On-Course Interviews And Rocco

Champions Tour rookie and winner of his first event, Rocco Mediate, held court today in the Toshiba Classic interview room.

Specifically, he talked about his win at the Allianz Championship despite those pesky on-course interviews by Billy Ray Brown. The same mid-round chats that would cause today's PGA Tour players to whine endlessly about the sheer horror of having to speak while maneuvering their scalpel so close to the patient's brain stem.

ROCCO MEDIATE:  Yeah, on‑course interviews.  We would love you to talk to people on the course, you know.  Billy Ray and I have talked 600 times already in the first two weeks.  I went, I can't wait for that to happen because we should do that on the regular tour.  See, it's not any different.  That's what drives me crazy.  Like, oh, you can't talk to the guys because they're playing.  What?  It's still a trophy.  I don't care if it's a million dollars or 300,000 to win.  It's a trophy.  So why is the Tour going, You can't talk to the guys because God forbid if you talk to them?  It's horse crap.  There's no difference.  It's just as ‑‑ I mean, winning anywhere is the same or being in contention is the same.  Why can't you say something walking on the fairway? 

Could you imagine talking to Tiger coming down the last hole?  Wouldn't it be cool though?  What he's actually thinking?  He might be going, yeah, I'm thinking of dinner tonight, thinking of where I'm going to dinner.  Who knows what he'd say?  But I'd like to hear it, see.  As a fan, I'd like to hear what he's thinking.  It's got to go that way because, you know, money is tough to come by.  They need something else.  We have it here. 

Comments

[johnnnycz]

ROCCO ROCCO ROCCO!!!!!


He's great isn't he?

[Chris from DE]

I've heard plenty of former PGA Tour pros who go out on the Champions Tour say that it's an entirely different ball game. Everyone is more relaxed and the atmosphere is nowhere near as stressful. In reality, the Champions Tour is not the same as the PGA Tour. A trophy is not a trophy is not a trophy. I love Rocco, but there is a difference here.

[Bobby D]

" I love Rocco, but there is a difference here."

You got that right...a huge difference. This whole "talking to the players while their walking down the fairway" thing is annoying.
Another lame attempt by TV people to appear clever and creative. Ditch it, nobody cares.

[BenSeattle]

If I'm a player in contention, I'm saying "no way" to an on-course interview. Mainly, because I want to focus on the job at hand, not engage in idle chit-chat with some guy with a microphone. Besides, there's always the likelihood of of a question that drops in a negative thought out of nowhere: "Tiger, you've been fading the ball all day. Will that bring the water into play here at Bay Hill's tough 18th hole?" "Webb, you shanked one back there on six but have played well since. How do you putt thoughts of shanking out of your mind here on the back nine under pressure?"

Seriously.... golf viewers are going to tune in to see what's HAPPENING -- not to hear what some random golfer is going to SAY. The Champions Tour allows interviews because it's a second-tier tour that's flat-out desperate for viewers. I'm a "senior" and I don't bother to watch their little show EVER.

[DTF]

How would on-course interviews affect pace of play on the PGA Tour? Everything in life is a trade-off...

[Chris from DE]

I actually think on course PGA Tour interviews would be incredibly uncomfortable. Players are obligated to answer stupid questions because if they don't, they get fined. The questions would be inane and the answers would be stilted and substance-less.

When I play in lowly amateur tournaments, I'm focusing pretty hard and don't necessarily want to chit chat during key times. I'm not against friendly banter, but when I'm focusing, I want to focus. And this is during tournaments where no one is watching and there's virtually nothing on the line except my ego!

[F. X. Flinn]

How about having the announcers shut up and let us listen to the caddie-player conversations?

[Bill]

Pace of play is already horrible.

Rocco is a different breed. not every player lovers yapping constantly.

i hardly doubt fans would expect players to really be giving actual thoughts. interviews would feel forced and generic answer would be given. golf doesn't need to start coming up with gimmicks to try to gain a few extra viewers. you start adding these stupid ideas and you lose your base.

[Amen Coroner]

Ditto what FX says. Follow NFL Films formula.

[RLL]

Another +1 to FX. I can't believe anyone involved with golf on any level would advocate for more interaction between players and on-course reporters. Ben has it exactly right -- these people are attracted like magnets to iron to saying the one thing a player doesn't want in his mind. And they do it with a smile just to let all know that they know what they're doing... It really does get interesting at times to hear the interaction of player and caddie. (Witness G-Mac last week.) Just as you don't hear everything said by coaches in other sports, it's still good at times to catch a key word or two of strategy -- by the people involved, not the observers who inevitably are interested in drawing attention to themselves. Interestingly though, any time I've heard Rocco do commentary in the past, I've always liked him in the role of a reporter, even if not as on-course interviewer.

[Celoso]

Caddy player conversations better

More shots, even better.

Help slow play, don't show shot preparation, just show shots.
ie Show Furyk after his second walk away

[KLG]

Still another +1 to F.X.

[Grey Lag]

Tiger has been on the scene for 20 years and hasn't said anything interesting yet, what makes people think it will come while walking with Mark Rolfing down the 18th hole of a tournament?