http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2857006
Golf is typically portrayed as a gentleman's sport, one that demands slacks, a collared shirt, nice shoes and a cool demeanor. Often times these clothes can get fairly crazy in their color schemes and patterns but for the most part a clean cut image is what the PGA is looking for.
However often times in the actual media, professional golfers are portrayed as talented, but very "whiney" individuals. Many accuse them of not being real athletes because they don't run around, they don't have feats of strength but the talent is based entirely on a skill that a single noise could disrupt.
Often times many look upon the golf pro as not an athlete because even the very young and the very old, the athletic and the nonathletic can have a heated competitions in a single match. Many of the articles on ESPN are all about the varying extremes of golf, how a 14 year old can hold up in competition versus adults and how seniors can best their younger counterparts. That is why golfers are looked at as non-athletes, but gentlemen.
Even someone as fit and popular as Tiger Woods can't change that stereo type.
I think as younger golfers are coming in they are more athletic. If you look at pros like Gary Woodland and Dustin Johnson, those guys can hold their own on just about any field or court. Also, I dare someone to talk 18 holes in pants and polo in 90 degree weather, play at the level these guys and gals do each week and then say they aren't athletes.
ReplyDeleteI believe that golfers are athletes but I think that it is harder to portray them as tough, physical athletes like basketball and football players because they cannot show clips of them on TV smashing into their opponents or jumping over the other team to score. Golf is slower paced and that is why they are seen as slower paced individuals. Good points.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we as a society try to associate "real sports"with gut wrenching injuries and and being rough with each other. It shows where we as a society place our interests on. How sad!
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