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Golf Unfiltered Podcast 39: Umpqua Community College

On a special edition of the Golf Unfiltered Podcast, author Shane Ryan joins me to discuss the horrible events at Umpqua Community College.

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Shane Ryan joins me on a special edition of the Golf Unfiltered Podcast to discuss the senseless, horrific acts that took place today at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. The conversation between Shane and I go to many places -- fueled by our respective beverages of choice -- as we discuss the day's events, lament on the status of our country's gun laws, admire President Obama on his message and everything else in between.

“To claim that America’s 'culture of violence' is responsible for school shootings is tantamount to cigarette company executives declaring that environmental pollution is the chief cause of lung cancer....

"How many guns does it take to make you feel safe? And how do you simultaneously keep them loaded and close at hand, but still out of reach of your inquisitive children or grandchildren? Are you sure you wouldn’t do better with a really good burglar alarm? It’s true you have to remember to set the darn thing before you go to bed, but think of this — if you happened to mistake your wife or live-in partner for a crazed drug addict, you couldn’t shoot her with a burglar alarm.” ― Stephen King, Guns

To learn more about how to contact your state's elected officials and let them know how you feel about senseless acts of violence like those seen in Oregon, click on any of the following links for more information:

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

 

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Podcast Adam Fonseca Podcast Adam Fonseca

Golf Unfiltered Podcast 14: Shane Ryan

Author Shane Ryan joins us on the Golf Unfiltered Podcast this week to discuss his book, Slaying the Tiger. This is a show not to be missed!

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  This week on the podcast we welcome Shane Ryan, author of Slaying the Tiger: A Year Inside the Ropes on the New PGA Tour.

Shane was kind enough to squeeze us in his incredibly hectic schedule for a brief conversation on his book. We touch on some of the criticism his book has received since its release on June 9th, as well as his take on golf journalism in general. Shane also shares his reaction to the on-air debate that immediately followed his Golf Channel Morning Drive appearance earlier in the week.

We also discuss golf fandom and what we should expect from athletes whom we look up to, both on and off the playing field. For fans of "philosophical mumbo jumbo," this is a discussion you certainly do not want to miss!

Many thanks to Shane Ryan for jumping on the podcast and to you for stopping by for a listen!

Be sure to pick up Slaying the Tiger on Amazon here.

Follow Shane on Twitter here.

 

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BOOK REVIEW: Slaying the Tiger by Shane Ryan

Shane Ryan's new book, Slaying the Tiger, is a masterful dive into the lives of golf's rising stars. This is a controversial book not to be missed.

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Golf writer Shane Ryan's new book, Slaying the Tiger: A Year Inside the Ropes on the New PGA Tour has received layers of mixed reviews on just about any form of medium you can name, ranging from one-offs on Twitter to full on rebuttals by golf media traditionalists. Suggesting there is a 'buzz' around Slaying would be an understatement, and reading through what will be the year's best golf book reveals why.

In the spirit of transparency, I was extremely critical of an excerpt from Slaying that Ryan published on his personal site -- TobaccoRoadBlues.com -- months ago. Admittedly driven by a knee-jerk reaction to what read like an unnecessary investigative report on Patrick Reed's past, I held (and still hold) the opinion that journalists should never do harm to the subjects they cover. After a thorough reading of Ryan's incredible dive into the slew of 'young guns' rising to the top of the PGA Tour in the post-Tiger era, I admit I was wrong.

Ryan's account of working the PGA Tour as a beat reporter midst a sea of change and uncertainty is informative, highly entertaining and downright inspiring. Fans of Ryan's Friends of Tiger podcast know that he is an admitted 'newbie' to the sport yet approaches the subjects in Slaying with the confidence and inquisitive eye perfected from years of covering everything from college basketball to music and film. The man simply knows how to write and is not afraid to offer unpopular opinions on some of modern golf's biggest names. It is incredibly refreshing.

Take, for instance, his dive into French golfing phenom Victor Dubuisson in the book's opening chapter. A virtually unknown golfer with a purposefully-mysterious past, Dubuisson's story illuminates Slaying as a 'different' kind of golf book. Ryan's journey into the Frenchman's past uncovered some of the book's most jaw-dropping moments, including a Facebook exchange between the author and Dubuisson's father, Alban:

I am proud of his success, but when he says he didn’t have a family, it’s absurd!!! It makes me want to puke to read all this bullshit. Without his grandfather, his mother and myself, he would never had his dream come true. It’s pathetic!! My Facebook friends who followed his rise will be able to testify to it, I hope, but that’s life and I wish him the greatest of success. He is and will always be in my heart.

Ryan's research into budding PGA Tour star Matt Every reveals more examples of a man's true personality off the course. Every comes off as a 'man's man' in his chapter, unveiling a personality that is likely common on Tour but uncommonly exhibited to media. When asked for his view on suggestions that Every is lucky to be on Tour, the two-time Tour winner does not disappoint:

“I’m glad you said that, because it pisses me off when people write, ‘Oh, that guy, I can’t believe he’d say something like that, he should be privileged to play on the PGA Tour!’ ” he said. “Like I got fucking picked out of a lottery. I mean, I’ve worked my ass off to be here. It’s not like they handed me this spot, you know?”

Slaying offers similar insights into the lives of Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day (which is downright heartbreaking at times), Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy among others. Ryan even takes on heralded Augusta National by offering a first-hand account of his experience covering The Masters (along with the weirdness that goes along with it).

As you can imagine, Slaying has received its fair share (and then some) of negative criticism. The omnipresent debate of what should and should not become public knowledge regarding an author's subjects is once again raised by the book's detractors. However, journalistic responsibility is a subject not reserved to only positive fluff pieces that will paint a sport's characters in a positive light. While learning an athlete's personal backstory is a matter of every fan's individual preference, a robust profile of any public figure provides his or her fans a complete package from which a more educated fandom can emerge.

Where will Slaying rank in the annuls of golf book history? While Ryan's work details many topics already known by hardcore fans of the game, it is an important step away from cliche sportswriting that has saturated golf media for decades. To that end, Slaying the Tiger should be remembered not for what traditionalists have tried to label it but instead for what it is: a masterfully written account of an important time in golf history in a style that is synonymous to the book's core message.

Change is inevitable. The old guard's stranglehold on golf writing is near its end and writers like Shane Ryan are ushering us all into a new era. Exciting times, indeed.

Purchase your copy of Slaying the Tiger via Amazon below:

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