You can’t blame the Team USA’s brutal Ryder Cup loss on Paige Spiranac, that’s for damn certain. She sent every good vibe possible to our boys back home and deserves a major salute for that. Maybe we should just have her Captain the team next year?
Seems like she could teach them a thing or two about striking balls with elite precision.
But the biggest story coming out of this weekend wasn’t even our stinky American golfers, by the end it was about the rowdy rabble-rousers in the gallery. I guess the real question here is… is golf above shenanigans? Not just cheeky fun shenanigans mind you, some of it was definitely over the line.
Also, is this level of chant ability good or bad from the crowd? We really needed Coach O out there 24/7. Goddamnit guys.
Far be it from me to give the answer here. Smutler didn’t raise me with etiquette in mind. Plus this debate ended up getting so much traction that even Dave Portnoy had to get in the mix. I’ll let our fearless tall leader take it from here.
But this isn’t just some cheap ploy to try and add a coveted 8th viewer to our ‘Wake Up Barstool’ ratings, this blog is about Paige. Of course she has some thoughts on the crowd behavior too and I’m inclined to get behind her on this one.
I’m sadly not shocked by the fan behavior at the Ryder Cup because it’s become the norm at most sporting events and in my opinion it needs to change across all sports. I was at a football game recently and this man in front of me was disgustingly drunk, yelling the most vile shit to players and opposing fans in the stands, spilling his drink everywhere, wanting to fight people, and it completely ruined the experience for me and everyone around him. What was interesting was that his young (maybe 7 years old) nephew was right next to him listening to everything. At one point the kid started copying him and was yelling the same things and the family was laughing. This behavior is taught. I’m not saying you have to sit quietly. You can have passion, chirp, have fun banter, enjoy yourself at the event or game but there’s a line and it’s crossed so many times now.
I don’t think rowdy fan behavior is also a new problem. Competition, alcohol, packed stadiums, crowd mentality all contribute to inappropriate behavior. Especially now that over the top antics will lead to virality online. The good news is that it’s usually only a handful of people who are belligerent. The bad news is that it ruins the experience for everyone else. The security needs to crack down on that type of behavior quickly and start handing out harsh repercussions in my opinion. Golf has grown a lot since covid and with that growth comes new golfers who come from more of a traditional sports background and is not as familiar with golf etiquette. This applies to on the course and being a spectator.
Beauty AND brains? Legends like Paige simply do not grow on trees. We need to protect her at all costs.
And by the way, she’s no wet blanket either. She’s about that sassy action boss.
Thank you for your service Ms. Spiranac, godspeed out there Goodspeed.
