Inside Blitz: PGA Pulls Credentials for Use of Periscope; Days Later, PGA Uses Periscope

The PGA Tour, like Major League Baseball, often feels like an organization caught in the stone ages when it comes to adapting to the non-mainstream media’s use of technology. They’re terrified of it and don’t understand it. Both sports leagues are glacially slow to react to social media and the internet from a fans perspective, and when someone else infringes on their turf, they shout something like, “copyright infringement!” and employ scare tactics.

Last week, the PGA pulled the credentials of a young writer, Stephanie Wei, for using the new social media app periscope to record golfers during a practice round.

Wei, who has written for this site before, wrote about the incident her website, Wei Under Par. She said the PGA pulled her credentials because the use of periscope “violated the media regulations.” The PGA hasn’t put out a statement, but in speaking with senior director of communications Joel Schuchmann this morning, I asked him why the Tour didn’t just ask Wei to take down the video if it violated media regulations.

“For a digital media outlet, you can’t film any video on the golf course, none of it can be live, period,” Schuchmann said. “We have had a few people violating the regulations and we usually ask them to take it down. We had multiple issues asking her not to do certain things or post certain things.”

Whether or not that rule should be amended is another discussion entirely; NBA reporters frequently tweet video of players warming up before games or at practice.

Wei, in her write-up, added that she used Instagram to record video earlier this year, and was warned about it. I’d say that when the next new social media video app comes out next week or next month, someone will test the PGA … but perhaps it’s not worth it because of the heavy-handed PGA. And who needs new ways to reach the coveted young demographic anyway, right?

Schuchmann added the Tour has pulled credentials from writers before, but he couldn’t recall one off the top of his head. Schuchmann also noted that the only use of video can be captured in the media center, the media room, or designated areas.

No, periscope isn’t mentioned in the media regulations, but Schuchmann said it falls under the “no video” umbrella.

A week later, guess what the PGA is incorporating? Periscope!

You’re not allowed to using something we don’t know or understand … but we’re going to use it. (Schuchmann said that today’s periscope video has been in the works “for a few months.” Timing is everything, right?)

Golf has the oldest audience of all the major sports (by far). And it is shutting off access to the sport of a young website owner because she used a new social media tool to give golf fans a new window into athletes they don’t normally get.

As badly as boxing botched the Michelle Beadle/Rachel Nichols credential fiasco, at least a change was made when exposed by the masses. This isn’t the same situation, but many people have written about it. Talk about being shortsighted.

ZEKE THE FREAK

Remember how great of a point guard Isiah Thomas was? One of the best of all-time. A Top 20 player in NBA history. Then he retired and … it’s all been a disaster. As a Knicks fan, it’s too difficult for me to actually write about those painful years. And he was found guilty in 2006 of sexual harassment at Cablevision, the company that owned the Knicks at the time. Amazingly, James Dolan and MSG just hired him to be the President of the New York Liberty, a WNBA team.

As bizarre as that sounds, remember this?

This is all so strange, with some folks even going so far as to think this is just a stop-gap for Thomas before he takes over Phil Jackson’s spot as President of the Knicks.

Ultimately, I think Mike Francesa nailed it yesterday (before he got all sweaty and angry): Who cares. Isaiah Thomas has been irrelevant since running the Knicks into the ground. It’s the WNBA, folks. People are more worked up about the Thomas hiring than the WNBA doing nothing to one of its stars, Brittney Griner after she was arrested recently for domestic assault of her girlfriend.

ODDS & ENDS

Someone actually had a sports radio mock draft (I wasn’t selected) and Colin Cowherd went first, and Jim Rome wasn’t taken … “Everything I Know About Journalism in 395 Words” … Boston sportscaster returns to TV months after a stroke … who knew that Marc Stein was such a Buffalo sports fan? … two WNBA announcers – who both played in the league – were pulled off calling the Sky’s games after two seasons … former ESPN reporter talks about her experience being a woman in the “male-dominated sports media industry” … naturally, the best story from Coachella was hated by the fuddy-duddy writer community. Jealousy? If you’re not part of the ‘clique,’ you could cure cancer and some of these self-involved hacks wouldn’t give you credit.