Christina Kim isn’t a Pepper (fan)
I guess Dottie Pepper won’t get that free, signed copy of “Swinging from My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star” anytime soon. At least not if Christina Kim’s recent series of tweets about the former LPGA star, turned golf analyst/commentator are any indicator.
Behold one of Kim’s tweets: Love how Dottie Pepper said I had Ochocinco syndrome. Still makes me laugh. She was the MOST outrageous and discourteous player ever to be!!
What triggered the reaction was a very positive article in the San Diego Union-Tribune that hyped Kim’s book co-authored with SI’s Alan Shipnuck. Amidst the praise for Kim, as one of the most interesting and engaging players on the LPGA, was an (old) quote from Dottie Pepper regarding Kim’s behavior at the Solheim Cup in 2009, behavior that some say crossed a line.
Pepper wrote in a column, “I know Christina Kim loves the galleries and is a ham, but she should be a little more respectful of the game. In the NFL, she’d have been given 18 excessive celebration penalties.”
Athletes taking exception to something a journalist, analyst or any other member of the media has to say is nothing new. What does seem odd is Kim’s inability to discern criticism from support. One follower of Kim’s on Twitter sent the following message: Dottie might be right but then SOMEBODY’S GOT TO DO IT! Why NOT you?! <3
Whoops. Apparently that wasn’t quite the response Kim was looking for: @rick_burgess she’s NOT right. You are ignorant for agreeing with her. I celebrated my wins AND opponents wins, ok? Jesus. Wanna be blocked?
Classy! Take that you silly ignorant fan. Don’t you know your place now? Thought so.
Other golf stars (or their spouses) have caught flack for blocking, or threatening to block journalists. Fans on the other hand, even supportive and courteous ones it seems, risk the dreaded blockage if they don’t sign on wholeheartedly with Kim’s ire.
I know, I know. I’m opening myself up for others to say ‘you don’t know what it’s like for them…’ and ‘Dottie is a moron’.
Maybe so.
I’m no where near arrogant enough to assume that I know what it’s like for any athlete to deal with a semi-regular spotlight. Kim I think is a bit different in that a mixture of her performance and own outgoing nature has amped up the focus on her. A spotlight she normally seems comfortable with, as long as it’s delivering praise.
And just because – here’s a little retro Pepper love for you.
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More good work from my boy, Hack, while I am on a six-month vacation in Tahiti.
This is the latest example of athletes with a thin skin. You can’t have the benefits of exposure and none of the negatives, Tiger. Golfers in particular seem to have rabbit ears, whether it’s because they play a solo game with hushed galleries and no equipment or helmets separating them from the throng, I’m not sure.
There is risk and reward in anything you do. Stock market. Real estate. Career. Romance. Golf. Whatever. The reward for pro athletes is adulation, endorsements and millions of dollars in income or prize money for playing a game. The risks include infrigement on your privacy and the fact that someone might criticize you. You can’t have it both ways.
What am I missing ? The more I read about CK, the more she seems to be someone who can dish it out, but can’t take it in return. Hack, are you supporting Kim with this ? It seems that she needs to learn to control her digits a little better – her comment from the Aussie at the Ladies Masters was way out of line in a public forum.
Her statement that she wanted to re-write the entire book SOUNDED like she had a lot of regrets about naming names and the embarrassment she might bring on them…but her tweets say that she doesn’t really care.
Is she a bully ? A big kid who needs to grow up ?
I don’t get where you’re seeing my support for her in how she responded.
My snark level is usually pretty high. So if it’s only on moderate here maybe that’s the reason.
lol – that could be it !
but seriously, I was just wondering which…or if…you were taking a side in this little cat fight.
And if we’re going to have a cat fight, can’t it be between Gulbis and Sandra Gal ? Kim and Pepper wouldn’t be at the top of my list.
I don’t know how much of a fight it can be with only one participant swinging (Kim). Given how old Dottie’s quote is she probably doesn’t know, and may not care, what Christina is saying.
That said…I’ve often complimented CK in radio interviews and in other posts we’ve done for being so engaged in social media. She also was really gracious with me with her time at the Safeway and saw her doing the same with fans. So she does a lot of things really well when it comes to dealing with fans, the media etc.
At the same time (like I said in the article I linked to in this post) it’s obvious to anyone with any objectivity that she’s also very thin skinned. To the point that I am often embarassed for her in how she reacts on twitter to the most benign perceived slight (see example again in this post).
Maybe it’s just a maturity thing, as it can be easy to forget she’s 26-ish. But if she can’t get that defensive/reactionary emotion under control it has potential to cause real problems for her in and outside of golf – which basically Shipnuk said in that SDUT article as well.
In Canada “Pepper” is a derogatory term used by the English against the French population. After reading the title, I was hoping for a language fight
Christina Kim hates the French.
I’ll save that for another post, maybe around the Evian Masters.
Seems like a good old cat fight.
Nice post, good arch-nemesis…
I didn’t think Dottie’s comment was particularly offensive and I think she has a point. In football, at least, I bet she would’ve been fined for “excessive celebration.”
I like CK, but I think she can be hypersensitive at times, which is surprising considering how long she’s been on the tour.
My interactions with her have all been positive, but I’ve witnessed some twitter interactions where you can’t help but shake your head and almost feel embarrassed for her. That whole threatening to be blocked thing.. that’s good ‘ol fashion immaturity.
I think it’s just a personality thing, where if you catch her at the wrong time….. beware.. I’ve known a couple folks who were the most outgoing, happy, positive people at times and at other times quite snappy and short tempered..
Either way, I like what she does 90% of the time, so it’s all good in my book
I assume 33% reference is to English-speaking Canadians? I’m English married to a Frenchman and neither of us has ever heard of this word being used in this way. Just for clarification?
Wendy – 33% is an english speaking Canuck. Though I believe he also has a flair for the Canadian version of French. So I think your assumption is correct.
Hack is correct. It is a slang term for french Canadians. They call us “tete carré” (square head) in return. We have better beer, they have better strip clubs.
Wow. I wish I read this tonight before I tried to kid with her and Heather on Twitter and took a lot of shit for nothing.
Yeah I saw that Koko…you guys didn’t deserve that talking down to…you both showed more restraint than I could have.
what a cat fight?
nice video…an old school kind! before entering this site I have no idea about the pepper thing, after watching the video, I laugh and said, “now I know!”