LPGA new English requirement rules

I guess to further expand on the topic about how the Chinese women’s gymnastic team allegedly broke the age requirement rule.

I wish to point out another women’s international sport quickly being dominated by Asian women, golf. Yes that Scottish game, Gowf, always had a shadow of racism in the US.

The LPGA has enacted a new rule that all players must be proficient in English within the next 2 years, and new members must be proficient immediately upon obtaining membership.

[quote]http://rantburg.com/poparticle.php?D=2008-08-26&ID=248304
Kate Peters. “This is an American tour,” she also told AP. “It is important for sponsors to be able to interact with players and have a positive experience.”[/quote]

So similar to the age increase rule to discriminate against athletes from Communist sports training programs, here is a rule that discriminate against foreign athletes.

Obviously rules are tools that can be used to discriminate.

I have to agree that the rule is absurd. And I can’t see any other reason for it than to help the native speakers of English. Personally, I’d rather see expert golfers concentrate on their game instead of wasting time perfecting a foreign language. Suppose Tiger Woods could only speak Thai. I’d hate to have missed his career while he stayed at home learning English.

I agree that the LPGA rule is ridiculous because English isn’t the official language at all in the US but…

This on the other hand…

[quote=“ac_dropout”]So similar to the age increase rule to
discriminate
against athletes from Communist sports training programs[/quote]
There is a reason why the age increase rule is in placed (which is for everyone and not towards any group of people). Gotta love the nationalism jump again towards the “racism” excuse. You just flatly admitted in-directly that there are underage Chinese athletes with that sentence. The reason is to prevent practice programs of over working youngsters or pressuring the youngsters. The Chinese sports training programs are pretty intense but they must follow the rules.

Such a dumb policy, think of all the talent would be wasted if the golfer isn’t talented at languages

[quote]The obvious catalyst for the LPGA’s decision is the recent sustained dominance of the tour by South Korean women. But here’s how the AP explains the English-only requirement:

"Why now? Athletes now have more responsibilities and we want to help their professional development," deputy commissioner Libba Galloway told The Associated Press. "There are more fans, more media and more sponsors. We want to help our athletes as best we can succeed off the golf course as well as on it." 

Galloway is, at best, engaging in some distracting disingenuousness. We turn to Golfweek for some slightly more illuminating detail.

Hilary Lunke, president of the Player Executive Committee, said much of this initiative stems from the importance of being able to entertain pro-am partners. Players already are fined if the LPGA receives complaints from their pro-am partners. Now the tour is taking it one step further.

"The bottom line is, we don't have a job if we don't entertain," Lunke said. "In my mind, that's as big a part of the job as shooting under par." 

In a pro-am tournament, amateurs get to pay for the privilege of playing 18 holes alongside real professionals. But I guess it’s not so much fun when your partner doesn’t speak your language. To protect a crucial revenue stream, the LPGA is tightening the rules.

But that’s not all. The next question is: Are there really “more fans, more media and more sponsors?” Or is South Korean dominance threatening the tour’s popularity? A little more than a month ago, the Korean blog “The Marmot’s Hole” highlighted an article by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter Jeffrey Slaton, suggesting that the Korean onslaught was spelling trouble for the tour.

The LPGA needs a wake-up call.

After watching a South Korean woman win for the third consecutive week on the LPGA Tour, something needs to change...

...Attendance wasn't good, and television ratings were awful.

That alone should tell the LPGA something needs to change. And it better change quickly or the LPGA Tour is going to go the way of the WNBA, a well-run professional league with very little interest from the general public. 

Slaton was careful not to blame the South Koreans – who accounted for 8 of the final 12 golfers on the concluding day of the tournament – for being superb golfers. His ire was directed at the LPGA for not doing more to encourage and foster locally-grown golfing talent.

Because it’s not really about whether or not the golfers speak English- it’s all about the television ratings[/quote]

salon.com/tech/htww/

(“How the World Works” is a highly-recommended site on Salon;
the author has the greatest qualification of all: he once was an English teacher in Taiwan)

How ridiculous, who actually cares what sportsmen and women say? It’s at the point they open their mouth that I loose interest.
The English Premier League is a huge money spinner, but many of the stars struggle to put a sentence together in their own language. Imagine if we forced them to learn a foreign language…

But you must remember that the age restriction rules was first brought up against the Soviet style training programs. So it wasn’t just China, it is USSR, Romania, etc. that the USA was targetting with the age requirement rules when the US realize the couldn’t match the Soviet style training program.

Just like the USA is realizing its women golfers are not of the caliber of South Korean golfers. It enact these rules of language requirements.

In a broader sense these are actions of soft discrimination, since in the US we are pass the age of accepting out right overt discrimination as socially acceptable, like laws that would target a specific race or religion. However, laws that restrict a certain behavior that might be demostrated in a particular minority are the new forms of discrimination being used.

As the articles have express, this has very little to do with language, but with the fact that the sport is being dominated by Asian athletes. Which in a large part, in my opinion, reflects the larger social issue is America ready to accept Asians as an intergral part of society. Since the LPGA is claim with Asian dominance, America is losing interest in watching the tour.

Soft discrimination like this have been occuring in college acceptance, ethnic enclaves, and now sports.

Yeah, that LPGA rule is idiotic. You’d think they could come up with some better marketing plan than that. Baseball (and to some extent, basketball) gets by with a combination of hired translators or having players translate for each other. You’d think the LPGA could come up with something better than this. (or maybe watching women’s golf really is so boring that the press conference is the main event :idunno:)

[quote=“ac_dropout”]
But you must remember that the age restriction rules was first brought up against the Soviet style training programs. So it wasn’t just China, it is USSR, Romania, etc. that the USA was targetting with the age requirement rules when the US realize the couldn’t match the Soviet style training program. [/quote]
Even if it was brought up against communistic states at first, the rules are applied to everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are. Stop trying to single out communistic states in your reasoning. It just doesn’t work in this day and age.

And that’s what any communistic state would think of when they bring up the “trying to be the best” excuse. They use “sore losers” as the primary reason against the West instead of thinking about the welfare of its own people’s health. Sure, kids doing harsh training at a very young age may seem normal to them but everyone else, who isn’t using such rigorous training believe it’s too much pressure to handle.

I still think much of these ad-hoc rule making come from the fact Asians are starting to compete on all fronts. And in many instances excelling in areas where they might not have been traditionally viewed as a dominating force. Internationally and domestically. Academically, economically, and athletically.

Thus these odd rules claiming to be for the greater good, which everyone can see are motivated by insecurities, can be considered a form of subtle discrimination.

Are you refering to the kids or the critics? The kids are use to it, that’s why they continue to train as athletes. Those that cannot keep up with the training leave the sport via natural selection.

The critics who might not like the fact the champion has an Asian face, will support rules such as age restrictions or linguistic skills, to ensure the pool of competitors don’t contain those undesireable athletes.

[quote=“ac_dropout”]I still think much of these ad-hoc rule making come from the fact Asians are starting to compete on all fronts. And in many instances excelling in areas where they might not have been traditionally viewed as a dominating force. Internationally and domestically. Academically, economically, and athletically.

Thus these odd rules claiming to be for the greater good, which everyone can see are motivated by insecurities, can be considered a form of subtle discrimination. [/quote]
:unamused: Trying to bunch the LGPA with the Olympics is still not going to get you off the hook. And I’m starting to wonder if just because Michelle Wie was featured on Western media, the hint of a discrimation made you think it’s pertained to Asians only? Nope. The stupid English rule is aimed for everyone. No matter who you are.

[quote]Are you refering to the kids or the critics? The kids are use to it, that’s why they continue to train as athletes. Those that cannot keep up with the training leave the sport via natural selection.

The critics who might not like the fact the champion has an Asian face, will support rules such as age restrictions or linguistic skills, to ensure the pool of competitors don’t contain those undesireable athletes.[/quote]
Referring to both kids and parents. Critics? Heh…

And of course. Everyone knows that they’re use to it but it’s sad just seeing four year olds doing strict hand stands for 5 minutes straight. From a Western point of view, it’s unthinkable because the value of a child’s health is important compared to physical training. From those Chinese point of view, it’s their pride. Nothing but pride and they will use natural selection just to hold onto it. Whoever looks better and runs the fastest is the one who’ll represent the whole nation? Give me a break! :neutral:

Here we go again. You love bringing up the focus of Asians as the target and for that reason? :roflmao: You seem to be living on an Asian pride pedestal.

Well she was disqualified from 2 tournaments when some people, in my opinion, over enforced some rules on her.

As I said rules and laws can be used as a subtle form of discrimination in the US.

We? Agian? Still changing your handle I see.

[quote=“goingstrong”]
And of course. Everyone knows that they’re use to it but it’s sad just seeing four year olds doing strict hand stands for 5 minutes straight. From a Western point of view, it’s unthinkable because the value of a child’s health is important compared to physical training. From those Chinese point of view, it’s their pride. Nothing but pride and they will use natural selection just to hold onto it. Whoever looks better and runs the fastest is the one who’ll represent the whole nation? Give me a break! :neutral:

Here we go again. You love bringing up the focus of Asians as the target and for that reason? :roflmao: You seem to be living on an Asian pride pedestal.[/quote]

Do you think that all the American gold medal winning gymnasts from this and other olympics only took up gymnastics in their late teens? Of course not, they all started very very early too. This is the same for elite athletes in other sports, they all start early. If you’re going to go to the “protect the children” arguement, we might as well get rid of youth sports, little league baseball, juniore olympics, etc. Because we all know those parents and coaches can push kids just as hard.

And what’s the “pride” you’re talking about. Every kid who’s doing the training are there because they want to. No one forced them into it, and anyone that wants to quit can do so anytime.

But ac, those Russkies and East Germans are white. See? Even in the arena of racial discrimination, the US is an equal opportunities bastion.
As for the golfers, according to the article the language requirement is so that paying pro-am amateurs can talk to the pros they’ve paid a lot of money to rub shoulders with. I guess the only alternative would be to have a box to tick on the application form – “Yes, I’d like to paired with an English-speaking person.”
Which presumably would mean the Koreans would still be missing out on the gig. Would that also be racism in your book?
(My personal opinion is that the Korean should tell the LPGA a resounding “fuck off and die! Continue your tour if you like, safe in the knowledge that the punters, sponsors and TV stations know its a sad, second-rate sham with the best players banned from competing for entirely spurious reasons. Long live the great U S of A!”)

Nope, I’m all for this english requirement. in fact, let’s go further and say that all players must be fluent in the language of the country where they are playing each tournament.

and they must look good with their clothes off.

and they must support the preferred club supplier of each championship.

and they must attend any and all parties, functions and gala events wearing a pair of bunny ears.

Yeah!

why is this in IP when it belongs in sport? it’s not a world breaking issue, after all.

[quote=“ac_dropout”]
Well she was disqualified from 2 tournaments when some people, in my opinion, over enforced some rules on her.

As I said rules and laws can be used as a subtle form of discrimination in the US. [/quote]

[quote]Wie told reporters that after she finished her round Friday, she left the tent just above the ninth green where players sign their scorecards. She was chased down by volunteers working in the tent, who pointed out she hadn’t signed.

Wie returned to the tent and signed the card, and “I thought it would be OK,” she said.

But Wie, according to Witters, had already walked outside the roped-off area around the tent. At that point, the mistake was final, Witters said.

Witters said she and other tour officials didn’t learn about the mistake from volunteers until well after Wie teed off Saturday morning, so they let her finish the round.[/quote]
I don’t see how this has any form of discrimination at all in it. :s A mistake =/= discrimination.

As for other rules/laws. There are some that are clearly ridiculous but for the reasons she was disqualified were not for anything beyond what they are.

Apparently, you either didn’t understand what I put down or can’t think of anything else to say. :sunglasses:

[quote=“ABC”]Do you think that all the American gold medal winning gymnasts from this and other olympics only took up gymnastics in their late teens? Of course not, they all started very very early too. This is the same for elite athletes in other sports, they all start early. If you’re going to go to the “protect the children” arguement, we might as well get rid of youth sports, little league baseball, juniore olympics, etc. Because we all know those parents and coaches can push kids just as hard.

And what’s the “pride” you’re talking about. Every kid who’s doing the training are there because they want to. No one forced them into it, and anyone that wants to quit can do so anytime.[/quote]
There’s an obvious difference between non-Chinese and Chinese children doing sports at a young age.

In China, a lot of young girls do it for their families and their training is extreme to a point where they cry in pain. It is normal for them so that’s understandable. Everyone else around the world though, do not try to push their young children at that age to train in such extremes. Western coaches and teachers do not push the children to perfection which is what makes China stand out differently. China trains a lot of its young girls too hard. I understand that the young Chinese gymnasts have a choice of quitting but I’m pretty sure many of them wouldn’t for the sake of their families.

Also, not everyone in West started gymnastics when they were little. Some started at the age of 11 and up.

And that “pride” is towards AC and how he keeps focusing his discussions on Asians in particular. Nothing to do with the gymnasts.

Thus illustrating clearly the double standard you live by. All female gymnast have to go through the same training if they want to win a gold medal.

Unequal enforcement is what constitute discrimination.

I noted you didn’t want to cite Wie’s first disqualification, which clearly implied some form of discrimination.

[quote=“ac_dropout”]
Thus illustrating clearly the double standard you live by. All female gymnast have to go through the same training if they want to win a gold medal. [/quote]
Same training but different standards. If you compare young Chinese gymnastics of the same age with a non-Chinese youth, the difference in training is pretty clear.

Is also not discrimination. It’s something that happens common in sports with mistakes. It’s also very very common for the actual people, who’ve made such mistakes, to defend what they’ve done. There’s no such thing as perfect pro. Even pros make mistakes.

Eesh. AC trying to play the “race card” as an excuse.

Presumably, too, in ac’s sad, prejudiced world, the non-mistake-making pro who would have been robbed of her position if Wei’s error had been “overlooked in the interests of racial harmony” would immediately be accused of racism if she’d protested over Wei’s mistake being disregarded.
Goddamn those goddamn white people, keeping the yellow (wo)man DOWN! :unamused:

That cost him 166,000 pounds- and with a name like Padraig Harrington, obviously another poor discriminated-against Asian.