buckleyk12 t1_j9rjl6k wrote
Fewer events to generate ad revenue. Fewer rounds to generate fan revenue. Fewer hours to generate food and beverage revenue via shotgun start. Paying out the ass for golf talent no one really cares about and now don't have to practice.
It's just not a recipe for success. It was bad business before the first tee shot. It's such a bad idea it almost feels like a huge money laundering scam. I'm too dumb to connect those dots though
LogieBerra_5 t1_j9rpbqj wrote
Well said. To piggyback off of that, do most people watch golf for the competition and history or are they watching it for the elements that LIV is incorporating? Said differently in a basketball reference... the Harlem Globetrotters are incredibly talented and fun to watch, but it will never be in the same league as the NBA. Doesn't mean it will fail, just may mean the Saudi's overpaid for a sports venture
bimbles_ap t1_j9sbra8 wrote
The Saudis are paying to try and "sport wash" their culture and try to have people forget their atrocities. Same reason the World Cup was in Qatar.
tayroarsmash t1_j9t0syh wrote
It’s also a diversification strategy as oil seems to be on a clock.
rumpel_foreskin17 t1_j9uf2ze wrote
Those fuckers have enough money to live 100,000 lifetimes over, they’ll be fine.
tayroarsmash t1_j9ul0lf wrote
Oh trust me I’m in no way worried about the oligarchy of Saudi Arabia I just watched a thing where the guy representing them in the video gave diversification to future proof their wealth was a big reason for these new ventures.
rumpel_foreskin17 t1_j9v1omr wrote
For sure. They may have hit the geographical jackpot but they’re not stupid. Diversification of wealth is smart whether it’s your $500 rainy day fund or your $100,000,000,000 oil monopoly.
TallDuckandHandsome t1_ja0j3pl wrote
You can add at least another zero to that, which may not seem like a big difference, but also, it's an extra 900 billion
cobaltnick37 t1_j9uuzbi wrote
They will. But greed never ends, especially for the richest
jarpio t1_j9uwpg3 wrote
Yeah the rich humans do. But KSA is still a country with people and an economy. You still need to be able to generate wealth in your country. National economies don’t get to just retire (though the Japanese may disagree) Otherwise you become a failed state. And when you’re a monarch in a failed state, your life expectancy generally goes down.
So no those fuckers won’t be fine if they can’t diversify away from a fossil fuel based economy at least a little bit. The individual fuckers with the yachts will be fine but the country will not be. And the yacht fuckers don’t get to live forever. Eventually they die and their kids die and the money goes away.
rumpel_foreskin17 t1_j9v1ts7 wrote
Fair point.
KanyeWestBrick t1_j9twy7s wrote
Seems like it did the opposite. All I think about when I think of LIV is Saudi
caveyh96 t1_j9td5wv wrote
I don''t ever go for that sports washing. It doesn't work and shines more light on the issues. I think it is more they are a individually wealthy nation that are looking to diversify their interests
bimbles_ap t1_j9trbw1 wrote
The people that do actively care about those issues won't be fooled. The ones who passively care will be easily distracted.
If they really wanted to diversify their interests why not build up grass roots programs and be competitive before trying to invite the world?
caveyh96 t1_j9u21xd wrote
But I wasn't fooled and it isn't something I overly take much notice in. Look if anything it actively harms the country due to the spotlight.
Because I think the interest in their countries isn't always their. It could be that by having these massive events builds the interest they can then build from.
I could well be wrong but from everything I see sports washing doesn't work.
bimbles_ap t1_j9u4ua5 wrote
It's not really working because it's clear how much money they're throwing around. If we didn't know about some of the top golfers being paid 9 figures to join it'd be a different story. And the corruption within FIFA isn't exactly a secret anymore either.
When Russia hosted the Olympics the story became the games for a period and the Crimea story was put on the back burner. Russia waiting to invade Ukraine until after the Beijing games was likely orchestrated as well.
It doesn't work on everyone, but most people really only follow major news cycles. And when a sporting event is big enough it'll tend to dominate the news and the other things about that country becomes a footnote.
jrakosi t1_j9tkzhm wrote
And why Saudi is trying their best to get the next world cup bid...
Feeez_Shato t1_j9ugnzv wrote
Slavers PR campaign- lol.
Raskputin t1_j9uts2x wrote
As an avid golfer, I don’t watch it much except for the classic events like US/British open, the masters and maybe a couple others. Couldn’t be bothered to watch LIV and while there are definitely some political grievances for why, it could be run by Norway and I’d still be meh.
woahdude12321 t1_j9s3s9x wrote
It’s like kony 2012 but golf
Flip_d_Byrd t1_j9s4hms wrote
It was meant to disappear... once it completed it's objective. You are not dumb at all. You figured it out without connecting the dots. But just for closure... The dots are who created it, who sponsored it, and where and when it was played.
Omar___Comin t1_j9ukv2j wrote
The dots are:
"we are a family of criminal scum with untold billions of dollars and a horrendous reputation... people like sports right? Let's spend some of the untold billions to see if we can get people to associate us with the sports we like. Oh it's not working? Oh well, what should we try with the untold billions next?"
WKGokev t1_j9uxx1j wrote
They held an event at Bedminster, they achieved their goal. LIV can be shuttered now, the docs are in Saudi possession.
Falconandmouse t1_j9vb9tz wrote
Plus it’s all dirty Saudi blood money. Screw all the golfers that threw their careers away for a check - and now want their cake and eat it too.
scootscooterson t1_j9vt56a wrote
I think it’s more there was a clear opportunity for golfers to remake the rev share split. With other sports, nba for instance, players don’t have the type of ability to say they’ll go somewhere else because the NBA is such a product outside of just the talent. There’s a relatively stable negotiating platform that understands the value of both sides, and so it’s complex negotiations that essentially split the money between the players and the owners (was 50/50 I think last deal).
Golfers felt like the split between the pga and the players wasn’t right and they could make up on the product side and keep more of the $$ for themselves. LIV was a vehicle to accomplish this. PGA called their bluff because they weren’t worried about someone recreating the product (um the masters? And every major? That’s magic that even non golf lovers get emotional about). Turns out that products really really really hard to recreate
dencol t1_j9rqeg4 wrote
Well put. Haven’t heard an actual argument against it other than “Saudi money”.
antiquemule t1_j9t77j9 wrote
It's a crap concept where everyone gets paid loads of money whether they win or lose.
Does that help?
RSGator t1_j9ujtck wrote
This is all a matter of opinion but it’s just… not golf. I like the Harlem Globetrotters comparison. Yeah they technically play basketball, but it’s not really basketball. We’re not watching people at the top of their game with LIV, we’re just watching people have fun. There’s no real sense of competition since everyone is getting paid regardless of how well they do.
That might be appealing to some just as the Harlem Globetrotters are appealing to some.
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