Anna Rawson's Ideas

iCollector · July 29, 2009

[quote name='dpark' post='1849253' date='Jul 28 2009, 07:22 PM']I can tell you that I don't even watch LPGA golf anymore. I used to watch to see Annika play along with a handful of others. But with her out of the picture, there isn't anything compelling to watch. Heck, I'm Korean, and even I can't stand to watch to Korean ladies play.

It isn't the funny names that you can't pronounce or remember (I can get away with that one...) it is the fact that they have zero personality for the US-audience. The culture over in Korea is still very different than over here and that is a big reason why they have very little appeal to us in America. European culture is much closer to ours which is why their players are more appealing (IMO) and the fact that most of them speak English doesn't hurt either.

Angel Cabrera speaks lousy English, but he is fun to watch. He is emotional, he talks to the golf ball in flight, he smiles, he gets excited and all of that can still reach the audience even though he does not speak English. The Korean LPGA players simply don't know how to do that. It isn't in their DNA. Se Ri was unique in that respect IMO (and she worked really hard to learn English too)

LPGA golf needs personalities. Anna is nice to look at for sure, and she seems very passionate about the LPGA, but until her game steps up, she isn't going to get enough airtime on TV for anyone to notice (except on this golf forum).[/quote]

+1 I [b]enjoyed[/b] watching the LPGA.... but now, it barely holds my interest. People say Annika wasn't a draw, well - she was for me. I prettier swing I don't think I will see again!

MrJones · July 29, 2009

[quote name='dpark' post='1849253' date='Jul 28 2009, 06:22 PM'][b]LPGA golf needs personalities[/b]. Anna is nice to look at for sure, and she seems very passionate about the LPGA, but until her game steps up, she isn't going to get enough airtime on TV for anyone to notice (except on this golf forum).[/quote]

I still watch a lot of LPGA golf (anything televised) and enjoy it. But I totally agree with the above statement. The LPGA girls need to be more recognizable to the average viewer.

If I turn on a PGA event, and none of the big names are in contention, I lose interest. The problem with the LPGA is, that unless you watch it a lot, most people don't know who the "big names" are.

Right now I'm personally interested in Kim Welch's career. She hasn't even played in a LPGA event this year and hasn't really been doing all that well on the Futures Tour this season (althought she did fairly well in her last event). I'm interested because of watching her on the Big Break. She came off like a good person (and not to mention easy on the eyes) and now I route for her to suceed.

I wish there was something like that for all the LPGA'ers. something that makes them more personable. Right now I'm not a fan of Christie Kerr because of how I've seen her act on the golf course. But who knows, maybe if I got to know her better I'd understand that she has anger issues (something I'm guilty of myself) and change the way I think of her.

Asleep · July 29, 2009

[quote name='dana dahlquist' post='1850022' date='Jul 29 2009, 01:40 AM']What was everyones take on the interview?[/quote]
[url="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/e60/columns/story?id=4358982"]http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/e60/columns/story?id=4358982[/url]

Interesting gal. She knows how to market herself.

I think she learned about "bad publicity" is still good publicity when she matriculated out there in LaLa land.

If she's going to move up the recognizable ladder, she needs to:

1. Stop wearing those big floppy hats in competition --- no one can see her face/identify her.

2. Win one.

3. Or, if she's really aggressive, "date one" --- I hear Tony Romo is single again.

Sean2 · July 29, 2009

professional sports is about one thing: MAKING MONEY. it's a business, just a bit atypical. the lpga needs to find a way to market itself and rawson's suggestions, good, bad or indifferent, shows that at least someone is thinking outside the box.

i like watching the lpga because they at least play a game in which i have a passing familiarity.

Awsi Dooger · July 31, 2009

[quote name='MrJones' post='1850378' date='Jul 29 2009, 10:09 AM']The LPGA girls need to be more recognizable to the average viewer.

If I turn on a PGA event, and none of the big names are in contention, I lose interest. The problem with the LPGA is, that unless you watch it a lot, most people don't know who the "big names" are.

Right now I'm personally interested in Kim Welch's career. She hasn't even played in a LPGA event this year and hasn't really been doing all that well on the Futures Tour this season (althought she did fairly well in her last event). I'm interested because of watching her on the Big Break. She came off like a good person (and not to mention easy on the eyes) and now I route for her to suceed.

I wish there was something like that for all the LPGA'ers. something that makes them more personable. Right now I'm not a fan of Christie Kerr because of how I've seen her act on the golf course. But who knows, maybe if I got to know her better I'd understand that she has anger issues (something I'm guilty of myself) and change the way I think of her.[/quote]

Good points by MrJones. The participants in Big Break earn a tremendous amount of name recognition and interest, for that level of play. The problem is few of them advance to success to the LPGA so it's like a puff in the wind. Women's golf could do worse than fund and produce it's own version of Big Break, or something similar in prime time, for players already established on tour.

One thing's for certain: The current do-nothing contentment is doomed to fail. I have no idea how Anna Rawson's ideas are so comfortably rejected. You can't become an increasingly part time sport dominated by foreign players who Americans can't relate to, and expect to maintain status quo, let alone advance. The LPGA is in much worse shape than many posters in this thread seem to understand. There are reports the schedule could include only one event prior to Nabisco next season. Nabisco is in April.

Anna Rawson's recognition level and sponsors and publicity far exceed her ability/looks combo. In similar measures, the LPGA lags well behind its quality of play. That's a fairly basic reference point.

Last night I heard Rex Hoggard -- the king of bland meaningless analysis -- dismiss Rawson's ideas on Golf Channel, the typical, "Give me more birdies," nonsense. The LPGA is flooded with standard thought process like Hoggard's. That's what places it on the edge of irrelevance. Creative angles don't need a red scorecard to back them up. I would encourage Rawson to get together with other LPGA players -- like the dinner meeting that helped oust Carolyn Bivens -- and brainstorm a series of recommendations for the tour. Some will be overdone or not manageable but the gems could inspire conversation and scrutiny as soon as they are aired, just what the sport needs.

***

Regarding Kim Welch, I saw this quote this week, as she defends her Syracuse title:

[url="http://www.syracuse.com/golf/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1248512276292920.xml"]http://www.syracuse.com/golf/index.ssf?/ba...12276292920.xml[/url]

"I think that's why I struggled at the beginning of the season. It wasn't what I expected it to be," Welch said. "I thought I'd be on the LPGA Tour. I knew I wouldn't be playing every event, but I thought I'd play in some events. It was disappointing and frustrating because they told us one thing and it didn't happen."

Asleep · July 31, 2009

...Last night I heard Rex Hoggard -- the king of bland meaningless analysis --

What is a "Rex Hoggard", anyway???

And has anyone seen both him and that little Saturday Night Live guy from "A Night ar the Roxbury" in a room at the same time....????

<---

ABgolfer2 · July 31, 2009

What's wrong with Anna Rawson - I've never seen her play, but I'd like to. She'd better win or come close though or she'll lose credibility. On an unrelated note, whenever I think of a player using hijinx and generally being a jackass to mug for the camera, I think of Chi Chi and Peter Jacobsen. They had game though too.

yoonie · August 1, 2009

[quote name='Awsi Dooger' post='1856582' date='Jul 31 2009, 09:14 PM'][quote name='MrJones' post='1850378' date='Jul 29 2009, 10:09 AM']The LPGA girls need to be more recognizable to the average viewer.

If I turn on a PGA event, and none of the big names are in contention, I lose interest. The problem with the LPGA is, that unless you watch it a lot, most people don't know who the "big names" are.

Right now I'm personally interested in Kim Welch's career. She hasn't even played in a LPGA event this year and hasn't really been doing all that well on the Futures Tour this season (althought she did fairly well in her last event). I'm interested because of watching her on the Big Break. She came off like a good person (and not to mention easy on the eyes) and now I route for her to suceed.

I wish there was something like that for all the LPGA'ers. something that makes them more personable. Right now I'm not a fan of Christie Kerr because of how I've seen her act on the golf course. But who knows, maybe if I got to know her better I'd understand that she has anger issues (something I'm guilty of myself) and change the way I think of her.[/quote]

Good points by MrJones. The participants in Big Break earn a tremendous amount of name recognition and interest, for that level of play. The problem is few of them advance to success to the LPGA so it's like a puff in the wind. Women's golf could do worse than fund and produce it's own version of Big Break, or something similar in prime time, for players already established on tour.

One thing's for certain: The current do-nothing contentment is doomed to fail. I have no idea how Anna Rawson's ideas are so comfortably rejected. You can't become an increasingly part time sport dominated by foreign players who Americans can't relate to, and expect to maintain status quo, let alone advance. The LPGA is in much worse shape than many posters in this thread seem to understand. There are reports the schedule could include only one event prior to Nabisco next season. Nabisco is in April.

Anna Rawson's recognition level and sponsors and publicity far exceed her ability/looks combo. In similar measures, the LPGA lags well behind its quality of play. That's a fairly basic reference point.

Last night I heard Rex Hoggard -- the king of bland meaningless analysis -- dismiss Rawson's ideas on Golf Channel, the typical, "Give me more birdies," nonsense. The LPGA is flooded with standard thought process like Hoggard's. That's what places it on the edge of irrelevance. Creative angles don't need a red scorecard to back them up. I would encourage Rawson to get together with other LPGA players -- like the dinner meeting that helped oust Carolyn Bivens -- and brainstorm a series of recommendations for the tour. Some will be overdone or not manageable but the gems could inspire conversation and scrutiny as soon as they are aired, just what the sport needs.

***

Regarding Kim Welch, I saw this quote this week, as she defends her Syracuse title:

[url="http://www.syracuse.com/golf/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1248512276292920.xml"]http://www.syracuse.com/golf/index.ssf?/ba...12276292920.xml[/url]

"I think that's why I struggled at the beginning of the season. It wasn't what I expected it to be," Welch said. "I thought I'd be on the LPGA Tour. I knew I wouldn't be playing every event, but I thought I'd play in some events. It was disappointing and frustrating because they told us one thing and it didn't happen."
[/quote]

Anna's ideas are so "comfortably rejected" because it probably took her longer to say them than think of them. Her idea about having a combined event especially shows that there was no thought process behind the suggestions except "that sounds like it would be cool." Every group having a camera crew? And who's gonna pay for those camera crews? The TV sponsors who decided that the Evian Masters could be covered in a few minutes of highlights? As for the theme music, I'll just use three words and two punctuation marks- GOLF THEME MUSIC?!