Finchem On ResetCup: "Fans...want to be challenged to keep up with the permutations."
John Maginnes pitches the softballs, as he should when the Commish is signing his paycheck.
However, listening to this 18-minute interview with Tim Finchem on Sirius/XM, I was doing my best Mike Francesa-nodding-off-impersonation-while-listening, then had similar wild eye/wake-up moment (which Francesa swears was not what you think it was), all as Finchem started in on the fan's love of the ResetCup:
There's a lot of different stories, things turn quickly. You know, in the early days of the cup, you know there was concern about it being too complicated and this and that. But actually, people like that. Fans want to see different things going on, they want to be challenged to keep up with the permutations. And, in today's world, 65% of our fans are sitting around watching on television, the ones that are watching on television are also following it online, so they've got another matrix of data coming at them.
You know those wild and crazy fans, they love their matrixes of data! Reminds them of work.
And uh the fans…the players are totally into it now, the fans have been into it since day one.
Day one! They have, and they've shown their love by tuning in with massive, record ratings for golf...well, the ratings are always the last thing to kick in, the scientists report.
Each year with a little history, as it gains a little stature, both the players and the fans are more into it. But yes, to answer your question, it's gotten to this point quicker than I assumed.
The Commish then declared that forthcoming calendar year schedule--you know, the one where they play PGA Tour golf about 50 weeks a year and everyone involved with the PGA Tour is a burnout by 2015--will be even better.
Next year is even better, because next year we stop the season and start a few weeks later. So everything is coming to an end. The ballots next year, the ballots will go out for player of the year right after the FedExCup is handed out, the next morning players will be asked to say who is the player of the year on the heels of the FedExCup being awarded. The money title, which is represented by the Arnold Palmer award, will be identified at the end of the FedExCup. Everything's coming to a head. For the first time we'll have a real season when, a few weeks later, everything will start, it builds up for almost a full year, then you have another conclusion. So even thigh this is going to be really going, it going to be even better next year.
It's interesting that everyone involved thinks year-round competition makes for a "real" season. What are all these other silly professional sports doing with their off-seasons and their vacations? The morons!
The interview:
Monday, September 17, 2012 at 09:51 AM
Reader Comments (12)
To "the greatest gemme" : "Welcome to the machine!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnxFohpljqM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
So Rory starts at minus 7,
Tiger at minus 4,
Nick, Phil and 3 more at minus 3
and lots at minus 2.
So everyone knows where they stand including the viewers.