Good morning.
Good thing golf adopted a drug policy because, I don't know if you're aware of this, it turns out baseball players did steroids. I've said it before, don't look for many PGA Tour players to test positive, but I'd look at smaller circuits where guys are trying to move up the chain.
Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk were all asked about testing in golf and here are transcripts of their answers. (quotes from asapsports.com)
Q. With the drug testing kind of in the forefront of the news today, I was wondering your thoughts on what the PGA TOUR has done thus far to educate you guys and maybe if you could speak a bit about that large manual that you guys were given.
TIGER WOODS: It is thick. Yeah, I think it's a good thing. I know that our sport is clean, but obviously the perception is all athletes -- not all athletes, but certainly athletes in every sport are trying to push the envelope illegally. You know, our sport, I believe we don't do that, but it's nice to have a chance to prove that to the whole world. Golf is a game of honesty. Can you imagine offensive linemen calling a holding call on themselves (laughter)? That's what we do in our sport. The ball moves, we call a penalty on ourselves when there's no one around. That's the great thing about our sport.
Q. If the TOUR doesn't have this testing now, do you think there eventually could have been a Mitchell report for golf?
TIGER WOODS: I think it could happen. What you're trying to prevent is the kids look up to
athletes, and you don't want to have kids going down the wrong path at an early age and knowing that they can get away with it.
Q. Given that, do you think the fact that the TOUR is bringing in testing next year is necessary?
ZACH JOHNSON: Well, I appreciate you calling us athletes (laughter). You know, necessary? Probably, just because I think to date we're the only sport that didn't have any sort of testing. I don't think it's going to be much of an issue, and I say that because I haven't heard any rumors, I haven't seen anything, I don't know anything. Is that naïve to think? Potentially. I don't know. I think the TOUR is just touching all the bases to make sure that our sport is held in high regard. There's a lot of integrity involved, a lot of -- it's a gentlemen's game. This should or could help maintain that even more than what it is, which is pretty good. Our product is awesome. The most recognizable athlete in the world is playing our sport. That's pretty good.
Q. The new drug testing policies next year, do you feel there was a need for something like that? Obviously in baseball but there hasn't been any musterings or rumblings of that type in golf, so do you feel a necessary thing?
JIM FURYK: It's a trick question, unnecessary. I don't think any of us feel there's an issue or a problem, but I like the fact that we're doing it. I like the fact that they're testing and I think it's a good idea. The problem is it's a Catch 22. If we don't test we get criticized, if we do test we get criticized because it looks like we have a problem. In baseball they have been testing and a lot of the fans don't think they're catching the players. There's always details. But I think it was a good measure for us, and I see no negative in us starting up the program. It's just right now the players I think really have to educate themselves on our procedures and what is right, what is wrong, and take a look at the prescriptions and different things that you have just to make sure you're fine and there's no embarrassment at the end. But I don't think there's an issue, and I'd be very, very surprised if any of our players test positive.
As for the Mitchell Report, while I found it to be wonderful theater for five or so hours, what did we ultimately get from it? Discipline? Who knows. Clemens and Bonds out of the Hall? Who knows. Here's what I've thought forever. Everyone did them and having two guys who were about to get pinched tell me everything they knew, didn't set my heart afire.
Thomas Bonk of the LA Times articulated wonderfully why Fred Couples would be a perfect Ryder Cup captain. Actually it's Couples, but you get the drift. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-target14dec14,1,2306382.story?coll=la-headlines-sports
Good thing golf adopted a drug policy because, I don't know if you're aware of this, it turns out baseball players did steroids. I've said it before, don't look for many PGA Tour players to test positive, but I'd look at smaller circuits where guys are trying to move up the chain.
Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson and Jim Furyk were all asked about testing in golf and here are transcripts of their answers. (quotes from asapsports.com)
Q. With the drug testing kind of in the forefront of the news today, I was wondering your thoughts on what the PGA TOUR has done thus far to educate you guys and maybe if you could speak a bit about that large manual that you guys were given.
TIGER WOODS: It is thick. Yeah, I think it's a good thing. I know that our sport is clean, but obviously the perception is all athletes -- not all athletes, but certainly athletes in every sport are trying to push the envelope illegally. You know, our sport, I believe we don't do that, but it's nice to have a chance to prove that to the whole world. Golf is a game of honesty. Can you imagine offensive linemen calling a holding call on themselves (laughter)? That's what we do in our sport. The ball moves, we call a penalty on ourselves when there's no one around. That's the great thing about our sport.
Q. If the TOUR doesn't have this testing now, do you think there eventually could have been a Mitchell report for golf?
TIGER WOODS: I think it could happen. What you're trying to prevent is the kids look up to
athletes, and you don't want to have kids going down the wrong path at an early age and knowing that they can get away with it.
Q. Given that, do you think the fact that the TOUR is bringing in testing next year is necessary?
ZACH JOHNSON: Well, I appreciate you calling us athletes (laughter). You know, necessary? Probably, just because I think to date we're the only sport that didn't have any sort of testing. I don't think it's going to be much of an issue, and I say that because I haven't heard any rumors, I haven't seen anything, I don't know anything. Is that naïve to think? Potentially. I don't know. I think the TOUR is just touching all the bases to make sure that our sport is held in high regard. There's a lot of integrity involved, a lot of -- it's a gentlemen's game. This should or could help maintain that even more than what it is, which is pretty good. Our product is awesome. The most recognizable athlete in the world is playing our sport. That's pretty good.
Q. The new drug testing policies next year, do you feel there was a need for something like that? Obviously in baseball but there hasn't been any musterings or rumblings of that type in golf, so do you feel a necessary thing?
JIM FURYK: It's a trick question, unnecessary. I don't think any of us feel there's an issue or a problem, but I like the fact that we're doing it. I like the fact that they're testing and I think it's a good idea. The problem is it's a Catch 22. If we don't test we get criticized, if we do test we get criticized because it looks like we have a problem. In baseball they have been testing and a lot of the fans don't think they're catching the players. There's always details. But I think it was a good measure for us, and I see no negative in us starting up the program. It's just right now the players I think really have to educate themselves on our procedures and what is right, what is wrong, and take a look at the prescriptions and different things that you have just to make sure you're fine and there's no embarrassment at the end. But I don't think there's an issue, and I'd be very, very surprised if any of our players test positive.
As for the Mitchell Report, while I found it to be wonderful theater for five or so hours, what did we ultimately get from it? Discipline? Who knows. Clemens and Bonds out of the Hall? Who knows. Here's what I've thought forever. Everyone did them and having two guys who were about to get pinched tell me everything they knew, didn't set my heart afire.
Thomas Bonk of the LA Times articulated wonderfully why Fred Couples would be a perfect Ryder Cup captain. Actually it's Couples, but you get the drift. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-target14dec14,1,2306382.story?coll=la-headlines-sports
posted by Jim Brighters | 7:11 AM
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