Casey Martin Verdict
All athletes are not born on a level playing field and some athletes have disadvantages. Is everyone made to be an athlete? How far would you go to become a professional athlete? Would you take your case to the Supreme Court? Would you spend three years in and out of the court system arguing a case that is so clear to you but not to others? On May 29, 2001, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the federal disability rights law entitles Casey Martin, a 28 year old golfer, to ride in a cart between shots while competing in PGA Tour events. Martin suffers from a rare incurable circulatory disease called Klippel Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome or KLS. His right leg is so weak that for the last 10 years he has been unable to walk a full eighteen holes of golf. Martin was awarded a scholarship to play golf for Stanford University and while he played in the college ranks the NCAA allowed him to use a golf cart. This was a very special privilege because after college the PGA Tour would not be so supportive of his needs. The Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA came to Martin's rescue throughout the court cases. Casey Martin has served as an inspiration to other athletes with disabilities.
All these reasons to support Casey Martin's case seemed clear to everyone but Tim Finchem, the PGA Tour director. Finchem believed that the findings of this case should have stayed within the PGA and should not have gone to the Supreme Court. The following is an exert from Tim Finchem's speech to the press after hearing the Supreme Court's verdict. The Supreme Court in the Casey Martin case and the ADA secures for all Disabled American Athletes the right to a level playing field. This example of an athlete getting special rights may have opened a new door that could be trouble in the future. How will the courts decide future cases? Casey Martin and KLS are so unique that he can't be used as a precedent. There are way too many other factors to consider with different circumstances. Who knows what will be next. What would happen if Barry Bonds all of a sudden can't keep his strength up due to some unique disease and he stops hitting home runs? Is Major League Baseball going to move the fences up for him and only him? Professional or amateur sports can not be making exceptions to their rules for individuals. Will the game of golf ever be the same since the Martin case? No one knows the answer. PGA Tour officials surrounding Finchem feel that he fears that the ruling will bring out other special cases of golfers with disabilities. His stance is that not everyone can become a professional golfer. And where should we, the PGA Tour, draw the line with other disabilities. Is a golfer with
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Approximate Word count = 1008
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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