He has been surprisingly right about this the entire time. He must have a different contract than all the woke idiots on ESPN, that have to toe the line on political propaganda.
SAS and Mad Dog are correct to remind us again that "business is business and schnapps is schnapps". It's fundamentally unfair to hold golfers accountable for upholding American values when our government and American business interest fail to do likewise.
@@unsolicitedditkapics9722 There is no law banning Saudi investment into U.S. companies. The PGA conveniently brought up this big stink about Saudi interference when they were feeling threatened. Of course, no one really cares when Saudis invest in US companies but GOLF?? Can’t have that! You’re right, there’s no reason why politicians and the businesses shouldn’t be held at the same standards as everyone else. So either all oil money is a problem, or there is no issue at all.
That's why you have to do what's best for you. Tiger declined $700mil from Liv to stay loyal to the PGA just for the PGA to merge with Liv within a year.
I don't think Tiger would be happy with the conclusions you're drawing...and he'd do the same thing today. It's called INTEGRITY. It's called doing the right thing when it's NOT in your best interest.
Preach Stephen A ....These people who talk about "blood money" are damned fat hypocrites!!!. Athletes are not supposed to be more morally superior than corporations.
Seems overwhelmingly folks leaving comments here subscribed to one-liners in "business is business", "money talks" as "the America way". I too believe that these world views are better than many of that of the other ideologies and religions out there. But all principles could become harmful under certain situations. In those situations, fixating to those ideas or using those "principles" as rationalisation would hurt the things you care about eventually. This case looks like one of those situations.
What the LIV backers is pursuing is likely not the development of golf, also certainly not the wellbeing of any players out there. It is more likely another project of glamour, like "the Line", to show that they can do anything for their pleasure just because they can. Will the players and the game of golf and PGA benefit as a result? We may be able learn soon. What we know for sure now is that PGA, who put so much effort in maintaining the image of a quintessential America institution, is willing to look so pathetic so quickly. At the same time, most pundits seem to applaud them as rational businessmen while PGA is being tossed around like a rag doll to others.
We don’t get to see this show in the UK but these guys are absolutely spot on in their analysis. I would like the existing pga and DP tour commissioners fired and some better thinkers installed to configure the future. Oh , and fellas take it down a notch else you’re not going to make my age.
@@smartwater598 there is a huge difference in reluctant necessity vs taking unnecessary money for the love of money. The brainwashing in this country is baffling. "Others are bad so be bad. You basically have to do some bad things to live so how can you care when others do bad things they don't need to do? " Terrible and terrifying take bud
At the end of the day PGA was upset because they didn't have deep pockets. They used the term "Blood Money" which was stupid. All jobs have Blood Money.
Lol... This is more than a home run.... It's steroid run... Like McGwire and Sosa used to do😂. He slaughtered the baseball on this one. One of his best ever
Could see whatever the new PGA Tour is named to pull a page outta NASCAR and have guaranteed spots for four days at all tour stops for top-tier players, while the rest play a tourney within a tourney -- needing to make the cut after two rounds to play on the weekend & competing for a set (small) number of slots.
They can buy the entire NFL, NBA and MLB combined and have change left. People really dont seem to understand just how DEEP their pockets are. NFL Total Value - $212 Billion NBA Total Value - $167 Billion MLB Total Value - $164 Billion Saudi Family Estimated Net Worth - $847 Billion
Rory is definitely the company man. Still loyal and saying the right stuff. I know he’s been “whiny” through a lot of this, but he has every right to be pissed, now. Tiger and Rory should start their own league.
It was all a money thing from the jump ... LIV has incredible financial backing and was/is offering the PGA to expand the golf world even further than it already is ... I think the thing of it was that LIV wanted a few others in their deal with the PGA that the PGA was unwilling to move on until they heard the right price ... so LIV finally "caved" and both sides came to an agreement and now we have this merger
The PGA with all their rules and snooty mentality just showed their true colors. ALWAYS TAKE THE MONEY. Loyalty to Corporate America will make you BROKE
They’re right, PGA is a business, and they were being held to a higher standard than other businesses…….. but where do you draw the line? Should all these companies do business with North Korea? How about Russian oligarchs? How about terrorist organizations?
These commenters who claim that morality and ethics are a myth, keep that same energy when your government screws you over for corporate interest. I might be naive but if we as humans don't start holding these entities and each other accountable we will end up in a dystopian abyss of no return.
We get less than 7-8% of our petroleum from Saudi Arabia but keep going with the ignorance doggy. Don’t let the facts get in the way of your arguments.
Thank you !! People really don’t realize that we have tons of domestic oil and with Fraking we moving away from Middle Eastern oil especially with what’s brewing over there, in RU and the CCP
Ratings were lower because less people watch cable. If the PGA Tour can take the modern take of LIV by streaming on the internet it will explode! Bring golf to modern apps
wow SAS ate on this one. but he is absolutely correct at the end of the day United States has a long history of dealing with the Saudi and golf just following the trend.
Stephen A:
1. Business is business, Trust no one
2. Follow the money
Stephen A is in the business of being a journalist right? Do you know what the Saudis do to journalists?
When mad dawg said “spirit airlines!” Steve looked sick😂😂😂😂
only stephen a can turn a golf segment into his BEST TAKE EVER!!!
Lmao yeah 😂
isn't he a... journalist? wonder if he knows what they do to journalists over there lol.
@@j.daydream What do they do?
This is exactly why ESPN needs a show focused on sports business.
And why they need to stop being hypocrites by shoving a political agenda down viewers throats for "moralities" sake
@@patrickkhairallah7128 like how saudi arabia funded and plotted the 9/11 attacks. you must not be american to ignore something like that
That's a good pitch. They probably just stole your idea lol.
They need a channel focused on Sports business
💯🔥
Stephen A. Smith in prime form for that take, reminded me why I tune in everyday. 🔥
Best Stephen A. Take I have ever seen.
You ain’t wrong when you’re right.
Agreed
Ya I’ve watched a lot of his rants. This was probably the first one that was straight truth.
Yea this is his best take I seen too
He has been surprisingly right about this the entire time. He must have a different contract than all the woke idiots on ESPN, that have to toe the line on political propaganda.
That rant was... incredible. What a beautiful breakdown of reality. More of this kind of content please.
Stephen A, this was an ALL TIME rant. I loved it
get rid of golf period the sport is trash
The bill burr of sport reporters
Not a merger, it is a takeover.
SAS and Mad Dog are correct to remind us again that "business is business and schnapps is schnapps". It's fundamentally unfair to hold golfers accountable for upholding American values when our government and American business interest fail to do likewise.
Yes politicians break the law this laws shouldn't apply to us as well right? The justification of the hypocrisy is hilarious.
@@unsolicitedditkapics9722 There is no law banning Saudi investment into U.S. companies. The PGA conveniently brought up this big stink about Saudi interference when they were feeling threatened. Of course, no one really cares when Saudis invest in US companies but GOLF?? Can’t have that! You’re right, there’s no reason why politicians and the businesses shouldn’t be held at the same standards as everyone else. So either all oil money is a problem, or there is no issue at all.
Like Nino Brown once said “This is big business. It’s the American Way.”
If it was American money
There you go, the old two wrongs make a right.
This might be the first time that Stephen A & Mad Dog agree...and I know it's the first time that I 1000% agree with them😆😅😂🤣
Tiger lost 500 million for lack of loyalty. Now he is loyal at least to business and loses 800 million. Most ironic thing to ever happen in sports.
That’s pretty insane…
Lol funny
I would be pissed
800 mil
Nah tiger turned it down because of Nike
They'll make it up to him
Did Spirit Airlines really need to catch that stray shot from Mad Dog lol😂
You’re both right. But also makes America look sad. It’s all about money over humanity.
not really. welcome to the real world
It's REALITY
there are plenty of things that make america look real sad and dumb, this is just another one of them.
Agreed
@@jerichocultry7993morality is a myth
That's why you have to do what's best for you. Tiger declined $700mil from Liv to stay loyal to the PGA just for the PGA to merge with Liv within a year.
$800m
I don't think Tiger would be happy with the conclusions you're drawing...and he'd do the same thing today. It's called INTEGRITY. It's called doing the right thing when it's NOT in your best interest.
@@musiccreation1198 I wouldn't mind the interest on $800m
Good. I don't think Tiger deserves any more money. Share it around. LOL
@@SuSmallville why because he cheated on his wife and lost half his fortune
Rory Mcilroy is absolutely livid even if hes not showing it
He said it was a good thing
Rory should be livid. It's unforgivable.
@@musiccreation1198 lmao why?
@@abdirahmanhassan1848 Seriously?
Best Stephen A. segment ever.
Preach Stephen A ....These people who talk about "blood money" are damned fat hypocrites!!!. Athletes are not supposed to be more morally superior than corporations.
Yes they are.
Children look up to athletes, they don't look up to corporations
Stay in school, kid
@@BaithNa schools just gonna land you a corporate job. Go play sports, so you can be a role model instead, right?
@@BaithNa but corporations can have influence over the masses
Seems overwhelmingly folks leaving comments here subscribed to one-liners in "business is business", "money talks" as "the America way". I too believe that these world views are better than many of that of the other ideologies and religions out there. But all principles could become harmful under certain situations. In those situations, fixating to those ideas or using those "principles" as rationalisation would hurt the things you care about eventually. This case looks like one of those situations.
Exactly
It's business as usual boys. Money always wins when money is the whole point.
Great takes and truth. Finally some great content by ESPN
SAS was on FIRE this segment. very good job by both him and russo
SAS snapped wit that take 😂 let the church say Amen
this is one of the most astute takes I’ve seen Mad Dog and Stephen A on First Take
Stephen A just named every soulless and empty and corrupt organization in the world 😂
Usually cannot stand his rants, but he's spot on with this subject
Soulless is right, and apparently just about everyone in this country has a price for theirs.
@@mikeyo3377So do you
@@mikeyo3377 not everyone.
@@BrettDavidStelter I did say "just about" if you're not one of them, then God bless my friend.
wow in 10 years this will be one of those classic Stephen A monologues.
We’ll done 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 perfectly said finally someone has said facts about this .
greatest take I have ever heard from Stephen A 🤣🤣
PGA player got did dirty 😂😂😂😂
Tiger turned down 800 million. Another L for him.
@@patrick553 To be fair, Tiger probably didn’t want to risk losing his deal with Nike.
Let’s appreciate Greatness of mad dog and Stephen A! They are best in sports media.
Best take ever made on first take!
No they're not. This was such a slam dunk take even a squirrel could have come to this conclusion
@@xelaander8429 he meant in terms of spirit brought to the take. The info in the take was obvious but the energy was on another level
If you like two morons yelling at each other yeah. Good stuff
The old Stephen A Smith from years ago came out today. Even Molly looked shocked.
😂😂😂
That’s the Stephen A I Know From Back In The Day!! 🔥🔥🔥
Love the take. I also love how SAS & MadDog is a competition between who can yell the loudest😹😹
What the LIV backers is pursuing is likely not the development of golf, also certainly not the wellbeing of any players out there. It is more likely another project of glamour, like "the Line", to show that they can do anything for their pleasure just because they can.
Will the players and the game of golf and PGA benefit as a result? We may be able learn soon. What we know for sure now is that PGA, who put so much effort in maintaining the image of a quintessential America institution, is willing to look so pathetic so quickly. At the same time, most pundits seem to applaud them as rational businessmen while PGA is being tossed around like a rag doll to others.
Spirit Airlines catching stray bullets from Mad Dog 😅😂
We don’t get to see this show in the UK but these guys are absolutely spot on in their analysis. I would like the existing pga and DP tour commissioners fired and some better thinkers installed to configure the future. Oh , and fellas take it down a notch else you’re not going to make my age.
Something about Mad Dog calling him "Stevie" that makes me laugh.
comparing me putting gas in my car to someone taking 100 mil from literal globist murders was in interesting take...
It ain't wrong tho. You might see it different but that's because you're naive
You’re worse for thinking you’re innocent
Dont put gas in your car then. Also tell the players they shouldnt have accepted the money 🤣
@@crini413 yes it is. Does golf need more money? No. Do I need to get to work? Yes.
You're the naive one if you think those are comparable
@@smartwater598 there is a huge difference in reluctant necessity vs taking unnecessary money for the love of money.
The brainwashing in this country is baffling. "Others are bad so be bad. You basically have to do some bad things to live so how can you care when others do bad things they don't need to do? "
Terrible and terrifying take bud
Remember the Golden Rule: Whoever has the gold makes the rules. 😠
Good one! 😊 And whoever makes the rules gets the gold !!! 😢😊
This was Stephen As greatest take of all time
News Flash: America doesn’t have a perfect human rights report card either.
Nope show don't.
They allow dictators to flourish in Southeast Asia during the cold war like Marcos
So you'd be fine relocating to Saudi Arabia since it's all the same?
@@John_Lee_ FACTS! Folks like it’s all the same or something. Women JUST got the right to drive.
@@John_Lee_that’s not his point.He is saying the US is not perfect so we should stop pointing fingers at SA
At the end of the day PGA was upset because they didn't have deep pockets. They used the term "Blood Money" which was stupid. All jobs have Blood Money.
SA a rare home run of a take!
Lol... This is more than a home run.... It's steroid run... Like McGwire and Sosa used to do😂.
He slaughtered the baseball on this one. One of his best ever
@@naklovesjesus3204 he hit a home run with a icbm attached on the back 🚀
@@will-zj5gq
Looool 🤣
This was a great segment
They go at athletes and actors and not corporations. Well done SAS.
Could see whatever the new PGA Tour is named to pull a page outta NASCAR and have guaranteed spots for four days at all tour stops for top-tier players, while the rest play a tourney within a tourney -- needing to make the cut after two rounds to play on the weekend & competing for a set (small) number of slots.
Miami Steve A Smith Is An Icon
Imagine turning down 200 or 300 million and it turning out that you did it for absolutely no reason. That’s wild
Cam Smith must be crying with laughter.
@@ygmistique8155 ehhh actually the could revoke their contracts maybe. There’s no way they got a lump sum payment so I bet there will be more to it
Thank you Stephen A. Smith. KNOW THE RULES: Rule 1. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS TRUST NO ONE. Rule 2. FOLLOW THE MONEY. TRUST NO ONE.
Ratings being down is largely because Tiger is out.
Talk that talk
Bro Steven A Smith is CRUSHING it tho…and he said “Doggy” for us “It Is What It Is” fans 😂
SAS need to focus on footbalk and basketball. Anything else he sounds crazy
Definitely his best take!
That's right, America is a business. Patriotism is just a word for 4th of July.
Yo Stephen A. went IN 🙌🏽🙌🏽🔥🔥💯💯
They can buy the entire NFL, NBA and MLB combined and have change left. People really dont seem to understand just how DEEP their pockets are.
NFL Total Value - $212 Billion
NBA Total Value - $167 Billion
MLB Total Value - $164 Billion
Saudi Family Estimated Net Worth - $847 Billion
Rory is definitely the company man. Still loyal and saying the right stuff. I know he’s been “whiny” through a lot of this, but he has every right to be pissed, now. Tiger and Rory should start their own league.
Money vs Morally right, I'll take the money anyday, especially if the moral side is coming from money to begin with.
NEVER STAY LOYAL TO A COMPANY who pays you less ! Its all business & they dont give AF about you.
Yes sir.
Equating taking 100 million to paying for gas is asinine..
The fact that you can look the other way and justify it with money tells you all you need to know about people.
Never stay loyal to any company at your own expense.
Stephen A's logic: everyone else is morally corrupt, so why can't I be as well?
To be fair, all of this was built on moral corruption. No point in crying about it
They killed an American journalist. All I hear is it’s a good business decision. As an American soldier I’m embarrassed and ashamed
Were you ashamed when the usa was using saudi arabia airbases during the Iraq war? How about all that oil you using for your vehicles? 😂
Who cares
It was all a money thing from the jump ... LIV has incredible financial backing and was/is offering the PGA to expand the golf world even further than it already is ... I think the thing of it was that LIV wanted a few others in their deal with the PGA that the PGA was unwilling to move on until they heard the right price ... so LIV finally "caved" and both sides came to an agreement and now we have this merger
I'll never watch golf again.
Monahan needs to resign immediately. If he refuses to resign the top players (who stayed with the PGA) should boycott all events until he resigns.
I see Stephen A watched Chris Broussard and Rob Parker yesterday.
Humanity only matters if it makes dollars, goes to show u how backward America is
Ist of all im not turning down 100ms, 2nd of all Monahan has to go unless they put pro golfer under contract NFL/NBA type contracts
The PGA with all their rules and snooty mentality just showed their true colors. ALWAYS TAKE THE MONEY. Loyalty to Corporate America will make you BROKE
All the PGA guys saying it’s all about money will not leave the PGA because it’s all about money. How ironic.
Ted DiBiase everyone has a price
Business is business. Love the take from Mad Dog
Someone just offered me $10 million to kill you. I'm gonna do it. Business is business...
Mad Dog is absolutely on point!!
Players should have a 'Fire Jay or we Strike' stance. 😂
The hypocrisy in this country is so annoying & infuriating.
All time high !.They don’t hide it anymore
Best take I’ve ever seen
They’re right, PGA is a business, and they were being held to a higher standard than other businesses…….. but where do you draw the line? Should all these companies do business with North Korea? How about Russian oligarchs? How about terrorist organizations?
These commenters who claim that morality and ethics are a myth, keep that same energy when your government screws you over for corporate interest. I might be naive but if we as humans don't start holding these entities and each other accountable we will end up in a dystopian abyss of no return.
If you ever had a problem with players leaving the PGA to go to LIV shame on you that’s basically what he’s saying and I agree
Why do all these guys constantly scream? Don't they give them mics?
Well said
How did they get to keep the 501(c)(6) tax exemption status? How do I get that? I also need some lawsuits to go away.
Exactly
Stephen A Smith and Mad Doug brought that 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Smartest clip I’ve ever seen from ESPN
Stephen A and Doggie is 1000% right..Business is business
We get less than 7-8% of our petroleum from Saudi Arabia but keep going with the ignorance doggy. Don’t let the facts get in the way of your arguments.
Thank you !! People really don’t realize that we have tons of domestic oil and with Fraking we moving away from Middle Eastern oil especially with what’s brewing over there, in RU and the CCP
Whether you get 7%,8% or 2%, you are getting oil from SA and that’s his point and that oil is running your car
And your rebuttal to SAS is....?
Ratings were lower because less people watch cable. If the PGA Tour can take the modern take of LIV by streaming on the internet it will explode! Bring golf to modern apps
Stephen A trying to justify why he'll do anything for money.
money over ethics, this is what defines america. Follow the money babyy
Stephen A just nailed it wow
Yep
Almost no Saudi oil comes to America. Hate to break it to Mad Dog.
I got to give it a great 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 to Stephen A Smith! Politicians are Hippocrates.
Spot on
Merger 😂😂😂 Good one. The PIF “OWNS” the PGA TOUR plain and simple. Maddog nailed it.
SAS and MadDog must have been so happy in the pre-production meeting when they realized they agreed so much on this haha
Also. Hey Phil! ❤
golf claps!
Well played!
wow SAS ate on this one. but he is absolutely correct at the end of the day United States has a long history of dealing with the Saudi and golf just following the trend.
I hope every one took notes. SA went into the journalist bag today.
They need to change their name to FGA(Fascist Golf Association) because thats who runs it now!
This is just a bad comment
Stephen A preaching the TRUTH!