The Masters, the first "major" tournament of the year is over and Tiger while not publicly playing golf for the last five months, did very well. He finished 4th and had a chance to win it all even to the last 8holes.
The tabloids had cranked up the hype and made sure that everyone was very aware that a disarming inappropriate non golf related media frenzy could ensue.
Not so. Golf reporters do not have much room to ask probing questions even on the best days. Their only questions seem to be "how does it feel?" In sports reporting that is an open question that any answer for any question is appropriate. Do you think that a cagey Stanford grad(such as Tiger) is going to get trapped into revealing something that would more likely show up on Access to Night rather than Sports Center. Nope.
Even good sports reporters from other sports fall into this same trap when confronted with a golf interview. The interview after the event is carefully choreographed so that the 0ldest writers get their questions out in order. Then a few unknowns are allowed. But the tone is decidedly bland and non controversial. The one thing that always amazes me in a golf interview is the memory of the players. They remember and can orally recount a shot they made five years ago on the same course and how many strokes it took. At the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach Tiger had blown away all the other competitors by a huge number of strokes at the end. Every golfer that was not Tiger was asked how it was to play with such a phenom. When Tiger got the questions he got was did he know that he had blown away the other golfers by so much and how do you think that they felt? Every golfer to a one answered the same way, Golf is an individual sport you do the best you can do. One reporter asked how he would compare the course to how it played three years before. He patiently ripped through his memory and gave a hole by hole account of the differences.
Then one foreign reporter was allowed to ask a question. He was from Malaysia. He identified himself and asked why Tiger didn't play golf in Malaysia as he flew through to do other international tournaments. Tiger diplomatically brushed him off and allowed him to hope.
So back to worries of the general press about the golf press for Tiger and his comeback. No worries. These golf press conferences are carefully staged so that not ill will will occur to the player (he might complain and not come back) or the site (only the Masters in Augusta has permanence for a major tournament every year.)
At the 2000 masters a couple Raider costumed fans for the lower deck decided to come to the Open in Tiger costumes. The management frowned upon this and they were quickly escorted from the driving range and sent packing. Sports camera men from local stations were told they were not welcome at the tournament in blue jeans. They quickly found the nearest Costco and golf style polo shirts and khakis were obtained.
Golf has a problem with crowd enthusiasm. When roars go up in different parts of the course it is a major distraction to other parts. this is a new artifact that cannot be changed. The gate in 2000 was 80 dollars who knows what it will be for the US open this year at Pebble. If you are paying that kind of money you should be able to cheer.
I still think the best sports to see in HD is golf. You never are left behind to wait for the players to walk up to do their thing. Quick they go to another hole and watch the critical moments for the players in the lead. Golf course design is pretty fascinating. Its just not one stadium to look at it runs through the landscape. In 2000 most of the golf sports reporters stayed in the big reporter tent, composing away, watching it on the big screen, seldom venturing on the dream scape the Pebble Beach course provides.
Here I am rambling again.. I guess its your fault if you are still here.
: ) Pat
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