Match Play! The Golf Networks
/You've voted and now I'm going to step into the network golf presentation discussion by hosting the first annual WGC Network Announce Championship.
Seeding the networks by your nearly 1000 votes of "most appealing" golf network announce team, CBS landed the top spot (46%), NBC finished second (35%), ESPN third (12%) and newcomer Fox's recently assembled (but not yet heard) team landed a distant fourth (7%).
The brackets, named for past legends of the profession as they played out in my mind...
Chris Schenkel Back-up Play-by-Play Bracket
1 Bill Macatee (CBS)
2 Terry Gannon/Rich Lerner (NBC)
3 Sean McDonough (ESPN)
4 Shane O'Donoghue (Fox)
Macatee the old pro wins a friendly opener over newcomer-to-American television, O'Donoghue, who will be welcomed by American audiences because he's not Gus Johnson screaming after the U.S. Junior Amateur winning putt. The Gannon/Lerner combo, who fill-in for Dan Hicks when he's doing Notre Dame football or in Gannon's case, helming some Ryder Cup coverage this year with Nick Faldo, must 20 holes before knocking off the always-underrated Sean McDonough. In a tough finale of professionals who could easily be network play-by-play hosts if they weren't impeded by more famous names, Macatee plods along with pars to Gannon/Lerner's runs of birdies and bogies, grinding out a one-up win with his experience. CBS wins.
Jimmy Demaret On Course Reporter #2 Bracket
1 Peter Kostis (CBS) 2 Mark Rolfing (NBC) 3 Dottie Pepper/Bill Kratzert/Judy Rankin (ESPN) 4 TBD (Fox)
Kostis earns a bye in the first round with Fox still having not selected an on-course reporter in the #2 role (at least that we are aware of). Rolfing faces a formidable trio of options on ESPN in a battle of on-course reporters who specialize in getting in and out without making the telecast about them (though all are never shy to express an opinion when necessary). This one was a total toss-up, but in sudden-death Rolfing overcomes his propensity to break into Hawaii Chamber of Commerce mode to edge the ESPN trio. With Kostis getting a free pass in the opener, his game is rusty and Rolfing coasts to a 3&2 win. NBC wins.
Frank Hannigan Others in the bullpen/Interviews/Studio Roles Bracket
1 Verne Lundquist, Peter Oosterhuis, Matt Gogel (CBS) 2 Jimmy Roberts, Rich Lerner, Notah Begay (NBC) 3 Tom Rinaldi, Peter Alliss, Tom Weiskopf, David Duval (ESPN) 4 Holly Sonders, Corey Pavin, David Fay (Fox)
CBS has not done much to develop young talent nor has the network done a good job managing its role-playing veterans, all the way back to its firing of Ben Wright to today's select use of Lundquist and Oosterhuis. Oosty gets the prime 17th hole spot during the Masters and handles the tough job well, yet was cast off in cost-cutting moves and is left to merely fill-in for CBS. That peculiarity, coupled with Fox's early bullpen strength by hiring the only full-time rules expert in Fay and the popular Holly Sonders, gives the upstarts a 2 up win. In the tough 2 vs. 3 match up, ESPN's core of opinionated, wish-we-heard-more-of-them and informative role players is a bit too much for the capable but more conservative NBC trio, winning on the final hole when Alliss sinks a long birdie putt and Rinaldi brings him to tears in the post-match interview. The ESPN team's experience edges the upstart Fox group in the final. ESPN wins.
Bob Rosburg On Course Reporter Bracket
1 David Feherty (CBS) 2 Roger Maltbie (NBC) 3 Andy North (ESPN) 4 Juli Inkster (Fox)
Inkster has been listed as an on-course reporter, but the wily LPGA veteran only hangs around against the huge favorite Feherty as long as she does due to Feherty inexplicably breaking into tears talking about the first time Tiger passed gas in his presence. A contrast of styles is evident in the other match with Maltbie's easy going reporting style clashing with North's intensity before Maltbie's humor wins the day, 3&2. In the final, "Rog" battles Feherty, before the CBS funnyman inexplicably drifts off to sign autographs for fans who scream his name more than any player not named Tiger. NBC wins.
Henry Longhurst Analyst/17th Hole Bracket
1 Ian Baker-Finch (CBS) 2 Gary Koch (NBC) 3 Curtis Strange (ESPN) 4 Brad Faxon (Fox)
A tough division as each voice has their strengths and weaknesses, with the upstart Faxon sinking 22 putts only to have Baker-Finch make 21 in a match that extends to the 19th hole. Baker-Finch wins on experience, though Faxon figures to become a formidable future depending on how Fox uses him here. In a feisty 2 v. 3 battle, Koch reels off a few too many "just a moment agos" but wisely leaves his "better than most" line at home in grinding out a win over Strange, who somehow miss-pronounces K.J. Choi's name late in the match to lose 2&1. In the final, Koch's willingness to push back at Johnny Miller's zanier comments as Baker-Finch holds back every time Nick Faldo floats a nutty theory, produces an NBC win, 1 up. NBC wins.
Dave Marr Analyst/16th Hole Bracket
1 Gary McCord (CBS) 2 Peter Jacobsen (NBC) 3 Scott Van Pelt (ESPN) 4 Steve Flesch (Fox)
Flesch was a surprise hire away from Golf Channel by Fox and figures to surprise those not familiar with his opinionated nature, especially now that he's freed of a studio role and reacting to live golf. McCord shows up late to the match, loses the first few holes, but steadies the ship thanks to an incredible ability to wing it, edging the newcomer on experience 1 up. In the other semi Jacobsen's knowledge of the game counters the similarly charismatic Van Pelt to win 2&1. The final pits former tour buddies trying to out-joke one another, with McCord breaking out in song, only to be countered by the Jake Trout and The Flounders frontman. Jacobsen, who improves his game every year, wins with a deeper catalog of hits, 2&1. NBC wins.
Ken Venturi Lead Analyst/18th hole Bracket
1 Nick Faldo (CBS)
2 Johnny Miller (NBC)
3 Paul Azinger (ESPN)
4 Greg Norman (Fox)
In a brutal, at times hard-to-watch rematch of the 1996 Masters final round, Faldo again shoots 67 to Norman’s 78 after the Aussie butchers names and shows more passion for talking about various player wines than their games. In the spirited 2 v. 3 match, Johnny’s prevalence compared to Azinger’s once-a-year Open Championship appearance, plus the lack of a good foil (ala the Faldo days), allows Miller to win. This, despite five three-putts, including three misses under three feet. In the final, Faldo brings his Masters announce game to Johnny’s US Open mode, making for a epic tug-of-war won by Johnny thanks to his willingness to offend just about anyone, including his own sensibilities. NBC wins.
Pat Summerall Play-By-Play Bracket
1 Jim Nantz (CBS)
2 Dan Hicks (NBC)
3 Mike Tirico (ESPN)
4 Joe Buck (Fox)
Arguably the toughest division, Nantz faces a tougher-than-expected match against Buck in the opener. The CBS legend's golf experience is just too much for the talented but new-to-golf-broadcaster Buck. Hicks v. Tirico goes 22 holes, with Tirico finally conceding the match when the hardest working man in show business (A) realizes keeping Johnny in line 12 weeks a year is much tougher than doing the same with Azinger once a year, and (B) he has another announce gig to get to.
In the final, Hicks struggles early after Nantz melts him down on the first tee with an epic, knee-knocking Hello Friend. Hicks battles back with his more subtle cynical readings of various NBC, PGA Tour and PGA of America promos to Nantz's spirited, seemingly earnest readings of How I Met Your Mother teases, only to lose to a Nantz birdie on 18. CBS wins.
That leaves a final record of five wins for NBC, two for CBS, one for ESPN and none for Fox.
Well played ladies and gentlemen.
