Bradley Williams Suspended

[VictorB]

I'll ask again - under what premise do you think the PDGA owes us details?

It's really simple. Really.

We pay them to support us as tournament players. Without our support they would have no relevance. They absolutely should be transparent about the how/why Williams was suspended, so we as the supporting members can be informed about what behavior is acceptable and what could get us suspended.

There are a multitude of reasons we pay them money - and a big one is transparency in decisions about rules and regulations. This would be included in that category.

 

[wims]

It would be nice to know how someone **** up so others don't do it. If someone wondered into the woods and fell into quicksand, it would be beneficial to everyone else to know WHERE NOT TO STEP, same thing with rules.



Honestly I think we need details in every incident where a player gets suspended. I'm thinking of when Nate Diaz got suspended for cannabinoids in his system from the UFC for 5 years, what if the UFC didn't have to give the details. There would have been no up roar and Nate wouldn't have gotten back into the ring much sooner and started crushing again. Until details are given we don't know if the PDGA did right or not cuz these big organizations can start ****ing up majorly in a couple of quick ticks.

The UFC didn't suspend Nick Diaz, Nevada state did

 

[bnbanbury]

Regarding the PDGA having transparency about the incident, i think it should be the right of everyone who pays dues to an organization to understand the details of disciplinary action taken by that organization. Particularly in the case of a suspension that removes an athlete from competition for over a year. The players should be able to understand the nature of the infraction and process that the PDGA used to arrive at their decision.

As for Bradley Williams himself, i will admit to being a bit biased and being less outraged about this than if it were another player. I have little patience for pros who show up to events where clubs and organizers have worked to add cash and cater to the big names, only to have the pro say "F*** this course and this event" when a shot doesn't work out the way they want.* I don't think that he deserves to be suspended for 18 months for being an ass, but until someone comes forward and actually has knowledge of the incident its hard to say.

*This comment is not hearsay, it is my observations from playing with Bradly at the recent A tier at the Blockhouse.

 

[bradharris]

1. Colleges do it all the time. "Violation of team rules" is all we hear. Sometimes, not even that.

That's the public statement for the benefit of the fans. But I'm sure all the players in that locker room who are subject to the same "team rules" know exactly what led to the disciplinary action.

The PDGA's "locker room" is much larger, but when someone faces discipline for violating "team rules," the rest of the membership has a right to understand the situation fully.

 

[LukeButch]

http://www.pdga.com/files/current_disciplinary_actions_9-8-16.pdf

According to this, along with Bradley, Jake Palmer (guy who took the 40) is also suspended, although only for 3 months.

FYI the vast majority of people on this list are former TDs who ran events then never paid the PDGA player fees, not for anything they did on the course


also, the pdga has published reasons for suspension in the past, they may in the future regarding Brad

 

[Streets]

Regarding the PDGA having transparency about the incident, i think it should be the right of everyone who pays dues to an organization to understand the details of disciplinary action taken by that organization. Particularly in the case of a suspension that removes an athlete from competition for over a year. The players should be able to understand the nature of the infraction and process that the PDGA used to arrive at their decision.

They do. Here you go: http://www.pdga.com/pdga-disciplinary-process

Or were you wanting the PDGA to spill gossip?

 

[bnbanbury]

They do. Here you go: http://www.pdga.com/pdga-disciplinary-process

Or were you wanting the PDGA to spill gossip?

I am aware of the linked documents, they do not detail what actions are cause for the suspension of a player for more than a year.

Reporting the facts of an incident is by definition not "gossip". Transparency is what eliminates conjecture and gossip.

 

[93EXCivic]

18 months for kicking over a basket and shoulder bumping someone Jesus. I am glad they don't have those kind of penalties in soccer I'd have been suspended for life.

But that is also why I try to stay away from serious competition anymore.

 

[Streets]

18 months for kicking over a basket and shoulder bumping someone Jesus. I am glad they don't have those kind of penalties in soccer I'd have been suspended for life.

18 months for an offense while already on probation. He knew he had to keep his nose extra clean.

 

[tbird888]

It would be nice to know how someone **** up so others don't do it. If someone wondered into the woods and fell into quicksand, it would be beneficial to everyone else to know WHERE NOT TO STEP, same thing with rules.

You want to know what not to do? Don't kick over trashcans in frustration, get put on probation, and then move from inanimate objects to human beings and get involved in a (n admittedly) minor altercation. I would imagine the probation was to give him a wake up call that he needs to control himself. When it moved to people, the PDGA probably wants to send a message that violence against your competitors will not be tolerated. It sucks that Bradley is the example, but if any of you here complaining can't say that you didn't see this coming you are utter morons.

Maybe this will give Bradley the opportunity to actually address his issues. Maybe he comes back in 18 months a better person. Maybe the world will keep spinning and you guys crying will have forgotten all about this and moved on to the next "atrocity" by our sport's governing body in another week.

 

[Streets]

I am aware of the linked documents, they do not detail what actions are cause for the suspension of a player for more than a year.

Reporting the facts of an incident is by definition not "gossip". Transparency is what eliminates conjecture and gossip.

Why do you feel like it's your "right" to know? And don't use transparency, that is vague buzzword.

 

[93EXCivic]

18 months for an offense while already on probation. He knew he had to keep his nose extra clean.

Still though I only got a 5 game suspension in high school for a studs up slide tackle from behind and then grabbing the card out of the refs hand and cussing him out.

 

[Streets]

Still though I only got a 5 game suspension in high school for a studs up slide tackle from behind and then grabbing the card out of the refs hand and cussing him out.

High school vs. sport on a professional level

 

[bnbanbury]

Why do you feel like it's your "right" to know? And don't use transparency, that is vague buzzword.

I think that that members of an organization should have insight into, and be allowed to understand disciplinary action leveled against another member. Suspensions should have standards so that members understand penalties associated with certain actions.

The PGA has come under criticism for years for not releasing the details of disciplinary actions against players.

 

[gdub58]

In one you you can be a member which you pay to get into a club or whatever and one you are someone driving by an accident. Seems you're missing a lot or didn't think it thru. No being a dick just a horrible comparison lol.

I have to stop using argumentum ad absurdum to make my points. Of course they're different, but I was trying to illustrate that I think it's silly to say that you deserve to know the details just because you are a PDGA member or a disc golfer (which is what the person I responded to was suggesting).

The PDGA's "locker room" is much larger, but when someone faces discipline for violating "team rules," the rest of the membership has a right to understand the situation fully.

To go back to my earlier example, when a FSU football player is suspended, do all other NCAA athletes have a right to know the details? Only D1 football players? Only his teammates? Or is it between the individual player and the administration?
I also think it's quite a stretch to say that you and I are in the same "locker room" as Bradley. Does that extend to only current PDGA members? Only those who have played in a tournament in the past 6 months? Only those who can throw 400' (oops, there I go again).

Regarding the PDGA having transparency about the incident, i think it should be the right of everyone who pays dues to an organization to understand the details of disciplinary action taken by that organization. Particularly in the case of a suspension that removes an athlete from competition for over a year. The players should be able to understand the nature of the infraction and process that the PDGA used to arrive at their decision.

So 12 months is the magic cutoff for transparency? How did you arrive at that?
Also, while I'm not going to bother looking it up, I would imagine that the process itself is either published somewhere or the PDGA would outline it for you if you asked. As for the nature of the infraction, it's "a violation of PDGA rules".

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There's only two logical explanations for all of this "we have a right to know" stuff - either you guys have your own issues controlling your behavior and want to know how far you can go before getting suspended, or you just can't stand not knowing all of the gory details and are trying to rationalize your curiosity. Which is it?


Finally, give Bradley a break. If he wants to share with the rest of the PDGA membership the details of what happened in this particular incident as well as the previous incidents that, together, resulted in this suspension, then he'll do that. Otherwise, move on - there's nothing to see here...

 

[Streets]

I think that that members of an organization should have insight into, and be allowed to understand disciplinary action leveled against another member. Suspensions should have standards so that members understand penalties associated with certain actions.

The PGA has come under criticism for years for not releasing the details of disciplinary actions against players.

BW was already on probation for an incident. Knew he had to keep his nose clean. Had a player involved incident at Ledgestone and now has 18 months. Good enough for me.

@Gdub58 - well said.

 

[Hampstead]

BW was already on probation for an incident. Knew he had to keep his nose clean. Had a player involved incident at Ledgestone and now has 18 months. Good enough for me.

@Gdub58 - well said.

Seems the outrage crowd continues to conveniently overlook the pesky suspension detail.

 

[gdub58]

The PGA has come under criticism for years for not releasing the details of disciplinary actions against players.

True, but they've come under criticism almost exclusively from fans and media - not from other players. I doubt a lot of other players are asking "So, how many drug tests can I fail before I am suspended?" or "Would it be OK if I punched Bubba Watson in the face during a tournament?"

Actually, it would be a good problem to have if there was a lot of media asking for details on this incident - that would indicate someone cared beyond the DGCR rubberneckers.

 

[Streets]

Seems the outrage crowd continues to conveniently overlook the pesky suspension detail.

psssh what's probation mean anyway? psssh

:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

 

[sillybizz]

One of my coworkers got called into the HR office and they told us nothing! I have a right to know why they are in there!