Not Everyday Topics: Johnny Talks X-Games Announcing, Fireside Church Chats With Casper & Of Course, Tiger

The Plain Dealer’s Bud Shaw posts a fun Q&A with Johnny Miller who is in Akron this week to accept the Ambassador of Golf Award. Johnny says that he brought the word choke to golf telecasts, brought X Games attitude to golf announcing, how he learned to talk at church firesides with Billy Casper and, ultimately, has done it all for the kids. And, he’s kind of right in an immodest sort of way.

Shaw’s excellent Q&A that is embellished with some great YouTube moments from Johnny, at least until the Ponte Vedra censors discovered the brand sabotaging moments they haven’t scrubbed!

BS: Aside from your playing days, what do you consider your biggest contribution to golf?

JM: Obviously, what I've done at NBC is a pretty good body of work. I sort of changed in a lot of ways the way golf was covered in that it was a little bit more X-Games (with me), a little bit more "with it," so I hoped the younger people would enjoy the telecast. I wanted to give them the real deal instead of the watered-down White House version.

I try to really say what I think is happening and I'm pretty forthright.

I obviously hold back some things. But pretty much what I see and feel I say on the air. I hope if I say it's a great shot, people say, "Wow, if he thinks it's a great shot it must've been a great shot." I don't throw that (word) around as loosely as (they did) in the old days. I've tried to educate people on the swing and tips and why guys do what they do. I hope I grow the game. NBC says no doubt about it, people tune in to hear my commentary. A lot like John Madden was (in football) and John McEnroe (in tennis). I'm not saying I think that. I'm saying that's what they tell me.

This on Tiger was interesting:

He just can't resist trying new things. He gets bored with one way of doing things. He's always looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Nicklaus never changed. I don't know how he did it. But he didn't change his putting stroke, his golf swing, his way of doing things, the way he practiced.

Tiger, if he could try to swing more like he did in year 2000 and pause at the top ... if I was working with him I'd basically go back to him being quieter at the top of the backswing. Go back a little to 2000. I thought it was the best swing and the best golf he's ever played.