Nikko LoCastro intimidating a PDGA official at European Open '22

[Three Putt]

I know we are in a new outrage-based "cancel culture" phase of driving business decisions in an attempt to avoid backlash, but in my old-fashioned right and wrong values Gateway continuing to support Nikko LoCastro is a no-brainer non-story. He's family. That's fundamentally different from the LoCastro/Clash relationship. I'd be more disappointed in Gateway if they didn't continue to support him. I'm sure there is Internet outrage over the decision, but IMO Gateway is just doing the right thing here. They haven't excused what he did and they are not defending his actions, but they are going to support the person because the person is family.

It's like what Springsteen sang; "Man turns his back on his family, well he just ain't no good".

You can probably dig up enough posts on DGCR of me complaining about Gateway to create a two-hour monologue, but to me they are doing what they need to be doing here.

 

[takman]

Did Gateway reinstate the contract and sponsorship, or are they just announcing 'support' for him as a friend and family member as they said? There is a difference, the latter being as much if not more important. Seemed a bit quick on their part.

 

[Tyler V]

Did Gateway reinstate the contract and sponsorship, or are they just announcing 'support' for him as a friend and family member as they said? There is a difference, the latter being as much if not more important. Seemed a bit quick on their part.

That's a great question. There's a lot we don't know , including if he's still sponsored, or if he's on probation pending steps being taken that they have agreed to behind closed doors.

I agree with Three Putt as well - this is a very different scenario than with Clash. He's family, but there needs to be a balance of support and reprimand even with family members.

 

[art_vandelay]

It really isn't any of our business what Dave (Dave is Gateway) is or isn't doing in support of his nephew. Seriously people are nosy. For all we know, Nikko will inherit the company some day. Maybe not. Regardless I'm happy someone is supporting the guy through a pretty rough patch regardless of the terms of the support.

 

[roblee]

The process of DQ can be an on the spot decision of the TD but suspension/probation is a multi-level multi-person process that ultimately requires a Board vote. A person in Nikko's position could continue to play sanctioned events until the process is complete. His decision to voluntarily stop playing probably reduces awkwardness and distractions that would likely result if he chose a different path.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

So does anyone else also feel like the European open incident was a targeted and planned sting operation?. I'm not saying it was unwarranted.. The last hole penalty (psych out) shouldn't affect the play/score too much, I thought that was a reasonable classy attempt to not make it hurt too much but it did some major damage.

Has there been any other excessive time penalties called in a tourney?

 

[takman]

So does anyone else also feel like the European open incident was a targeted and planned sting operation?. I'm not saying it was unwarranted.. The last hole penalty (psych out) shouldn't affect the play/score too much, I thought that was a reasonable classy attempt to not make it hurt too much but it did some major damage.
Has there been any other excessive time penalties called in a tourney?

No targeting at all, just took some officials from another country to actually take the rule seriously and enforce it. Any negative accusations should be pointed at US tour officials for letting players get away with it for too long.

 

[txmxer]

So does anyone else also feel like the European open incident was a targeted and planned sting operation?. I'm not saying it was unwarranted.. The last hole penalty (psych out) shouldn't affect the play/score too much, I thought that was a reasonable classy attempt to not make it hurt too much but it did some major damage.

Has there been any other excessive time penalties called in a tourney?

Week (weak) old bait? It's lost its stench and is just dried goo at this point.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Week (weak) old bait? It's lost its stench and is just dried goo at this point.

And yet the thread gets 5+ posts a day...

 

[aclay]

I know we are in a new outrage-based "cancel culture" phase of driving business decisions in an attempt to avoid backlash, but in my old-fashioned right and wrong values Gateway continuing to support Nikko LoCastro is a no-brainer non-story. He's family. That's fundamentally different from the LoCastro/Clash relationship. I'd be more disappointed in Gateway if they didn't continue to support him. I'm sure there is Internet outrage over the decision, but IMO Gateway is just doing the right thing here. They haven't excused what he did and they are not defending his actions, but they are going to support the person because the person is family.

It's like what Springsteen sang; "Man turns his back on his family, well he just ain't no good".

You can probably dig up enough posts on DGCR of me complaining about Gateway to create a two-hour monologue, but to me they are doing what they need to be doing here.

I respect (and often agree with Three Putt), but I have to disagree here. Treating one employee differently than another causes problems at work. I know we're talking sponsorship instead of actual employment, but the concept is the same. If an employee (let's call him NL) can come in late or leave early or slack off at work because he is related to the owner, how do you think the other employees feel? Where is their motivation to come to work on time and work hard? This is a classic example of why business and friends/family should not mix. Since the company is a business, the decision on whether or not to end the sponsorship should be a business decision. What to do to help/support a family member should be a family decision. They need to be independent of each other.

 

[Hampstead]

Without knowing anyone on the inside, I'd hazard a guess that Gateway employees support Nikko and Dave's decision to stand by him. Gateway is most definitely not your typical company. They operate a bit differently than most others.

 

[txmxer]

And yet the thread gets 5+ posts a day...

I fail to see how that justifies your trolling.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

No targeting at all, just took some officials from another country to actually take the rule seriously and enforce it. Any negative accusations should be pointed at US tour officials for letting players get away with it for too long.

Ok so I know it's not specifically targeting him.. But if you're a police officer and you have a radar gun you don't wait at the top of the hill or a curve, you wait at the bottom of the hill on a straightaway.

Was there an official in every group with a clock? Or looking for easy pickings? Again I'm not saying it's un warranted nor poorly executed, nor am I saying anything disparaging about the official or the PDGA. Just "Hey here comes a red corvette, I wonder how fast or slow it's goin"

I totally support nikko and gateway for supporting him despite cancel culture and bad publicity. It's the right thing to do, I would hope every company would feel like a family regardless of possible-nepitism. Gateway neverstruck me as a company that was in it to make a ton of money, they are a love of the game underdog.

 

[Dingus]

Without knowing anyone on the inside, I'd hazard a guess that Gateway employees support Nikko and Dave's decision to stand by him. Gateway is most definitely not your typical company. They operate a bit differently than most others.

Are you kidding me? Most companies would be absolutely ecstatic about the eyeballs they received over this, just like Gateway is. If I were running Gateway I would secretly be giving Nikko an attaboy for pumping the brand up.

Zoomers may wear their hearts on their sleeves but they are even more easily manipulated by traditional advertising than the preceding generations. Unless outside forces conspire to organize the zoomers into a boycott, they will absorb the media saturation and buy Gateway. Expect a flock of broccoli heads throwing Wizards next spring.

 

[txmxer]

Are you kidding me? Most companies would be absolutely ecstatic about the eyeballs they received over this, just like Gateway is. If I were running Gateway I would secretly be giving Nikko an attaboy for pumping the brand up.

Zoomers may wear their hearts on their sleeves but they are even more easily manipulated by traditional advertising than the preceding generations. Unless outside forces conspire to organize the zoomers into a boycott, they will absorb the media saturation and buy Gateway. Expect a flock of broccoli heads throwing Wizards next spring.

I've been throwing SSSS Wizards for about a year, so I don't want people to think I got on board because of Nikko.

I doubt Gateway is viewing this as cynically as you do either. But, yes, it could give them some hype. I definitely don't see it as driving people away from the brand.

EDIT: Nike stayed with Tiger over the years. I'd say in spite of his issues rather because of.

 

[wolfhaley]

Expect a flock of broccoli heads throwing Wizards next spring.

They'll all have long forgotten about this by then, if not already. They'll all be drooling over the next overhyped Discmania "original" drop or a halo monarch or something.

 

[Hampstead]

Are you kidding me? Most companies would be absolutely ecstatic about the eyeballs they received over this, just like Gateway is. If I were running Gateway I would secretly be giving Nikko an attaboy for pumping the brand up.

Zoomers may wear their hearts on their sleeves but they are even more easily manipulated by traditional advertising than the preceding generations. Unless outside forces conspire to organize the zoomers into a boycott, they will absorb the media saturation and buy Gateway. Expect a flock of broccoli heads throwing Wizards next spring.

I'll give you credit for typing a variety of different words.

That's all I got about that.

 

[Dingus]

a halo monarch or something.

So true, they could do a run of Halo Grooves and sell out.

 

[art_vandelay]

A couple things:

1. I don't think the stench has diminished at all. In fact the more times I see the incident the worse it looks to me. Plus it was a major with the whole world watching. Nikko has some fire to walk through I'm afraid.
2. Gateway is a private business. Dave and partners can and do run it exactly like they wants. People should not project how they would run a business or how it "should" be done because it's irrelevant. Again, they could give all the company profits to NIkko for the next 10 years and it would not be anyone business but theirs.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I don't think the "stench" will diminish very soon, either. No one makes it every tournament, but...

The ongoing absence of someone who's been a high profile player for the past decade, from every big event for the next insert # of months here, just serves as of a reminder of what happened.

It's more noteworthy that Eagle or Simon's absence due to injury, or Ricky's absence due to his bout with Lyme's, simply because it was on display for literally the world's disc golf community to see.