The Saudi Sportswashing continues

Apparently hasbeens Ricky Fowler, Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson have all accepted that they are incapable of ever winning another PSGA comp so are going to jump ship and fill their boots.

Just watching Mickelson, Na, Poults and all getting battered by the likes of Peter Ulhein (WGR of 300+)
 
Last edited:
Japsi said:
I really don't get this level of vitriol directed at Saudi Arabia.
Yes there are questions about Khashoggi, and yes they have capital punishment and certain sections of society are marginalised, but that is the case in many other countries.
They are on a path to modernisation which will take time and they should be commended for that.
Click to expand...
It is still a brutal regime but I get your point. Their modernisation is more 'technical' than 'liberal' in terms of Islamic rule of law and societal reforms.

Nobody batters an eyelid at sports events in China who even with a larger population, still execute considerably more people and possess large concentrations camps committing genocide against minority groups.

The sooner ordinary folk boycott events, the better.
 
I went along to this yesterday as got a free ticket. Never have I been to a sports event with such a lacklustre indifferent feel. The crowd were just like me, curious and many with free tickets. I feel a bit dirty going to be honest and wished I’d gone to Saracens instead to watch honest professionals in action.
 
Anton_Berg said:
How does sportswashing work? They support a big sport event and everyone thinks 'they're decent people after all'.
Click to expand...
Not quite they gain international respectability by appearing to stand for openness tolerance etc on the outside but still maintaining an closed authoritarian oppressive society.
 
“Sportswashing is the practice of an individual, group, corporation, or government using sport to improve their tarnished reputation, through hosting a sporting event, the purchase or sponsorship of sporting teams, or by participation in the sport itself.”

www.theweek.co.uk

‘Grim game of our times’: what is sportswashing?

Leaked photos seem to reveal Newcastle’s ‘Saudi kit’ while golf is at ‘civil war’ over new LIV series
www.theweek.co.uk www.theweek.co.uk
 
I think there is a bit of hypocrisy at play which has caused the biggest stink. If the PGA had been able to accept that golfers that play on the PGA can play other events then LIV wouldn't have had to throw so much money at it. PGA want sole rights to the best golfers in the world because it makes them money. This is similar to when UEFA were complaining about the Super League because they would be losing the Champions League. They didn't care about the integrity of the existing competition, they only cared abut their income (we see they only care about protecting a small group of clubs' income with all of the changes they make). The fan backlash was different and genuine. Golf is weird because it doesn't have teams and supporters. People want to watch an event with the best players and see who comes out on top. For the most part we don't care where that event is held or what the prize money is. The PGA want to keep the closed shop and they have been able to do that by providing the most money. They just don't like that someone with deeper pockets is using their own tactics against them.

I know the Sportswashing is a real issue but if you put aside the source of the income and imagine this same event was created with the backing of somewhere more acceptable then would the PGA just allow it or would they be acting exactly as they are now? I think it is the latter, they are protecting their income. They don't really care about the competition.
 
Nano said:
I think there is a bit of hypocrisy at play which has caused the biggest stink. If the PGA had been able to accept that golfers that play on the PGA can play other events then LIV wouldn't have had to throw so much money at it. PGA want sole rights to the best golfers in the world because it makes them money. This is similar to when UEFA were complaining about the Super League because they would be losing the Champions League. They didn't care about the integrity of the existing competition, they only cared abut their income (we see they only care about protecting a small group of clubs' income with all of the changes they make). The fan backlash was different and genuine. Golf is weird because it doesn't have teams and supporters. People want to watch an event with the best players and see who comes out on top. For the most part we don't care where that event is held or what the prize money is. The PGA want to keep the closed shop and they have been able to do that by providing the most money. They just don't like that someone with deeper pockets is using their own tactics against them.

I know the Sportswashing is a real issue but if you put aside the source of the income and imagine this same event was created with the backing of somewhere more acceptable then would the PGA just allow it or would they be acting exactly as they are now? I think it is the latter, they are protecting their income. They don't really care about the competition.
Click to expand...
Hypothetical question to which the answer is probably yes. However this issue is solely about sportswashing and an awful nation with more money than is imageable (and cant spend on its own citizens) throwing it around to look great.
 
Zoophonic said:
Hypothetical question to which the answer is probably yes. However this issue is solely about sportswashing and an awful nation with more money than is imageable (and cant spend on its own citizens) throwing it around to look great.
Click to expand...
Yeh, I get that. I don't like it when other sports do it either. I just don't like the PGA pretending it is a moral issue though and not a business one. They have held events in dodgy countries and I'm not particularly confident that the US itself is a shining example of morality what with the horrendous levels of racism, bigotry and war mongering. The European tour has several events in UAE & Qatar which we know have terrible records for things like migrant worker deaths etc. The PGA complaints are purely business and they don't have the morality to be preaching to others (even if they are correct).

Sadly, Sport has very much turned into a money first situation. We see that in our own leagues where teams are more bothered about finishing 4th to qualify for the money tournament that is the Champions League or avoiding relegation than they are about winning a trophy. Competing for sporting glory is a thing of the past. Who's the richest club, how big is your contract, how big are your sponsorship deals, how many followers on social media etc, all in the pursuit of money, are all they care about these days. There is no morality.
 
The only thing that will stop it in an individual sport like golf is to ostracise the players and make them look the pariahs they are with a social standing just above a sex offender for teams sports its more difficult.
 
Japsi said:
As I said, there are many countries as bad or worse, and they are on a modernisation path
Click to expand...
That's like saying we shouldn't criticize a serial killer who murdered 10 people because there are other serial killers who've killed 20 or 30.

And, "there are questions about Khashoggi"?

Really? What questions are those then? How many minutes after he entered the Saudi Consulate did they actually murder him? (Analysis of the audio tapes shows it was less than seven).

Or perhaps: What brand of surgical saw did they use to dismember him?

I think the only real question that remains is whether Mohammed bin Salman personally directed the assassination. (The evidence suggests he did).

Saudi Arabia's own attorney general said the murder was premeditated, and even the CIA (not known to be the greatest critics of Saudi Arabia) published an analysis of the murder in 2018 that concluded the assassination was ordered by MBS.

CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top