Kelly T And Connecticut Weather **

Reader Tony was watching the AT&T second round coverage and noted this about the announcing:

Kelly Tilghman just said Chris Berman's not wearing a sweater because it's 2 degrees back in Connecticut so he's warm. It was 50 yesterday and it's 30 now and the sun has been down for an hour. Can we please make her go away?

In Kelly's defense, what else is there to say about a man who acts like this?

Update on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 08:18 PM by Geoff

Rich Tosches at Yahoo details Nick Faldo's coverage of the Commissioner's round Thursday, apparently to the chagrin of Tilghman.

"He's one of the finest golfers for his height," Faldo said of the non-tall commissioner.

At the other Golf Channel microphone was Kelly Tilghman, who stirred great controversy last year when she suggested that players such as Sam Snead and Walter Hagen should take Ben Hogan into an alley and lynch him. This is where the expression "Hogan's Alley" comes from. I think.

Anyway, Tilghman flinched at each of Faldo's jabs at Finchem, in part, perhaps, because she admires the commissioner but mostly because, unlike Faldo, she did not win $8.8 million playing golf and probably needs the job.

So when Faldo, right off the bat, made a joke about Finchem's swing, Tilghman came back with this: "He's a solid six (handicap)."

When Faldo analyzed Finchem's swing in slow motion and said, "His arms break a little quick, and his hips are a little stuck and, oohh, there at the finish he's up on his tippy-toes," Tilghman was silent for several seconds - probably imagining herself announcing the Nome Open.

(After that long and awkward pause, Tilghman noted that Finchem was playing with Davis Love III and said, "They have a lot of policy issues they can talk about," which, if you ask me, is right up there with Al Michaels' "Do you believe in miracles?")

Comments

[Chris Berman]

Faldo and Tilghman, too frequently, leave long pauses mid-sentence because they have nothing good to say.

Furthermore, Faldo, who is considered the 'main talent,' often rambles on, leaving thoughts and sentences unfinished, thinking the audience zones out and doesn't notice he's not doing his job.


I say bring on Chamblee and Nobilo - they are knowledgeable, articulate, enthusiatic, and have neither the demi-god attitude of Faldo nor the overly-cautious discomfort of Tilghman.

[Vince Spence]

TheGolfChannel.com currently has online talent biographies for 38 people. If I had more than 2 visitors to my blog each week, I would do a survey on every single one of them and ask only one question? Do you think this announcer/reporter does an above average job for The Golf Channel and should keep their job?

[rb]

Geoff...You may not believe this but starting yesterday, The Golf Channel is censoring any negative posts on Kelly Tilghman on their Discussion Board. Go to TGC DB...click on the GOLF ON TV section...there are several threads critical of Kelly that have been censored with the ERROR function...it's unbelieveable and kind of pathetic. I acutally pasted the Rich Tosches blog on to two different threads and both were censored. Why are they so paranoid? Is she on the way out?

[Dick Mahoon]

The golf must have been pretty ordinary if you guys are going on about the announcers.....
Just turn down the sound! Or don't watch until Sunday back nine.....

DM

[Michael]

Kelly's no winner, but Faldo is FUBAR ... a total jerk.

Hey maybe Monty will chicken out and Faldo will get the job guaranteeing the U.S. a Ryder victory in 2010!

[Frank Hannigan]

Based on my ineffectual decade of employment as "editorial advisor " for ABC's golf I can assure you it's prudent for Ms Tilghman to be wary of Tim Finchem who had the nutty idea golf ratings would soar if only broadcasters would listen to him. He once had a flunky call ABC to say if ABC did not put a rein on Azinger-Faldo criticisms the Tour would reconsider doing business with the network. (ABC-ESPN later dropped golf,but only after wisely turning down the chance to host the entire FedEx thing.)... When the contact required Finchem to be interviewed he would send VP#8 to the announcer's booth to learn what questions he would be asked. I was told he moved up later to having the questions be submitted in writing. like DeGaulle.. .. , as for Chris Berman, I roared with delight. Live TV is not beanbag.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

What Michael said. But it seems to me that Ms. Tilghman does fairly well given that she has to perpetually traverse a minefield laid down by Faldo's essentially antisocial verbal behavior.

[thusgone]

faldo is mean and kelly is awful, but nobilo is no savior. practically every word out of the guy's mouth is a malapropism. my favorite, "you have to be 'authoritive' when putting in the wind like this." on thursday, he described a golfer having a "deceptive sense of humor."

i have liked chamblee the few times i've seen him in the booth.

[Tom M]

@ Michael

And why do you pathetic useless yanks keep having a go at Monty.

[Tom M]

Sorry should have been WANKS

[Steven T.]

Is Chris Berman still on Nutri-System? It sure doesn't look like it.

[Eric Stratton]

the world could use more like Frank Hannigan...

...good on ya Frank.

(ps...this questions in advance and silencing critics is exactly the type of behaviour we saw out of Franklin Raines as he running Fannie Mae into the ground)

[Joe]

Chris Berman is a legend in his own mind. If I had a golf swing like that I'd not show it on national TV ... then he self-promotes by showing himself over and over and over and over during the year making one putt at Pebble Beach.

Chris is awful as a golfer and talking head.