Shark! Greg Norman Out At Fox, Azinger In?
/That's what Links Magazine is reporting on Twitter and I can confirm from a second well-placed source.
That source could not confirm, however, that Paul Azinger will be announced as Greg Norman's replacement after just a year as Fox golf's lead analyst. However, Azinger has gone very quiet of late on Twitter and has been widely rumored in recent days to be talking to Fox.
Furthermore, Azinger worked with Fox golf producer Mark Loomis when the trio of Mike Tirico-Nick Faldo and Azinger was widely revered for their fresh, fun and smart approach.
Azinger has most recently been lead analyst on ESPN's golf telecasts, but with the network down to just The Masters, his much-needed smart approach to players, championships, courses and the golf swing would be a great addition to Fox. Azinger will be an enormous upgrade over Norman, whose first year was marked largely by sounding unprepared, appearing unaware of players who were born outside Australia, and most of all, seeming very impressed with former World No. 1 Greg Norman.
If you're nostalgic, here is the Shark's first suggestion he would be Fox's lead man on USGA coverage, just hours after the announcement had been made.
**Golfweek.com's Martin Kaufmann says the departure is essentially a firing.
During the final round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout in December, Fox put a third announcer, Brad Faxon, in the 18th tower with Norman and anchor Joe Buck. The hope, according to sources, was that Faxon’s presence would force Norman to become more engaged in the broadcast. Fox, however, apparently didn’t see a way forward with Norman.
**Gary Van Sickle at Golf.com analyzes and offers this from a source:
Norman just wasn’t engaged in any of the FOX telecasts the way the network had hoped, the source said.
"It was tough for the whole staff because he wasn’t involved in the shows like a lead analyst should be," the source said. "Maybe he thought just being Greg Norman was enough. He's been successful in everything he's done in business but he wasn’t good at TV. He was a team player but when the cameras turned on, he just went silent."
