After Atalanta

USA Today ran this piece focusing on Lana Lawless, or rather leading with the golfer's story, but extending the discussion to gender in sport, i.e. when gender is not so neatly packaged. The LPGA was scheduled to gather for a players' meeting in which they would consider the "female by birth" rule that excludes Lawless and other transgender athletes from competing on the tour. But the USA Today article cites other cases--like GW b-baller Kye Allums--as well as some of my favorite people, Helen Carroll of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Dr. Heather Sykes of University of Toronto. There was also the seemingly obligatory call to Dr. Renee Richards who as a male-to-female transsexual sued for the right to play on the women's tennis tour in the 1970s. Richards, who is not exactly a vocal champion for transgender rights, simply said "It's a conundrum." Sykes kind of summed it up well, I thought: "The gender boundaries have never been clear,...

Well I take back all my previous criticisms of the LPGA. Ok, I don't exactly take them back. But I give the organization--now under new leadership--major props, praise, and applause. It appears that the recent lawsuit brought by golfer Lana Lawless challenging the organization's "female by birth" participation policy has inspired LPGA leadership to consider an amendment to its constitution. The membership will address the potential change on November 30. Leadership is encouraging the members to make the change. From the Golf Channel: In a special “one-agenda item” meeting at the Hana Bank Championship in South Korea at the end of October, LPGA players were briefed on the upcoming vote and the vital nature of it. According to sources familiar with the meeting, LPGA players were told the “female at birth” provision was created “in a different time” and would be a significant challenge to defend legally today. Players were also informed that the International Olympic Com...

[Apologies for the lack of consistent posting of late. I have serious blogger's block brought on by a myriad of other things I need to be doing. I expect to be back into the swing of things in a little over a week.] So remember how, a while back, Carolyn Bivens was ousted from her position as LPGA commissioner? And remember how there was significant speculation about who her replacement would be? Yeah, they didn't choose any of those people. The LPGA announced this week that Michael Whan will be the new commissioner. And he will be all about "grow[ing] the global brand." No word on what that will entail or the methods he will use to do so. I have to say--and this has nothing to do with Whan specifically--that I am a little wary of how the LPGA plans to increase its popularity. The nearly uncontested view that it is ok for the women in the tour to sell their sport using their (hetero)sexuality is a little worrisome. The article in the recent ESPN Body Issue, accompani...

The LPGA worked fast and appointed Marsha Evans temporary commissioner of the oldest women's sport organization. Evans is a former CEO of the American Red Cross and a Navy Admiral. Of course Evans has a past. She was forced out of the Red Cross in 2005 after contentious relations with her board. (So were her two predecessors, though--both women--one of whom was Elizabeth Dole.) Apparently they board of governors did not like her "command-and-control" management style. Wonder how that will go over on the LPGA... Meanwhile, a search committee has been formed and one member assures us that the new permanent commissioner will have a background in sport management. (Bivens did not.) Annika Sorenstam has stepped up to become an advisor to the LPGA board in the time of transition. And right now the three names being floated for Bivens's permanent replacement are (drum roll, please): Donna Orender (current head of the WNBA); Cindy Davis (current head of Nike Golf); and in-hou...

Almost passed over yet another article about the bad economy and the effects on women's sports. You know, the one that invokes almost immediately the folding of the Houston Comets and the shaky pitch the WPS finds itself on. Though much later in the article it is noted that the WPS needed to average 4,000 attendees per game to remain sustainable and in the first weeks of the season is averaging 6,000. It is the LPGA actually that seems to be hit the hardest among women's sports and that is probably because they appeal to a different clientele. The hope among other women's sports is that the low cost of attending a game, tournament, or competition will draw people who are no longer willing to spend well over $100 for a family of 4 to attend a baseball game. The LPGA does not have those same advantages. And professional golf has always relied on high-end sponsorship because it is said to appeal to higher end customers--hence sponsorships by Rolex, Cadillac, etc. But in tough ...

Here's an excerpt from the statemen t from LPGA commissioner Carol Bivens about the now rescinded language policy: The LPGA has received valuable feedback from a variety of constituents regarding the recently announced penalties attached to our effective communications policy. We have decided to rescind those penalty provisions. After hearing the concerns, we believe there are other ways to achieve our shared objective of supporting and enhancing the business opportunities for every Tour player. In that spirit, we will continue communicating with our diverse Tour players to develop a better alternative. The LPGA will announce a revised approach, absent playing penalties, by the end of 2008. Hmmm..."valuable feedback from a variety of constituents." Carol Bivens, have you been reading my blog?? More likely State Farm called her up and said they were not too pleased to be associated with such a xenophobic, reactionary organization.

...the LPGA "backed off" it's English-only policy. (Not that I really would have started an office pool in part because I don't have an office.) But it would have been interesting. 'Cause I was wondering how long this new policy would last especially as people who have a little more invested in the tour, like number 1 Lorena Ochoa and sponsor State Farm, started speaking out--albeit somewhat tentatively--against aspects of the policy. So now they will go back to the drawing board and come up with a new policy by the end of the year, according to tour commissioner Carol Bivens, who made the announcement this afternoon. The news came just before a scheduled press conference by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in which they were going to demand the tour rescind the policy. The center still believes the LPGA owes its players and its fans a huge apology though. No kidding.

LPGA commissioner Carol Bivens has spoken--just when people were starting to question her silence. Perhaps this was part of the impetus. Bivens today issued a memo/letter to "LPGA Constituents" of which I am apparently one because I receive the LPGA e-newsletter. But you too can read it in its entirety here before you check out what everyone has to say about it. I can't imagine it will alter anyone's current opinion (pro or con) of the policy. There is no new information. There are no changes. There are no new explanations of the organization's rationale behind the policy. Bivens does feel the need to point out that it is "something most players want and fully support." When you are the only game in town--at least the most profitable one--and you control an athlete's ability to earn money in her sport, and the athletes don't seem to have much power in your organization (for whatever reason), one cannot really expect they are going to come out pub...

I was reading Fat Louie's post about the LPGA policy and then the link to a post at Racewire where a commenter felt that part of the impetus behind the policy was complaints by male amateurs that their pro-am partners could not speak English well enough and thus were not entertaining. Commenter notes the sexism inherent in such a belief. Women are there for entertainment, including female athletes. But the racism is also incredibly scary. Everyone knows the policy is directed at the Asian golfers. And most are familiar with the stereotypes about Asian women as compliant and entertaining. And some, though probably fewer, know about the various histories of Asian women serving the needs of foreign men including as comfort women in World War II, as prostitutes--throughout time, as mail order brides, etc.

Here's the update: The LPGA is getting a lot of crap about their new language policy that threatens suspension to any player who cannot pass an oral English competency test. Other sporting organizations are taking the opportunity to boost their reputations noting that they don't have language requirements. That they provide translators. That their athletes will often learn English of their own accord; without pressure. Here's an example from the tennis world. This NYT piece discusses the business side of the decision and quotes a confused Libba Galloway, the tour's deputy commissioner, who is "puzzled" by all the attention the new policy is receiving. But it also notes that Commissioner Carol Bivens hasn't spoken up publicly in support of it. Methinks she is throwing Galloway, who has been the public mouthpiece for the policy, under teh bus. I had some concern when the story first broke about all the players rushing to show their (nearly) unequivocal supp...

In a move that truly indicates just how reactionary and afraid for their image the LPGA tour is, the powers-that-be announced the other day that tour players will all have to speak English within two years or face suspension. Newcomers to the tour get no grace period. It doesn't seem to be a secret that the new rule is aimed at large contingent of South Koreans (but also other players from Asian countries). Learning English is considered part of a player's "professional development" says an LPGA rep. The AP story I read this morning in my local paper and the one linked above both quote South Koreans, including Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak, saying that the new rule is a good thing for the tour. Though Pak believes players not passing the exam should be fined--not suspended. I was surprised that no one was registering any complaint. Christina Kim said the policy was a little surprising but that she believes 99 percent of the players support it. I was able to find, before I ...

So much for Michelle Wie's big comeback. The teen was disqualified from the State Farm Classic where she had been in second place. It looked like today's final round was going to be a good with Yani Tseng, the amazing rookie who won the LPGA Championship earlier this summer, and is the leader, paired with Wie. Seems like Wie just cannot avoid controversy and this time it was all about a missing signature. She forgot to sign her scorecard on Friday after she completed her round. She left the tent where such an action was supposed to occur, was chased down by volunteers, she signed it outside the tent. But it was too late according to tournament officials who found out after she had already started playing Saturday. I don't really have an opinion on this whole thing. It seems that Wie is a little distracted though to not to something as basic as sign her scorecard. We could psychoanalyze the behavior but I don't have a whole lot of faith in psychoanalysis as a field anywa...

Justine Henin and Raphael Nadal are the women's and men's 2007 French Open singles champions. It's a three-peat for them both. Browsing through stories about Henin's win I found that the American media focused on two things: Henin's reunion with her estranged family members--all her siblings were at the final; and Ivanovic's nerves. The non-Americna media actually wrote about Henin's play and success. Despite the gushing over Henin's family situation, some commentators still take issue with her behavior. Mary Carillo, during today's men's final, chided her for not attending the International Tennis Federation Awards this past week. Check out Women Who Serve for an interesting story about the special presentation to the men's winner and the lack of anything special for the women--a situation remedied by Martina Navratilova. Navratilova and a Slovak artist are making art using paint soaked tennis balls . Pieces were given to the women's sin...

About a month ago I came across this curious post on the Golf Blog about the potential demise of women's golf when Annika Sorenstam leaves. I was shocked because I see the LPGA as having a lot of depth--granted I don't watch men's golf so I have little as a basis of comparison; but when I look at the rising young talent in golf, it reminds me of the viability of women's tennis which will go on now that Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters, and seemingly Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati have left. And it will go on when marquee names like Serena and Venus Williams are no longer on the draws. Don't people generally like it when there is no one top contender? Isn't this past of the reason why men's tennis is losing its appeal? Roger Federer, as great as he is, has become a little too predictable--unless he's playing Nadal. I would think people--who aren't Sorenstam fans--would be happy she has slipped from the number one spot. I thought men--who seem to b...