Gideon

I like to tune in to the majors. I don't golf anymore, but I really like watching the guys go for the majors. There's simply something career-making about it all, and, frankly, if you know who's won the majors, you know who's who. No offense to the guy who won 11 tournis in a row in 1816 - that's nice, but the benchmark will always be majors.


First, I can't find the listing online. CBS is directing me to the free coverage via the Internet. So I get distacted and click on that. It tells me that I don't have WMP installed. Of course me and every other WinXP operator has it installed.

So I leave that window and try to find the TV listing. Nada.

I finally find the start time at TVGuide dot com or some such place.

So I tune in to round 3.

Next day, I tune in for round 4.

The T time for the final pairing is 2:30. I tune in at about 2:15.

There is some A Palmer thing on. He's getting teary. They have some Master's member announcing the 1st hole honorary T off of Palmer. He says, "here's Arnold, at the Masters, where he belongs."

Unfortunately, they're effectively kicking the old codger out, and this was their one last nod to the guy. "OK old man, we'll let you hit the ball this last time, but then go ride off into the Georgia sunset on one of them scooters."

Arnold himself recalls how, when he was young, he played with the elderly on Thursday and "I expected the same when I was that age."

In other words, that was as close as he'd come to saying "I got boned here."

I thought, all in all, it was really poorly done, both by CBS and the Masters. There was all of this dancing around the issue but it was not said - The rules have been changed and, even though we used to keep these zombies around until they stroked out, now we're going to cut them loose early to leave room for younger guys."

I know that was sarcastic, but my point is that they should have just been straight - we've changed the rules, this is Arnold's last year, we love you, take care.

So then that sappy, off the mark coverage ends and ????


And Tiger and the newest rendition of the "Australian Choker" are already on the second hole. Tiger has bogeyed the first and the AC has doubled.???

And we missed that?

WTF?

Seriously, who the hell was sleeping in the production crew? I've been watching the Masters since well before the original and greatest Australian Choker gave up a 5 stroke lead in the last seven holes. I never recall not seeing the last group T off.

If the production crew had to make the call between finishing the Arnold segment and switching to the last group's T off, I'd say they blew the call. Of course, there's no way it should have been that close to begin with.

Other observations:

1. Lousy organization of the various talking heads. It seeems that the live feed was jumping around a lot, with multiple guys talking, guys not knowing when their turn has come up, and several times the camera view was a shot of nothing, or the cameraman adjusting his focus.

2. Keep the sound off the players - it does nothing for the game to hear Tiger swear and blame the caddy after every mediocre shot.

3. What was with Tiger spitting? Giant white frothy gobs of spit. I don't think I've seen that - ever - in a golf telecast.

4. Too many times it was not made clear that the shot we were watching was struck 5 minutes ago, or whatever. Poor presentation and poor continuity.

5. WAY WAY WAY to many "master's moments". Seriously, it was overboard. I want to watch THIS Tourni - not highlights from 1962.

6. Not enough coverage and background about the guys who were contending. Not until about the 12th hole did the eventual winner get any airtime, and then we only find out that he "has only won 1 tourni" and he is a new father. If a guy ends day 3 within striking distance (4 strokes?) of the lead, they should have a 2 page bio on the guy that gets introduced early and ofter. How about quotes from other players? How about more about his Ryder cup travails? Some clips of key moments from that cup?

All in all, I'd say that Zach got the Birdie Kim treatment - by which I refer to the U.S. Open (I think), when Birdie Kim holed out a tremendous sand shot for a Birdie on 18, I believe, to win the whole thing. So afterwards, the interviewer asks BKim how it feels, gives her 5 seconds to answer, then says "thanks, and now on to [that spoiled brat and TV ratings-maker] Michelle Wie." Lame, low class, and disrespectful.

So, all in all, I thought a very very poor showing by CBS all the way around. Poor live coverage, poor story management, and poor prep on the eventual winner.

Esesntially, it was way too much old timer crap, followed by "let's detail Tiger's every move and hope he wins", but he didn't, so here's 10 minutes of the guy who did win, what's his name?, and he's never won before and he'll never win again - f___, this guy hurt ratings, and he's probably another Ben what's his name of BO fame.

But he's not.

CBS, you missed the best story of this years Masters.

With Sabatinni, Vaughn, Johnson, and Rose, all in the hunt, you could have made this the story of the new Wave of Young Talent sweeping into the Masters. I found it compelling.

Instead, you made it virtually exclusively about the has-been hemmorhoid crew and the Tiger/Phil ratings grab.

Sorry Phil didn't show up for you.

Oh, and hello.

Doby45

Tell us how you REALLY feel..

Golfbum

Butz

i second the motion :-)
In fact, I liked how they show the human side of Tiger Wood, his facial expressions and some silly acts.

There were some highlights of each and other players.
although, they didn't focus much on the Asian players.

Maybe my only complain would be Like I would like to watch how Jeev Milkah Singh and KJ Choi play Golf but the Asian Golfers had a fewer spots on the limelight.

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For the Love of the Game,

Butz

BrianMcG

Not bad for your first post. Although, you must not have been watching the Masters for very long. They only started giving coverage of the front nine the past few years.

If you have internet you could see an extra two hours of coverage, plus watching the players warm up on the driving range, plus everyone going through Amen Corner. Next year go to The Official Site of the Masters Tournament.

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white_tiger_137

.................ok

Even just on Sunday, there were what, maybe 12 people within 4 strokes? 24 pages of bio might cut into airtime, and then you might miss the last group teeing off.


I do agree whole-heartedly here.


Welcome to the forum by the way!

__________________

JPsuff

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Great post, Gideon!

Very insightful. And I agree with about 96% of what you wrote (mainly because I don't mind Tiger's colorful commentary and he doesn't always blame his caddie).

I think you've said what a lot of people actually think but are too blown away by the "tradition" of the Masters to actually say out loud. And yeah, I think that if I saw one more "Masters Moment" I'd be on my way to Best Buy for a new TV because mine would have a lamp sticking out of it.

Thank God for TiVo! I can breeze through all that crap and just watch golf.


Anyway, I enjoyed reading your thoughts (for example I sense right now that you want to scratch your left ear), and I look forward to more lively insights!


-JP