Won't You Be My Hero?

Why integrity, not talent, is the leadership we need from today’s athletes

I am saddened by the fact that, for me, watching PGA golf on TV now feels like a moral dilemma.

Golf is one of my great escapes. It lives in a quiet corner of my brain where the noise fades, and the rhythm of the game does what it has always done: calms the mind, soothes the soul, and reminds me that beauty still exists in small, deliberate movements. (aka - sticking it to within 3’ of the pin from 150 yards out)

But lately, when I reach for the remote, something inside me hesitates. The game hasn’t changed. The world around it sure has, though

And That’s the Part I Can’t Shake

I find myself wondering about the players I’ve admired for years. Not because I expect them to share my politics, and not because I think athletes owe us their private beliefs. But because these aren’t normal times. The stakes feel different now. The ground feels different. The silence feels different. I need to know.

Take Scotty Scheffler, for example. During last year’s Ryder Cup, a reporter asked if he had any message for Donald Trump, who was scheduled to arrive later that day. “Tell him he is doing a great job”, Scotty replied.

WTF, Scotty, are you a Trumper? Are you condoning the fact that Trump and his goons are tearing the world apart? Please say it ain’t so.

Be Our Golf Hero, Scotty Scheffler

Here’s your chance to speak up and be a hero. Tell the golf world that you do not support what Trump is doing, and that it must stop. The world needs heroes right now, and you would be the perfect candidate to lead the charge for the PGA players. Accept the challenge. Set the example. Be our hero.

Poor Old Wayne. He Entered the Dark Side

Look what happened to The Weiner when he started to swing the sticks with The Donald. His “thumbs-up” as he passed Team USA’s bench at the 4-Nations championship game didn’t help him either.

Gretzky went straight from “The Great One” to “The Great Once”. How can he play golf with such a despicable human being? It might be good for your pocketbook, but it is doing serious damage to your integrity and popularity. Do the right thing, Wayne. Stand up and be a good human being. Tell the hockey world that Trump’s actions are wrong and must stop. Maybe after that, Gretzky can once again be “The Great One”.

What About Leaf’s Captain?

And while we’re talking about hockey, I need Austin Matthews to set the record straight. Congrats on being named captain of the USA Men’s Hockey Team and for winning the Olympic Gold Medal. But why the hell did you go to the White House? Were you just caught up in the moment or something? I was so disappointed to see you there. Now I must know, are you ok with Trump and what he is doing? Cuz if you were, you would need to go. You would need to be traded. You would not deserve to be a member, and certainly not the captain, of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Be Our Hockey Hero, Austin Matthews

We get the excitement of winning the gold medal at the Winter Olympics. But the White House? We need to know where you stand. I hope you will be our hockey hero. Tell the hockey world that you do not agree with Trump’s actions.

When the Sport You Love Starts Telling You Who It Really Is

Studies of voter registration show that the NBA leans heavily Democratic, the NFL is politically mixed, and leagues like MLB and the NHL tilt more Republican. Golf, with its older, wealthier, and overwhelmingly white demographics, tends to be Republican in the southern and midwestern states, while cold‑weather states tend to be Democratic.

I used to watch golf without thinking about who voted for whom. Now I can’t help but wonder. Which of my favourite PGA players shares my belief that the world is in a dangerous moment?

Which of them see what I see, the polarization, the erosion of norms, the rising anger, and feel compelled to state their position? And which of them are quietly comfortable with the way things are, because silence is easier than honesty and tax breaks are easier than courage?

I don’t expect athletes to become activists. I don’t expect them to deliver speeches, take sides or turn their careers into political battlegrounds. I understand why they stay quiet. Pro Leagues manage messaging. Teams discourage controversy. Fans can turn on a player in a heartbeat. The NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA all prefer clean narratives, controlled statements, and athletes who “focus on the game.” That’s the business model.

We’re Not Living in Business‑as‑Usual Times

We are living in a moment when silence feels like complicity. When neutrality feels like surrender. When the world, especially the United States, needs people with influence to show fellow American citizens and the rest of the world that integrity still matters. Not perfect people. Not saints. Just people willing to stand up and say, “This isn’t normal. This isn’t right. We can do better. We must do better.”

I’m not asking golfers to agree with me politically. I’m asking them to care about the world they live in. I’m asking them to show that the values they display on the course, honesty, accountability, composure, respect, aren’t just performance traits, but human ones.

Because right now, the joy of watching a PGA event has slipped away from me. Not because the sport changed, but because I have. Because the world has.

Unfortunately, politics has seeped its way into every corner of life, including the fairways. And because I can’t help but hope that the athletes I admire will step forward and remind us all that courage still exists in public life.

Maybe that’s naïve. Maybe it’s unfair. Maybe it’s just the grief of losing something I once loved without thinking. But I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way. I think many fans across leagues, across borders, across political lines, are all wrestling with the same question:

What does it mean to love a sport when the world around it feels like it’s coming apart?

I don’t have the answer. But I know this: sports heroes aren’t made by athletic talent alone. They’re made by the moments they choose to stand for something larger than themselves or their sport. And right now, the world could use a few heroes. And who better to lead the charge than our privileged and influential professional athletes?

Happy Golfing, Everyone

Stay safe. Stay well. Have fun.

Richard