Today is Monday March 18, 2024
Advertisement
Advertisement

THis is it

Category: On Hold

Back to the Category List

LIV Golf’s controversial growth raises questions over Saudi ‘sportswashing’

Bubba Watson was one of the first pro golfers to join LIV Golf. -- ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- For the past three years, LIV Golf has taken the world of professional golf by storm.

The newly formed professional league has already lured away superstars like Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson with unmatchable salaries and a whole new attitude -- turning golf tournaments into open-air parties.

But not everyone is on board. Tiger Woods, who reportedly turned down $800 million to join LIV golf, and 24-time PGA Winner Rory McIlroy have been among LIV golf’s most vocal critics.

“What we're doing here is incredibly additive to the sport,” said Monica Fee, Global Head of Partnerships at LIV Golf. “When you look outside and you see 20-somethings coming out to experience golf for the very first time, 30% of our fans have never come out to a golf event before. And they're coming out to experience it through LIV. That's good for the sport of golf.”

But with all the fanfare, LIV Golf has come under fire and controversy because it’s created and fully funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The country's Public Investment Fund, or PIF, has reportedly poured more than $2 billion into LIV Golf, and billions more into other sports ventures as part of its plan to diversify the country’s economy beyond oil.

The PIF, which also owns a minority stake in Disney, the parent company of ABC News and Hulu, has been rapidly increasing its investments into sports and entertainment businesses. According to Global SWF, an organization that tracks sovereign wealth funds, the fund has invested $13.5 billion into sports alone since its inception.

The fund's expansion has been called out by human rights groups and Congressional leaders who point to the Saudi government's human rights violations, its ties to the 9/11 attacks and the murder of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a vocal critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

"Big governments, and big corporations included, use sports-related content and the media stories tied to sports, in order to alter the information that reached their target audiences," Sarath Ganji, the director of the Autocracy and Global Sports Initiative told Impact. "Saudi Arabia can use the media cycle of good sports stories in the United States to push out all those negative stories."

Although the Saudi government has repeatedly denied allegations of its involvement in the 9/11 attacks, it has faced pushback from families of the victims through an ongoing class action lawsuit.

When LIV Golf was first announced in 2021, Terry Strada, chair of 9/11 Families United, said she was outraged as PGA stars started to join the new league.

"I wrote the first letter that went to Phil [Mickelson] and a few of the other players, and called them traitors," she told Impact.

Mickelson responded to the criticism from the 9/11 families during the 2022 U.S. Open, telling reporters, "We feel the deepest of sympathies for those who have lost loved ones, friends, in 9/11."

Mickelson also told Sky Sports Golf in June 2022, " I don't condone human rights violations, I don't know how I can be any more clear."

Former PGA pro Bubba Watson signed a multi-year contract worth more than $566 million with LIV Golf in 2022, telling Impact he has no regrets about joining the organization.

"I'm doing something that's fun, energetic, and new. And if you're going to grow the game of golf, this is the way, I believe, to do that," Watson told "Impact". "And so for me, it's all about me and my family."

Strada, whose husband was killed on 9/11, pushed back against Watson's rationale.

"Weren't they making millions on the PGAT? You didn't have to go to LIV Golf to provide for your family. You know, that's just another Saudi talking point," she said.

Initially, PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan suspended players who took deals with LIV Golf and allied himself with 9/11 Families United in criticizing the Saudi government.

"Some of the early criticisms that the PGA Tour launched against the LIV Golf tour were couched in moral terms," Ganji said.

Still, LIV Golf continued to grow, signing on more pro golfers, and putting the future of the PGA at risk, Jay Monahan told The New York Times. After months of media fights between the rival leagues, a surprise announcement was made last June, the PGA and LIV would join forces under one umbrella.

The PGA did not provide comment to Impact about the story.

In November Monahan told the New York Times, "the PGA Tour was facing an existential threat," from the Saudi investment fund.

"I knew in the short term it was going to be difficult because it was something that was going to be a surprise to people, but I firmly believed that the decision that I was making … was the right decision for the game," he told the Times.

Some PGA players who swore against LIV Golf, such as Rory McIlroy, said they felt blindsided by the surprise announcement.

"It’s hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb," he told reporters shortly after the announcement.

Strada said she was disappointed in the commissioner and felt betrayed.

"They definitely took advantage of the 9/11 story," she said. "You have to have a strong moral compass to stand up against the Kingdom."

Monahan responded to the criticism in a June 2023 interview with Golf Today.

"As we sit here today I understand the criticism that I’m receiving around the hypocrisy and me being hypocritical given my commentary and my actions over the past last couple of years," he said.

But in recent months, the investment group Strategic Sports Group, or SSG, announced it would invest upwards of $3 billion into the PGA tour, creating a new for profit venture “PGA tour enterprises.” The investment could force PIF to be a minority investor in the PGA, according to experts.

Although the future of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf partnership is still uncertain, Saudi influence in the sports world continues to grow as it invests in clubs, leagues and other sports groups throughout the world.

Ganji cautioned against letting these investments distract from the Kingdom’s human rights record.

"Sportswashing is such an interesting word…the washing part at the end of it is what's key. It implies that there was something stained, something dirty, fundamentally something problematic and wrong," he said. "But here's the thing: When you do something wrong as a political regime, you can't just get rid of the stain. It's a forever fact."

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Bee invasion’ leads to suspended tennis match at BNP Paribas Open

A swarm of bees cover the spider cam after suddenly invading the court while Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Alexander Zverev of Germany were playing in their Quarterfinal match during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 14, 2024 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

(INDIAN WELLS, California) -- A professional tennis match at a tournament in California was suspended Thursday due to a rare "bee invasion," officials said.

Bees swarmed the primary showcourt Thursday afternoon at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, near Palm Springs, during the quarter-final match between Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Germany's Alexander Zverev.

The bees began to swarm Alcaraz, the defending champion, while he was serving early in the first set, according to the ATP Tour, which called the incident a "rare occurrence."

The bees could also be seen crawling on the Spidercam.

"It's horrendous," an announcer said as Alcaraz was seen swatting his racquet at the bees and running off the court.

Alcaraz and Zverev ducked for cover in the locker room.

The chair umpire announced the match would be suspended until further notice.

"Play has been suspended due to bee invasion," the BNP Paribas Open said on social media.

The winner of the match will ultimately go on to face Italy's Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

The BNP Paribas Open is the first of nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments yearly.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Scoreboard roundup — 3/14/24

iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Philadelphia 6, Boston 1
Tampa Bay 3, Atlanta 1
Baltimore 5, Pittsburgh 2
Seattle 4, Milwaukee 2
Chi Cubs 3, Oakland 1
Cleveland 13, Colorado 7
Kansas City 6, Arizona 0
Washington 5, Houston 3
Texas 7, Cincinnati 4

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 5, Minnesota 1
Detroit 7, NY Yankees 0
Chi White Sox 5, LA Angels 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
NY Mets 0, St. Louis 0

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Boston 127, Phoenix 112
LA Clippers 126, Chicago 111
Houston 135, Washington 119
Milwaukee 114, Philadelphia 105
New York 105, Portland 93
Oklahoma City 126, Dallas 119

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Buffalo 4, NY Islanders 0
Boston 2, Montreal 1 (OT)
Arizona 4, Detroit 1
Carolina 4, Florida 0
Pittsburgh 6, San Jose 3
Tampa Bay 6, NY Rangers 3
Ottawa 3, Columbus 2 (SO)
Toronto 6, Philadelphia 2
Minnesota 2, Anaheim 0
New Jersey 6, Dallas 2
Calgary 4, Vegas 1
Washington 2, Seattle 1

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Houston 60, TCU 45
UConn 87, Xavier 60
North Carolina 92, Florida St. 67
Arizona 70, Southern Cal 49
Iowa St. 76, Kansas St. 57
Providence 78, Creighton 73
Marquette 71, Villanova 65
NC State 74, Duke 69
Baylor 68, Cincinnati 56
South Carolina 80, Arkansas 66
Utah St. 87, Fresno St. 75
Texas Tech 81, BYU 67
Washington St. 79, Stanford 62
Colorado St. 85, Nevada 78
Duquesne 65, Dayton 57

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Diabetes Treatment Center

Address: 1412 W Southwest Loop 323 Tyler, Tx 75701
Phone: 903-258-1600 or 903-592-8103
Website: https://wetreatdiabetes.com/
Contact: https://wetreatdiabetes.com/contact/

Back to the Category List


LIV Golf’s controversial growth raises questions over Saudi ‘sportswashing’

Posted/updated on: March 15, 2024 at 7:29 am
Bubba Watson was one of the first pro golfers to join LIV Golf. -- ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- For the past three years, LIV Golf has taken the world of professional golf by storm.

The newly formed professional league has already lured away superstars like Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson with unmatchable salaries and a whole new attitude -- turning golf tournaments into open-air parties.

But not everyone is on board. Tiger Woods, who reportedly turned down $800 million to join LIV golf, and 24-time PGA Winner Rory McIlroy have been among LIV golf’s most vocal critics.

“What we're doing here is incredibly additive to the sport,” said Monica Fee, Global Head of Partnerships at LIV Golf. “When you look outside and you see 20-somethings coming out to experience golf for the very first time, 30% of our fans have never come out to a golf event before. And they're coming out to experience it through LIV. That's good for the sport of golf.”

But with all the fanfare, LIV Golf has come under fire and controversy because it’s created and fully funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The country's Public Investment Fund, or PIF, has reportedly poured more than $2 billion into LIV Golf, and billions more into other sports ventures as part of its plan to diversify the country’s economy beyond oil.

The PIF, which also owns a minority stake in Disney, the parent company of ABC News and Hulu, has been rapidly increasing its investments into sports and entertainment businesses. According to Global SWF, an organization that tracks sovereign wealth funds, the fund has invested $13.5 billion into sports alone since its inception.

The fund's expansion has been called out by human rights groups and Congressional leaders who point to the Saudi government's human rights violations, its ties to the 9/11 attacks and the murder of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a vocal critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

"Big governments, and big corporations included, use sports-related content and the media stories tied to sports, in order to alter the information that reached their target audiences," Sarath Ganji, the director of the Autocracy and Global Sports Initiative told Impact. "Saudi Arabia can use the media cycle of good sports stories in the United States to push out all those negative stories."

Although the Saudi government has repeatedly denied allegations of its involvement in the 9/11 attacks, it has faced pushback from families of the victims through an ongoing class action lawsuit.

When LIV Golf was first announced in 2021, Terry Strada, chair of 9/11 Families United, said she was outraged as PGA stars started to join the new league.

"I wrote the first letter that went to Phil [Mickelson] and a few of the other players, and called them traitors," she told Impact.

Mickelson responded to the criticism from the 9/11 families during the 2022 U.S. Open, telling reporters, "We feel the deepest of sympathies for those who have lost loved ones, friends, in 9/11."

Mickelson also told Sky Sports Golf in June 2022, " I don't condone human rights violations, I don't know how I can be any more clear."

Former PGA pro Bubba Watson signed a multi-year contract worth more than $566 million with LIV Golf in 2022, telling Impact he has no regrets about joining the organization.

"I'm doing something that's fun, energetic, and new. And if you're going to grow the game of golf, this is the way, I believe, to do that," Watson told "Impact". "And so for me, it's all about me and my family."

Strada, whose husband was killed on 9/11, pushed back against Watson's rationale.

"Weren't they making millions on the PGAT? You didn't have to go to LIV Golf to provide for your family. You know, that's just another Saudi talking point," she said.

Initially, PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan suspended players who took deals with LIV Golf and allied himself with 9/11 Families United in criticizing the Saudi government.

"Some of the early criticisms that the PGA Tour launched against the LIV Golf tour were couched in moral terms," Ganji said.

Still, LIV Golf continued to grow, signing on more pro golfers, and putting the future of the PGA at risk, Jay Monahan told The New York Times. After months of media fights between the rival leagues, a surprise announcement was made last June, the PGA and LIV would join forces under one umbrella.

The PGA did not provide comment to Impact about the story.

In November Monahan told the New York Times, "the PGA Tour was facing an existential threat," from the Saudi investment fund.

"I knew in the short term it was going to be difficult because it was something that was going to be a surprise to people, but I firmly believed that the decision that I was making … was the right decision for the game," he told the Times.

Some PGA players who swore against LIV Golf, such as Rory McIlroy, said they felt blindsided by the surprise announcement.

"It’s hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb," he told reporters shortly after the announcement.

Strada said she was disappointed in the commissioner and felt betrayed.

"They definitely took advantage of the 9/11 story," she said. "You have to have a strong moral compass to stand up against the Kingdom."

Monahan responded to the criticism in a June 2023 interview with Golf Today.

"As we sit here today I understand the criticism that I’m receiving around the hypocrisy and me being hypocritical given my commentary and my actions over the past last couple of years," he said.

But in recent months, the investment group Strategic Sports Group, or SSG, announced it would invest upwards of $3 billion into the PGA tour, creating a new for profit venture “PGA tour enterprises.” The investment could force PIF to be a minority investor in the PGA, according to experts.

Although the future of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf partnership is still uncertain, Saudi influence in the sports world continues to grow as it invests in clubs, leagues and other sports groups throughout the world.

Ganji cautioned against letting these investments distract from the Kingdom’s human rights record.

"Sportswashing is such an interesting word…the washing part at the end of it is what's key. It implies that there was something stained, something dirty, fundamentally something problematic and wrong," he said. "But here's the thing: When you do something wrong as a political regime, you can't just get rid of the stain. It's a forever fact."

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Bee invasion’ leads to suspended tennis match at BNP Paribas Open

Posted/updated on: March 15, 2024 at 6:19 am
A swarm of bees cover the spider cam after suddenly invading the court while Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Alexander Zverev of Germany were playing in their Quarterfinal match during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 14, 2024 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

(INDIAN WELLS, California) -- A professional tennis match at a tournament in California was suspended Thursday due to a rare "bee invasion," officials said.

Bees swarmed the primary showcourt Thursday afternoon at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, near Palm Springs, during the quarter-final match between Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Germany's Alexander Zverev.

The bees began to swarm Alcaraz, the defending champion, while he was serving early in the first set, according to the ATP Tour, which called the incident a "rare occurrence."

The bees could also be seen crawling on the Spidercam.

"It's horrendous," an announcer said as Alcaraz was seen swatting his racquet at the bees and running off the court.

Alcaraz and Zverev ducked for cover in the locker room.

The chair umpire announced the match would be suspended until further notice.

"Play has been suspended due to bee invasion," the BNP Paribas Open said on social media.

The winner of the match will ultimately go on to face Italy's Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

The BNP Paribas Open is the first of nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments yearly.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Scoreboard roundup — 3/14/24

Posted/updated on: March 15, 2024 at 6:09 am
iStock

(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday's sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Philadelphia 6, Boston 1
Tampa Bay 3, Atlanta 1
Baltimore 5, Pittsburgh 2
Seattle 4, Milwaukee 2
Chi Cubs 3, Oakland 1
Cleveland 13, Colorado 7
Kansas City 6, Arizona 0
Washington 5, Houston 3
Texas 7, Cincinnati 4

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 5, Minnesota 1
Detroit 7, NY Yankees 0
Chi White Sox 5, LA Angels 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
NY Mets 0, St. Louis 0

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Boston 127, Phoenix 112
LA Clippers 126, Chicago 111
Houston 135, Washington 119
Milwaukee 114, Philadelphia 105
New York 105, Portland 93
Oklahoma City 126, Dallas 119

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Buffalo 4, NY Islanders 0
Boston 2, Montreal 1 (OT)
Arizona 4, Detroit 1
Carolina 4, Florida 0
Pittsburgh 6, San Jose 3
Tampa Bay 6, NY Rangers 3
Ottawa 3, Columbus 2 (SO)
Toronto 6, Philadelphia 2
Minnesota 2, Anaheim 0
New Jersey 6, Dallas 2
Calgary 4, Vegas 1
Washington 2, Seattle 1

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Houston 60, TCU 45
UConn 87, Xavier 60
North Carolina 92, Florida St. 67
Arizona 70, Southern Cal 49
Iowa St. 76, Kansas St. 57
Providence 78, Creighton 73
Marquette 71, Villanova 65
NC State 74, Duke 69
Baylor 68, Cincinnati 56
South Carolina 80, Arkansas 66
Utah St. 87, Fresno St. 75
Texas Tech 81, BYU 67
Washington St. 79, Stanford 62
Colorado St. 85, Nevada 78
Duquesne 65, Dayton 57

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Diabetes Treatment Center

Posted/updated on: December 8, 2023 at 3:47 pm

Address: 1412 W Southwest Loop 323 Tyler, Tx 75701
Phone: 903-258-1600 or 903-592-8103
Website: https://wetreatdiabetes.com/
Contact: https://wetreatdiabetes.com/contact/

Advertisement Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement