Can a golf fan please explain something to me..?

[Rogah]

I am a casual golf fan. Very casual. Like, if it's a major and Tiger is playing and I have nothing better to do, I might watch it. But I decided to follow Tiger's play at this weekend's Masters. He's the best player in the game coming off an injury in the biggest tournament of the year.

Is it just me, or is the stupid thing not being televised? Yeah, ESPN picks up coverage yesterday and today at 4:00, but Tiger will probably be done by then. Correct me if I am wrong, but the action on Thursday and Friday counts just as much as the action on Saturday and Sunday, right?

How can it be that in this day and age, with 250 stations on my TV (about 50 of which are dedicated to sports) that I cannot watch about half of the best player playing in the biggest golf tournament of the year? It's like trying to watch the Super Bowl but they only show you about 5 minutes of the first 2 quarters.

 

[Danny White]

You can watch live online on CBSSportsline.com or on themasters.com

From 8-11 pm as well on ESPN they replay coverage from the day with heavy Tiger coverage.

I guarantee if you watch this afternoon and the replay at night, you'll see plenty of Tiger and all of the leaders.

 

[Rogah]

You can watch live online on CBSSportsline.com or on themasters.com

From 8-11 pm as well on ESPN they replay coverage from the day with heavy Tiger coverage.

I guarantee if you watch this afternoon and the replay at night, you'll see plenty of Tiger and all of the leaders.

I did some surfing but I could only find certain holes being broadcast on those websites. But I gladly admit I didn't look too much into it. There's something about an event only being broadcast on the internet that smacks of Division 1-AA football or something like that. And yeah, I am sure there will be video replay and highlights of all of today's action, but this isn't the 1980's.

I'm not angry or anything, just saying that golf had a chance to pick up a fan this week but I guess I will just stick with baseball to get me throught the summer...

 

[jimmy40]

I am a casual golf fan. Very casual. Like, if it's a major and Tiger is playing and I have nothing better to do, I might watch it. But I decided to follow Tiger's play at this weekend's Masters. He's the best player in the game coming off an injury in the biggest tournament of the year.

Is it just me, or is the stupid thing not being televised? Yeah, ESPN picks up coverage yesterday and today at 4:00, but Tiger will probably be done by then. Correct me if I am wrong, but the action on Thursday and Friday counts just as much as the action on Saturday and Sunday, right?

How can it be that in this day and age, with 250 stations on my TV (about 50 of which are dedicated to sports) that I cannot watch about half of the best player playing in the biggest golf tournament of the year? It's like trying to watch the Super Bowl but they only show you about 5 minutes of the first 2 quarters.

The stuffed shirts at Augusta only allow so much TV coverage on Thur/Fri, only the back nine I think. I know that back in the day they never allowed any TV coverage of the front nine at all, not even on the weekend. Part of the mystique of the Masters.

 

[lewpac]

The stuffed shirts at Augusta only allow so much TV coverage on Thur/Fri, only the back nine I think. I know that back in the day they never allowed any TV coverage of the front nine at all, not even on the weekend. Part of the mystique of the Masters.

A few things...................

It's not just the "stuffed shirts at Augusta". I've been watching golf, especially the Majors for forever. I don't recall ANY tournament, Major or not, that televises anything at all on Thursdays or Fridays. Day three, Saturdays, are about 50/50 even, depending on the tournament.

I understand where the OP is coming from, being it's the Master's and all. It IS like the Super Bowl of all contests, the biggest and most important of the four Majors even...................But personally, as with any four day golf match, I don't need to see every shot from start to finish. Saturdays' are good and of course the final day, yeah. But I get all I need to see and know from highlights on The Golf Channel and ESPN to be entertained and up to speed. In fact, I don't know if I could actually watch four straight days of eighteen holes, especially BEFORE the cut!! Who has that kind of time anyway?

It's like any football game to me.................yeah, every play counts, and a TD in the first quarter is just as important that one scored in the last minute. But C'mon..........admit it.............every one of us, during the first half, it's no big deal to miss a play or two, even a whole series going to get something to eat or running to the store for more beer. Whatever. You do it, I do it, everyone I know does it. But the SECOND HALF? That's another story. Everything gets more intense, every play more pivotal. Because there a more intense sense that time is running out. The closer it gets to the final whistle, the more important every play is.

Same with the World Series. Game 1, third inning. You know theres a lot more baseball left before a Championship is won. You may even miss a game or two until about game 4 or 5. I have, you have, we all have.

So that's why they don't televise EVERY SINGLE shot starting on Thursday. Yeah, every shot counts and leads up to whats going on Sunday morning. But, with that much golf left to play before day four, it's just not treated the same. It's "the build-up" to all the drama on Sunday.

Just my opinion...................

 

[peplaw06]

A few things...................

It's not just the "stuffed shirts at Augusta". I've been watching golf, especially the Majors for forever. I don't recall ANY tournament, Major or not, that televises anything at all on Thursdays or Fridays. Day three, Saturdays, are about 50/50 even, depending on the tournament.

The British Open is televised all day on thursday and friday on TNT. We're talking 8 hours of coverage. And the US Open is broadcast on ESPN all day on thursday and friday... or at least they have been for the past few years.

Augusta National does cut out as much coverage of the front nine as they can get away with. The weekend broadcast doesn't even start until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

 

[lewpac]

The British Open is televised all day on thursday and friday on TNT. We're talking 8 hours of coverage. And the US Open is broadcast on ESPN all day on thursday and friday... or at least they have been for the past few years.

Augusta National does cut out as much coverage of the front nine as they can get away with. The weekend broadcast doesn't even start until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

You may be right. I check into that.

But still, it's common practice throughout the years to cover only Sunday, at times Saturday.

My thing, at this point, is to not go "New York Times" all over Augusta and The Masters with a "slam-fest" over everything wrong with this. If you recall, the New York Times couldn't get enough over the story a few years back about Augusta not allowing women to play there, or something to that effect.

Augusta and The Masters is an easy target for the current "politically correct" liberal thing. I may be going overboard here, and maybe should take this to the political thread. I just don't want to hear "everything wrong" with something I look forward to a lot.

It "is what it is" with the television coverage. Some people just can't sleep at night until they find something, ANYTHING to complain about when it comes to golf, particularly the signature event. This complaint is over nothing of substance. Just enjoy the golf....................

 

[peplaw06]

I'm not complaining too much. I think Augusta is being silly, but it does add to the mystique I suppose a little. I don't care about the political angles. They're a private club, do what you want. They're not going to be hurting for money or people who want to be members there any time soon.

 

[Rogah]

It's like any football game to me.................yeah, every play counts, and a TD in the first quarter is just as important that one scored in the last minute. But C'mon..........admit it.............every one of us, during the first half, it's no big deal to miss a play or two, even a whole series going to get something to eat or running to the store for more beer. Whatever. You do it, I do it, everyone I know does it. But the SECOND HALF? That's another story. Everything gets more intense, every play more pivotal. Because there a more intense sense that time is running out. The closer it gets to the final whistle, the more important every play is.

Yes, you're right. Everyone misses a play or two now and then. But absolutely nobody misses half the first quarter, the entire second quarter, and half the 3rd quarter when their favorite team is playing in the Super Bowl.

Same with the World Series. Game 1, third inning. You know theres a lot more baseball left before a Championship is won. You may even miss a game or two until about game 4 or 5. I have, you have, we all have.

The World Series is a great analogy and yes, a casual baseball fan will very likely miss a game or two. But I'd be pretty pissed off if my favorite team was in the World Series and they didn't even televise games 1 and 2, wouldn't you?

But still, it's common practice throughout the years to cover only Sunday, at times Saturday.

The stuff that has happened "through the years" is irrelevant. Yeah, 25 years ago when there were 3 TV stations, you wouldn't get much of any golf until Sunday afternoon. But we're in the 21st Century here. I have 250 channels on my TV, 50 of which are sports related, and one which is actually called "The Golf Channel." Golf's premiere event is taking place, and what is being shown on "The Golf Channel"..? Charles Barkley. Yes, I am being completely serious.

My thing, at this point, is to not go "New York Times" all over Augusta and The Masters with a "slam-fest" over everything wrong with this. If you recall, the New York Times couldn't get enough over the story a few years back about Augusta not allowing women to play there, or something to that effect.

This is not a "slam fest" and it has nothing to do with any political issues. Golf had a chance to gain a fan this weekend but missed out.

It "is what it is" with the television coverage. Some people just can't sleep at night until they find something, ANYTHING to complain about when it comes to golf, particularly the signature event. This complaint is over nothing of substance. Just enjoy the golf....................

That's what I've been trying to do - but I can't because it isn't televised. So I guess I should consider myself blessed that I can see 90 seconds of SportsCenter highlights of the greatest golfer in history playing in golf's "Signature Event".

You seem to be a big golf fan. I find it very hard to believe that you consider it "nothing of substance" that about half of golf's yearly "Signature Event" isn't even televised. I'd be pretty pissed off if the NFL decided the networks didn't need to televise the first half of the Super Bowl.

 

[jimmy40]

A few things...................

It's not just the "stuffed shirts at Augusta". I've been watching golf, especially the Majors for forever. I don't recall ANY tournament, Major or not, that televises anything at all on Thursdays or Fridays. Day three, Saturdays, are about 50/50 even, depending on the tournament.

Your memory must suck.

 

[lewpac]

Another thing....................how many people have Thursdays and Fridays at their disposal to watch eight hours of golf? Unless you work nights or something? Or you don't work at all..........................

The above poster mentions a lot about "your favorite team". Of course, if the Cowboys are playing on TV, I don't care if it's against Tampa in September, I'm watching each and every minute. But wouldn't you admit that that's not a relative comparison? There's a huge difference between my life-long following of my favorite team in my favorite sport and watching EVERY shot made by 30 guys who won't be in the hunt on Sunday?

Come Sunday at the Masters, there'll probably be only 5 or 6 guys within range of winning. Three of them will probably be guys you've never heard of before. A guy or two like Fred Couples or a Ernie Els will be 12 back, but a good story that they'll check on from time to time.

As we speak (Saturday, 8:30 Hawaii time), the only "big names" in the top twenty are Lefty, Vijay, Furyk, and maybe Ogilvy. Tiger is mired back in a tie for 26th. The top of the leader board has some good stories in Anthony Kim, Chad Campbell, Todd Hamilton, and a few others.

They allow all these story lines and "drama's" to flesh themselves out until the weekend, and then, just like any movie or TV show, the director and story writers focus on the good stories. It's as simple as that. The interest in the minutiae of getting to THAT is just not there. That's why they don't televise the first two days as much as some would like. Die-hard golf fans could just as easily know, via the internet or the Golf Channel or ESPN, anything important or dramatic that happens up until the weekend. Don't worry, any important shot or surge or birdie, you'll see it over and over and over again somewhere.

 

[Rogah]

Another thing....................how many people have Thursdays and Fridays at their disposal to watch eight hours of golf? Unless you work nights or something? Or you don't work at all..........................

With all due respect, this statement is irrelevant to the point at hand.

The above poster mentions a lot about "your favorite team". Of course, if the Cowboys are playing on TV, I don't care if it's against Tampa in September, I'm watching each and every minute. But wouldn't you admit that that's not a relative comparison? There's a huge difference between my life-long following of my favorite team in my favorite sport and watching EVERY shot made by 30 guys who won't be in the hunt on Sunday?

Ah, but I am not asking to follow EVERY shot of EVERY player. I was interested in watching the greatest golfer in history participate in golf's annual premiere event. He is coming off a serious injury and has arguably been the #1 sports story of the past 2 months. And we've only been able to watch something like 8 of his first 45 holes.

Your dedication to the Cowboys helps prove my point. You refuse to miss even a single play. So how do you think someone who is as big of a Tiger Woods fan as you are a Cowboys fan is going to feel about missing well over half of Tiger's tournament?

Come Sunday at the Masters, there'll probably be only 5 or 6 guys within range of winning. Three of them will probably be guys you've never heard of before. A guy or two like Fred Couples or a Ernie Els will be 12 back, but a good story that they'll check on from time to time.

As we speak (Saturday, 8:30 Hawaii time), the only "big names" in the top twenty are Lefty, Vijay, Furyk, and maybe Ogilvy. Tiger is mired back in a tie for 26th. The top of the leader board has some good stories in Anthony Kim, Chad Campbell, Todd Hamilton, and a few others.

They allow all these story lines and "drama's" to flesh themselves out until the weekend, and then, just like any movie or TV show, the director and story writers focus on the good stories. It's as simple as that. The interest in the minutiae of getting to THAT is just not there.

It's a 72 hole tournament, right..? I don't consider the first 45 of those holes to be "minutae" any more than I consider the first 40 minutes of an NFL game to be "minutae".

That's why they don't televise the first two days as much as some would like. Die-hard golf fans could just as easily know, via the internet or the Golf Channel or ESPN, anything important or dramatic that happens up until the weekend. Don't worry, any important shot or surge or birdie, you'll see it over and over and over again somewhere.

Well for most serious sports fans, there's a huge difference between watching an event live versus catching the highlights on SportsCenter after you've already read about it on line - especially for when those special and noteworthy moments occur.

According to your logic, we might as well not even bother watching the NFL regular season. After all, come January there are only 5-6 serious contenders, right? Let's let the networks "flesh" them all out from September to December and we can just join in in January, right?

I just cannot understand the mentality of a "die hard fan" that has no problem missing out on about 67% of golf's biggest event of the year. NFL fans go ballistic over missing a week 15 Bengals-Chiefs game on NFL Network because Comcast doesn't carry NFLN. But you seem to think golf fans have no problem missing 67% of their sport's biggest event. I think if someone was really a "die hard fan" then they would take my attitude and multiply it by 100, not say how wrong I am.

 

[lewpac]

I'm not trying to be antagonistic or argumentative. I'm just trying to respond to the OP's questions as to why they don't televise the first two days........

I agree with you on many points, but lets DO take the NFL schedule and season in comparison as you alluded to:

OK, lets say the Cowboys and Tiger Woods are the "must see" for folks like us. I too would like to see EVERY shot on EVERY hole not only with Tiger, but with Phil too, and my favorite golfer, Fred Couples. Other than that, as a die-hard golf fan (and half-decent golfer), I don't need to watch every hole for everyone else until the weekend.

With the NFL, yeah, Dallas 24/7..............but I really don't feel as though I'm being "ripped off" if I don't get to watch every Lion game, or every Tampa game, or every Charger game. THAT'S what I'm talking about.

In Augusta this weekend, there are DEFINITELY a few Patriots and Cowboys and Steelers out there. But, there's a lot more "Lions" and "Falcons" and "Seahawks" and "Texans" and "Jets" out there than not. Using this analogy, I really don't care if I get to see the Jets play the Seahawks the first week of October. My world won't come to an end if I miss this "Epic" game..........................That's what I meant by "minutia".

I understand completely and agree with you about watching Tiger and a few others, round by round. But I think that the folks at CBS see it the way I see it. The first two days are like "the regular season". Every game counts, everything is as important as it is in late December. But even in the NFL, it gets better when the also-ran's are eliminated, the cream rises to the top, and it's GAME-ON (i.e. the playoffs).

I don't know if I'm able to say what I mean in a correct way. I think you can get my point. The bottom line is, as with anything "TV", is if there were money in broadcasting the first two days, they'd do it! Obviously, it's not worth their effort at CBS, because the "almighty dollar" is the bottom line.

 

[peplaw06]

I'm not trying to be antagonistic or argumentative. I'm just trying to respond to the OP's questions as to why they don't televise the first two days........

I agree with you on many points, but lets DO take the NFL schedule and season in comparison as you alluded to:

OK, lets say the Cowboys and Tiger Woods are the "must see" for folks like us. I too would like to see EVERY shot on EVERY hole not only with Tiger, but with Phil too, and my favorite golfer, Fred Couples. Other than that, as a die-hard golf fan (and half-decent golfer), I don't need to watch every hole for everyone else until the weekend.

With the NFL, yeah, Dallas 24/7..............but I really don't feel as though I'm being "ripped off" if I don't get to watch every Lion game, or every Tampa game, or every Charger game. THAT'S what I'm talking about.

In Augusta this weekend, there are DEFINITELY a few Patriots and Cowboys and Steelers out there. But, there's a lot more "Lions" and "Falcons" and "Seahawks" and "Texans" and "Jets" out there than not. Using this analogy, I really don't care if I get to see the Jets play the Seahawks the first week of October. My world won't come to an end if I miss this "Epic" game..........................That's what I meant by "minutia".

I understand completely and agree with you about watching Tiger and a few others, round by round. But I think that the folks at CBS see it the way I see it. The first two days are like "the regular season". Every game counts, everything is as important as it is in late December. But even in the NFL, it gets better when the also-ran's are eliminated, the cream rises to the top, and it's GAME-ON (i.e. the playoffs).

I don't know if I'm able to say what I mean in a correct way. I think you can get my point. The bottom line is, as with anything "TV", is if there were money in broadcasting the first two days, they'd do it! Obviously, it's not worth their effort at CBS, because the "almighty dollar" is the bottom line.

Couple of things...
1) You may not like watching those other teams, but their fans do, and if they want it bad enough they can watch every game on the Sunday ticket.
2) If you couldn't make money showing Thursday and friday rouds, then why do TNT and ESPN show early rounds of the US and British opens? The Masters is bigger than both

 

[lewpac]

Yeah, they can watch any lame game they want, but THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. And, if you insist upon actually PAYING to watch the Lions play the Browns, you're either a desperate die-hard fan of a loser, or bored beyond belief.
Secondly, why or why they do NOT televise the first two rounds of ANY golf tournament is NOT about drama, intrigue, mystique, secrecy, lore, legend, or "tradition". Its about the money. PERIOD. CBS, NBC, ABC, ESPN, whoever............could care a rat's butt about "tradition" or some "secret Augusta agenda" to be "mysterious". They're television stations. And all they DO and care about is ratings and money. So, bigger minds than ours in THAT industry are making a deliberate decision to NOT bother with broadcasting the first 36 holes of the Masters. FOR A REASON!

If there were any money WHATSOEVER in televising a Saints vs. Browns game on ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, they would.

If there were ANY PROFIT WHATSOEVER in televising the first two rounds of the Masters on CBS, THEY WOULD!!! PERIOD!!

But they don't. For the same reason that they don't televise an NFL game in October featuring the Bengals and the Falcons. Because few give a crap.

What about this don't you get? Are you a smarter or bigger TV executive than the boss's at CBS? You think that they're ignoring profit and making money because the "stuffed shirts" at Augusta asked the nicely to NOT televise the first two days? You think that "principle" is bigger than money making at CBS? Or, Augusta for that matter?

Read my lips................THERE'S NO MONEY IN IT!!! That's the bottom line. And, "there's no money in it" because very few people "tune in" on Thursday and Friday. Because, MOST PEOPLE are WORKING during the Masters on Thursday and Friday!!! ESPECIALLY GOLF PEOPLE, who tend to lean toward "working people" who have a little money. Golf isn't exactly known to be the "sport of the homeless and down-trodden". Golf is not the "Obama/liberal/victim/disadvantaged" sport. Therefore, most folks who actually care enough to know what happens on Thursday and Friday are AT WORK and doing something other than watching TV.

If that isn't enough for you to "get it", then I'll be back after your next post.

 

[lewpac]

Another thing...............(sorry).

Chad Campbell.

He was THE STORY for a day and a half or so on Thursday and Friday.

Now, it's looking like he's gonna' have a ton of "you shoulda' seen me at the Masters in '09. I was the leader for a while".

If Campbell doesn't have a "comeback win" on Sunday, no one will remember what he did the last two days. That's another reason I say what I say. Let it "flesh out" until the weekend, when the interest will be at it's peak.

Again, I'm not saying that the first 36 holes don't matter. Of course they do. Those holes are what bring us to the weekend and every shot counts. But, it's not uncommon for an NFL team to come out of the chute 4-0 or 5-1 and miss the playoffs. And nobody remembers.

It's also very NOT uncommon in a four day golf tournament for whoever is "hot" on the first two days to fade, or worse, totally destruct and be a non-factor come Sunday. Just another reason why perhaps they don't push hard to televise the first two days.

Look, this has turned in to a back and forth debate that I think I'm going to win. Bottom line, fair or not, reasonable or not, sane or not, is that the average sports fan is bored by the "beginning" or "build-up" stages of a game or even an entire season................and starts to really engage and pay attention more toward the climatic and dramatic conclusion (unless of course your a die-hard fan of that team or guy). Be it the entire NFL Season or just the NFC Championship game. Be it the entire Masters or just the last round. It's just human nature.

We tend to "poo-poo" a 7th week loss to the Rams, even though it may have us fighting for our playoff lives the last week of the regular season in Philly (which it DID). That Ram loss had no where NEAR the impact and gut-wrenching emotion that the Eagle loss did. Even though they both accounted for the same thing.

A missed "gimme" putt on Thursday at the Masters may be the stroke that ended you up in second place on Sunday. But, it has no where near the dramatic effect that a missed "gimme" put would have on the 17th green on Sunday.................................

See what I mean? It's a "human nature" thing, fair or unfair.

 

[Rogah]

See what I mean? It's a "human nature" thing, fair or unfair.

Yes, but I am not talking about Chad Campbell or any of the other also-rans. I am talking about myself, a very casual golf fan, who wanted to see TIGER WOODS, the greatest golfer in history and the #1 sports story of the past few months, participating in golf's biggest event of the year. They've been talking about it for months, so I thought I would tune in. Too bad about 70% of it isn't televised.

The more you write, the more you prove the point I am making. How would you, as a Cowboys fan who proudly admits he watches each and every play of the season, feel if they didn't televise the first 8 games? And then I came to you and said "stop complaining - you can follow them on the internet. If anything important happens, there will be a highlight show on Sunday night."..?

This is the 21st Century - not 1977. There are 300 stations on TV, not just 3. I can watch virtually every single NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB game played. I can watch every NASCAR event - and I can do it from my choice of a camera inside a dozen drivers' cars if I so choose. I can watch about 50 different college football games every Saturday during the season. I can watch every single game of the NCAA Hoops Tournament (and all at the same time).

But I can't watch about 2/3rds of the round with the greatest golfer in history playing in golf's biggest event of the year. Yeah that makes sense

 

[lewpac]

Yeah, well,........................

Tiger ain't the "greatest golfer in history" yet. He's gotta' get past Jack to do that, and he's in "hold" mode.....................

 

[peplaw06]

Your rants are ridiculous and tangential to my points.

And your little theory about them not making money on the first few days of the masters is ridiculous as well. If they couldn't make money on the biggest golf tournament of the year on the early rounds, then why are the 2nd and 3rd largest tourneys shown on early rounds?

GET IT!!?!?

 

[lewpac]

Your rants are ridiculous and tangential to my points.

And your little theory about them not making money on the first few days of the masters is ridiculous as well. If they couldn't make money on the biggest golf tournament of the year on the early rounds, then why are the 2nd and 3rd largest tourneys shown on early rounds?

GET IT!!?!?

Then why don't they televise the first two days of the Masters? YOU TELL US!

The only thing you got left besides "follow the money" is some crack-pot conspiracy theory, and I'd love to hear it. It's probably right up there with the "they don't let girls play at Augusta" scandal.

I'm waiting for you genius answer.......................