Sportsfrog.com

Why? Because after writing an article issuing a “Shame on You” to the top PGA Tour players who opted not to play in the Byron Nelson this week, he’ll be largely a hypocrite if he doesn’t “pay tribute” to Halberstam. You see, the crux of Sirak’s argument is that these players today don’t respect the guys that made playing golf for a living matter.

When talking about Nelson, Sirak tosses praise to Nelson such as “sweet swinger with an even sweeter personality” and “consummate gentleman” as well as “In Byron Nelson, (golf) lost one of the most important (people).” Well, didn’t Halberstam do for journalism a lot of the things that Byron Nelson did for golf? Halberstam even made a name for himself in sports journalism, which is more reason for Sirak to feel he owes something to Mr. Halberstam.

The irony is that, while extolling Nelson as a man who spoke by actions, and not words, he has done the exact opposite. Being the gentleman that he was, would Nelson have ever tried to tell another grown man what to do or how to spend his time?

After all, PGA Tour players are independent contractors and they should be able to set their own schedules as they see fit. One thing they shouldn’t have to do is have people throw stones at them for playing by the rules of their organization. Especially if the ones throwing the stones are in glass houses.

I’m not saying Sirak isn’t planning on attending a funeral or memorial service for Halberstam; he may very well be planning to attend/tribute in some way. What I am saying is that if you’re going to go out and preach to people about paying tribute to their profession’s history, you better be ready to man up and support that argument by paying tribute to your own.