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Bradley Williams suspension reduced

A couple of things. While the camera topic is of interest to me, there's at least one case where they put them in and lowered the yellow light time by a miniscule amount, and made millions, I'd like to stick with the topic raised of standards, integrating NTs and how to go forward.

I think the Steady Ed schism over control is well past. Funny enough, I'd always been led to believe it was his idea. I aim for consistency. What the PDGA aims for in terms of public image and controlling that. Some of the things they worry about I think aren't important, but aren't harmful either. The criminal act issue is and should be written out for membership. JMO. I don't know that you need a separate body for anything yet, mainly due to resources. I don't think there's enough bodies. I'd still want any body that governs any portion of the sport to answer to the body we vote for.
 
BTW Pearly, the PDGA is supposed to rep pros. It was always described that way IIRC, and surveys of members address the org as such. I'd think it would be more appropriate to make an Am org or division. Would you want three divisions? Am, Pro and touring Pro?
 
roggenb3 said:
I wouldn't get your hopes up on that account. The NFL has apparently said they have more evidence against him than they had against Ray Rice.
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But that evidence is based on a spite-filled witness with severe credibility issues, which the NFL apparently refused to consider in their unholy zeal to make an example out of Elliott. Again, it's long past time for Goodell to get kicked to the kerb.
 
lyleoross said:
BTW Pearly, the PDGA is supposed to rep pros. It was always described that way IIRC, and surveys of members address the org as such. I'd think it would be more appropriate to make an Am org or division. Would you want three divisions? Am, Pro and touring Pro?
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I think a definition of a "Pro" is more appropriate than allowing people to sign up as whatever they chose.

If you're sponsored, you're a pro. If you play tournaments in more than three non-neighboring states, you're a pro.

If you are deemed to be a pro, you are subject to a higher standard as far as discipline for non-event infractions. If a pro ball golfer, baseball player, basketball player, etc... is arrested for DUI, drug possession, etc..., there are professional consequences. Why should pro disc golf be different?
 
lyleoross said:
BTW Pearly, the PDGA is supposed to rep pros. It was always described that way IIRC, and surveys of members address the org as such. I'd think it would be more appropriate to make an Am org or division. Would you want three divisions? Am, Pro and touring Pro?
Click to expand...

When the PDGA first started there were no ams. Everyone was a pro much in the way contestants in a local bowling or dart league are "pros" since they are playing for money. Now that amateurism has come under the PDGA scope, the emerging upper echelon of true touring pros with viable income available would seem to need an institution to cater to them. The PDGA has far more active ams and it would seem they, along with your average joe pros who play in the thousands of sanctioned events should be its focus, not the select few events played by our sports best. I think the PDGA's current focus is fine, but like in ball golf with the USGA and PGA, a body whose sole purpose in addressing propriety for those whose livelihood pertains to the evolving top pro event structure is relevant. I am not sure if we are quite there yet, but it will become a reality.
 
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lyleoross said:
I don't know that you need a separate body for anything yet, mainly due to resources. I don't think there's enough bodies. I'd still want any body that governs any portion of the sport to answer to the body we vote for.
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This is would be ideal, a touring pro committee of sorts under the PDGA umbrella to address standards within their unique scope.
 
lyleoross said:
BTW Pearly, the PDGA is supposed to rep pros. It was always described that way IIRC, and surveys of members address the org as such. I'd think it would be more appropriate to make an Am org or division. Would you want three divisions? Am, Pro and touring Pro?
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I don't agree. The PDGA was founded with the intention of being an organization for professional disc golfers but has been moving away from that focus. The mission statement of the PDGA released in 2009 has no mention at all of professional disc golfers, a shift from the mission statement that preceded it. Source: https://www.pdga.com/files/documents/09 PDGA Mission Statement - 050109.pdf

Side note, I find it interesting as it relates to Bradley Williams specifically and the above discussion that transparency is listed as one of the values the PDGA is driven by.

Also the FAQs have a very specific wording in their answer to one of the questions:

Q: I'm not a Professional disc golfer. Can I still join the PDGA?

A: Absolutely! The PDGA is the Professional Association for ALL disc golfers
 
pearlybakerbest said:
When the PDGA first started there were no ams. Everyone was a pro much in the way contestants in a local bowling or dart league are "pros" since they are playing for money. Now that amateurism has come under the PDGA scope, the emerging upper echelon of true touring pros with viable income available would seem to need an institution to cater to them. The PDGA has far more active ams and it would seem they, along with your average joe pros who play in the thousands of sanctioned events should be its focus, not the select few events played by our sports best. I think the PDGA's current focus is fine, but like in ball golf with the USGA and PGA, a body whose sole purpose in addressing propriety for those whose livelihood pertains to the evolving top pro event structure is relevant. I am not sure if we are quite there yet, but it will become a reality.
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You nailed it!! The PDGA should be more accurately described as ADGA (amateur disc golf association).

Yet another reason the PDGA continues to sail its boat in the wrong direction. Its no wonder I have a PDGA number for a sport that is the Rodney Dangerfield of sports-can't get no respect.
 
bnbanbury said:
Also, Bradley Williams immediately used his reinstated status to win an A tier this weekend if anyone is interested.
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This is what irritates me most as a fan, not if discipline should have occurred, something should have come of the incident (mandatory anger management and small fine seem plenty), but the loss of competition. Like him or not BW is a great golfer who can consistently challenge the best.
 
pearlybakerbest said:
This is what irritates me most as a fan, not if discipline should have occurred, something should have come of the incident (mandatory anger management and small fine seem plenty), but the loss of competition. Like him or not BW is a great golfer who can consistently challenge the best.
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In every professional sport if you hit another player in anger you get a suspension. Why should pro Disc Golf be different?
 
Did the PDGA really first start as Pros only? I honestly don't know but that seems strange to me. What drove payout at the start.

In every player survey always done, players have stated that they want the purpose of the PDGA to be, "grow the Pro game." Now the PDGA may be moving away from that in mission statement and due to pressure from zealous And, but that's not what membership has asked for, although it has been awhile.

It seems to me that the PDGA may have to consider commissioners for Am and Pro at the very least, sometime in the future.
 
dashiellx said:
In every professional sport if you hit another player in anger you get a suspension. Why should pro Disc Golf be different?
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Bumping into someone (incidentally out of frustration or purposefully) and punching someone repeatedly like we saw with the tigers/yankees recently are different if you ask me. While a suspension may have indeed been warranted to BW, which i am not arguing, JMO on the sentence, the offending players in the baseball case I've sighted were only suspended a few games. The severity of the consequence handed, along with the circumstance, seemed out of proportion, as all parties involved agreed. (BW and Dollar)
 
lyleoross said:
Did the PDGA really first start as Pros only? I honestly don't know but that seems strange to me. What drove payout at the start.

In every player survey always done, players have stated that they want the purpose of the PDGA to be, "grow the Pro game." Now the PDGA may be moving away from that in mission statement and due to pressure from zealous And, but that's not what membership has asked for, although it has been awhile.

It seems to me that the PDGA may have to consider commissioners for Am and Pro at the very least, sometime in the future.
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Go check out event pages from older tournaments, you wont find an Am section.
 
pearlybakerbest said:
Bumping into someone (incidentally out of frustration or purposefully) and punching someone repeatedly like we saw with the tigers/yankees recently are different if you ask me. While a suspension may have indeed been warranted to BW, which i am not arguing, JMO on the sentence, the offending players in the baseball case I've sighted were only suspended a few games. The severity of the consequence handed, along with the circumstance, seemed out of proportion, as all parties involved agreed. (BW and Dollar)
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In general I agree. But Golf, disc or otherwise, is not a team sport with head to head and direct sport conflict. Comparing it to baseball or even more direct sports is a mistake IMO. Add to that, he was already in trouble, double secret probation, and it was appropriate. Also, he didn't just bump one guy. He went through a round harassing one player, walked out in front of the pad and stood there, then bumped the player when he was asked to move.

If it was kindergarten he would have been sent to stand in the hall.
 
pearlybakerbest said:
Bumping into someone (incidentally out of frustration or purposefully) and punching someone repeatedly like we saw with the tigers/yankees recently are different if you ask me. While a suspension may have indeed been warranted to BW, which i am not arguing, JMO on the sentence, the offending players in the baseball case I've sighted were only suspended a few games. The severity of the consequence handed, along with the circumstance, seemed out of proportion, as all parties involved agreed. (BW and Dollar)
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Except you are not taking into the facts that 1) BW was already on probation and 2) Baseball plays pretty much everyday, where as DG tournaments are weekly events.
 
Like has been apparent in these discussions before there is an obvious difference in opinion on the severity BW received among this board and its posters. What pertains to this new discussion is the notion of transparency and consistency in regard for the few who make their living disc golfing. By arbitrarily dropping part of the sentence, the BOD's stance looks even less defensible IMO.
 
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