LPGA

[DJofSD]

Originally Posted by redshift1

Similar to what happened to distance running, once the east africans begin to dominate the events in america the ratings began to drop and now in the USA distance running is more of a boutique sport with the american runners finishing far behind.

Really?

The LPGA seems to be making head way as far as sponsered tournaments are concerned.

As far as the dominance of non American's on the standings list, this is similar to the PGA and the Ryder Cup -- it ebbs and flows. Nothing lasts forever.

[redshift1]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

Really?

The LPGA seems to be making head way as far as sponsered tournaments are concerned.

As far as the dominance of non American's on the standings list, this is similar to the PGA and the Ryder Cup -- it ebbs and flows. Nothing lasts forever.

Here you go from Wikipedia :

"In 2010, total official prize money on the LPGA Tour was $41.4 million, a decrease of over $6 million from 2009. In 2010 there were 24 official tournaments, down from 28 in 2009 and 34 in 2008. Despite the loss in total tournaments, the number of tournaments hosted outside of the United States in 2010 stayed the same, as all four lost tournaments had been hosted in the United States."

Handwritings on the wall.


.

[DJofSD]

From (same link as posted previously):

Whan: I first had to work on the immediate. We were in crisis management. On my second day on the job, State Farm told us they weren’t going to extend their sponsorship with us. I made calls to everyone I knew. But this was 2010. Everything was frozen solid. No one had cash to spend. We got 23 events in 2010. We got 24 events in 2011. All were sponsored. That may not sound like much, but we had stopped the slide. Then this year, we added five new events. We now have 28 [the State Farm event is gone]. Four of the five new events are in North America. Of the 28, seven are in Asia, two are in Europe and the rest are in North America. Our prize money for this year is up to $47 million.

Things take time and if you take Whan's statement as an indication how the LPGA is fairing at the moment, I'd say they're doing OK. As good as back a couple of years ago, no, but at least they're not continually losing ground like T'bred racing and breeding.

[redshift1]

Well on the positive side at least we know americans have the ability to be competitive vs the asians. In running we are genetically lacking the set of skills to compete at the elite level in distance running.

[Canarsie]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

Canarsie, do you know what Google is?

If you want to know how many Americans are on the tour, you can count them yourself at http://content.usatoday.com/sportsda...s/moneyLeaders

Note that there is only 1 American in the top 13 of the money leaders.

My point is that I among many are not that interested in even looking it up and there lies the problem with the LPGA.

[Canarsie]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

Really?

The LPGA seems to be making head way as far as sponsered tournaments are concerned.

As far as the dominance of non American's on the standings list, this is similar to the PGA and the Ryder Cup -- it ebbs and flows. Nothing lasts forever.

I love hockey and grew up with it but part of the problem is that it isn't an American sport. Same deal for soccer both of them will never achieve any degree of popularity and that is sad.

My soccer and hockey argument is that its really popular with the kids till they get interested in the opposite sex. Then participation and viewership wanes dramatically.

Even in golf if it weren't for Tiger the number of sponsored events would probably decline and become significant over time. Americans like to root for their own just like other countries do.

If the U.S. team would get knocked off in the Olympics before the final the Neilsen rating would be minuscule and hurt NBC's coffers substantially.

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by Canarsie

My point is that I among many are not that interested in even looking it up and there lies the problem with the LPGA.

Do you always ask questions of others where you're not interested in looking up the answers?
It's a fact of life that womens sports draw less spectators than mens.
Even the Lingerie Football league doesn't fill stadiums.

[Canarsie]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

Do you always ask questions of others where you're not interested in looking up the answers?
It's a fact of life that womens sports draw less spectators than mens.
Even the Lingerie Football league doesn't fill stadiums.

I was making an argument and debating your position. I'm not a person who claims to be an expert in subjects I know barely nothing about.

if I recall correctly the link for the LPGA money list was provided by me. Knowing what country they are from qualifies me as clueless.

Oh and BTW I know what Google is. I guess its time to go tit for tat so do you know what Trumpet is?

[DJofSD]

Part of the underlying assumptions is that everything has to be the biggest, largest, most prize money, greatest number of viewers, etc. I guess it's the American way.

Whether or not the LPGA is doing well is debatable. But just because it is not generating the same statistics as the PGA does not render it meaningless. Or, as Judge Smails said, the world needs ditch diggers too.

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by Canarsie

I guess its time to go tit for tat so do you know what Trumpet is?

Absolutely. It's a female teenie bopper who's a member of "The Donald's" fan club.

[DJofSD]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

Absolutely. It's a female teenie bopper who's a member of "The Donald's" fan club.

Is that one removed from being a strumpet?

[Canarsie]

Originally Posted by DJofSD

Part of the underlying assumptions is that everything has to be the biggest, largest, most prize money, greatest number of viewers, etc. I guess it's the American way.

Whether or not the LPGA is doing well is debatable. But just because it is not generating the same statistics as the PGA does not render it meaningless. Or, as Judge Smails said, the world needs ditch diggers too.

This is well stated can't argue the point. I watch the WNBA a little bit and its not considered a success.

Still for a sport to take off it needs American stars here no matter what the prize money is. It was a while ago but they brought Pele over here to increase awareness in soccer. For a brief period they would pack the Meadowlands with a full house. But to drive home my point again he played for a U.S. team.

If there was no Tiger, Phil, even Bubba in golf the PGA wouldn't be in the same shape they are now. Just think of the viewership decline if it was McIlroy, Westwood, and Donald constantly winning.

If Michelle Wie would have been a star like Tiger LPGA purses and ratings would have been at all time highs. My two cents.