Michelle Wie: misguided schnook or noble pioneer?

On the July 30 (08) edition of ESPN's Pardon The Interruption, Mr Tony and Wilbon spent one of their segments (8min-10min) ruminating about Michelle Wie, the young female golfer who's notorious for repeatedly trying to crack the field on the PGA circuit and not managing to make the cut.

Apparently, now, there are a fair number of LPGA notables (including Annika Sörenstam) making concerned comments about Wie's behaviour. David Ledbetter (her one-time swing coach) has commented that if she "doesn't stick to doing what is sensible" then she could waste her talent.

While listening to Mr Tony and Wilbon rail away at Wie and (mostly) her father for pushing her into these moves and (mis-)directing her career, I was struck soundly with this thought. How similar is Wie's situation to repeated attempts by American sporting notables of colour from years past to crack the colour barrier? Or those of disenfranchised ethnic or religious groups? It's all very well to slam Wie for not staying on the LPGA tour and having a more "realistic" outlook on her abilities. But isn't that the same as keeping "them" over there in "their league" where "they belong"?

It may in fact be true that, if Wie spent all her time concentrating on the LPGA tour, she could be more successful, richer, more famous, more widely regarded by her peers. But would she also be put "in her place"? Would you insist that some front line NBA player take his game to the D-leagues because "he could meet with more success there"? Isn't attacking the higher hurdles (if they are, in fact, higher) and refusing to sit at the kiddies' table (if it is, in fact, the kiddies' table) one of the hallmarks of the fight for equal rights in America?

Michelle Wie: misguided schnook or noble pioneer?

On the July 30 (08) edition of ESPN's Pardon The Interruption, Mr Tony and Wilbon spent one of their segments (8min-10min) ruminating about Michelle Wie, the young female golfer who's notorious for repeatedly trying to crack the field on the PGA circuit and not managing to make the cut.

Apparently, now, there are a fair number of LPGA notables (including Annika Sörenstam) making concerned comments about Wie's behaviour. David Ledbetter (her one-time swing coach) has commented that if she "doesn't stick to doing what is sensible" then she could waste her talent.

While listening to Mr Tony and Wilbon rail away at Wie and (mostly) her father for pushing her into these moves and (mis-)directing her career, I was struck soundly with this thought. How similar is Wie's situation to repeated attempts by American sporting notables of colour from years past to crack the colour barrier? Or those of disenfranchised ethnic or religious groups? It's all very well to slam Wie for not staying on the LPGA tour and having a more "realistic" outlook on her abilities. But isn't that the same as keeping "them" over there in "their league" where "they belong"?

It may in fact be true that, if Wie spent all her time concentrating on the LPGA tour, she could be more successful, richer, more famous, more widely regarded by her peers. But would she also be put "in her place"? Would you insist that some front line NBA player take his game to the D-leagues because "he could meet with more success there"? Isn't attacking the higher hurdles (if they are, in fact, higher) and refusing to sit at the kiddies' table (if it is, in fact, the kiddies' table) one of the hallmarks of the fight for equal rights in America?

If you want to hear what all the Tom Waits fuss is about...

Hie thee off to NPR's website and snag the podcast of Tom Waits just recently live in Atlanta, Ga. And a fair number of other cool concert 'casts. Waits' concert is (wait for it) over two hours long (with encore). The man works for his livin'. I'd pay cold hard money to see Tom in concert after listening to this, but sadly, his tour doesn't include any stops near my house, and, well, his tour wraps up tomorrow in Dublin. (So, myles_corcoran, if you don't have tickets, then what are you waiting for, man!)

If you want to hear what all the Tom Waits fuss is about...

Hie thee off to NPR's website and snag the podcast of Tom Waits just recently live in Atlanta, Ga. And a fair number of other cool concert 'casts. Waits' concert is (wait for it) over two hours long (with encore). The man works for his livin'. I'd pay cold hard money to see Tom in concert after listening to this, but sadly, his tour doesn't include any stops near my house, and, well, his tour wraps up tomorrow in Dublin. (So, myles_corcoran, if you don't have tickets, then what are you waiting for, man!)