Shark On Golf Commentators: "They’re as boring to listen to as it is to watch boring golfers play."

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Writing for the world-renowned WorldwideGolf.com, Greg Norman shares a litany of opinions on everything wrong with golf and its future.

The former Fox Sports analyst, who lasted just one year in the job and appears to be nursing yet another injury, took aim at CBS's broadcast of The Masters.

When I watched the Masters I turned the sound off the TV!

One thing I find far from appealing is the quality of some of the commentating on TV. They’re as boring to listen to as it is to watch boring golfers play. You get that constant monotone voice: everyone hits a great shot, nobody has an opinion, nobody wants to upset the applecart, and everyone’s got the greatest short game in the world.

When I was in the gym watching The Masters on TV last month I turned the sound off and listened to my favourite music and simply cranked up the volume.

Of course you were in the gym.

Nick Faldo retweeted the article and clearly felt bruised but not beaten by the jab. Helps to have three Green Jackets and the lead announce job!

 

Golf Channel Wins Sports Emmy For Korengel Story

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Golf Channel claimed it's first Sports Emmy for Outstanding Short Feature with producer Todd Kapostasy's artfully-produced look at the inspirational Ryan Korengel story:

NBC Sports Group tonight won nine Sports Emmy Awards for excellence in sports television production, highlighted by four awards for its coverage of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sunday Night Football’s eighth award for outstanding live sports series in nine years; and individual honors for Bob Costas, Mike “Doc” Emrick, and Andres Cantor. The awards were presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

•    Outstanding Short Feature: Golf Central (Golf Channel) - “Don’t Cry for Me – The Ryan Korengel Story”

If you didn't watch the last time it was posted here, this is the piece.

ShackHouse 35: Tommy Roy And The Players

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Live on tape from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida arrives our pre-Players Championship preview.

Plus, special guest Tommy Roy of NBC Sports discusses his incredible career, golf on television and golf in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Then Travis Fulton of Golf Channel Academy joins us to talk junior golf, PVB and the Players.

As always, you can subscribe on iTunes and or just refresh your device subscription page.

Here is The Ringer's show page.

Same deal with Soundcloud for the show, and Episode 35 is here to listen to right now!

As always, ShackHouse is brought to you by Callaway, makers of the Epic Driver that is now part of Callaway's very groovy Customs program along with Mac Daddy's and Chrome Softs. Check it out.

PGA Tour Ratings Streak Hits 12 Straight Final Rounds

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Take that, Byron Nelson!

No, this is no joking matter now as PGA Tour final round ratings dropped for the 12th straight week this year on CBS and NBC, with the Valero Texas Open joining the list.

According to Paulsen at SportsMediaWatch.com, the 1.3 final round rating was down 10% in viewership from last year and the lowest since 2013.

Ratings and viewership have now declined for twelve straight final round PGA windows on broadcast TV, a streak that dates back to Super Bowl Sunday. Nine of those 12 telecasts have hit a multi-year low in one or both measures.

At least lead-in coverage Sunday was unchanged!

Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel had a 0.3 (-17%) and 385,000 (-23%) on Saturday and a 0.4 (flat) and 560,000 on Sunday (+4%).

This week there was good news on the round one/new format Zurich Classic front:

'17 Masters TV: 1.41 Strokes Per Minute, Ratings Analyzed

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There is still much to consider from this year's Masters broadcasts, but before we consider what it all means for the future of golf on TV, a few stories related to the always-scrutinized telecast.

The annual Classic Sports TV compilation of shots shows that since tracking has taken place (2014), the 2017 Masters featured the most shots shown per minute (1.41). Kevin Chappell, 7th, was the highest finishing golfer not to be seen.

As for the ratings decreases, Joel Beall at GolfDigest.com talked to former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson who thinks the lovely weather in much of the northeast cut into the number of folks watching.

"Good weather is a killer in swing months. In the fall, people are sneaking in one last trip to the park, and in the spring, it's more pronounced, going outside for the first time," Pilson says. "It was a gorgeous day in the Northeast, where 20 percent of America's households are located. I had to struggle to stay inside myself."

Interestingly, Pilson did not think the number of people streaming cut into the main number. I think that may be a tough sell for those of us who all know people who...streamed instead of watching on a conventional television.

2017 Masters Ratings Wrap: Final Round Down 11%, ESPN Streaming Way Up

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As with ESPN's ratings drop, I suspect some context is needed to fully understand the drop in CBS ratings thar surprises a bit given the quality of the leaderboard. However, with the exceptional coverage online that can stream in places never before imagined, it would seem inevitable that ratings should decline.

On the other hand, perhaps this is an opening for a serious dialogue about how golf is presented on television.

Either way, let's start with Austin Karp's Tweets for SBJ:

 

ESPN's ratings were down but they did reveal streaming numbers that would suggest audience went to other means of watching. For immediate release:

Masters Tournament Coverage Earns ESPN’s Highest Streaming Numbers Ever

ESPN wrapped up its live coverage of the first and second rounds of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday, April 7, with its highest streaming numbers ever for the two days.

Golf fans streamed a record 25.8 million total minutes, a five percent increase from 2016, and the two-day average minute audience of 46,812 was up three percent from the 2016 record of 45,313. Friday’s second round stream from 3-7:30 p.m. ET earned a record average minute audience of 49,038 viewers.

The success story for the Masters on ESPN digital platforms also included a record two-day average of 961,000 unique visitors to golf content on the ESPN App, an increase of 34 percent over 2016. Also, a two-day average of 1.3 million daily unique visitors went to golf content on ESPN.com. Across all ESPN digital platforms, the two-day average minute audience of 23,000 people on golf content was a 14 percent increase from 2016.

ESPN’s live telecast of the second round of the Masters on Friday earned a 1.8 rating, averaging 2.603 million viewers. The telecast peaked at a 2.0 rating between 6-6:30 p.m. Last year’s telecast of the second round earned a 2.2 rating and an average viewership of 3.060 million viewers. 

Orlando, Fla., was the nation’s highest-rated metered market with a 4.0 rating for Friday’s telecast, followed by Greenville, S.C., at 3.9; San Diego at 3.2; and Greensboro, N.C., and Norfolk, Va., tied at 3.0.s

Completing the top 10 metered markets were Louisville, Ky., at 2.9; Cleveland and Memphis, tied at 2.8; and Tampa-St. Petersburg and Oklahoma City, tied at 2.7.

The Friday telecast completed ESPN’s two days of live Masters coverage, but SportsCenter and ESPN.comwill continue to report from the event throughout the weekend.

 Golf Channel's debut of Jack following Live From The Masters went well:

Last night’s 1st episode of Jack (.24 overnight rating) matched 2 of 3 episodes of Arnie, which premiered following the 2014 Masters. This makes Jack the highest-rated Golf Films project in three years, exceeding 4 other projects in that span (Payne, Arnie & Me, Crenshaw: A Walk Through Augusta, ‘86). Live+3 final data will be available later this week. Episode 2 of Jack premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET.

DVR Alert: Arnold Palmer's Final Television Interview Sunday

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The final round of The Masters starts Sunday at 2 pm ET, but the warm-up shows should be incorporated into your viewing schedule.

Jim Nantz Remembers has become a staple of the pre-final round Masters viewing and this year's is extra special given that it turned out to be Arnold Palmer's last television interview.

Nantz told writers on CBS's conference call of how the option was placed before his friend Mr. Palmer to do a chat following the 2016 Masters honorary starters shots. After that special moment with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, Mr. Palmer gave Nantz the thumb's up that he was up for it, CBS raced to set up Butler Cabin and Nantz relayed how, when the lights went on, The King provided over 20 minutes of great stories and memories.

The full press release description for Sunday's show airing from 1-2 pm ET on CBS:

Arnold Palmer.  JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS AUGUSTA: ARNOLD PALMER – HIS LAST VISIT TO THE MASTERS relives Palmer’s years at Augusta National, beginning with his first victory in 1958 through his emotional final walk to the 18th green in 2004.   The one-hour special includes segments narrated by the other two members of the “Big Three” – Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, along with a segment narrated by the player most often compared to Palmer’s go-for-broke style of play, Phil Mickelson

Prior to that at 12:30 pm ET Sunday, Bill Macatee sits down witih Phil Mickelson to detail his Masters wins and I've heard throgh the grapevine that it's a fascinating chat for any Masters fan.

The full press release description:

THE MASTERS: PHIL! is an inside look at the remarkable career of Phil Mickelson, framed by his three memorable victories at the Masters.  From his first swings as a toddler at his family’s San Diego home to his unforgettable trio of Masters victories, Mickelson has enjoyed a career spanning three decades to become one of the game’s most beloved champions cementing his place among golf’s greats.

DVR Alert And Q&A: "Jack" Producer Israel DeHerrera

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Producer Israel DeHerrera, who also served as the lead producer for the critically acclaimed, three-part Arnie film in 2014, led the ambitious team behind "Jack", debuting Sunday night after Live From The Masters.

DeHerrera's Golf Films has worked on numerous projects, including ’86, a chronicle of Nicklaus’ final major championship win at the 1986 Masters.

DeHerrera helps give us some insight into the three-part film that concludes with Monday and Tuesday night airings on Golf Channel.

GS: Give us the timing of how long this documentary has taken from beginning to end?

ID: We first approached Jack at the Memorial Tournament in 2015 about a four part series. The first installment being 86, which premiered on Golf Channel in April 2016, followed by the current three part series.

Golf Films began production right away on 86, and during that process collected content for the larger Jack series. Intense pre-production for the three-part series began in  April 2016,  and post production began in December 2016.

 

GS: What are some of your favorite finds and pieces of footage we’ll see?

ID: There’s some cool footage of Jack attending Jackie and Steve’s high school football game in the early 80’s. He demanded an early tee-time at the World Series at Firestone on Friday so he could fly home for the big game. We found the footage of him at that actual game from an NBC News affiliate. Additionally, we have a lot of home movies and there is some compelling footage of him and his sister as kids with their mom and dad. Great stuff of Jack playing baseball, football and basketball, and footage of him in his dad’s old drug store on the Ohio State campus. But by far, my favorite piece of video was of Jack in Butler Cabin being interviewed during the CBS broadcast by Clifford Roberts after his win in 1972. Roberts says to Jack, “and in connection with that new wine cellar you are building, I am going to send you an entire case of Château Lafite, 1952.” And Jack’s response, (laughing),  “Hello! Look out!“

GS: You tracked down someone who attended every major won by Jack, what was that process like and what was the thinking behind that for the film?

ID: We wanted to make sure we were bringing as much authenticity to the film and taking viewers back in time to feel like they were there for all of these greats moments in Jack’s career. We tried to do that by tracking down an individual who was in attendance at each of his 18 major victories. We also tracked down memorabilia and artifacts from those major victories to help bring these stories to life.

 

GS: There have been rumblings you’ve gone to other GOAT’s to discuss Jack? Who did you get and how did that work out?

Who better to weigh in on the debate of the greatest athlete of all-time than individuals who can actually relate to that stature? From the burden of holding that title and from getting inside the mind of what makes someone stand above the rest, we were fortunate enough to have an elite collection of GOATs weigh in on Jack and his legacy in golf and sports overall, including Roger Federer, Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Rice, Pete Rose, Bill Belichick, Kelly Slater, Richard Petty, and Annika Sorenstam.

 

GS: Jack Nicklaus told the story of the gift you got him as a thank you, give us an idea how you tracked down the artifacts? 

ID: This was a big commitment of Mr. Nicklaus’ time, and I just wanted him to know how much I appreciated him letting Golf Films tell his story. What do you get the man who has everything? Jack and I got to talking about baseball one day and I asked him if he was an Indians or Reds fan. He said Indians, and in fact the first game he had ever attended was a Yankees-Indians game with his dad at Yankee Stadium in 1948.

In that game Bob Feller and Satchell Paige had pitched, and Joe DiMaggio hit a grand slam. I had actually produced a documentary before on Bob Feller and knew that 1948 team very well (World Series champs).

I started doing some research and was able to find the box-score from the game online (of course Jack remembered it all perfectly). I contacted Jimmy Roberts who has a friend, Jeff Idelson, who works for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Jeff put me in touch with someone who collects ticket stubs from every meaningful baseball game that has ever been played. And sure enough he had a stub from that game (he refused payment and said, “Knowing this is going to Jack Nicklaus is payment enough”). I then was able to find a program from that weekend’s game online after weeks of digging. I ordered up original copies of the New York Times from the day before the game and the day after and placed everything in a shadow box with pictures of Jack and his dad plus a picture from that ball game.

 

A sampling from the film:

Talk! Mickelson On Feherty, Tirico On Callaway Live

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A couple of fun talk shows air this week, starting with part one of Phil Mickelson on Feherty, Monday night March 6th (9 pm ET).

Still buzzing from having just attended the monthly Rancho Santa Fe chapter meeting of the Arthur Fonzerelli Society, Mickelson talks Masters and Ryder Cup in part one.

A preview of this comments on Tiger Woods:

On Tuesday at 9 pm ET and streaming permanently thereafter, NBC Sports' Mike Tirico sits down with Callaway Live host Harry Arnett to discuss his new gig as primetime Olympic host and his love of golf.

Great news: Tin Cup is airing twice on Golf Channel during the mid-morning hours, so you won't have a reason to skip Tirico! Last week's season three opener guest was Jim Furyk.

A preview:

Thomas's 59 Highlights PGA Tour's Digital Conundrum

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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan highlighted digital as a big part of his focus and has expressed a desire for the PGA Tour to obtain ownership or partial ownership of the channel showing his tour product.

This has prompted the PGA Tour to create PGA Tour Live to show pre-Golf Channel coverage and to establish another option for showing golf, with the long term goal of possibly becoming home to Thursday and Friday coverage once the current Golf Channel deal expires (2021).

But when Justin Thomas teed off early and posted a Sony Open 59 Thursday, he exposed several weaknesses in the PGA Tour approach to digital, starting with PGA Tour Live sitting out the two Hawaii events, presumably due to cost. This isn't surprising given the expense of doing golf in Hawaii and the tour's propensity for saving a buck, as evidenced by PGA Tour-managed events ending spectator access to practice round days.

Golf Channel, set to start Sony coverage at 6 pm ET, did pick up the last two holes of Thomas's 59 more than one hour before scheduled sign-on time. Yet the PGA Tour directed fans to Facebook Live where the 8th 59 in tour history was seen through the cell phone camera of PGATour.com's Ben Everill (who, btw, did an excellent job analyzing the scene).

However, this is not exactly the most scintillating way to see a 59:

Would the PGA Tour's new Twitter streaming deal have helped? Nope. It's merely a way to preview PGA Tour Live coverage in the weeks PGA Tour Live is covering golf.

In the case of Thomas's 59, had the PGA Tour linked to Golf Channel's Golf Live Extra, fans would have been asked to log in via their cable provider. Sorry cord cutters!

Yet given the lack of PGA Tour Live presence this week, the PGA Tour should have worked out something to provide fans with a better view. 

According to the PGA Tour's Ty Votaw, the issue was contractual, requiring all viewing to go through Golf Channel's Golf Live Extra. Yet the tour directed fans to a PGATour.com reporter's cell phone video at Facebook Live, with no social link for Golf Channel cable viewers. By having PGA Tour social accounts not promote the Golf Channel's online streaming of the last two holes, it's been made clear the partners are not working together, even in a non-PGA Tour Live week.

This will not be the last time fans are caught in the middle of leveraging tension between the tour and Golf Channel.