Jim Gray: It Was A Short Time Coming

The Golf Channel stands by Jim Gray, and their description of the brouhaha today must have been painful for some VP to proofread.

After Pavin’s news conference, Golf Channel contributor Jim Gray, who broke the story Tuesday, approached Pavin to discuss the disagreement. According to Pavin’s wife, who was standing next to him, Gray told Pavin that he was a “liar” and “you’re going down.”
 
In a statement Golf Channel said it stands behind the accuracy of Gray’s report. “As far as any subsequent conversation between Gray and Pavin, it was meant to be private and should remain as such,” the statement said.

On Live From the PGA Championship Wednesday afternoon Gray said, “there is absolutely not one part of what Corey Pavin said to me that has been misquoted. And quite frankly, I happen to like Corey Pavin. I’ve known him an awfully long time, and in this instance, he is being disingenuous and is not telling the truth.”

Naturally, there is much to enjoy about Golf Channel now having to mop up Gray's mess since they mysteriously brought him on board last year and he opened with an incoherent appearance. And this, after no one else would hire him and he was buying his own star on the walk of fame.

Bantamweights Pavin And Gray In PGA Media Center Catfight****

Steve Elling missed his calling as a boxing writer.

In a tense exchange in the middle of the PGA Championship media center on Wednesday, Golf Channel reporter Jim Gray stuck a finger in U.S. captain Corey Pavin’s chest, called him a liar and barked, “you’re going down.”

And a certain Golf Channel reporter has been to one-too many boxing newsconferences!

Oh and there's a recording. Lisa, can you say YouTube!

As Gray approached him and they jawed at each other, Pavin said he tried to hold his ground.

“I just said, ‘You’re full of ‘something,’ ” Pavin said. “I’m not going to let that happen. He got upset. His eyes were a little odd … He was just a little crazy.”

Pavin’s wife was extremely agitated about the exchange and ripped Gray for not broaching the issue when more reporters were in the room. She was overheard complaining to a PGA of America official that Gray was a “wuss.”

Of her husband’s supposed guarantee to Woods, she said, “He’s not stupid. He’s had media training.”

Brooks has posted video of Gray's midday clarification of yesterday's precipitating events leading to today's bout

Update on 2010-08-11 20:24 by Geoff

**Steve DiMeglio with some follow up Tweets quoting Captain Pavin:

"I agree with Colin, actually. Let's stick to golf subjects here."

Wow is this going to be fun with these two Captains!

Never thought I'd say this, but Jim Gray is coming out of this smelling like, well, something. From today's Ryder Cup captain news conference at Whistling Straits:

Q. I wonder if you can set us straight on the whole Tiger Woods thing. He said yesterday he would accept a pick. You were quoted on by the GOLF CHANNEL as saying he'll be on the team. There was a Tweet this morning that said you were misquoted. Probably more than me are confused. Could you run us through what's right and what's not?

COREY PAVIN: Let's straighten this out right now. I had a conversation with Jim Gray yesterday just outside the locker room near where we registered and he asked me a few questions and his interpretation of what I said is incorrect.

There's nobody that's promised any picks right now. It would be disrespectful to everybody that's trying to make the team. I've got quite a few people I'm looking at. I would not disrespect any of the players that are potential players on the team, and obviously there was a misinterpretation of what I said, and that is an incorrect quote.

I don't believe the report was about promised picks. The question he asked was, will you pick him if he doesn't make the team. Just saying...

Q. In regards to the misquoting, could you kind of go through with us exactly what you did say that he could have taken so out of context?

COREY PAVIN: Well, I don't want to get into specifics of the conversation really. But it certainly was something I did not say. Let's just keep it as simple as that. It was incorrect.

Now, onto our other issue of the day...

Q. Monty, I don't know if you're aware, your old friend, Feherty went on a nationally syndicated radio show yesterday and talked about the existence of a super injunction in the U.K. that would bar some potentially embarrassing personal photos, wonder if you want to confirm, comment, deny the existence of those and how it might affect your captaincy at all.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah, obviously I listened to that radio show and I know a lot of you are having a lot of fun right now at my expense.

Oh Colin, Colin. You so misunderstand the media. We mostly talk about how to attain world peace and prosperity. But go on...

Let me clear this up, though, that I can categorically say that there's no injunction against the News of the World. I'm really not going to discuss this any -- any further. All I can say is categorically there is no injunction against the News of the World regarding anything.

I apologize for this, that you have to bring this up, but at the same time, no further -- no further comments from myself on that matter.

Well there you have it, no injunction against News of the World. That should put the entire thing to rest!

Now about your players...

Q. You said we might be having a bit of fun at your expense, but have you any concerns that your potential -- your team, might also be having some fun?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: None at all. None at all. I've spoken to a number of the players, and there's no issue here at all. Nothing at all.

How did those conversations go, exactly?

Back to Corey about Tiger and their long awaited summit.

Q. Could you share any of that conversation? Were you clearing up what was said yesterday?

COREY PAVIN: We were just trying to figure out what we were going to have for dinner tonight and how our kids are growing up and how they are getting bigger.

Ah, there's a nice anecdote, a little sharing of your private conversation. Thanks. Any more?

Actually, you know what, the conversations that I have with all of my players or potential players are between us.

But you just...

It's very serious stuff sometimes that we with talk about and sometimes it isn't. Out of respect for privacy and how I go about doing things, it won't be discussed besides what we've been eating and things like that.

Now Monty, about that...

Q. There is an injunction against Paula Tadd; correct?

Whoa...where did that come from?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Excuse me, I'm here to talk about The Ryder Cup, okay. So please, no further questions on that or any other subject regarding anything -- or anything regarding my private life. By definition that, is private.

The dreaded non-denial denial.

COREY PAVIN: I agree with Colin, actually. Let's stick to golf subjects here. We'd appreciate that. Thank you.

So about that conversation with Jim Gray...

Pavin Tweets Correction: Jim Gray "Misquoted Me"

Interesting Twitter wallpaper...

Update on 2010-08-11 15:40 by Geoff

**Jim Gray is standing by his quote. I'm not sure who to believe, but oddly, I'm leaning toward Gray in this case. Pavin has not show great media savvy and the PGA surely was not pleased by this, as I noted in last night's post.

However, Ryan Ballengee quotes a source in the Pavin camp who says he hadn't spoken to one media outlet all week.

A Heartbreaking Act Of Staggering Hypocrisy

David Feherty's suggestion of Colin Montgomerie securing a possible injunction preventing a tabloid from publishing potentially embarrassing revelations comes after a hysterical few months of the CBS announcer and Golf Magazine columnist railing against the media for reporting the private life of Tiger Woods. It also comes just days after Feherty confirmed that Tiger is going through a divorce, something no other major golf reporter has actually suggested.

The latest Feherty episode is heartbreaking because, well, I selfishly dread the day when CBS golf telecasts no longer include his quick wit and insight, moving them even closer to resembling unusually long and dull infomercials. And after a string of embarrassments, that day may come soon.

However, when contacted to comment on Feherty's remarks or the possibility of Feherty offering more reporting on the potential Ryder Cup impact of this revelation during this weekend's CBS telecast, spokesperson LeslieAnne Wade had "No comment..."

Let's review what Feherty and interviewer Dan Patrick said Tuesday.  A full transcript as well as YouTube audio version of the interview is up at SportsByBrooks.

Dan Patrick: “I’m hearing there’s a story in the News of the World and it has to do with a prominent golfer. Have you heard anything about the player filing an injunction against the newspaper to keep the story out of the press?“

David Feherty: “There’s all kinds of stuff swirling about this. It’s a Colin Montgomerie story and no one seems to know what it’s about but apparently there’s been an injunction filed to keep this story out of the newspapers for how long you can do that I don’t know.”

Dan Patrick: “Are there pictures? … he got divorced, right?”

David Feherty: “He got divorced and then remarried and then there was something about another woman that I really paid very little attention to in newspapers on either side of the Atlantic.”

It was Feherty who brought Monty's name into the equation. But he's not paying much attention to media reports. Just confirming the most inflammatory rumors on a nationally syndicated radio show!

Dan Patrick: “But the timing of this … with the Ryder Cup and he’s the Ryder Cup Captain?”

David Feherty: “Oh, yeah.”

Dan Patrick: “Yeah, that’s the big issue. You can file an injunction to keep a story (out of the press), you can do that in Europe, right?”

David Feherty: “You can do it in the United Kingdom for a certain length of time but the chances of this remaining a secret until after the Ryder Cup I think are just zero. I’m not sure what’s going on, but it’s not very good.”

Dan Patrick: “It’ll break here in the United States, wouldn’t you think?”

David Feherty: “I would think.”

And how did it break? Why, it was this very interview! Nice going fellas.

Many golf writers have heard some version of this Monty-injunction tale with no hard evidence of its veracity. Not one of them has written about it or revealed it and certainly not revealed the rumor on a national radio show. Yet Feherty has been outspoken in his contempt for the media's reporting of the Tiger saga. 

From his February, 2010 Golf Magazine column:

That being said, I've been trying to think of an equivalent example of the grim, ghastly, gleeful, and positively gloat-ridden coverage of a prominent public figure's fall from grace. So far, I've come up empty. By comparison, Bill Clinton got off with a slap on the trouser-trout, and he was in charge of the free world! I guarantee you, the only thing Tiger Woods is in charge of right now is a border collie named Taz. Kobe Bryant blinged his way to the land of forgive-and-forgetfulness, Michael Vick is playing football, yet Tiger's crucifixion continues, hoisted up and stabbed daily by the TMZ-US and People magazine culture that needs to know every detail about every transgression committed by every person who has a public side to their life. I hate it, and I'm glad the bastards haven't found out about me.

The only reason the public knows about Monty's possible situation is you, Mr. Feherty. Yes, a few blogs reported it within minutes of your remarks, but they don't quite get the attention that Patrick's show garners.

So what's the difference between talking about Tiger and Monty's possible indiscretions?

Perhaps the answer lies in an interview at ArgusLeader.com when talking about the Tiger coverage.

Having gone through a British tabloid divorce myself, it was predictable at first and then just became sickening after a while. The amount of people who owe Tiger Woods something - people on TV stations, sports stations that probably wouldn't have a job if it weren't for Tiger Woods - are complaining he's not giving them the information that they need. I don't know where that sense of entitlement came from where we have to know everything about everybody and what happened. He said, 'Hey, look at the police report and that's it.' That should have done it.

But that didn't satisfy the TMZ crew or the entertainment faction and it kind of infected the sports journalists, as well, where I think a bunch of them kind of forgot just what he's done for the game.

So does this mean Monty hasn't done enough for the game to deserve the respect for privacy he longs for Tiger to receive?