The Casey Martin ruling reverberated throughout the
industry with writers, players, and others weighing in:
TOUR TAKES HIT: In Philadelphia, Rich Hoffman calls the
Tour's stance "a bad fight because it was so fundamentally
wrong" (DAILY NEWS, 2/12). In Miami, Greg Cote: "The whole
trial was a public-relations disaster, and an insult to the
public's intelligence. ... The question now: Will the Tour
be a gracious loser?" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/12). In Boston, Dan
Shaughnessy: "The PGA Tour people were big losers yesterday.
They were exposed as petty, self-righteous, and totally
insensitive" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/12). In L.A., Bill Plaschke
addresses the Tour's impending appeal: "What Wednesday's
decision cleansed, the tour will try to make filthy again,
which is what elitist organizations do when imperfections
come to their doors" (L.A. TIMES, 2/12). CBS SportsLine's
Mark Soltau, on the Tour's appeal: "Too bad. The collective
brain trusts are proving more hard-headed than a golf ball"
(CBS SportsLine, 2/11). On CNBC's "The Edge," Joe Kernan
said, "The PGA Tour was in a lose-lose situation on this
one" ("The Edge," CNBC, 2/11). In K.C., Joe Posnaski: "No
matter what anybody believes about Martin or disabilities or
the rules of golf, no matter where you came down on this
one, this is a pretty good ending" (K.C. STAR, 2/12).
AGAINST THE RULING: In L.A., Mike Downey disagrees with
the ruling under the header, "Martin Steers His Drive And It
Misses The Fair Way." Downey: "[T]his isn't fair play ...
this is unfair play. ... [And] being disabled doesn't
automatically make you right" (L.A. TIMES, 2/12). USA
TODAY's Jerry Potter, who has cerebral palsy, called the
ruling "wrong." Potter: "Whatever [Martin] accomplishes as
a player he'll always have an asterisk by his name. He
won't have the satisfaction of knowing that despite his
handicap he beat men who are better physically while playing
by their rules, not his" (USA TODAY, 2/12). And in Ft.
Lauderdale, Mike Berardino poses the question: "How long
before all of our games are watered down, bastardized in the
name of fairness?" (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 2/12).
PLAYERS: In Toronto, Lorne Rubenstein writes that
Martin "could well find some resentment when he competes"
(Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/12). Senior Tour player Jim
Colbert said the Tour "should take its appeal all the way to
the Supreme Court if necessary." Colbert: "You've got to
play on a level field, and with one fellow riding, it's not
a level field" ("CNN/SI," 2/11). Paul Azinger, whose career
was interrupted for more than a year by cancer, said he may
have been able to come back earlier had he had a cart.
Azinger: "I might have been able to play if I had a cart.
... [I]t would have been a consideration" (AP/TAMPA TRIBUNE,
2/12). Fred Couples said that Martin "would clearly gain an
advantage" riding a cart. Couples: "I don't understand how
anyone can say, in golf, you don't expend any energy" (AP/
PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/12). Tom Lehman, Player Dir of
the PGA Tour Policy Board, called the decision "fair" in
Martin's "particular situation," but said it potentially,
could "open the door for a lot of problems" (ESPN, 2/11).
KNIGHT MOVES: Nike CEO Phil Knight writes an op-ed
piece on the Martin case for SI's "Golf Plus." Knight
called Finchem "a good man -- a sharp contrast to that cold
NBA litigator, David Stern." Knight: "But Stern would never
have let this issue come to a lawsuit. He would have
embraced Martin, the kid who didn't know he wasn't supposed
to play on the Tour, the kid whose love of golf kept him
walking" (SI, 2/16 issue). Nike will hold a congratulatory
rally for Martin today at its headquarters in Oregon (Nike).
