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I really am trying to like the LPGA.....but

Welcome to THP and I did not find your thoughts offensive at all. However you have to understand that NBC shows sports to make money. Showing one of the Kim's or one of the Park's does nothing for ratings compared to what Paula Creamer does. And lets be honest up until a triple yesterday, Paula was in the thick of things.

The LPGA is in a tough spot right now, and that is that they have to make money. Love it, hate it, or anything else, showcasing players that people do not know, does little for their success.

These are not non-profit businesses and they must make money to survive. The LPGA does not ignore the players. We all know who Se Ri Pak is and was. However they have to survive first and foremost or no players, Asian or otherwise will be around to receive a purse.
 
As for the marketing. This is nothing new and not prejudice. They market mainstream people that others can relate to. The Japanese Tour does not market Americans that play on it. Neither does the Aussie Tour, or the Euro tour. Its just the nature of the beast.
 
One more thing to add. More of a question to Stimpmeter,

Are you looking for more coverage and rooting for the Asian players strictly because of where they are from and how they look? If so, is that not the same as the American fans? I am actually very curious as this is a good topic that can be talked about if done properly.
 
Im watching and love the LPGA as every one of them can wipe the floor with me but I cannot believe the amount of short putts they are missing today.

It's horrible.
 
JB said:
One more thing to add. More of a question to Stimpmeter,

Are you looking for more coverage and rooting for the Asian players strictly because of where they are from and how they look? If so, is that not the same as the American fans? I am actually very curious as this is a good topic that can be talked about if done properly.
Click to expand...

Hmm. Great point, JB. Perhaps my comments are a bit hypocritical. I guess this underlines the main "marketing" problem discussed in this thread. This weekend, while I was SURE that the Asian players were being under-represented in broadcasting compared to the leaderboard, others may feel like there was too much coverage.

Having been born and raised in the USA, I also have a great affinity towards the americans and route for them too. Being of Korean descent, I also root for the Korean players because of a) or shared ethnicity and possibly, b) my knowledge of their backstory and background.
I admit that I feel personal pride when a Korean-born player can compete and win against the best golfers in the world.


In my opinion, we have to distinguish the problems and possible strategies between a) the broadcast channels and b) the LPGA.

I don't think NBC/CBS/Golf channel can focus any less on the Asian players then the are right now without making it a US/European highlight reel and not a sporting event broadcast.
Their only choice right now would be to work on distinguishing players through a) focusing on individual backstories and life biographies or, as JB mentioned, b) making the courses harder so the stars rise to the top.

As for the LPGA, they have a boatload of issues. In this letter/response to Sirak, there were some who believed an international player quota may be the only way to save the LPGA. LPGA Revolt: Editors' Blog: Golf Digest Magazine

In addition the problems of this sort of measure as stated by Sirak, the LPGA's contract with the Korean JGolf channel is its largest single revenue stream.

In light of this, I think the only viable options are to a) make the courses harder, b) focus more on US youth LPGA golf acadamies, and c) work on individual backstories through media-consulting and marketing.
 
THere lies the issue with the marketing. If they market the Asian players you leave out most of their viewing audience. (which is absurd of course but unfortunately true). Where as if you market to just the US players, you leave out some of the best players in the world.
 
I think Bivens may have been on to something regarding the "speak english" dealio. It was rather disappointing to have the winner require a translator after the rd. Same deal with the PGA when Angel won this years Masters.
 
That was a great post stimpmeter. And welcome to THP!
 
I think Jan Stephenson was prescient, but admittedly far from politically correct, when she remarked several years ago that the influx of Korean players was killing the LPGA, or words to that effect. Her point was that, culturally, the mass of asian players did not market themselves well to the key LPGA English-speaking audience. How to fix that marketing problem is tougher than identifying the problem. The way Bivens initially approached it -- proposing an English-fluency mandate -- was obvious error. But it must start with making star Asian players more recognizable to English-speaking, or even more broadly, romance-language "Western" audiences. I like the idea of developing back-stories. However, that only works to the extent there are back stories that distinguish one player from another. The solid players must be more than just a school of fish if the tour is to gain any momentum in the TV ratings.
 
I don't understand the idea that people are uninterested in a player because they are not American? Does it really matter to people that Yani Tseng was born in Taiwan and Michelle Wie was born in the US?
I think the problem is that most people don't know the Asain players. If that leaderboard was full of Asian players whose names people recognized wouldn't people still be interested regardless of where they were from?
The LPGA needs to do a better job marketing all of their players, not just the Americans.

For those of us who know the tour a little more, isn't that a different leaderboard yesterday if it was Tseng, Miyazato, IK Kim, Ueda and Pak? Yes, because we know those players, regardless of the fact that they are all Asian, they are familiar names to us. It doesn't matter where they are from, just that we know the players. Market everyone, let the viewers know the players and regardless of where they are from there will be more interest.
 
Soxy,
You are right. That is exactly what I said in the Fix the LPGA thread. However there are so many unknowns in every tourny it seems.
 
You'll have to excuse my ignorance but doesn't some of the problem fall on so few of the tounaments actually get air time? More of these names/faces might be more recognizable if they were shown more often. How many of the PGA events don't get televised? Now how many of the LPGA events don't get televised?

I don't watch a lot of golf so that is the reason most of the players are unknown to me. Hell even some of the "American" players I couldn't pick out in a police line up. The names I know, the faces. Well I don't know them.
 
Some of that is true Bogey. But this year has had so many "unknowns" win. Most casual viewers would not know the last two weeks winners. Similar to casual fans knowing fringe players like Brian Gay and others on the PGA tour.
 
So I DVR'd the Woman's Open. I don't mind having the Asian players on the top of the leaderboard. My wife is from Taiwan and she loves seeing Tseng on the top of the leaderboard because she can root for someone from Taiwan.

BUT, after watching the post round interview I have to say watching that interview was a bit painful. I don't mind that she is not from the US and has trouble with English, but lets skip the interview then. I think it hurt the telecast.
 
Man!!! I didnt think I would stir up this much conversation, but I guess that is what we are here for...Someone brought up a very good point when referencing Brian Gay.
I really think that the marketing has to do a lot with who we watch....
Take Boo Weekly for example...Pretty average tour player but his antics, and the marketing that accompanies it has made his name almost a household name...Tell me you would not turn on the TV if Boo was not in the top 5??
Same thing with Daly..total train wreck, but because of alll the marketing (or notoriety), people are drawn to watching him..I would love to watch him make the cut....

I think the same holds true on the LPGA...Take Wie for example...or the little 14 yr old phenom...I think just because they are closer to household golf names, we are more apt to tune in...

Am I nuts???
 
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