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The Loop

John Daly

March 28, 2008

Ron Sirak's column urging golf and its fans to stop enabling John Daly has drawn lots of response. (Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post has also done a strong column on the subject). Some of you, like North Carolinian Dennis Thomas, are empathetic:

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The saddest part of this ongoing nightmare with John Daly is that it is self-inflicted. I know what I'm talking about on this one, as I had a 26-year battle with alcohol. Unfortunately, John Daly will have to hit bottom before he is willing to turn his life around, if it's not to late. Mr. Sirak is correct--sponsor exemptions are only enabling his bad behavior.

Others, not so much so. Rick Patterson of Tennessee:

Daly's nothing but a third rate drunk! He should be kicked off the tour and allowed to drown in his own sorrow. Plus he's addicted to gambling! He's been given too many chances already. Cut him loose!

And Texan Wayne Gordon:

Read the book...absentee parents...no boundaries...no discipline...no morals. Why would he change when he got older? I've watched him from Crooked Stick to the Memorial and nothing has changed, no boundaries...no discipline... History repeats itself. The abuse of the promoters, dedicated volunteers and golf fans has gone on long enough.

John has many fans. And he's losing many others. But his popularity is not the point. The uneasiness that Ron and Leonard and that many of us feel is that some night we'll get a call that will make John's troubles until now seem insignificant by comparison. That's a bad thing.

--Bob Carney

(Photo: Mark Feldman/Getty Images)