Anthony Kim Oblivious to Economy

Posted Mar 25, 2009 12:30PM By Shane Bacon (RSS feed)

Filed Under: PGA

My main man Anthony Kim should've heeded the "If you've got nothing good to say, say nothing at all" on Monday when he was doing a press conference with the media for the upcoming Quail Hollow Championship that Kim will be defending at the end of April.

One of the reporters asked a question that has been tossed around the golf world a million times since the economy has hit the basement, and Kim kindly answered it as best he could. Problem was, Kim might want to check the news.

Q. Anthony, everybody has been talking about the economy. Fellows like yourself out there every week, what are some of the things you're seeing that are different this year from years past that you can relate directly to wherever the economy is?

It's at this point that Kim should have played it like Tiger Woods. He could have answered something like, "Well, the economic crisis is really troubling our country and I'm thankful day in and day out to have a job that I enjoy. Others are losing their jobs at a phenomenal rate and it really pains me to see so many people in tough times. I just hope what we do can still be enjoyable to golf fans and I will continue to try and help the people that aren't as fortunate as we are on tour."

You dodge the question at all costs. That is what Tiger does. He answers your question without ever really answering it at all. It's politics. Or, you could say this.

I'm not that smart, so I just let my business people take care of whatever business needs to be taken care of. I know that at one of the tournaments this year we didn't have courtesy cars, and I'm sure that will be the case, because from what I hear from people a lot smarter than me, the car industry is really having a tough time right now.

I've only played four events on the PGA TOUR this year, and I haven't seen too many things change.

Doh! The car industry is having a tough time? A tough time?! That would be like saying David Duval has struggled a little with his game. Or Jean Van de Velde didn't play the 18th at Carnoustie all that well. It's a catastrophe! Detroit looks like when movies cut to the future and all you see are smoldering cities that lay in ruins. A tough time is not meeting your numbers in a certain quarter, not having to close businesses that have employed people for 100 years.

For a guy who puts his foot in mouth more times than not, I can't say I'm perfect at this, but when the microphone is on, this is my simple advice. If you don't know what to say, and want to avoid sounding insensitive or idiotic, just don't say anything at all. The reporter might be mad, but that sure is better than ticking off millions of down-on-their-luck fans.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-25-2009 @ 6:37PM

Clint said...

This isn't news. You are blowing his comments out of proportion. It's not like we're on the cusp of Armageddon.

3-26-2009 @ 4:20PM

cplcharlie said...

Shane,The biggest NON-Story I have read all year.You really gotta do better.

3-27-2009 @ 12:07PM

FifthStFreddie said...

That's a pretty inocuous answer, and a pretty lame question: did the writer really think that the economic downturn is affecting millionaire golfers? The fact that someone told him that the car industry is not doing well is epidemic among his generation: they could care less about the world they live in, as long as it doesn't immediately affect them. What is distressing about Kim is his statement that "I'm not that big of a golf fan." He knows nothing about the history of the game, where Tiger stands in relationship to chasing Jack Nicklaus' records, nothing. That's typical of what's happening to TOO MANY of his generation: they know nothing of history, don't read books or newspapers, think everyone's entitled to a fat paycheck just for breathing, and in Kim's case, has no interest whatsoever in the traditions of a game that is steeped in tradition, or in the world in which he lives. It's sad when one of the game's brightest young stars knows less about his profession than 90% of the game's fans. Guys like Kim just want to have a little fun, get paid, and go back to their Twitters and their X-box's.

3-30-2009 @ 6:56PM

Fifthstfreddie, I get so tired of hearing bitter older people always saying how crappy and disrespectful young people are. If you think this way about Kim, so be it. However, projecting it on to young people in general is ignorant, and definitely sounds bitter. Maybe you should follow the motto "if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all"