Let's try to look at this practically. Steve Carlton played a team sport and he was one of 25 players on one team. The LPGA is an individual sport. A considerable amount of revenue that the golfers can hope to earn will come from American fans , TV stations and sponsors. Any kind of spectacle based business relies on marketing. Specially one that draws in as little revenue as the LPGA. Who owns the league? They can make rules subject to the established labor code.
Every year, watch the NBA Playoffs. The league forces the players to meet with the press. They have a responsibility to say something to the fans. Because who pays their salary? They are fined by David Stern for no shows during the press conference.
No one is forcing the foreign players to play in a league that mostly plays in the U.S., it's their choice. They can always earn in their own country and speak their own language entirely.
Back when I was in high school. Splash with Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah and John Candy was a huge hit. I heard something back then that really struck me. Somebody commented that no matter where you went on TV , one of our stars was there to plug the movie. The players compete among each other yes but the league competes with every form of entertainment out there. There has to be some connect.
Good sound bites are always good promo for anything. If your sponsorship money will come from American companies , it's a good idea to have those sound bites in the language of the audience. This is a good example of having your cake and eating it too. People leave their local tour to compete in the best tour . But the language of the tour and the location of the tour is a predominantly English speaking place. Public relations is part of the game folks. Plus it's an individual sport. Nobody really cares if Ichiro does not speak too much English because they don't need him as much to save baseball. But if you are top 20 earner on the LPGA tour and you can't speak English , that is an entirely different ballgame so to speak.
Never forget this. When any athlete on the LPGA tour speaks to Mike Tirico of ESPN , she is not addressing Mr.Tirico, she is addressing not only women's golf fans but all of the ESPN audience. ESPN is giving a chance to get their attention. I'm sorry but a translator hurts that chance.
Again let me step outside of sports to give you a real life example. Antonio Banderas, even before he learned English was a very very accomplished actor in his native Spain. Some would find that good enough. Nobody forced him to go to Hollywood to go on and make Mambo Kings, Zorro and Desperado. That was his choice. Part of his commitment to his choice is to cater to his prospective audience and learn how to speak and act in English. That was part of the price he had to pay to broaden his horizons. I would like to think we are richer for it.
I will leave you with a few questions: 1) where does the money come 2) where does the league play? 3) what do the sponsors want? 4) is there a competition for sponsors? 5) how well off is the LPGA compared to other forms of entertainment? 6) What responsibilities do the players have to market their own league?
Make sure you listen to Colin's take on all this which is not identical to mine and the three different videos included. (http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/ in the blog section)
Ed
http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=reu-womenenglish&prov=reuters&type=lgns
Golf-LPGA players told they must speak English from 2009
Aug 27, 7:11 am EDT
Buzz Up PrintLONDON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The world’s top women golfers will be required to speak English from 2009 under new rules introduced by the LPGA Tour.
“We’re focusing on the fact that we’re in the sports entertainment business and we have to interact with fans and sponsors,” LPGA deputy commissioner Libba Galloway told the USA Today website (www.usatoday.com).
“This is not meant to be punitive in any way. There are very few players who don’t speak English.
“We don’t think suspensions will happen but if they do we’re not going to say, ‘Boom, go home and try again next year’,” she added. “We’ll work with them on identifying areas for improvement.”
There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the United States-based LPGA Tour, including 45 from South Korea alone.
Mexican Lorena Ochoa tops the LPGA’s 2008 money list with Taiwan’s Yani Tseng fourth and young South Korean Park Inbee ranked fifth. The golfweek.com website said the South Korean players were told at a mandatory meeting on Aug. 20 at the Safeway Classic that from 2009 all players who have been on the Tour for two years must pass an oral English test.
Galloway said the “measurement time” would be at the end of 2009 and players who fell short would be provided with resources such as tutoring.
Leading Korean golfer Pak Se-ri supported the stance.
“We agree we should speak some English,” she told Golf Week. “We play so good overall. When you win, you should give your speech in English.
“Mostly what comes out is nerves. Totally different language in front of camera. You’re excited and not thinking in English,” she added.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Clare Fallon)
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