Rio Loco - The Recriminations Begin

We'll move on to some other subjects in a follow-up post, but there's this here dead horse for us to flay at....

Shack seems to be at the bargaining stage of his grief with this:

I know that Zika, the Olympics and scheduling debates do not make the most enjoyable

golf reading, but longtime readers know I've been excited about Olympic golf's prospects in spite of the unimaginative format. 

While I will not defend the selection of Rio, nor be hitting the streets there at night (or day!), I do think the Olympic golf course will send a great message to the world and become an iconic venue of the 2016 games. And once the competition starts, the intrigue will be there to see who wins, who surprises and who inspires. Then, we can go about finding a format that excites players, fans and the IOC, while maybe even peeking the interest of those who have not seen what kind of emotions are elicited by team match play.

Yes, he's been consistent with his thoughts, hoping that 2016 would be reasonably entertaining and that a more interesting format would be implemented for 2020.

Alas, facts on the ground have conspired  against his hoped-for scenario, and he's groping his way towards an understanding of what went wrong.  In his defense, Geoff cites this from Jason Sobel of ESPN:

Here's where the problem with reintroducing golf into the Olympic Games started: The powers that be who saw the benefits of the sport's return after 112 years away -- from the innocence of growing the game globally to the self-indulgence of attempting to infuse the industry financially -- informally surveyed the game's elite players about which format would best suit their tastes. 

Not the most creative bunch, the players answered that they'd like a 72-hole stroke-play format that sounds exactly like almost every other tournament on the schedule. Once it was approved by the IOC, there was no going back.

Does anyone else remember the process this way, because I sure don't.  But his use of the word "innocence" is a real tell, because the powers that be seem to have just assumed that the Olympics would be good for golf, without the need for further explanation....  Kind of like the Temain campaign over in the UK.

They don't want to see how hopelessly corrupt the IOC has become, nor the pay-to-play nature of its site selection.  That golf has enough Major (as well as major) events is not a concern, nor is the fact that so many compromises were made as to render the competition insignificant....

Now, there's little doubt that this is true to some extent:

Use the excuse that it's a crowded schedule and the Olympics are an unnecessary detour from their overall goals, and they'll be criticized for a me-first attitude. Explain that competing in another no-money event (in addition to the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup) is unfair, and they'll be ripped for greediness. Suggest that playing once per year for one's country should be enough, and they'll be castigated for a lack of patriotism. Contend that traveling to a country with an increasingly unstable government is a poor personal choice, and they'll be tsk-tsked for eschewing private resort accommodations. 

And then along came the Zika virus. 

It became the perfect get-out-of-jail-free card for professional golfers. Medical experts have insisted that there is minimal risk of contracting the virus in Rio de Janeiro during the Olympic fortnight, but it's impossible to denounce a player's decision to skip the tournament over concerns on the long-term welfare of his family.

Yes, players, like any other sentient beings, will default to the easiest excuse.... Both Jason and Shack attempt to combat fears with facts, with this from the latter:

I have been in touch with folks on the ground in Rio, and golf course superintendent Neil Cleverly confirms that not a single member of the maintenance crew has contracted Zika. Furthermore, testing done over the last few weeks by the City of Rio health department found after a week of capturing and testing mosquitos that there were no transmitter Mosquitos found in the traps. Meaning that it is unlikely that Zika is in the area. Also, remember, the course is by the salt water and there is almost always a breeze. Not exactly mosquito breeding grounds. 

As of June 7th, according to 2016 Rio Olympics Chief Medical Officer Joao Grangeiro, there have been zero Zika infections reported among the 17,000 athletes, volunteers and staffers participating in test events over the last year. 

Reuters' Julie Steenhuysen reported that researchers at the Sao Paulo School of Medicine project that the risk of tourists contracting Zika during the Olympics at 1.8 cases per million people. Numbers suggest 500,000 international visitors are expected in Rio for the 2016 games.

As anyone that has attempted to reason with a Trump supporter will note, this is a time in our lives when appeals to authority are impotent.  We simply don't trust our elites, in terms of competence but also aas relates to motives.  And I think you'll agree the "Go to Rio, you'll probably live" lacks a certain something as a rallying cry.

And lest you think that there's no reason to think that Rio will be a mess. this is currently what greets arrivals at the airport:

Enjoy your stay.....

So, let's hear from the Scott fellow.... with a name like that, I'm guessing he's quite insightful:

Many players have cited Brazil's litany of woes -- most notably, the Zika epidemic -- as reason for withdrawal. However, Adam Scott, who was the first player to pull out of the 2016 Summer Games, believes some of the blame lies with the competition's structure. 

“I think they should change the format, for sure,” Scott said on Wednesday at Firestone Country Club. “Just having another 72-hole golf tournament with a weaker-than-most field doesn’t really pique my interest.”

Yes, that format is certainly uninspiring.....I had always assumed that it was motivated to ensure Tiger's presence, which is quite amusing at this juncture.  Adam had more:

According to Scott, the qualification system is unsatisfying. Moreover, the tournament's scheduling needs serious overhaul as it relates to golf's season. 

“The big challenge is I think if professionals are going to stay, they’re going to have to find a way to fit professional golf in the Olympic system,” he said. “All the other sports have now somewhat fit in, and all their other events are programmed and based around the Olympics, whether it’s scheduling or qualification, all these kind of things, and ours is not. It’s just kind of shoved in there at a very critical time for everything I’ve ever dreamed of winning, too.”

Which of course reminds of this comment from that guy in orange:

Little by little, the players publicly recited the right words while privately questioning their own motives. Rickie Fowler might have said it best last year when asked about his Olympic goals: "It would be a dream come true [that] I haven't ever dreamed of."

Our Adam is a solution-oriented sort, and offered this poignant observation:

The 2013 Masters winner did have one solution: Make Olympic golf about amateurs. 

“If I think back to when I was 16 or 17 years old and a promising golfer, making the Olympics would be something that I’d want to do very much and also be a very big deal,” Scott said. “I think having a young golfer aspire to be an Olympian is more realistic as an amateur than a professional. It’s just not going to happen for many as a professional, especially the way the qualification system works at the moment.”

Hmmmm.... I feel like I heard that suggestion somewhere else in recent days.   If only there were some place the reader could go for such trenchant insights into our game..... 

Shack challenges that suggestion here, and his caution is worth considering.  And left unsaid in all the discussions of the amateurs,, including my own, the increasing difficulty of earning status on the professional tours might result in the kids not being as available ass assumed...

And lest we think it's just the guys, there was this:

Following stars Rory McIlroy and Jason Day bowing out of the Olympics, many around the sport wondered: Why aren't the women dropping out? There are multiple theories, but, given the wave of men skipping Rio, it seems odd their female counterparts aren't following suit. 

That could be changing, as the South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace became the first official female withdrawal from the 2016 Olympics. 

“After weighing up all the options and discussing it with my family and team, I have decided that due to the health concerns surrounding the Zika virus, I will not be participating," Pace said on Twitter.

I'm not expecting wide-spread defections among those with indoor plumbing, as they desperately need the exposure.  But the agenda will be driven by the men....