Tag Archives: golf

Still a Johnny Miller fan even if people are getting tired of act

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I’ve always had Johnny Miller on my list of must-watch analysts. By that I mean, if Miller is doing analysis of the Springfield Putt-Putt Championship, I’m watching.

He’s going through Lincoln’s hat? You’ve got to be kidding me.

However, after more than 20 years of Miller being the voice of golf for NBC, I’m sensing some fatigue. People are starting to grow tired of his act.

John Strege of Golfdigest.com did a post Saturday noting some negative comments about Miller via Twitter. Here’s a passage:

NBC’s Johnny Miller was eviscerated in the Twitter world throughout the  telecast of the third round, criticism coming from all quarters — fans,  players, counterparts, even a player’s wife.

“How does Johnny Miller have a job when he speaks such nonsense???” Geoff  Ogilvy’s wife Juli wrote on Twitter.

Peter Kostis, a CBS analyst, posted this when Miller called Graeme McDowell  “a driving genius,” who then drove it into the trees: “He’s a driving genius!  Whack, club hits ball, whack, ball hits tree, oops.”

Colt Knost, who missed the cut, weighed in: “According to Johnny miller every  bad shot is BC of nerves!!  There is such a thing as a bad swing. Sorry for  being human”

Then this from Tommy Biershenk, who must have missed Chris Berman’s inane  play on his name the day before, something to do with beer and shank: “Am I the  only one that can do without Johnny Miller? #Mr.Negative.”

I found these anti-Miller Tweets from Sunday.

griffin_flesch8 JohnnyMiller could shoot -18 around Olympic right now from the tips if he wanted to

DanLevyThinks “You have no idea how good that feels, folks.” JohnnyMiller ONCE AGAIN makes it about him.

KegsnEggs JohnnyMiller on winning the US Open: “I’d tell you how good it feels, but you peasants wouldn’t understand.”

@jenny_suh JohnnyMiller is such a great commentator ~ said nobody, EVER!

BKleinGolfweek JohnnyMiller picks on a teen to criticize, taking Beau Hossler to task for over-reaching his goals. Nice going on Fathers Day, Johnny.

Joe Posnanski‏@JPosnanski Nobody ever seems to make the one JohnnyMiller calls “an easy putt.”

Not sure what to make of the reaction other than people simply get tired of hearing the same voice for so many years. In the eyes of his critics, Miller has veered off the road of being refreshingly candid.

I’m still in his camp. I love his candor and his unpredictable say-anything nature.

Here’s Johnny from yesterday’s telecast:

“Phil and Tiger look like they’ve turned back the clock to when they were about five (years old).” On the struggles of Mickelson and Woods.

“That is so dead. That is incredibly dead. That is the end of his chances.” On Padraig Harrington’s approach shot on 18, which landed buried in a bunker left of the green. Harrington was +2 at the time.

“I don’t know what the heck he is reading there.” On Graeme McDowell’s final putt on 18 which would have tied him with Webb Simpson and forced a playoff.

“He just fell apart is what it amounts to, at 42 years old and wanting it so badly…You’ve got to feel for him. He sure deserves to win because he works so hard in every aspect.” On Jim Furyk’s approach shot on No. 18 that went into the left bunker.

It still works for me.

The bottom line for Miller is that he turned 65 in April. I don’t see him doing this job forever. He has other interests.

So we also should enjoy Miller while we can. There never will be another like him.

 

 

 

 

The decision: Game 3 or U.S. Open tonight? Tiger or LeBron?

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So what are you watching tonight? Game 3 of the NBA Finals or the final round of the U.S. Open?

We have been handed this delicious Father’s Day bounty thanks to the Open being in San Francisco.

In a brilliant decision beginning with the 2010 tournament at Pebble Beach, NBC decided to air these West Coast Opens in prime time. The last group of Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell goes off at 6:10 p.m ET. That means the final putt won’t go down until 10:30-11 p.m. ET.

I love it, and so many other golf fans. Nothing like enjoying a beautiful day and then coming home to watch some big-time golf.

But there’s more. Also on the menu is Game 3 of the NBA Finals airing on ABC. Big game to see if LeBron James and the Heat can take control of the series at home.

The first two games have done huge ratings, and they only will get bigger.

For NBC’s sake, it would help if Tiger Woods gets back into the hunt quickly in the fourth round. He tees off at 4:50 p.m. If he makes a charge, people will tune in, especially the casual and even non-golf fan.

Either way, it should be a great night. My remote is in for a workout.

 

 

A surprise: Duval to work U.S. Open for ESPN

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I can safely say I never envisioned the often reticent David Duval wanting a career in television.

Apparently, that’s the case. The former No. 1 player in the world will be part of ESPN’s broadcast team for the U.S. Open.

From the release:

Duval, winner of 13 events and more than $18 million on the PGA TOUR, will be an analyst on feature group coverage that will air on ESPN3, ESPN’s multi-screen live sports network. The programming is available online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE.

“TV is definitely something that’s interesting and intrigues me,” said Duval. “I enjoy the game so much and I enjoy what’s going on in the game right now so much. The opportunity to do this presented itself and it worked out, so I thought this could be pretty fun.”

Duval had intended to play in the U.S. Open but did not qualify and indicated his work for ESPN should not be viewed as a signal he’s hanging up the clubs for good.

“I don’t want it to be seen as a transition because I don’t believe my playing career is over,” he said. “I know I’ve had a rough year but I’ve also been dealing with other small injuries that I haven’t talked about. But it (TV) is definitely something I’d like to do in the future.”

Who knew? He’s definitely a complex dude. I found him to be arguably the most intelligent golfer I’ve covered, capable of delivering deep, thoughtful answers. However, he also could be painfully terse in interviews. I thought he found the entire process extremely tedious. Nobody will ever accuse him of being a quote machine.

Exactly how Duval’s personality will translate to television remains to be seen. Clearly, though, it is worth a try of both fronts.

 

 

 

Made for TV pairing does no favors for Bubba Watson at U.S. Open

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The U.S. Open is hard enough without having to be part of a circus.

So regardless of what he says, Bubba Watson can’t be pleased with a made-for-TV pairing that has him playing with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson during the first two rounds of the U.S. Open.

Did I say circus? It’s going to be an absolute zoo. You can be sure Woods and Mickelson also aren’t thrilled with this threesome, but at least they’ve had plenty of experience with massive galleries and people scurrying all over the place.

It’s a different story for Watson, who has struggled ever since winning the Masters. He’s only played twice and missed the cut at the Memorial a couple of weeks ago. Yes, the sudden spotlight can be overwhelming.

Clearly, the United States Golf Association wants to create more of a buzz for the Open with this pairing. But why? Isn’t the tournament big enough?

During a conference call today, I asked NBC producer Tommy Roy if the USGA consults with the network on the pairings. He said:

We talk about it, more about the timing that they go off so that it fits within certain windows.  But the fact of the matter is that the pairings are up to them.  But they have a good sense of what makes for good television, as well.  They play consult a little but it’s their pairings.

Obviously, NBC and ESPN will focus the majority of their coverage on that one pairing. Steve Stricker is 6-under through 13? Great, save it later for the Golf Channel. 

It’s going to be all-Tiger-Phil-Bubba, all-the-time when they’re out on the course. I asked Johnny Miller about the pairing. He said:

I’ve played in similar type of threesomes with Trevino and Nicklaus, and not so much in the U.S. Open, because they would never do that in the mid 70s, have the three biggest draws together.

But golf is a new world.  It’s a big sport now.  It will be very interesting to see how that pairing pans out or whether they all play poorly or they all play well or just one plays well.  With that many people and that much pressure, to be honest with you, at the Open, knowing this pairing is historical, the three biggest draws in the tournament being together, it will be fun to watch.  I can’t wait to watch it.  I hope they do great.

It’s just sort of unique.  So, is this a precursor of something of the future we are going to see a lot more of, where you put the best players together, or if it’s just a one‑time thing.

Is it fair? Frank Nobilo said:

(Watson’s) stated goal, he stated recently, is to be the best player in the world.  So I think he would embrace that opportunity to take them on.  You have got to beat them, whether it Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday; but for him, it’s something I think he would relish.

And just to add, you have three different types of fans that are going to come out, which I don’t think golf has really had.  Phil and Tiger ‑‑ but Bubba brings a different element to golf which we haven’t seen in many a year and that’s something that has to be said, as well.

Miller said as only he could:

Let’s put it this way:  I would much rather play with two guys that are shooting 67, than two guys that are shooting 79 going to every toilet, you know.

I’m not sure about the toilet part, but I’m betting Watson’s scores will be closer to 79 than 67.

 

 

 

Sherman Interview 2: Feinstein a different voice for Mad Dog Radio

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John Feinstein never will consider himself to be a radio guy. As he established in part 1 of our interview, he is a writer first and foremost.

However, since radio now occupies four hours of his day, Feinstein wants to be good at it. In his mind, it means doing some things that break from the tradition of sports talk radio.

In part 2 of our Q/A, he discusses his relatively new show with co-host Bruce Murray, Beyond the Brink (Mad Dog Radio, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ET). He talks about differences in approach with Murray, boring guests, and Tony Kornheiser, whose radio show serves as a blueprint for Feinstein.

What has it been like doing a daily radio show?

I haven’t found it that hard. I can talk for four hours with taking a breath.

It took a while for Bruce and I to adjust. He had been doing it alone. We have different ideas for what makes good sports talk radio. Bruce is more traditional. He focuses on games, NFL, NBA, baseball. We had an argument on a Monday about what was the big story: Tiger Woods winning the Memorial or Celtics-Heat. I thought it was Tiger. He thought it was Celtics-Heat.

Tiger Woods, for better or worse, is the best-known athlete in the world. I tend to talk about people, tell stories about people. Bruce likes to break down the games. It’s OK to get two different guys. Over the course of four hours, you don’t want to sound the same.

Is it possible to do a successful sports talk show without a lot of bluster?

Tony Kornheiser has shown you can be successful by doing a smart show. A lot of what I do comes from him. His philosophy is that you don’t have people on just because they are big names. A couple of times, they came to me and said, ‘We can get so and so.’ I said, ‘He’s terrible.’ Tony has a no athletes rule. I don’t think I can get away with that, but I’d rather have on a smart TV commentator or journalist or a coach willing to talk.

They booked (Baltimore GM) Dan Duquette. The Orioles have had a lot of success. Dan came on for 15 minutes and it was physically painful. Then I booked (Baltimore baseball writer) Peter Schmuck. He was great. Peter’s going to be honest, while GMs are paid to hide stuff.

Whether or not we can succeed this way, I don’t know. I’m going to try to do it.

What is your view on callers?

If you get a smart caller, that’s fine. Let him make a few points. But if you get someone who is screaming, get him off. Bruce said, ‘Oh no, you can’t do that.’ I said, ‘Not only can you do that, but you should.’

We had a cadre of callers who were pissed when I first got here. Part of it was people reacting negatively to change and part of it was people who felt it was their show. One day, we had a guy who was screaming because he was put on hold. I said, ‘Fine, don’t call.’

Some of those callers have gone away, and we’ve replaced them with some quality callers. We have 6-8 regular callers where I’m kind of interested in what they have to say.

What do you bring to the show?

I think I’m able to add some things because of my background. Because of what and who I’ve covered through the years. Sometimes I tell stories about people I know. Like when Casey Martin qualified for the U.S. Open. I talked about being in the Supreme Court when they heard his case, and then talking about it to Casey later. I talked about some of the arguments I witnessed in the locker room. I told the story of Fred Couples arguing with Payne Stewart. Fred thought he should get a cart because he had a bad back. Your typical sports talk host doesn’t know this.

What kind of feedback have you gotten thus far?

It’s been positive. But you know in TV and radio, you’re great until the day they fire you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Dan Jenkins to be inducted into Golf Hall of Fame

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This is a big day for the fraternity. Dan Jenkins will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame tonight.

Don’t be surprised if Jenkins’ first line is, “What the (bleep) took you so long?”

Indeed, it is baffling why the Hall waited until Jenkins was 82 to give him this honor. He joins Bernard Darwin and Herbert Warren Wind as the only other golf writers in the Hall. At this point, this is a three-person Mt. Rushmore. Nobody else measures up.

Jenkins’ novel Semi-Tough was an instant classic, and his unique and often hysterical take on golf in Sports Illustrated and then Golf Digest left unless laughing, unless you were one of his targets.

Jerry Tarde writes in Golf Digest:

Dan taught us not to take the big guys so seriously. After Greg Norman’s  collapse at Augusta in 1996, when Norman said if he’d taken the time to study  medicine, he could have been a brain surgeon: “Maybe so,” wrote Jenkins, “but he  wouldn’t operate on this cowboy–not on Sundays, anyhow.”

Take a look at this interview with Jenkins posted on Golf Digest’s site. You’ll be glad you did.