Putting your neck on the line
Today's Sports Business Daily addresses the reaction caused by the Jan. 19 cover of Golfweek -- which, as you can see here, decides to lasso the Kelly Tighlman incident with a graphic that seems to be far more controversial than what the Golf Channel anchor actually said.
SBD says PGA Tour Senior VP/Communications Bob Combs and Exective VP/Communications & Int’l Affairs Ty Votaw plan to meet with Golfweek execs today at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando to discuss what went into that cover. PGA Tour commish Tim Finchem said the cover was "outrageous and irresponsible. It smacks of tabloid journalism. It was a naked attempt to inflame and keep alive an incident that was heading to an appropriate conclusion."
Said Golfweek editor Dave Seanor in today's USA Today: "Was it an arresting image? Yes, it was. We chose it because it was an image we thought would draw attention to an issue we thought deserved some intelligent dialogue." Maybe, but how intelligent is it to blow up a comment that's already been overblown?
Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinel reports that the Tilghman slipup, which resulted in a two-week suspension, did not result in advertisers or sponsors backing out, said network vice president of strategic partnerships Tom Knapp.
Here is the link to the Golfweek editorial on the Tilgman story, plus the magazine's main story