PGA Tour Trying to Jazz Up Golf Telecasts, Consults Guys Playing
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 23, 2010 2:50 PM EDT
in Pro Golf
Email
PrintFor year now, I've been writing about ways that golf on TV could be better. I've done it for every network - even the ones that I wish would broadcast golf instead of the ones that do. CBS wrote me once after such a column. I think the PGA Tour did once, but maybe I'm making that up out of the air.
Anyhow, the Tour is back at taking a look at how to fix up those 58+ demographics and skew down the age a bit on their TV broadcasts of tournaments.
Who'd they convene that summit with exactly? The players.
Rex Hoggard tells us in his Cut Line round-up that "[p]layers, officials and television executives met last week in Harbour Town to brainstorm ways to punch up the on-air product."
Ok, it's good to have the TV execs there. After all, they've been broadcasting the same monotonous way for the last forty years, so they're ripe with new ideas. The players are so busy playing the tournaments that they definitely know a better way to convey golf on TV. And PGA Tour officials - well, they're probably the only guys and gals in that room who regularly watch the PGA Tour.
Have we not been over this, repeatedly and at-length? Here's a top ten list of ways to improve telecasts.
- Show more golf and less time of guys just putzing around waiting to hit. The Brits are way better at this than we are. Save the psychoanalysis for later.
- Use technologies more to share how shots should be hit (the helicopter shot) and how they are hit (the ball tracker).
- Get some young people to talk about golf - it's working for Luke Russert, right? I'm not saying that they should hire me, but I'm available.
- Mic up the caddies. Every other sport in America has mic'd up participants. But only do it at interesting times, like on the Sunday back nine, or during a farting contest, or noticing some hotties along the ropes.
- Remove some people from the booth, for crying out loud. You know the suspects, and I don't have to name 'em.
- More gimmick par 3s and 4s. Purists will hate my advocacy for more Sawgrass 17s and Riviera 10s, but people love those holes and they're exciting.
- Let's drum up some controversy. Like Geoff Shackelford suggested, player in-fighting is fun. Golf is a gentleman's sport, but these guys aren't playing golf. They're playing for a million dollars.
- Can someone at the Tour please re-read my golf all-star game idea? This year, we'd have Phil, Stricker, Couples, Watson, Tiger, Els, Kim, and Villegas - plus two fan votes. It'd be incredible.
- Rally up some new tournament formats. Raceway Golf seemed to work out well. What about a team event of like four guys, or more match play? Who cares if players like predictable formats on the men's side?
- George Lopez zingers at the top of every hour. That guy is just killing it every night on TBS. (Sarcastic.)
How would you jazz up PGA Tour coverage on TV?
38 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I say we take a piece from the fistacuffs and wrestling
have some really hot bimbo’s in skimpy bikini’s on each tee box with a sign that lets the TV viewers know which tee box it is…..this is because some of the fringe fans have dozed off and need reminding…Hell, it’d get my vote….STUB
an idea..
How great would Captain & Crew/Best Ball be for a tournament? Not sure what would be better, letting them team up on their own, or the PGA selecting pairs/groups. It’d certainly be a blast to watch I think.
You have some good ideas, RB.
Personnel is job #1. WAY too many snoozers. I have never understood making guys in the booth nowhere near any kind of action speaking in a whisper. Find some guys who actually ENJOY the game. The players and former players who come out almost always sound like they have been sedated before going on the air…and I know they don’t all talk like that in the clubhouse or away from the golf course.
Watch the MLB network shows. Energy galore – guys joking around – giving each other the needle (not like Azinger – his idea of needling was more insulting than joking)
Teach a little – don’t just call the players idiots for missing a 50’ triple breaker – give us some ways to improve our own games.
Your All-Star game idea is good – but who’s going to give up a week during the regular season for an exhibition match ? Post season sounds like fun – but now you have to choose between a fun, silly season exhibition and satisfying all the “you have to play around the world” types. Are you going to replace Tiger’s tournament ?
We don’t know how Raceway golf is – it hasn’t been on TV yet. For the PGA Tour – you run into the same problems. Who’s going to give up a week for another “fun” event.
Probably not going to get courses to redesign holes – especially if the word “gimmick” is intentionally used.
Sorry – Luke Russert is a buffoon and an embarrassment to the Russert name. Why not bring in Paris Hilton, or Luke Jensen from the Tennis Network….now THAT’S sarcasm.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Court...we could get that idiot
from round ball who is always yelling “BABY” to do the booth work…jist sayin….STUB
It would be nice to see more than just 4 guys playing...
Sure, the leaders may be the big story, but there are a lot of other guys out there on the course… and they have fans who want to watch them play, not just see their score pop up once every 30 minutes or so.
Plus, if you want to show the player holding his finish for 30 seconds after he hits the ball, at least give me a split screen so I can see where the ball lands.
Mike Southern
www.ruthlessgolf.com
I have an idea
When Tiger is in the field, show less of him and more of the other 124 players.
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
How about showing the HOTTIES on the Tee
boxes instead of TIGAR? Easy says he’s in…..STUB
Trying to get the players to talk during the round
would be a disaster and NO big-time players would do it nor would they be forced to….many players don’t want anything during the round and I don’t blame them
Maybe take a lead from he seniors...
A little more interaction with the players. Nothing like conversation while the blood is up, and the shots are fresh on their minds. You know, Why’d you do that, and what was the thought process. Not 3 hours later, but maybe on a tee box, when there is a back-up or at the turn. As far as the dominance of Tiger in the coverage; yes it’s over the top, but it is TV, and you know, ratings, ratings, ratings. I agree that we don’t need to see him reading a green for 2 minutes, while we’ve missed 10 shots actually played. Maybe the Telecast needs to have a shots per hour ideal. If they are below the plateau, then they know it’s getting away from them, and they need to get back on point.
"The game is swell when it's played well."
by Fairways and Grins on Apr 24, 2010 4:02 PM EDT reply actions
great post court
I think you nailed most of what is needed for improvement court. I personally don’t see how an “all star game” would do anything for the tour. We already have enough limited field events with the stars that actually count. All star games in other sports are scoffed at for the most part. I also agree that it is WAY too early to start hyping raceway golf. The ladies tour is so desperate for any sort of publicity that it is no surprise that the girls invited for the Mojo 6 are singing its praises. It gave them another opportunity to make money during yet another off week. The pga tour doesn’t have in season off weeks, so there is no void to be filled. I also think we should take a look at viewer response before just assuming that the raceway gimmick actually works.
When there is a world tour...
Americans would see golf at home less and appreciate it more. Like we do now in Britain. The PGA tour is becoming outdated, as the game becomes worldwide. I know I go on about this more than some would like, but right now, golf on US shores goes on for far too long. It’s a world game now.
see golf less ? The Euro Tour is longer than the US Tour. How is it you don’t see golf as often ?
Professional golf is not a “world game” just because there are players from all over the globe, or there are tournaments all over the place. These guys are professionals and they go where they can make the most money, and right now, the money and the best tour to play on is the US PGA Tour – great money and travel that doesn’t kill you.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Agreed, court...
the Euro tour is longer, but the top stars from Europe split the 2 main tours. We don’t see them every week on the Euro tour. They play almost half their events in the US. International players, as you know, travel all over..Americans don’t feel they have to. It is interesting you say travel that doesn’t kill you…the rest of the world does.It’s almost like Americans expect the whole world to play in the US all but a few weeks of the year. Money almost ensures this now…but is that a level playing field for golfers all over the world ? I would say it isn’t. Tennis players seem to cope with worldwide travel, why can’t American golfers ?
ok – so you don’t see the pros play less – you see a few big names a little less. But don’t you get to see the US Tour broadcasts in prime time thanks to the 5 hour time difference ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
It's not about what I see at a certain time on TV,
but about pro golfers playing all over the world, not just on one tour. Then fans can see them in person as well. I already adjust to timezones as far as TV is concerned. The 5 hour time difference is 8 this year at Pebble Beach. In Germany that is 10. TV would not need to be jazzed up because then you would get international telecasts and get away from Nantz for a start. It’s a shame you don’t get the BBC during the Open in July so you can hear more of Alliss, am I right in thinking your own commentators talk through the week ? During the Masters, Ken Brown shows the viewers breaking putts and chips at Augusta…it’s good TV, trying to show viewers what it might be like putting on those greens. He does the same at the Open. Helecopter flyovers are fine, but it’s far better at ground level.
I love the Ken Brown chips & putts
around and on the actual greens. He really demonstrates how tricky they are which isn’t always obvious on TV. So much more interesting than drawing lines on the screen.
Prime time (8p.m.) is fine for the start of the TV coverage of US tournaments, Court,
but it can be pretty trying staying up for the end for 4 nights in a row (+ work the next day) and that’s only with a 5-hr. differential.
Yes Wendy
and as I get up at 5:30 am some Mondays, 3 or 4 hours sleep is tough when I have a 12 hour shift the next day. And that was just the Masters.
Ever thought of taking up taxi-driving?
You’ll gather I’m not an early morning person! Addicted to my sleep slightly more than I am to my golf.
Wouldn’t it be 8 hours from Pebble Beach no matter what year ? You can’t move the course. Can’t help that part of the US Open.
What is probably going to be more annoying is that the tournament is going to be broadcast well into prime time here, so they won’t be finishing at 4 in the afternoon in California. They will be finishing closer to 10pm here in the states.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
If it were a level playing field, Easing,
the greens would be too easy to read, no?
I'm still saying you guys have it all wrong...
the gist is to “jazz the telecast up”….so, You could have the Hotties in skimpy bikini’s carry the sign boards with each 2-3 some….You don’t think that would Jazz it up?? I bet even the women would watch just to match themselves against those girls….STU
Easing, I did an announcer
survey and Alliss, Brown, Faldo, Oosterhuis, Nobilo and virtually everyone from your side of the pond fared much better than the U.S. broadcasters. They can display their knowledge of the game without beating you over the head with it (Johnny Miller, et al)
I'll keep an eye out for you...at www.oneeyedgolfer.blogspot.com
by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Apr 26, 2010 10:38 AM EDT reply actions
OEG, Faldo is still learning, but he has a way to go before he can get there.
Announcers have to remember a picture tells a thousand words. Miller, I have to agree beats one over the head almost as though he was doing radio. Anyone under Alliss does a fine job…and the master himself learned his trade from the great Henry Longhurst. Any announcer should be made to listen to one of his recorded commentaries…he was perfect for any age.
I think Faldo's observations are pretty good
it’s only when he’s with Kelly that he feels the need to make nursery-school level jokes.
Perhaps
“Naked Golf” would do the trick, but not on the Champions your. YIKES !!!
"pain is only weakness leaving the body"
Whose naked? the players or the Hotties?..
How about making the weekly event a back to nature event….everyone doffs the clothes….I think this should be suggested to the LPGA as a starter….I can see the headlines now…OH wait, my eyes are so tired from watching the action, I can’t focus on the paper….sob sob sob….STUB
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Have a golf story tip? Contact editor Charles Boyer and he will follow the story! Thanks!
Related FanPosts on Waggle Room
Related FanShots on Waggle Room
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
