OPINION: Ain’t Gonna Lye, Mark Fired Himself

From the moment I heard about comments made by former PGA Tour winner and SiriusXM host Mark Lye about women’s basketball, three words appeared in my head:

He’s firing himself. 

On SiriusXM’s PGA Tour radio show ‘The Scorecard,’ Mark Lye uttered the following: 

“You know, the LPGA Tour to me is a completely different tour than it was 10 years ago. You couldn’t pay me to watch. You really couldn’t. Because I just, I couldn’t relate at all. It’s kind of like, you know, if you’re a basketball player — and I’m not trashing anybody; please, don’t take it the wrong way — but I saw some highlights of ladies’ basketball. Man, is there a gun in the house? I’ll shoot myself than watch that. You know, I love watching the men’s basketball. I love watching the men’s golf. I never used to like watching ladies’ golf. But I will tell you this. I’ve been up close watching these ladies play because I used to have a big function every year called the Lucas Cup and I’d have LPGA players and PGA Tour players.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Not trashing anybody? Sweet Jesus. Mark Lye single handedly praised what he sees as an evolution or revolution of LPGA golf to another level, which I commend him for and agree with. The LPGA has a growing roster of women who are absolute dynamos on the course. But at the same time, Lye completely disparaged women’s basketball by suggesting their sport is so bad that taking a self-inflicted bullet is a better use of one’s time.

Now, what should Mark have said? Pretty much the following:

“You know, the LPGA Tour to me is a completely different tour than it was 10 years ago. You couldn’t pay me to watch. You really couldn’t. Because I just, I couldn’t relate at all. I never used to like watching ladies’ golf. But I will tell you this. I’ve been up close watching these ladies play because I used to have a big function every year called the Lucas Cup and I’d have LPGA players and PGA Tour players.”

Notice the difference? The point was made and no one got trashed. Simple, easy, praising without a put down. Self editing is key, and so is time and place. 

Lye then went on Twitter to defend his words, and somehow found a shovel sharp enough to keep digging despite his already hitting rock bottom:

The fact that I can’t relate to WNBA does not make me sexist in any way. All you haters should listen to the whole segment, where I completely glorified womens golf, which I love to cover. Thanks for listening.

— mark lye (@letitflye) February 6, 2022

Like an unsharpened pencil, Mark Lye continues to not have a point: you don’t need to completely disparage a group of tremendously skilled athletes just because you don’t relate, and saying but I was defending women’s golf is a weak attempt at trying to save face. Sorry pal, but your face has nothing but the egg you smashed on it.

If you or I are in the company of a couple of friends and want to say what Mark did about women’s basketball then that’s on you. You nor I not broadcast on a satellite radio network and you’re not at the ready download. Like Lye, you or I would also be wrong to say these things but you/me and your/my golf buddies drinking some beers and shooting the breeze is not the same as the mic owned by the PGA Tour and SiriusXM.

Fun fact: I personally wouldn’t have gone where Mark went because I totally disagree with his comparison. Full stop. But that’s not the point here either.

This isn’t about cancel culture. This isn’t the PGA Tour being “woke.” This isn’t about freedom of speech versus corporate America. All of that is simple buzzword nonsense that gets repeated like parrots in reaction, not reflection. This isn’t anything more than the PGA and SiriusXM saying, “What you said is totally reprehensible and you acted the fool. You’re done using our mics, Mark.”

Mark fired himself. The end.

No word has come down yet from Commissioner Doug Thompson as to Mark Lye and the possible forfeiture of his gold jacket from the Tour Championship. I know Shooter McGavin is on pins and needles awaiting the decision.

Cover Image Via TMZ