MountainGoat
Bogey Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2014
- Messages
- 66
Many popular sports like Disc Golf have gone through periods of time where they felt the legitimacy of the sport was in question. Some of the indicators that are looked at by the individuals making these cries would include things like little to no air time on outlets like ESPN, a lack of consideration at an Olympic Committee, a lack of major sponsorships outside of the materials used int the sport itself i.e. Doritos, Pepsi, Exxon.
There are many reasons for this but ultimately it's due to the legitimacy of the sport being in question. Weather it's too niche or too complicated or just boring to watch. I feel like DG is none of those, is a growing sport that many advertisers would LOVE to get into, but similar to the sport of Body Building, it's going to be a dead end road without further actions by PDGA and players alike.
The "Bodybuilding Dilema" is what I like to call this situation. Everyone loves to look at a cut physique, it's impressive, awe inspiring, and the amount of motivation and effort that is put fourth by those athletes rivals that of just about any legitimate sport. So why is it not an Olympic Sport? Well, besides the lack of real-time competition, bodybuilders are notorious substance abusers. The sport allows people to abuse certain substances in order to enhance the outcome of the athletes efforts. Now people who are in the competitions and the people who just LOVE bodybuilding don't seem to have an issue with this so long as it continues to work, but professional sponsors, parents of young children who look up to them, and the Olympic Committee all have a big issue with this.
Disc Golf is very similar in this regaurd as the only rules in the PDGA Guidelines that address this are under section 3.3 Player Misconduct and the sections that address this are as follows:
8. The possession of illegal substances in violation of Federal, State or Local laws. The use of marijuana is not permitted at PDGA events, regardless of the possession of a medical marijuana card.
9. Excessive use of alcohol at the tournament site.
10. Possession of alcohol from the start of play until the player's scorecard is submitted is not allowed. Such possession shall result in immediate disqualification at PDGA events sanctioned at B-Tier or higher. The Tournament Director may, at his sole discretion, elect to issue a warning to the offending player in lieu of disqualification solely at PDGA events sanctioned at C-tier and below. If a player has been previously issued a warning for alcohol possession at the same event, all subsequent violations shall result in immediate disqualification.
So let's break this down.
The PDGA agrees with the federal government and says that it is never okay to poses marijuana. They clarify this in section 8 when they say, "Federal, State, or Local.." meaning that if any say it is illegal the PDGA agrees. Well, the feds say it's a no-go so the PDGA abides. So for all the rules lawyers out there, put that in your pipe and smoke it.
As far as being high at the event or as far as getting high in the parking lot after, the PDGA turns a blind eye. This is a MAJOR blow to the legitimacy of the sport and you can guarantee that there will not be major outside sponsorship, television, or Olympics for DG until this is resolved.
On the issue of Alcohol the rules are even more relaxed. If you possess alcohol during a PDGA round you will be disqualified, but if you are at a Tier-C event you will just be warned. So does this mean you can just chug it and be done? Seems that way, because nowhere do the rules suggest that you cannot be drunk or that you will be tested for any substances.
The fact that these two substances are addressed and all others are left open is the final and fatal blow to the legitimacy of DG as a professional sport and as an outlet for major sponsors to get behind a top touring pro and promote them as a star representative.
Here are some first steps that the PDGA can take to get the wheels rolling on truly becoming a professional sport. Possession of ANY performance enhancing drugs needs to result in a ban just like in any other major sport. The timeline is another discussion for another time, but a DQ for the event is not enough.
Adopting a list of performance enhancing drugs and banning them/testing for them on a regular/random basis.
Working with organizations such as the World Anti-Doping Agency would be a tremendous public step by the PDGA. It would be a major step forward and would say, "we are here to compete clean, find the best of the best in our sport, and allow them to rise to the top." and it is exactly what is needed if DG is to become something people invest in.
If you want to see DG on major sports networks, if you want to see DG as a professional sport, if you want to throw a disc through a tightly wooded 27 hole course that leads to an open 27 hole course with ponds, lakes, and sand traps worth millions of dollars, then you will be in support of drug testing, and performance enhancing chemical bans.
I personally cannot wait for the day when DG Worlds is played at a 54 hole monster as I described above, an ESPN helicopter flies over the course surveying the property as the fastest growing sport in the world has it's biggest event broadcasted live on television for the first time... brought to you by General Motors, Red Bull, and Geiko.
There are many reasons for this but ultimately it's due to the legitimacy of the sport being in question. Weather it's too niche or too complicated or just boring to watch. I feel like DG is none of those, is a growing sport that many advertisers would LOVE to get into, but similar to the sport of Body Building, it's going to be a dead end road without further actions by PDGA and players alike.
The "Bodybuilding Dilema" is what I like to call this situation. Everyone loves to look at a cut physique, it's impressive, awe inspiring, and the amount of motivation and effort that is put fourth by those athletes rivals that of just about any legitimate sport. So why is it not an Olympic Sport? Well, besides the lack of real-time competition, bodybuilders are notorious substance abusers. The sport allows people to abuse certain substances in order to enhance the outcome of the athletes efforts. Now people who are in the competitions and the people who just LOVE bodybuilding don't seem to have an issue with this so long as it continues to work, but professional sponsors, parents of young children who look up to them, and the Olympic Committee all have a big issue with this.
Disc Golf is very similar in this regaurd as the only rules in the PDGA Guidelines that address this are under section 3.3 Player Misconduct and the sections that address this are as follows:
8. The possession of illegal substances in violation of Federal, State or Local laws. The use of marijuana is not permitted at PDGA events, regardless of the possession of a medical marijuana card.
9. Excessive use of alcohol at the tournament site.
10. Possession of alcohol from the start of play until the player's scorecard is submitted is not allowed. Such possession shall result in immediate disqualification at PDGA events sanctioned at B-Tier or higher. The Tournament Director may, at his sole discretion, elect to issue a warning to the offending player in lieu of disqualification solely at PDGA events sanctioned at C-tier and below. If a player has been previously issued a warning for alcohol possession at the same event, all subsequent violations shall result in immediate disqualification.
So let's break this down.
The PDGA agrees with the federal government and says that it is never okay to poses marijuana. They clarify this in section 8 when they say, "Federal, State, or Local.." meaning that if any say it is illegal the PDGA agrees. Well, the feds say it's a no-go so the PDGA abides. So for all the rules lawyers out there, put that in your pipe and smoke it.
As far as being high at the event or as far as getting high in the parking lot after, the PDGA turns a blind eye. This is a MAJOR blow to the legitimacy of the sport and you can guarantee that there will not be major outside sponsorship, television, or Olympics for DG until this is resolved.
On the issue of Alcohol the rules are even more relaxed. If you possess alcohol during a PDGA round you will be disqualified, but if you are at a Tier-C event you will just be warned. So does this mean you can just chug it and be done? Seems that way, because nowhere do the rules suggest that you cannot be drunk or that you will be tested for any substances.
The fact that these two substances are addressed and all others are left open is the final and fatal blow to the legitimacy of DG as a professional sport and as an outlet for major sponsors to get behind a top touring pro and promote them as a star representative.
Here are some first steps that the PDGA can take to get the wheels rolling on truly becoming a professional sport. Possession of ANY performance enhancing drugs needs to result in a ban just like in any other major sport. The timeline is another discussion for another time, but a DQ for the event is not enough.
Adopting a list of performance enhancing drugs and banning them/testing for them on a regular/random basis.
Working with organizations such as the World Anti-Doping Agency would be a tremendous public step by the PDGA. It would be a major step forward and would say, "we are here to compete clean, find the best of the best in our sport, and allow them to rise to the top." and it is exactly what is needed if DG is to become something people invest in.
If you want to see DG on major sports networks, if you want to see DG as a professional sport, if you want to throw a disc through a tightly wooded 27 hole course that leads to an open 27 hole course with ponds, lakes, and sand traps worth millions of dollars, then you will be in support of drug testing, and performance enhancing chemical bans.
I personally cannot wait for the day when DG Worlds is played at a 54 hole monster as I described above, an ESPN helicopter flies over the course surveying the property as the fastest growing sport in the world has it's biggest event broadcasted live on television for the first time... brought to you by General Motors, Red Bull, and Geiko.
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