Johnny Miller Clearly Hates Tiger Woods

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 16, 2009 7:07 PM EDT Comment 12 comments

Johnny Miller is a divisive TV commentator. His speaks his mind and people either love that or hate it. At times, I love it - like when he called out rampant slow play at last year's Arnold Palmer Invitational. At others, he is just impossible to watch golf with in the background. Sunday at Doral was one of those Mission: Unlistenable days.

Will Weiss at The Sporting Muse noticed this offense, as did Geoff Shackelford, and the golf.com roundtable in an exchange between Miller and Roger Maltbie that was indefensible.

[There was] a juicy on-air back and forth between Johnny Miller and Roger Maltbiegame's best player. Johnny said if Phil is hitting it 300 yards and straight, he's the best player in the world. Roger said he knew a guy who could beat him — last name Woods.

This isn't the first time that Miller has uttered a stupid statement along this theme. In 2007, Miller basically said the same thing on air while Phil Mickelson was winning the Players Championship.

"You know, if there was some way to rank talent Phil has got to be really close to Tiger," Miller said. "Those two I believe are way out ahead of everybody else."

At the time, Miller said Woods had an advantage because Woods had better coaching from a younger age.

"Phil has had not as good a coaching throughout his career in my estimation. Tiger has had guys—psychiatrists and you name it—right from the get-go, even when he was a teenager, so he had better coaching at a younger age."

Seriously, Johnny. You have made some really stupid predictions in the past about Tiger and you're on record as needlessly hating on Tiger.

Then again, I honestly think that Johnny really doesn't care about what he says. In an interview prior to the Oakmont US Open, Miller said this:

"[M]y goal on the air is to say things you don't expect me to say."

Oh, great. Supposedly, Miller took to heart that Lanny Wadkins was fired partially because he was too bland and nice. Still, being a goofball and completely wrong for the sake of being controversial is equally useless to a telecast. Miller sounded almost pro-Europe at the end of this year's Ryder Cup - perhaps because his suggestion that JB Holmes should not make the team was not heeded by Captain America Paul Azinger.

Basically, go against Johnny Miller and he will rail against you in the booth for years.

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Oh did you hear

Early in Sunday’s broadcast Miller called Mickelson an Alpha male(with his men boobs?) and said Nick Watney was submissive.

by Bill Jempty on Mar 17, 2009 6:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That statement was half right. Mickelson does fit the “alpha male” description…until Tiger shows up, of course – but that is his personality. The comment about Watney was just dumb. Miller thinks he is the great psychologist to go along with the rest of his “legend in my own mind” talents.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 17, 2009 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Weiskopf, Johnny Miller and

a bunch of others were to Jack Nicklaus 35 years ago as Els, Singh, Mickelson, et al are to Tiger now. Johnny won a bunch and even a few majors, but Jack was Mr. Golf and everyone else was ‘less than’…
There is no doubt in my mind he holds some resentments and they come out in a not so subtle way if you are listening. I hear a lot of great Tiger praise from Johnny Miller. I think he regards Tiger as the best ever to play the game.

by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Mar 17, 2009 8:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think he has any choice

To praise him some of the time. How could you not? Even Crazy Johnny couldn’t get away with trashing the first or second (or third if you’re European since McIlroy is already the best) player ever to play.

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 17, 2009 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The last line cancels out the first

When you read this post backwards – starting with “my goal is to say things you don’t expect” – that cancels out “he speaks his mind.” When someone speaks their mind, they are supposed to at least be TRYING to tell the truth. Miller doesn’t care about the truth anymore – he is the shock jock of golf – and it is just plane wrong. He doesn’t speak his mind – he just makes things up as he goes.

Miller doesn’t “hate” Tiger Woods. That’s nonsense. He says a lot of really stupid things – but if you look back on things, he generally talks as if every moment is in a vacuum. If Phil hits a great shot – he’s the greatest of all time. If he does something stupid, he should be at home playing cribbage with the retirees. The quotes you found about Tiger vs Phil’s early days and their coaching are insane. Tiger was taught by his father for most of his early days. His high school coach was his teacher for a while, too. It wasn’t until he was 16 that Butch Harmon came along. Mickelson, on the other hand, grew up mirroring his father, but he grew up in a country club family with top notch coaching and all kinds of tournament travel.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 17, 2009 9:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I definitely don’t think that Johnny hates Tiger. (Remember, always a little hyperbole in each title :) ) That is a good point about the canceling out that didn’t dawn on me until you raised it. How could he be both?

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 17, 2009 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

how ?

because he’s Johnny MMMMIILLLLLEEERRRRRRRRR ! Only the greatest player of all time. He may have invented golf, as well. All golf clubs are designed with his stamp of approval.

Not to mention that famous “reverse D” finish of his…yes…the same “reverse D” that he said is the biggest problem with Geoff Ogilvy’s swing.

He’s my hero…LMAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 17, 2009 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Johnny definitely makes himself an easy target.

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 17, 2009 10:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

not if you ask him – he is the leader of he pack – nobody should ever disagree with him. if one of the guys on the broadcast dares to correct or disagree with him, he makes sure that the offending peasant gets put down.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 17, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m glad Maltbie called BS on what Miller said. Doesn’t happen too often.

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 17, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Johnny Miller has joined...

…Tim McCarver and Joe Theisman on my list of “Sports Announcers I’d Like to Hit in the Face with a Shovel.” All three seem to call their respective sports with a “Don’t you know who I was!” arrogance.

But I’ll play their game:

McCarver: You were the guy who caught Bob Gibson.

Theisman: You were the guy who handed the ball off to John Riggins and/or threw to Art Monk.

Johnny: You were the guy that spent a couple of years ranked second in the world to Jack Nicklaus.

"Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into a even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose." - Winston Churchill

by turnover on Mar 17, 2009 2:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

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