I'd never much thought about it before, but it's been there all along and most of of have just taken it for granted. To wit -- why crowd noise is acceptable in some sports, but not in others.
This was brought to my attention by an on-line article that described the horror -- HORROR!! -- felt when some fan dared to yell during the back swing of one Tiger Woods at this year's (British) Open. Eldrick glowered. The crowd booed the spectator heartily. Of course, had this happened to most any other player, we likely wouldn't have heard about it at all. But Tiger is "special". Right.
Thing is, the whole premise has always been hypocritical. Why should fans that pay big bucks to attend an event in one sport have to be quiet, when those that attend an event in another routinely make maximum noise?
In baseball, even starting out in little league, the players themselves jabber at the opponents. "Pitcher's got a rubber arm". Or "Hey, batter, swing". It's always been accepted as just part of the game.
In football, crowds are encouraged to make noise -- the more the better to support their team and disrupt the concentration of the opponents.
Who hasn't seen basketball fans behind the backboard waving their arms, signs, and anything else they can get their hands on trying to mess up the concentration of an opponent shooting free throws?
It seems only in golf and tennis are fans expected to be mute while certain plays go on. In tennis, it's the serve. After that, they are free to scream away. Are we to believe only THAT stroke can be influenced by sound, and not the ensuing others on any given point? Does that make sense?
Bowling used to be a hush-hush affair. Yet somewhere along the line, the fans, typically right on top of the action, became free to holler and scream all they wanted. The players adapted. It gave none of them an advantage over the other.
So what gives with the iron clad rule that thou shalt remain silent when any pro golfer is in the process of his/her swing?
To be sure, oftentimes there are roars from elsewhere on the course due to great shots at exactly the same time said pampered players are in the middle of their back swing. It would be mighty difficult to silence everybody on the course, all the time, during a tournament, which is what it would take. No, forget difficult. Undoable and a preposterous notion.
Let's not forget another aspect peculiar to golf. The players only have to do one thing. Hit a golf ball. In all other sports, many skills are required. Hitting, running, fielding, throwing, playing defense, even skating and kicking, to name but a few.
Good grief, golfers even have caddies to lug their bags and clubs around. They're fed the exact yardage on any given shot, but still sometimes take a ridiculous amount of time to hit....the.... damn... ball. While we're young, or at least alive, please. Is that asking too much? How often have you seen a golfer line up his shot, take a few practice swings (as if the hundreds they did on the range warming up weren't enough), throw grass in the air to check the wind, line up their shot yet again, a few more practice swings, and then hit it into a sand trap, water, or the woods? You and I can do that in far less time. Did I mention hit the damn ball already?
This is all the more reason people should be free to make noise whenever they feel like it at a golf tournament. Waiting on some of these prima donnas is just about enough to make anybody want to scream.
So I say to hell with the gag rule. Turn em loose. They paid to get in, just like fans in the other sports mentioned above.
They players will get used to it.
And if they don't -- tough. Go get a real job.
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