Nick Is Right On Golf Broadcasting
I like a good deal of The Golf Channel’s coverage of pro tournaments, but there are a few places they could definitely improve. Like the blue imaginary putting line. The first time I saw it, it was interesting. By the third time it was a nuisance. If you have to keep this doodad, then at least lose it before the player actually putts. Listen to Nick Faldo. Behind his politeness he’s trying to help you improve your broadcasts.
Gary McCord sounds like a nice guy. I’m sure he’d be great to live next to – funny and lot’s of interesting golf stories. But when he’s running the show, I feel like I’m tuned into the ‘Gary McCord Hour’, playing between Oprah and Ellen. Sometimes the commentators should let the play speak for itself.
And then there’s the music that has become mandatory when showing the ‘on screen’ scoreboard. I thought we were done with Muzak about 15 years ago. Now it seems to be on a vicious comeback. It’s at the mall, in the airport, at the bookstore and recently on TV anytime there’s a ‘data’ shot. I’ve got enough lunacy running around my head without having more piped in.
That’s not to say that I’m not thankful for The Golf Channel and all the tournament coverage they provide. In most cases I wish they had the rights to more Saturdays and Sundays. Now, with the networks, we’re lucky to get 3 hours of coverage. Take away the commercials and talking heads, that doesn’t leave much time to watch real play.
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Comments
Good observation on Mr. Faldo and team. I, too, am a fan of Nick’s. But my “real” favorite is Johnny Miller. Most people either like him of hate him but I find his observations to strike true to me. Plus he’s earned the right to say whatever the heck he wants. It just seems refreshing to me in an often stale game.
I couldn’t agree more about Johnny. My one complaint is that he doesn’t give the players enough credence sometimes. If they hit a pitching wedge to ‘only’ 8 feet he sometimes acts like they hit a bad shot or even choked. In downplaying their skill he actually downplays just how hard a game golf is.
Nick Faldo is a great golf commentator due to his intimate knowledge of the game and the courses played on. He also knows a lot about the players. In my opinion the worst golf commentator is Pat Scanlon. He is totally boring and I much prefer the sound to be off when he is commentating. The last two days of this US Open have definitely not been worth listening to. All he does is tell us about what we can see for ourselves and the info is also on the player info. Pat says nothing about the green being putted on or the part of the course being played – because he doesn’t know any thing about it. Please replace him with Nick and his team!!!