Casey Martin v. Professional Golf Association

[drusba]

For those interested, the United States Supreme Court ruled today that the PGA and its golf tournaments are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the PGA must allow Casey Martin to use a golf cart in its tournaments. A copy of the opinion is at

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/...w.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/00pdf/00-24.pdf

 

[teri]

 

[JudithM]

I just saw this on the news .

 

[SueM in MN]

I also saw it on the news with video of him getting off his golf cart and walking ot the tee. Just that little walk looked pretty painful to me.

 

[chris1gill]

I saw this also on the news... There was one professional golfer they had a short interview with & he said, he felt it was a loss for the Golf world, because walking was just part of the game!!! What does that mean? Just because a person can't walk they can't play golf?? That's crazy... If a person can stand, they can play golf!!! In fact I'm learning this summer with my son, and there is no way in god's green earth I could walk on the grass!! I'll have a cart myself, and I'll be able to at least play a little while with him!! Maybe not the whole course, but at least I'll try some of it!!! I really hate when fully abled people judge those of us with handicaps.. They have no idea what they are talking about!!! Sorry to vent, but this got under my skin big time!!!

 

[lisapooh]

Chris,
You are not the only one. Rush Limbaugh was harping on how bad this decision is yesterday on radio and I got so mad I made my husband turn it off.
No way I could golf except with a cart. If they think it will give this guy an advantage then let all of them have the option of using a cart. But don't tell a person he can't because he has a disability. That is going back to the dark ages.

 

[sncbird]

Way to go Casey Martin!!! He should be an inspiration to all of us!!! I do agree with Chris and lisapooh. Those who are against the ruling should try golfing with a handicap. I think some people need sensitivity training!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

If the other players want to say he can't use a cart, then how about putting 50 pound weights on the ankles of each of the other players. That would even things up.

 

[sncbird]

LOL Sue!!! That's a great suggestion!!!

 

[chris1gill]

Oh Sue... that's very good, I really like that idea!!!!

 

[LindaDVC]

I was thrilled with the decision!
However got in some heated discussions today. People were asking how far sports should accommidate!
I feel they are not adapting the sport just the access to the sport.

I hope he does great in the tournaments!

Linda

 

[Michigan]

They are debating this on the debate board. If they only took the time to know the ADA law they would see that all the PGA had to do to stop him was start something like a WPGA (W for wheelchair) with competitive money and he would have lost. The law clearly stats that if nothing like it exists then they have to comply with the law. There are other sports with professional wheelchair players that get paid 6 figure salaries to do things like play in the WNBA for basketball, hockey has both wheelchair and sledge hockey.

However until we the disable population and parents of disabled children make people like NBC show the winter paralympics and other wheelchairs sports these athletes will never get the recognition they should get. For anyone living in the New Jersey area come watch the Junior National Wheelchair games in Piscataway in July. There are swimmers with times better then those who made the olympic games yet their times were not fast enough to make the paralympic games. What does that tell you? Some of our wheelchair athletes are FASTER then our non disabled athletes.

OK I'm done now.

 

[faeflora]

Michigan,
Great post and I definitely agree...we attended the 1996 Paralympic games in Atlanta and were blown away by the skill and strength of the competitors.
I personally feel that the PGA did a lousy job of handling this situation from a PR angle...they simply did not look around to see the constant growth of disabled athletes and our culture...I found it funny that the day before the Casey Martin ruling the national news convered the story of the blind climber Erik Weihenmayer who at age 32 reached the summit of Mount Everest using bells on the other climbers to navigate his way....or the fact that when our Olympic team had a blind runner compete in Sydney that the PGA didn't rethink their aggressive and negative handling of fulfilling Casey Martins reasonable accomodation request.
I am thrilled however that Casey Martin won his battle and that this topic is being debated. It is a wonderful opportunity to highlight our talented community.
And you are corret Michigan in saying that all they had to do was create a seperate division in the PGA along the same lines as the US Open division for wheelchair tennis.
I personally am sponsored by a local wheelchair athlete association who managed to ge me a light weight wheelchair for dance and stage managing. Please everyone find out if there are basketball or sporting events in your area and support these wonderful athletes.

Ok that was long...I now happily roll off my soapbox...