One thing I’ve noticed over the course of my life, is that sports figures who somehow fade from the front pages always try and circle back and say stupid things to get them back in the news limelight. Example front and center is Phil Mickleson. Instead of just playing the game of professional golf, which he was very good at, he has to come out and make controversial comments on the proposed Saudi golf tour that has no relevance to the game of golf in general. First of all, he is no longer a voice of the young stars on the PGA tour. His competitive days days are over (age will do that) and he has more money than he could ever spend or gamble in three lifetimes. And does anybody care what Mickelson has to say about political or social issues such as a league run by a regime know for horrible treatment of human life? Not me. As we always point out on Sports with Mono and Mono, it is and will always be about the money. Let the individual players decide whether they want to no longer compete for the Masters or the US Open, which are the most coveted titles in the game they love. They certainly don’t need a former relevant player speaking on their behalf. And they certainly don’t need Phil Mickleson speaking out on his views of how the PGA is run, which last time I checked, has made him and many golfers millions of dollars. I applaud Rory McElroy saying his comments were way off base and not reflective of the current stars of his sport. The only result that came of this is that Phil Mickelson is selfish and starving for the attention he once had while he was a dominant player in his sport. And it “cost” him major sponsorships and will only tarnish a reputation that for the most part was stellar until now. And I am happy to see this result for someone how just can’t stand the fact he is no longer revered for playing a sport like he once was. This is justice in a small way, but a lesson to be learned for athletes who are good at what they do today, because nothing lasts forever. Check out our podcast Sports with Mono and Mono because we will certainly be discussing this and other topics.
Jim