ITmade for sad farces, last week, to read the laments of TV big shots who were freaking out over the loss of Tiger Woods. My ratings! They’re ruined!
Well, boys, that’s what happens when you put all your golden goose eggs in one basket and the handle snaps. Since Woods won the 1997 Masters, TV and its marketing strategists have made it clear that if Woods isn’t playing it’s hardly worth watching. Break it up, folks, nothing to see here.
And when Woods is playing, the same shot-callers have made it as clear that there’s no one else worthy of your attention.
And now these same folks – those who call the shots for us – are left to deal with their self-fulfilling reality.
The same people who chose to show Woods on the practice green, or Woods walking to the next tee, or Woods highlights from last year rather than showing anyone else playing big league golf – the same people who left the recurring message that there really is someone bigger than the game – are worried sick that few will care about the year’s remaining majors, the PGA and the British Open, and that interest in the Ryder Cup also will fall.
But majors were majors, and well worth the attention of sports fans before, Woods. That’s how we got to know about Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson. And now, with Woods out, TV will be forced to return to inclusive coverage, showing everyone trying to win.
Try as they did, the people who for the past 10 years have pounded home the message that there are no stories to tell, no rooting interests to be cultivated and no golf to show that doesn’t include Tiger Woods, did not wreck world-class golf, not for all of us.
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Among those employed as village idiots, there’s none as special as Chris Russo. Friday on WFAN, he said he completely disagreed with a local columnist’s assessment, that day, of the Mets. Then Russo added that he didn’t actually read it.
Russo and Mike Francesa, Tuesday, reported Fred Wilpon‘sclaim that Willie Randolph‘s firing, the night before, was strictly Omar Minaya‘s call as if it was common knowledge. Of course, they did. That’s because that significant story was broken by ESPN-1050 NY radio.
You Can’t Make This Stuff Up, Continued: In conjunction with the NBA finals, Lakers forward Lamar Odom, along with a Los Angeles shoe store, produced T-shirts on which a vulgar put-down of Boston was printed. Part of the proceeds from the shirt sales went to Odom’s charity for kids.
On all-sports ESPN, it’s always about something else and someone else. Wednesday, 7:30 a.m., its national radio show had two fresh, late overnight issues to focus on: The Celts won the NBA championship, and the Mets played their first game following the firing of Randolph. But the focus was entirely on an interview with Steve Carrell, whose new movie, Mike Greenberg reminded us, opens Friday.
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The Jets, who last week sent out a survey designed to pretend that they care about feedback, are clearly preparing to extort millions of dollars from their most loyal suckers, er patrons, through the buy-or-get-lost sale of personal seat licenses. One question: How much for an impersonal seat license?
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Which way is the basement? Suzyn Waldman, Saturday, on Reds’ rookie starter Daryl Thompson: “His whole future is ahead of him.” Hmmm. . . . On YES, during Saturday’s Yanks-Reds, this graphic appeared: “Yankee Post Game After The Final Out.” Hey, what better time for it?
When Reds reliever Gary Majewski, who pitched yesterday against the Yanks, left the club this month to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, he was placed on what MLB, good grief, calls, “the bereavement list.” (Thanks to reader Stanley Yellin for the heads-up.)
David Cone on YES, Wednesday, was asked by Michael Kay if he ever had a teammate who didn’t swear. “None I trusted,” said Cone. . . . Nets steady radio man Chris Carrino will call basketball on NBC’s digital Olympic channel from its New York studio.
During Reds-Yanks Saturday, YES showed 1990 footage of Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. both with the Mariners, hitting home runs in the same game. Both father and son found it proper – and perhaps sensible – to run on contact. Today, rarely does Griffey, Jr., hit one deep and not strike a pose while lingering near the batter’s box.
Not sure why players now want to be seen for posterity in self-smitten poses when they hit their 500th or 600th or 700th home run. When was modesty eliminated as a virtue?