Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 13, 1995 TAG: 9505150077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WILMINGTON, DEL. LENGTH: Medium
CBS golf analyst Ben Wright was taken off Friday's TV coverage of the LPGA Championship and summoned to New York by the network after he was quoted as saying lesbians hurt corporate interest in the women's professional tour.
Wright, who has been with CBS for 23 years, made no public comments about the remarks published in the The (Wilmington) News Journal on Friday, but according to several sources sent a letter to the players denying the statements and expressing support for the women's tour.
``Let's face facts here. Lesbians in the sport hurts women's golf,'' the newspaper quoted Wright as saying. ``When it gets to the corporate level, that's not going to fly. They're going to a butch game and that furthers the bad image of the game.''
Wright also said anatomical differences put women on a different level than their male counterparts, comparing female pros with male club players.
``Women are handicapped by having boobs,'' Wright said. ``It's not easy for them to keep their left arm straight, and that's one of the tenets of the game. Their boobs get in the way.''
LPGA commissioner Charles S. Mechem, Jr. said the tour would reserve comment until today.
``We know that Ben Wright has said that he did not say what has been reported ... ,'' Mechem said. ``Given this dispute, the LPGA does not have a statement with respect to Ben Wright's alleged comments until we know more about the facts.''
Wright and his CBS colleagues broadcast the tournament on Thursday for The Golf Channel. He was pulled off coverage Friday morning. It was not clear if Wright would appear on the CBS broadcasts of the weekend rounds.
Mechem said no potential sponsor has ever cited lesbianism as a reason for withholding support.
Patty Sheehan said the issue had never come up when she discussed sponsorship with corporations. ``My only reaction is that it's nobody's business what somebody does in their private time,'' she said.
by CNB