Tag Archives: Johnny Miller

Sports analysts weigh in on debate between Obama-Lama and Rawlings Mitt Romney

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Forget about what Blitzer, Maddow and O’Reilly had to say about last night’s debate. This is a sports media site. So we asked the various announcers and analysts for their assessment.

Jon Gruden: This guy, this Mitt Romney. I’ve been watching him for years. He always has a knack for coming up with the big play. What a guy.

Chris Berman: Barack Obama-Lama couuuld gooooo alllll the wayyyyyy….WHUUUP!!…Was there a banana peel on stage?….Here comes Rawlings Mitt Romney to scoop up the ball….

Tim McCarver: In a situation like this, the challenger will try to throw off the incumbent by attacking his record in office. And that’s exactly what Mitt Romney did tonight.

Dick Vitale: Oh, oh, are you kidding me? Mitt Romney, he’s a PTP player, baby! Only Coach K could have done that better. But then there’s only one Coach K. He’s awesome, babyyyy!

Cris Collinsworth: The president was terrible. There’s no other way to put it. He was terrible.

Johnny Miller: The president choked. There’s no other way to put it. He choked.

Al Michaels (big-time Republican): That’s what I’ve been trying to tell everyone. You want another four years of that?

John McEnroe: What was Obama thinking? All he did was hit to Romney’s forehand. You’ve got to make him move. Put him on the defensive. He can’t be serious!!

Ken Harrelson (pro Romney): Youuu can put it on the booooard! a-YESSS! YESSS!

Ken Harrelson (pro Obama): (Silence)

David Feherty: The president looked as if he reached into his bag and pulled out a large slab of Silly Putty. I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds funny, so laugh.

Jack Ramsey: This was nothing like Lincoln-Douglas debates in ’58. 1858, that is. I should know. I was there with Jim Lehrer.

Lee Corso: Not so fast, Obama. Not so fast. My friends, the winner is…(Putting a Romney head on his head)…Romney! (Crowd at Al Michaels’ house roars).

Michael Strahan: Can we book Romney for Live! with Kelly and Michael? Find out what TV shows he likes.

Skip Bayless: I’ve been telling everyone this thing isn’t over. But nobody would listen to me. No. I’m telling you, it is going down to the wire.

Stephen A. Smith: I know Barack Obama. He’s a good friend of mine. I picked out the ring he brought for Michelle. But c’mon Barack, you’ve got to do better than ‘I’m going to try harder.’ What’s with that weak crap? Let me write your stuff. Skip is much tougher than Romney, and I beat him all the time.

Terry Bradshaw: Can either of these guys sing? If they are make me watch them for 90 minutes, then I want to hear some songs.

John Kruk: Another slab of ribs, please. More sauce, too.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a life-long Democrat. So my reaction would be the same as the pro-Obama Harrelson: Silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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.