"It's easy to cheer for a guy like Compton, but there's a reason there's no cheering in the press box."

Life as a blogger was growing stale, what with Blot and Goon going eons not posting something really short-sighted, lame and hilariously hypocritical. Ah to the rescue they come! 

Current target: Steve Elling, penning a column about Erik Compton with Elling expressing his opinion that it was a bit strange Compton had not been signed up by an equipment company looking to be associated with only one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of, dare I say it...dare! dare!...sport.

Of course, we're talking about gents who were happy to let Winged Foot, St. Andrews and Augusta grow  outdated so the game could "move on" and provide unfettered shopping opportunities. Still, this is special. 

Blot, take it away:

OK, Compton's a great guy with a great story. But when it comes to covering a sport, it should end there. Why any journalist is making calls on behalf of a player to try and get him an endorsement deal or some sticks is crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed.

Now last I heard, when you write a column and express an opinion you aren't violating any GWAA conduct code. No?

And by the way, thank God that Blot and Goon never cross any kind of journalistic line by sucking up generously touting the "game improvement" products of manufacturers that they would like us to buy, even if we don't need them. Never!

It's easy to cheer for a guy like Compton, but there's a reason there's no cheering in the press box. Besides, be serious -- although Compton may have had trouble securing an endorsement deal, there is not a single equipment company in the land that would not happily have made him custom-built clubs at his request. And those garage-sale clubs at Q School? They weren't exactly hickory shafts and persimmon. He was playing with Titleist equipment barely removed from the current line -- or about what you can find in the bags of a handful of PGA Tour players on any given week.

Here I was thinking companies signed players to have them wearing visors, toting ugly luggage disguised as a billboard and acting like good clean men all in the name of building the brand. Logic might say it's pretty wise business to sign up a great guy who has been through hell and who is showing that when healthy, he is capable of playing the PGA Tour. Not in Blot and Goon's world!

GOUGE: Given the state of journalism today, I wouldn't be surprised that a sportswriter would need a second job. I wouldn't have picked sports agent of one of your profile subjects, however. If nice guys got endorsement deals, then most equipment companies would be out of money. The whole point is to sign players that are in the mix, hanging out in final groups on a regular basis and, well, for starters, have fully exempt playing privileges on a professional tour. I want Erik Compton to win six times this year on the PGA Tour, but if I'm an equipment company handing out full-year endorsement contracts, I'm making business decisions.

Maybe that's why you're writing a blog under a silly pen name big guy and not paid a six-figure salary to make major business decisions! (P.S. loved the italics!)

Thankfully, I'm going to cross that big journalistic line and say the folks at Acushnet/Titleist demonstrated extraordinary vision in recognizing the wisdom of Steve Elling's column that an association with Erik Compton would be a mutually beneficial no-brainer.