Bad Reputation?

Ron Sirak penned this column concerning the investigation into the fatal auto accident involving Arjun Atwal. In it, he basically says that golf's clean image may be tainted to some degree by the incident. The incident, though, brings up a point that was well taken by another commentator concerning a different sport. When bad things happen in, say, the NBA, people will tend to blame the culture of the NBA for the problem. Sure, the individual is held responsible, but it is also another chance for the NBA haters to rag on the Association.

You can't really do that with golf. These guys truly are independent contractors and can take their services wherever they'd like - usually to the highest bidder. When the individual does something wrong or shady, the sport or the respective tour isn't blamed. The nature of the game is why that happens. Golf teaches, or is supposed to teach, the concept of personal integrity and responsibility. You call penalties on yourself. That does not happen in the NBA. Have you seen how much flopping those guys do?!

But the larger point is that most people could be convinced that golfers follow the same code of conduct on the course as off of it. Sure, that may not always be true, but I am willing to believe that it is true most of the time - and even likely to be true for Mr. Atwal. Certainly this accident is a tragedy, but it does not indicate that Atwal is a criminal or to be shunned. Even if his behavior in this situation was negligent (and it seems to have been), this one act not indicative of the entire sport. Golf is one of the few sports to have that kind of reputation, and I hope that it stays that way.