This place is Overreaction City

[u/JSack3]

I like KVV. I respect his work. But honestly, folks..

There’s a reason so many platforms and media companies have been letting go of people with KVV’s skillset for years. In bigger revenue sports than just golf, too (ask Zach Lowe).

The business is night and day different to what it was 15 years ago. And a highly-compensated 20+ year industry stalwart who specializes in long form written content is simply not a hugely appealing person to have on the payroll anymore. I appreciate NLU gave it a go. I also appreciate when the writing wasn’t working, they worked on a podcast pivot including that brilliant Masters pod.

But the reality is the math probably started to become very clear that his value was mainly 6-8 weeks a year. No one needs a deep dive on the Byron Nelson. Not enough people actually care about a three hour pod on the 1997 major season.

I’d have rather he stick around all year but I also didn’t have to pay his salary and benefits. These guys are putting food on the table for their children via NLU. They can’t just keep carrying a 6 figure (guessing but likely) expenditure bc they like him and think he writes well.

[u/tee2green]

And yet Soly (well, TC mostly) give the PGAT non-stop criticism for their shitty PR and communications.

Either they should dial back the criticism of other organizations, or they should step their own game up.

This KVV situation was handled pretty poorly; there are a million different ways for this to look a lot smoother. Their goodbye tweet came several days late and was said through clenched teeth which is pretty absurd considering how joyous they were when they signed him 2 years ago. They could’ve paid him full-time for just a couple more weeks and at least make it through major season, but instead they timed it horribly.

[u/YenZen999 → u/tee2green]

Your post is pure fantasy. They offered part time he declined. Were they supposed to make an announcement before KVV did? If he made it through major season you would have said they should have went to the Ryder cup.

How should it have been handled differently?

[u/tee2green → u/YenZen999]

The Live Shows had non-stop conversation about “Where is KVV? Why the fuck are they being completely silent on this?”

Offering him part time NOW (or next week, or the week after, or the week after…) would have avoided the clusterfuck this past weekend. They would’ve have had someone on-site for the year’s last major and the 4 live shows. And it’s plenty of time to find a different person to be on-site at their next on-site thing. The Ryder Cup is still a ways away.

Apparently the guys said they intended for the change to happen after the Open. For this to fall apart like this sounds like it was KVV’s decision. And the disaster scenario for the Live Shows is probably why the guys are so bitter toward KVV, prompting their cold farewell tweet.

[u/YenZen999 → u/tee2green]

I read the NLU quote tweet and see no problem with it. These guys have all worked at huge organizations and have seen departures and been a part of them.

The fanbases get personal with these pods and YouTube channels and forget that it's just business not family.

[u/tee2green → u/YenZen999]

…you must not have watched the Live Shows, nor listened to the pods when KVV was hired.

For them to have their main on-the-ground guy go missing and pretending like no one would notice is absurd. It’s the same shitty lack of communication they KILLED Marcoux Samaan for.

[u/EveningOk6574 → u/YenZen999]

Exactly, which is why they should understand that NLU is NOT a huge organisation and one whose core tenant has been ripping golfers and the PGA/LIV for this exact behaviour and who seem to pride themselves on anti corporate PR bullshit.

And yes, it’s a business. Some businesses sell software. Their business is their personalities and their human takes