After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 2

Weekend and whether or not it next weekend or two weekend next weekend. Even though we feel that this coming weekend to go next weekend. It's not like to weeks away away. People are going to be leaving on their Labor Day weekend there last jaunt for summer well of your me your leaving on Wednesday for fear I guess the rest of the peeps maybe are leaving on Thursday or check out on Friday but can you imagine how brutal the air ports and the roads are to be on Friday. No thank you I get a much cheaper plane ticket and I bought this one month ago I get a much cheaper plane ticket.

I feel much better about getting to my destination without major crazy delays. If I can leave on Wednesday.

So instead of going Friday to Monday or Thursday to Monday or Friday to Tuesday am going Wednesday to Tuesday is my summer vacation. Is this weird to wait until the very last second to do summer vacation never done this before, but still summer. Of course, technically still summer until the third week in September. I donated a don't like it at some to look forward to the end of the summer notes over old business to retch though. The only thing I guess it helps that this weekend had sent her this month excuse it had some family time so I had.

Let's say not one but two long weekends supersize weekends already this month and now it's the actual vacations are vacation so I took my liberties with August, which is been nice, and now here we are about to get down and dirty with the football season and that of course a baseball stretcher on its after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS sports radio or live from the rocket mortgage Studios when you need an expert to help navigate the home loan process. Rockets can. You can find me on Twitter a lot radio also on her Facebook page after hours with Amy Lawrence.

I'm not certain if you saw the reaction I guess it's maybe into the new UW news first to see the reaction but the news that officially no back joke of itch will not be participating in the U.S. Open, Which Takes Pl. in New York.

This is tennis because the United States still has its rules in place that foreign nationals cannot travel to the US without being vaccinated against COBIT. I can't believe you're still doing this. I'm serious and I'm stunned by this course we knew was a possibility, just seems like a waste. Considering that we now know the science is it's not what they thought it was a year to have a go anyway so no back the 20 one time major champ guy was been number one for a good portion of his career he said to withdraw from the U.S. Open guy who says one of the biggest draws in tennis and just one Wimbledon in July and so he was hoping that the US would change its policies allow him to play at the final major of the year was even attempting to train and be ready on a hardcourt but then had to tweet on Thursday. Sadly, I will not be able to travel to New York this time for U.S. Open so that's a bummer. And we know what happened with the Australian going back to January. What a mess that was with him being under house arrest of sorts. Not allowed to move around the country was deported once, then twice, and so here he's gonna miss two of the four majors this season because of the vaccination status may not. I give them credit for this. Sticking to his convictions, whatever his convictions are why ever. He's decided not to have the vaccine.

He already had COBIT at least once might've been twice. If I remember. He's already had the virus and so he's decided that he's not going to do it just for the sake of being able to compete in some of these countries that have different rules to get in so high it will be unfortunate that the U.S. Open misses him along with Roger Fetter, who notes that he like to get back competitive tennis but isn't quite there yet and and Serena. We know this could be her swansong. The draw is out for the U.S. Open and she potentially could be retiring.

She hinted at this in the Vogue article that this could be the end of of her in professional tennis and so there's a lot. Always a lot of anticipation, a lot of potential storylines going in the final major of the year, but no back joke of itch will not be part of that then what were talking about these other sports tennis and we might as well throw in some golf. I couldn't help but but giggle. So we spent a full hour on the changes the PGA Tour is making to its schedule to its purses to its formats because of what's happening with live right so live golf whether or not you think it's a viable format whether or not you think it's worth paying attention to whether or not you think these golfers are all leaving for the money. But whatever the reason, the PGA has been awaken from a slumber in which it's been lazy and fat for a long time not had to worry about any type of competition.

If nothing else, the PGA Tour is rattled by what's happening with live and the number of guys who've defected to the live tour next tournament comes up in Boston, not this weekend but Labor Day weekend and it comes on the heels of the tour championship in the PGA Which Is Taking Pl. in Atlanta and the rumors or reports, depending upon how you would like to classify them until I see names until I know for sure.

I suppose there reports but I I don't know that I would put full stock in them yet but there reports are that seven more professional golfers will be joining the live tour. Once this PGA season wraps up which is then chili with this tour championship in Atlanta this weekend and Lena and they will in fact jump to that new the new chore by participating in the Boston tournament. No doubt that's shaking the cage of the PGA yet again. And so you got Jay Monahan this week coming out and announcing that the PGA got its top players on board competed in at least 20 tournaments 13 quote unquote elevated events that will have average purses that are inflated now to $20 million.

There are getting stipends to golfers who don't make the cut so they don't to sleep in their cars that they got all kinds of extras now the going extra extra to make the PGA as attractive as possible to not only famines but also the golfers themselves to be aren't making money hand over fist. The way that the top golfers in the world are you think about golfers, you name any of the top golfers in the world. If you make the cut. You get paid and you win a major. You win some of these big tournaments and you can rake in seven figures or more over the course of a year, but that's not the majority of the PGA. It's a lot like any professional sport, the rank-and-file, so to speak. The majority of athletes in any sport are not millionaires. The majority are in and out relatively quickly are scrapping and trying to key in this case, keep up their tour cards get eligible for the majors and qualify weekend and week out, try to make the cut. That's what the majority of golfers are doing and so here's the PGA trying to raise the amenities for the guys at the bottom but also to offer more money as enticement to stick around for the guys at the top. Jay Monahan knows that he is in a fight against the live tour, even if initially, he didn't want to admit it. What's happening here is a precedent you have a foreign government that's investing in and trying to take over us for which is much different than businesses that are doing business in that country. When you when you're joining the league. Your plan for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and I think this distinction has certainly been taught about outlines and I would expect it would continue to it's interesting that he continues to take that approach as if it's morally reprehensible for these golfers to take the money from the Saudi Arabian investment fund, which backed the live tour that you may agree with Jay Monahan. That's up to you. That's certainly something that's up for debate, and I've said over and over.

But two things. Yes, the majority of 9/11 hijackers were Saudi Arabian nationals. So I understand why 9/11 families would be upset, but on the flipside that same investment fund has a large stake in other sports in the US as well as a large stake in over how come nobody talk about that is it morally reprehensible to use Buber when a lot of that same money is sunk into that company. I'm not making up your mind for you telling you what to believe or telling you right versus wrong because it in a situation like this. It's up to each individual. But I do think it's fascinating when the populace in this case the social media mob.

The sports world picks and chooses when to be moral element when Twitter gets moral might be the most amoral planet in moral plane hit by the most amoral of immoral place on the planet.

Definitely one of the most amoral forums I've ever been part of. And yet, every now and then Twitter decides to get moral does. It's strange how we as humans pick and choose sonatas because were not informed until we kinda go with whatever we hear. It just is interesting that the Commissioner of the PGA is chosen to take this tack and he's chosen to approach it this way, if you take the money from the live tour.

Essentially you're on the wrong side of this moral dilemma you're on the wrong side of this moral question, where the good guys over here those of the bad guys and anybody who associates with them to get his lot of other sporting events and leagues in this country as well as different major corporations that we as Americans use regardless of what he says about us versus them. It's clear that he views the live tour as a threat because the PGA is making major changes moving at to next season. In addition to the elevated events we announced in June were planning to elevate another four events within the 2023 FedEx cup regular-season. We will identify these tournaments in the near future and they will feature an average person of $20 million. The second item to me it's the headline, and I've already alluded to our top players are making a commitment to play in all 12 elevated events as well as the players championship the Masters tournament. The PGA championship.

The U.S. Open in the open championship. They will also add at least three additional PGA tour events to their schedules are top players are firmly behind the tour helping us deliver an unmatched product to our fans will be all but guaranteed to see the best players competing against each other and 20 events or more throughout the season. This is an extraordinary and unprecedented commitment. A testament to who these guys are and what they believe in. We are adjusting the criteria and expanding the program. The PIP will now reward 20 players and were doubling the payout from $50 million-$100 million effective with the 2022 final standings and revising the criteria to better capture awareness from casual and core fans removing that you score and social media metrics there trying to make it more user-friendly, so to speak there trying to make it easier for the golfers who are attempting to earn their tour cards are attempting to make this a living to be able to stick around until they can qualifier get their tour cards and qualify for the majors. There also try to put their top players front and center and pay them more money so they don't feel incentive to leave, but at least one defector. I do like to use that word.

And yes, there is some assumptive and tongue-in-cheek element to it. At least one defector is a former world number one Lee Westwood is laughing in yo face PGA tour. He said on his.

It was Thursday that all he could do was laugh at the changes.

The tour is making a response to live.

He says his former tour is borrowing a lot of ideas from his new one forgot about why well over the last time we saw Kawai play basketball if you like forever doesn't it feels like sensitive bedbugs to Westwood told Gulf digested an interview. I laugh at what the PGA Tour players have come up with. It's just a copy of what live is doing. There are a lot of hypocrites out there. They all say live is not competitive.

They all point at the no cut aspect of live and the short field now. Funnily enough, who I like that word funnily. It's just it's it's odd. It sounds awkward but it's actually work funnily enough, they are proposing 20 events that look a lot like live hopefully at some point they will all choke on their words Lee Westwood gettable Academy.

Hopefully at some point they will all choke on their words and hopefully they will be held to account as we were in the early days solely Westwood former world number one himself. One of the earliest guys to make the jump to live and he is watching the adjustments and the tweaks that the PGA Tour is making to try to stay relevant hip attractive and Westwood says hi. Where have I seen that before. Interesting. I just wish that Jay Monahan would drop this active hey it's the right thing to do to stay with the PGA Tour mates it's so hypocritical and I also think it's interesting that Phil Mickelson was. He said now you can believe what you want about Phil. He said that the reason he was interested in this live tour in the first place is goes back to February. The reason he was pushing live in an and kinda dangling it out there for the PGA Tour to see is because the PGA refused to make the change because the PGA was rigid and was run like a dictatorship, and one to allow the players any type of say it took this live tour at its first few events and the number of golfers leaving for Jay Monahan to take the membership seriously and their complaints and their questions and their desires to modernize the tour and to increase purchases and to make it more user-friendly.

Took the live to our and the threat of the live tour for the PGA to wake up and that's what Bill was asking all along. So say what you want about Phil Mickelson. Now you have a point but it's only now that the PGA is willing to acknowledge that they have to modernize and they have to make changes or there to continue to lose some of their biggest names were to go to medical 855-212-4227 that's our toll-free line on Twitter, a law, a radio and then on her Facebook page after hours with Amy Lawrence. It's my job to well sometimes I give you my opinions but it's my job to present both sides of things so I know that at times can rub people the wrong way artists think that it's worth considering. And also I think it's comical whenever social media mob gets moral. Please spare me.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence CBSSports radio you are listening to the after-hours podcast lowers the polar burger will will try my girlfriend. I love you show great load this week.

The referral is a great way to put on the morning and how you draw on final show the work we got all the weekend is so close. Because this is been a superfast week in terms of just the the blur and and although the stuff we tried to pack into this week or do a lot of football prep since I'll be gone all my vacation starting middle of next week through Labor Day, and so because of that were trying to get as much of the planning and priority list made before I go because I am absolutely planning to check out maybe. Maybe I'll post a photo but maybe not.

I may not look at social media for an entire five day trip only because once football starts its all-consuming. I say that a lot football season. For those of us in the business who cover it is all-consuming and even now in the off-season, there's not much down time. Time to take deep breaths.

It a couple weeks here there but for the most part, especially this off-season because the DeShawn Watson case has been so front and center. The whole time and all the player movement and everything else is happening there really hasn't been much down time and so I'm looking forward to just a few days with no social not really have my phone around the course, all communicate with friends and family, but hanging out with mom and and hanging out moms pool. That's what I'm looking forward to so Houston if you could maybe not be 98% humidity. When I'm there I be grilled had plenty of that already this summer in the New York area 85521242278552124. CBS will start with Corbin, who is in Dallas. Welcome to after hours call of old George or show for the last decade your morale and not say that balance from amounts or other than a quick question here, you know, and what you're talking about the door and the morality and the social dynamics and your children a bit on your political stuff that I was curious about. So what did the country that is very much very very restricted lots of restrictions on not only just know but very focused on religion, which is totally fine. Like that's their prerogative. There's nothing wrong in the government like dictating those types of things and and I do understand that they have a horrible track record when it comes to women and women's rights.

Specifically, I'm not debating whether or not Saudi Arabia is a place I'd like to live, or if I agree with our policies on my point is only that we as Americans pick and choose when we want to be moral and we want to stand on our soapbox so that was the Adamic that I wanted actually peel back on so many only come to the game of golf, a group playing golf anything up from Delta obviously so the thinking right over there in the one of the big things in the integrity of the fairness in the conclusion of the game. Love the game and when we have this interview of the government, which is like you they can do what they want, not a problem but when they go literally against what the game is taught of and what I think is doable about golf to the integrity be included in the partnership between you and your competitor at the end of the day you shake and you embrace your love one another. You fight for the competition is definitely everything I think is against and I'll give you an example because of where they stand on the political spectrum.

I have friends who actually take money from government of hope on them things like that and I told him the same thing like you don't believe in these things doing that they'll get the money for the fossil know or talk about it got a game that is defined by those kind about you is now completely against what the entity actually stands for right.

For instance, let's say we have we have a gay champion right whether you know the matter. Male-female word of that stand in that situation because that's totally against what you represent and want people to see get that money talks. But it goes against what the games foundation is not my issue with that that the entire situation more so fundamentally what the game represents is absolutely no you are actually fair on almost every opinion I've ever heard from you in love looking your show but it's really really hard for me to say you know the green and red checkboxes that happen when you know and there's a lot of red against when you compare what what the game is fanned for and been what that entity sent for him, as you say, because golf is supposed to be a gentleman's game because it's supposed to be a partnership agreement that when the competition is done, you shake hands, your mature you are. Maybe even friends to support one another. You you do things the right way, not because you have to, but because you agreed to because that's the standard of the game.

I understand all that and I appreciate that you feel that way but not the case for most professional athletes when I get it they will follow comedies.

This rule standard that they were brought up with, but most of them.

Most professional athletes don't have the same altruistic outlook that you get enough of the conversation I will obtain up to talk about the game so go to represent and to the point of the money that's there but the fitness affairs point without a doubt you can feel of the response of the pages on clear day there making responsibly and oh yeah, we kind of dropped the ball next week should probably do a little bit better job like obviously not everyone can get the Tiger Woods treatment know that I will get the nine-hole backyard billion-dollar, no net worth.

If this does not happen with the integrity of the game would stand for is the same thing as baseball like I was really against Mr. order although I enjoyed it but one of the things that I think about when I think about the situation is Nazi Germany back in the day the Olympics when we showed up right as Americans we showed up and it makes me think about the representation in Munich that happened and we showed up and we we showed the right way to my belief and I just feel like this is kind of the there's a somewhat of a similarity of a cultural standpoint and kind of an ideological standpoint with this situation the phone to get into could think of a lot of ways you can you can actually go through the no conversation. Many many ways the money is not just invested in this live tour and I mentioned Huber. I was blown away her and I don't use Uber but I was blown away when our friend Matt Adams of the Gulf Tyndale mentioned that the millions and millions of dollars they sunk into Uber. How many Americans are willing to cut off their usage of Uber because the money comes from Saudi Arabia we we in this country you Saudi Arabian oil, our president met with Saudi Arabian leaders, not that long ago to talk about oil there so many other sports where this money is also invested in and I will and I said this before Allstate again.

I shop at stores where I can get the cheapest prices because that's what I need right now were you know as Americans. Many of us are living paycheck to paycheck and is tight. I don't. It's not that I don't care what the store stand for what I don't have the luxury of only shopping at stores are only shopping and buying from corporations where I agree with their politics and their there it there human rights stances right so we all draw a line somewhere. And if for you. You draw the line at golf and I understand that it just interesting that Americans will will will hop on something like this but yet it when it comes to affecting us personally were not willing to make those sacrifices will begin like you. You totally are the nomad, utilitarian call, but we WW think something's right. We might like we need it right but my point was more so about you made a comment about 15 claimants go about no water people so you know what they understand, notion, and I don't mean to put words in your mouth so apologies that was a got a message that I was receiving and I think that when people say they're upset about the golfers people who like note game. I think that that the standard what golf camp for poor people who play the game you know Jim Gruber. The game talk on the grandfathers and will not there's a there's a checkbook like I mentioned earlier right okay court may not a lot of people who think golf is elitist right there's a lot of people who think golf is a racist sport forever. So if you talk about unbelievable values and standards that are passed along from grandfathers and father's most of it have been white families not families that are minority, so I mean I get what you're saying. I understand to the purist what golf represents, but is also a professional sport with with billions and billions and billions of dollars are sunk into it and these guys are professional athletes.

In many cases there on their own and so I'd like to preach them you have to do this versus this or this is the moral road to take. But go ahead and use Uber that I like it just that's what I'm saying Corbett I understand what you're what you're saying and I appreciate it.

I'm not telling anyone what to believe, only that it's hypocritical to pile on the live tour and talk about where this money comes from and then to go ahead and use other products for this very same money is part of the financial backing agree completely. And I don't know but you compare the differences and you mentioned something so big in the colony.

I like a great night and I'm toward you excitement good to talk to you in Dallas and Corbin makes a good point in golf has this tradition where it's supposed to be a gentleman's game. There are rules there also standards that you follow simply because it's the right thing to do. There's a lot of golf where you could get away with cheating you know if you wanted to know. You could certainly bend the rules here and there, but it's supposed to be on your honor, there's honor when it comes to golf, but that's the ideal, and as I mentioned a Corbin there a lot of people around the United states would say golf is elitist me still think about the masters and their membership in other golf courses and clubs around the country.

They've always been primarily white males and and money. A lot of money there. So there's a lot of people that wouldn't have that same picture of golf. So it's all about perspective. Let's take a break and get your update that will get back to your calls.

855-212-4227 on Twitter a lot radio on our Facebook page. Two.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS sports radio you are listening to the after-hours podcast is remarkably start emerging.

We made some announcements yesterday that only enhance going forward and this game is all about the trophy that you're looking other titles of these guys are seeking for the history there trying to make. And that's the competitive PGA tour has never been stronger and you couple that with always stand for use after-hours Lawrence. She is definitely trying to play up the out twisted oral aspect of the charitable aspect of the PGA Tour and use that as a reason why it is superior to the live tour and in most ways the PGA Tour is superior to the live tour and because there increasing the money there trying to be can put more competitive in that area to their a lot of people that think the live tour format is bogus and that it's not interesting and right now the majority the best golfers in the world are still on the PGA, but I think it's significant that you're seeing the players get together and band together as one voice with Tiger Woods as their there front and center and they are now demanding change, NJ.

My head is listening and responding. That's what Phil Mickelson said wasn't happening before and now it's happening, but it took the live tour to make it happen.

It took a number of defectors to make it happen. And that's the point of I'm pretty sure it's pricing to Jimbo who is tweeting who is making the statement for the live tour. That's the point of the very brief statement that the live released on.

I guess it was Wednesday response to this announcement which is hey this is the best thing to happen for professional golfers in years. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS sports radio markets is listening in Detroit markets welcome to the show.

Michael, I'm good thinking you're all what we will not run on Thursday and Friday. It always looked show all I generally don't follow golf a lot back-and-forth about your in a couple of things you want the world to morality is you out of trouble about moral and other countries that I'll ever be with the treatment of black people over the years many African-American, wrote the wrong way to go with the moral conversational to moral conflict and ball the country of the world, money or whatever you know, because your didn't some of the country's politics is all about dirty money on will golf all the modules for all good, but job your they were all filled with it because of your trying to write a long like the NRL college football. Whatever you you'll know where you want to go out the door will be larger or not you try to make J that's what you want combat or to have the comp really were where all your low that you allow always great for walk away from the PGA because you want to go right there walk the way you do right or cute. You know they didn't force you into a corner made because you would think that the failure of the trail you you are bars that go not like a big college football. Finally all come under pressure and a lot of that happened world power to but I do appreciate what you have the perspective that you put it out loud to board you show up. Thanks, Mark is good to have you drive safely. Appreciate listening in Detroit 85521242271 seals talk to Dave who is an Alabama day.

Welcome to the show. Dave Wayne is also in Detroit Wayne, welcome to after-hours and you know you will permit you where your phone you got really muffled sir. Not sure what's going on their phone but better a little bit. Well, my phone all night, but I wonder goal will I'm sorry I really want to hear your comments is just that your phone is extremely muffled. So right right there is okay, whatever. You just changed out better. Anyway, your initially I was, like what you know when trying to upset the apple cart or no.

Whatever you probably were like is to start his own.

It looks like you started to read your money. But now, okay, only one is just about a minute to get the claimant will quit. Tour your leading somebody of you I mean you don't talk to clock Sunday afternoon all day like you make your hotel room, watching the TV, the cheerleading whatever wide approach are scramble right you start at the same time, the end of the same time and I'm sure you've been employed in current world.

What else scramble you start start on one thing the person I find it very hard to believe that the Saudi Arabians are poor all loose money in their and eventually you expect something back in return. Exceptional okay I know you have no idea what that is but I think it's going to drop there anyway that is about all you want to really enjoy a lot, Wayne. Good to talk to. I appreciate that.

I would say that what the Saudis are about.

I can't speak for them, but I would think that it's the business venture. It's the idea of having as many big-name golfers as you can. Member they tried to throw a ton of money Jack Nicholas to be their spokesperson try to throw a ton of money at Tiger Woods. Even though he's maybe only get to play a couple tournaments per year. Now what they're trying to do is attract corporate partners. Of course, but also probably a broadcast partner as well to air their tournaments. It's after hours on CBS sports radio