“Only for all of the wrong reasons” – Fans react to LIV Golf topping the Biggest Sports Business Story of 2022 list

The controversial LIV Golf series topped the list of the biggest sports business stories of 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The league received 27 percent of the votes from readers from at least 16 different choices.

The controversial league has been in the headlines this year for various reasons. Several big golfers defected from the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf. The series introduced an experimental format and a shotgun start going away from the traditional format employed by the PGA Tour, which drew wrath from golf traditionalists. The signing amounts and cash prizes were some of the biggest ever seen in golf.

Saudi Arabia has funded the league. The league has received intense backlash due to the human rights violations happening in the country, especially the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Sports Business Journal talked about their surveys this year:

"Neither of those topics were a factor the last time we did our survey, in 2020, and because that year’s edition focused on the duelling dominant forces of that historic year — the pandemic and the social justice movement — it has been three years since we polled executives about the broad state of the industry."

The statement added that nobody expected the emergence of LIV Golf and the influence of name, image, and likeness on college sports that came second in the list with 19 percent votes.

"In 2019, no one had ever heard of LIV Golf and the chances of NIL both becoming real just a few years later and having the broad, seismic and immediate impact it has had seemed, well, nil."

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"Right up there with the FIFA Scandal in prior years" - Fans compare LIV Golf with FIFA World Cup

LIV Golf Invitational - Miami - Day Three (Image via Eric Espada/Getty Images)

While LIV Golf has been named the most prominent sports business story of the year, fans are unhappy with the verdict.

And they were quick to express their displeasure when CEO and Commissioner of LIV Golf Greg Norman posted about it.

Social media users pointed out that the biggest story didn't necessarily mean it was for a good reason. One user drew references to the breakaway series with that of a plane crash.

"Biggest story doesn’t mean it’s the best thing to happen in golf or sports. Just means got a lot of coverage, kinda like a train wreck or plain crash gets."

Another fan took a sarcastic dig at the series.

"And the assumption that this was a positive thing? Oh forgot, you’re purely looking for press time regardless as you’re not interested in this being a positive introduction."

One user highlighted that negative news always gets more attention than positive news.

"That's not necessarily a good thing, in case you haven't realised bad news generally generates more attention than good news."

Other fans didn't mince words at all and stated that the reason the series topped the list was for the wrong reasons.

One user hinted at the human rights violations happening in Saudi Arabia.

"Unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. The story is about the blood money, not the golf."

One user claimed that Greg Norman also put a positive spin on negative press but said that people could see through him.

"Mostly because of the negative publicity. Norman will spin it positively but thankfully most of the golfing community just see him and LIV golf for what they are."

Another user compared LIV Golf with the FIFA World Cup scandals.

"Right up there with the FIFA Scandal in prior years. Kudos!"

Others mocked the fact that the league didn't have much competition to beat, to begin with.

One fan said that the series couldn't compete with the world cup.

"Infairness when you look at what you were up against its hardly a win,is it .. small fish very small pond .. So you think LIV was bigger than the world Cup :) Take that same survey in Europe or Asia etc... LiV don't register."

Many fans used sarcasm to mock the series.

The series is planning to go bigger in its second edition, which will begin in early 2023.