverified anecdote about the time they saw Arnold Palmer strangle a kid's kitten or when Rory McIlroy kicked a disabled person's crutch away.

Every player probably has days when they are gracious and days when they are in a mood.

But it seems that for some, the moody days are pretty common whereas for others they are pretty rare. It seems Bubba falls into the former category.

He has crafted this curious image of a big hitting God-fearing idiot savant. All seems a bit cynical to me, although at least one part seems accurate. [b]He should pay more attention at the Bible classes he reportedly attends.[/b]
[/quote]

Good advice.

[Noke]

[quote name='PGArox' timestamp='1401556198' post='9402829']
[quote name='mjtoal' timestamp='1401527235' post='9401515']
Every time there is one of these threads, someone pops up with an unverified anecdote about the time they saw Arnold Palmer strangle a kid's kitten or when Rory McIlroy kicked a disabled person's crutch away.

Every player probably has days when they are gracious and days when they are in a mood.

But it seems that for some, the moody days are pretty common whereas for others they are pretty rare. It seems Bubba falls into the former category.

He has crafted this curious image of a big hitting God-fearing idiot savant. All seems a bit cynical to me, although at least one part seems accurate. [b]He should pay more attention at the Bible classes he reportedly attends.[/b]
[/quote]

Good advice.
[/quote]

Or maybe he does pay attention and this is just what you get?

Still don't think he did much wrong in this particular instance, but I've never been a fan. His overt religiosity alone is repugnant enough for me to not like him.

[Parker0065]

I don't think Bubba neccesarily did anything wrong in this case but when 90-whatever-% of the Pro's are out there to enjoy the Pro Am and sign autographs it makes the very small percentage of Bubba's look like real s***-bags. Obviously he doesn't have a problem coming off like a s***-bag so he is who he is.

I'm not a fan personally and I wouldn't encourage my son to ever seek out his autograph. In fact maybe in this case you could blame the Father. It's well documented what a s***-bag Bubba is and he failed as a father in not educating his daughter on the fact! Shame on him!

[Anchor44]

[quote name='nohny noke' timestamp='1401505144' post='9400545']
More power to him. He is under no obligation to behave in any way on or off the golf course.
[/quote]
So you're saying he can act anyway he wants to at any time? I guess that means if he robs a bank he gets away with it according to you. You need to rethink your position. Human beings have societal norms that we are all aware of and being rude to a child is not an accepted norm, for anybody.

[Anchor44]

[quote name='texcrom' timestamp='1401506267' post='9400667']
He'll lose his game eventually, then his money, and then end up back in a trailer park in Bagdad, Florida.
[/quote]
He may even have to hock the watch that he brags costs $525,000.00