0.9...

Doug Ferguson in a column writing off the FedEx Cup before it even starts, slipped this in:

A year ago at the Tour Championship, the rating was 1.9, and that was with Woods in the field (albeit six shots behind Bart Bryant). The rating plunged to a paltry 0.9 this year when Woods skipped for the first time in his career.

Talk About Awkward...

...did you catch the Tour Championship interview of Tim Finchem?

This contractually obligated torture session pits ABC's ESPN on ABC's outgoing announcers with Finchem, who seems to have grown more reticent each year. He struggles to make eye contact and apparently is unable to show any genuine pleasure. (At least for his $10 million a year, the NBA's David Stern tries to crack a joke now and then, and this is a man who told SI's Jack McCallum in the Nov. 6 issue that he wishes he could ban his players from carrying guns...and he's not joking).

So here I was thinking that maybe, just maybe that lame duck ABC ESPN on ABC and loose cannons Faldo and Azinger, we'd actually get a spirited exchange.

After Finchem thanked ABC for "years and years of commitment to communicating the sport so well" and noting that the "production quality has always been superb," you could hear people turning channel Finchem noted that he was excited about the continued relationship with ESPN. Whatever that's about? (Probably the Tour paying ESPN to do "Sportscenter from the Players Championship" or some such thing.)

Azinger then selfishly asked about the schedule in 2008, with 7 of last 8 weeks before Ryder Cup involving the "playoffs."

"Well, we have a one-off," was Finchem's answer before shooting down Azinger's assertion that the situation was in any way messy.

Faldo then tried to make a joke about receiving the Commissioner's annual wine selection, an apparent holiday gift that Finchem naturally pounced on to plug of the tour's wine label (boy we're really reaching the 18-34 y.o.'s now!). Then Faldo asked about getting more WGC's played in International locations, which set Finchem up for some silly assertion that China could grow to 200 million golfers if it keeps on Japan's pace.

So here ABC ESPN on ABC has a chance to ask a tough question and they lob him two that have been asked repeatedly in press conferences this year.

Rivetting television. Actually, I got a big chuckle out of the tension and awkward nature of the whole thing, so it was good for something.
 

"Not as expensive."

During the first round of the Tour Championship, Azinger, Baker-Finch and Faldo were discussing the dynamics of the caddy-player relationship, when Karl Ravech decided to sum it up by saying, "so it's like a husband and wife relationship."

To which Faldo replied, "not as expensive."

"It's my first love, playing golf"

Craig Dolch profiles Bobby Clampett in the Palm Beach Post. I know, you're printing this one out.

Bobby Clampett can talk a good game of golf. That's what he's done the past 15 years as a CBS golf announcer. He can analyze the game, the swing, the players. He can break down a player's swing, write a book about it, then turn his attention to golf-course design.

But the one thing about golf he enjoys far more than the others is playing it. Pure and simple, getting on the golf course and seeing how much he can control his swing for 18 holes. No excuses, no commentary, just performance.

Maybe he could return to playing full time? 

"It's my first love, playing golf," Clampett said by phone this week. "I feel when you have a God-given talent to play the game, you will never be fulfilled in life unless you give it your best. It's a gift. You sit on a gift, you don't do anybody any good."

And I think it sounds like God is going to help give him the time to pursue his gift full time...

But another part of his interest in playing golf again is his uncertain status at CBS - he still hasn't signed a new deal as the network has made several changes for 2007.

We can only pray that they'll make more changes. 

Bamberger/Faldo Chat

Michael Bamberger questions Nick Faldo about his '07 TV schedule. Faldo doesn't seem super chatty.

"Someone's going to have to define Nick's role"

In the current Golf World "Bunker" (not posted online), Stu Schneider talks to Peter Kostis about the hiring of Nick Faldo.

"Someone's going to have to define Nick's role," Kostis said. "Nick is a very funny guy, but he's not going to compete with [David] Feherty or McCord, and we don't need an excess of funny on our telecasts. I think he's being hired because of his golf knowledge and his ability to communicate it."

So two questions.

Are Feherty and McCord really funnier than Faldo these days?

And, CBS does not need an excess of funny on their telecasts?

Another Great CBS Move

CBS adds Ian Baker-Finch...wouldn't he be great on Amen Corner? Or 17 at Augusta, with Oosty moving to 12 and 13.

This just can't be good news for Bobby Clampett. 

"If you knew what you were going to get every week, then there's no point in having me"

The Augusta Chronicle's Scott Michaux considers the impact of Nick Faldo's sudden retirement from Masters play:

Faldo might have been pushed into the booth at Augusta somewhat prematurely by the latest batch of changes that have lengthened and tightened the course beyond the reach of aging, moderate hitters such as himself. When he got his first glimpse of the course last April, he offered a clue about his future at the Masters.

"I can't play it now," he said. "I'm just here for fun. I can't compete on a course like this, but fortunately I know that I have three jackets in the locker room, so that's fine by me."

As for some of the changes, Faldo wasn't afraid to be critical. Having those three green jackets earns him the license to be critical without fear of retribution, just as other multiple winners and club members Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer enjoy. Faldo called the changes to the tee shot on No. 11 "a little heavy-handed," with the dramatic alterations making the hole "not the same by miles, and it's a shame."

"I'll be smiling and laughing in another 10 years' time, when all these pine trees have grown up," he said last April. "It will be a scream sitting up here drinking pina coladas and watching them thread it through the Augusta needle."

Faldo certainly won't be drinking cocktails from the tower above the 18th green, but whether or not he will be free to be that candid on the air with his say-no-evil colleagues at CBS remains to be seen. Faldo is a man not easily muzzled.

"I duck and dive and go with the flow each week," Faldo said. "If you knew what you were going to get every week, then there's no point in having me, I guess. ... I'm respectful. I'm not going to beat on the guys but I think I call it pretty fair and square."

Does This Sound Familiar?

Helene Elliott in today's LA Times writes about the NHL's disastrous move away from ESPN to OLN (now Versus). It's hard not to think of the PGA Tour and The Golf Channel when reading this:

A year ago, with its season about to start and ESPN refusing to pay big bucks to renew its rights deal, a desperate NHL aligned itself with OLN, now known as Versus when it's mentioned at all. Either side can end that agreement after this season.

If the NHL is serious about becoming a major player, it must flee Versus, crawl over broken glass if need be, and beg ESPN to take it back.

Like it or not, ESPN is ingrained in our sports culture. NHL executives were furious that under the previous deal, ESPN cut its NHL coverage after it added the NBA. However, a profit-sharing deal with the NHL would give ESPN incentive to restore hockey to prominence.

"ESPN provides the sort of Good Housekeeping stamp of approval," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon and a hockey fan. The NHL, he said, "would be better off finding a working partnership between themselves and ESPN. If it were my decision, and not knowing the reason, this league needs as many symbolic attachments to maintain their position as a major professional sport."

Versus' appeal had three prongs: It was willing to give the NHL lots of airtime, it was willing to pay a rights fee, and it was there. It hasn't grown fast enough to give the NHL the exposure it needs, having only recently extended its reach to 70 million homes, 20 million fewer than ESPN and ESPN2. Nor has Versus created a distinct identity that separates it from its competitors in the cable universe.

"If we were going to grow, we needed to do something different," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in defending the deal. "While we gave up some distribution, the coverage was phenomenal. They will continue to grow over time and we think as a result, people will see better coverage of hockey."

Bettman said Versus has committed extensive resources and money to its growth...

Hey, but look on the bright side NHL. You aren't locked up for 15 years. 

Update On TGC Announcer Lineup

Golfweek's Rex Hoggard has new details on The Golf Channel announcer line-up (I know you were losing sleep in anticipation...but hey, with 15 years to go, this stuff matters to some of us).

Tilghman and Faldo will be joined in Hawaii by Dottie Pepper and Jerry Foltz, both TGC staples with extensive experience working LPGA and Nationwide Tour events as on-course reporters. Rocco Mediate, a five-time Tour winner and current player, also is slated to work the year's first three events as an on-course reporter.

Peter Oosterhuis and Mark Rolfing will share the 17th tower duties and Rich Lerner will produce essays and features.

Definitely sounding a bit more professional than what initially leaked out, especially with the addition of Pepper and Oosterhuis.  

First Prize: Your Own Infomercial?

Do you think the Big Break with Donald Trump marks a low point for The Golf Channel? Think again...

 The Golf Channel is in the process of developing a series that will uncover the next new innovation in golf.

If you have a golf related invention, let us know! The Golf Channel is looking for people of all ages and backgrounds, and with all types of golf inventions for this potential new series.

If The Golf Channel proceeds with the series, you will have the opportunity to showcase your product to an entire world of golf enthusiasts with the support of The Golf Channel and potentially turn your idea into the next big thing in golf!

If you think you have the next big idea, please fill the attached preliminary application and email it to inventions@golfchannel.com, or send via US Mail to:

The Golf Channel
Attn: Inventions
7580 Commerce Center Drive
Orlando, Fla., 32819

Please do not submit photos, sketches, descriptions or other information about the nature of your product or idea at this time.

Information and an on-line application are also available at www.thegolfchannel.com. For questions and for additional information, please email inventions@golfchannel.com.

If you have golf's next big idea, don't miss out on the chance to participate in this potential new series!

Is there any doubt what the winner gets for creating the next Medicus?

Their very own Golf Channel infomercial, placed in the coveted noon time slot to capture the lunchtime demographic and more importantly, so that it doesn't compete with The View.  

More On Faldo Hiring

Regarding the exciting news that CBS has hired Nick Faldo, Richard Sandomir in the NY Times shares this quote from a CBS exec:

Tony Pettitti, the executive vice president of CBS Sports, said Faldo's short period of work at ABC demonstrated an "easy ability to analyze, to vary his approach and explain and analyze things in different ways."

And now you know why Bobby Clampett still has a network job.

Peter McCleery at Golfoberver analyzes the surprise hiring, saying that it likely means Ian Baker-Finch may not be in CBS's plans now, and he raises this interesting point about Faldo covering the Masters (no, not the riveting question of whether he'll wear his green jacket on the air...):

His honesty may have the Masters folks on edge; he may have a hard time not telling us what he thinks of the course changes on a few holes. That delicate topic was nicely sidestepped on CBS in recent years as the crew fell into a unanimous chorus of approval.

Faldo In At CBS, TGC, ABC, BBC, Sky...

Jeese, where isn't he?

Thanks to reader Philip for this story on Nick Faldo replacing Lanny Wadkins at CBS, which was in dire need of new announcing life. Lanny declined a reduced role in order "to devote more of his time to playing on the Champions Tour."

Tilghman, Faldo, Lerner and Foltz

Ron Sirak and Stu Schneider report that The Golf Channel will pair Kelly Tilghman with Nick Faldo in the main booth, with Rich Lerner and Jerry Foltz (!?!?!?) on the 17th hole.

If nothing else, this news will bring legions of new readers to this site thanks to this very post.

Yes, one of the oddities of blogging is the ability to see how people reach your site. And believe it or not, based on one measely mention of Tilghman in a post a while back, 10-20 visitors a week find this site running searches for "Kelly Tilghman" and "pictures," or sometimes, her name and "nude photos."

What a wonderful world! 

Tape Delayed No More?

Golfobserver's Peter McCleery analyzes NBC's Ryder Cup telecast, focusing his criticism on the outdated nature of tape-delay coverage in the Internet era. He says sucked the life out of the Friday/Saturday telecasts here in the States, and I would agree. But even on tape, NBC could have done better...

If you're going to tape everything, use the time more wisely. As it was, there was 20 minute of nonaction to fill on Saturday, and the 20 minutes before that featured only one match still in progress.

Might NBC suggest that they didn't have enough time to edit the dreadfully slow morning four-balls, even though we know they did based on those tacky Rolex clocks decorating each tee?

Anyway, McCleery concludes: 

Here's hoping this is the last tape-delayed Ryder Cup ever and the last walkover in a while. The PGA and NBC have another four years to figure it all out. That's twice the time that the American players have. It should be enough to finally get this thing right.

They just had two years since the last Cup to devise an Internet strategy for this year's event, announcing the exclusive online coverage the day before the matches started.

However, there may be hope for U.S. viewers when the matches are played at Celtic Manor in 2010. It has been rumored that Friday Ryder Cup play may be spread out over two days (like the Presidents Cup). This would allow for 1 p.m. tee times on new host network ESPN, meaning a respectable start time in the east coast. And of course, we know that's all that matters.

This would also allow for a 10 or 11 a.m. start at Valhalla, allowing European viewers to go to bed at decent hour.

However, a Thursday start still doesn't solve the Saturday-on-NBC issue. And of course, we know that's all that matters.