Why the block on the posts that are allowing folks express their disgust in the Tiger hype, or is this too becoming part of the "Tiger Machine". It has gotten sick. I think it's bout time. Myself and many others dont love a game called Tiger, we love a game called golf.

Also, the Samuel L Jackson spot....... just part of todays classless world.

AMEN AMEN AMEN, thank you Scoot

I agree it is getting old seeing Tiger's every shot and reaction. But the average golf fan wants to know what Tiger does. I know when I am working in the shop and he is playing, people are constantly coming in asking how he is doing and rush home to catch the end of the coverage.

I dont think there is anything that can be done about this, the majority wanna see Tiger. Half the commercials have him in them too. The ratings are always higher when he is in the field. He is just the biggest star in sports right now.

envy
–noun
1. a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.

News flash. Hate it if you want it is not going away.

Some people hated Michael Jordan too. Why not just be glad you are getting to witness the best that the game you claim to enjoy has ever seen?

Like it or not, he is the face of golf. Just like the Yankees are baseball (or recently the Red Sox), or Tom Brady is arguably the face of football. The media markets him and sports teams for their own purposes. Just like people hate the Dallas Cowboys. When you have history and have shown dominance, people begin to hate you. I'm pretty sure he's not in charge of the programming, but the media needs him, just like each sport needs their teams. I'm sure he doesn't seek the advertising, or try to stop it. The media is out for themselves.

Tiger hate is en vogue because he's good? People hate Phil? Why? Because he's good? They evoke irrational emotions in people then it gets ugly and spiteful, for both of them. So the dozens of threads are running and locked simply because they decide to rampage in text. Say what you want I say, but be prepared to defend it and answer logically why they dislike someone they've never met, or maybe had a 5 second dealing in passing with. "Tiger glared at me while he was walking past me and I hate him!" or "Phil is so fake. He gave Super Bowl tickets to a little boy and his dad with a camera in his face." Oh I remember most of them. These people didn't do anything to anyone. If the posts were kept rational and unspiteful, maybe they'd stay open.

LOL, you have no idea what you are saying.

The irony of it all is that Tiger seems quite reserved off the course. The man enjoys his privacy. You can't really blame him for the media obsession - the best you can do is simply ignore it. I'm sure he's trying to do the same.

The media is the real culprit here.

Ya you hit the nail on the head...................j/k, you failed miserably.

very well said!!!

BTW, our german commentator said that the US TV ratings were down up to 55% from the pre-injury era, even in the majors there was a significant loss in viewership.
It's like it is...the media needs Tiger like we need air to breathe...

No, but Nike might have.

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!!!!!

How can you think that the hype around the comeback of arguably the greatest athlete and sportsman to have graced this planet is not well warranted?!!

I dont have to reel off the stats.....because you all know them!!

Tiger is an exception.......a once in a lifetime.......a phenomenon........a freak of nature.

People like Tiger are few and far apart.

So instead of being a dreary and pessimistic gimp of a human, try EMBRACING life and the fact that you have lived in the same era as Tiger. I bet if I was a kid in 40 years time I'd wish someone like Tiger was about so I could experience the hype and excitement that he brought to what can sometimes be a boring spectacle aka. golf.

I agree (except with the slights)....People hated some guy named Jack too. He had the same "problem". Supremely talented, winning a ton and your casual sports fan knew Jack Nicklaus. But Tiger takes it one step further of the domination he has been throwing out. We may not see this again in our lifetimes. Just enjoy the golf and ignore the rest of the noise.

I have one point to make. I think we all have favorite "players", "Teams", etc.

I am a Sergio & Phil fan. What I dislike the most about having "tiger coverage" during a round is that I lose out on seeing all the other golf action. If you watched other sports and the camera stayed on the "elite" player you would see very little action. That is my complaint when all they show is Tiger (even when he is not in contention or losing other tournaments).

I am the type of golfer who wants to see the guy who hits OB, or makes a bad swing, or the guy who is on a birdie run even if he is out of contention. Plain and simple I want to watch golf, good and bad!! I do not want to watch one guy (if its Tiger or Jack or Phil, etc..)

I would love for golf to cover the event, and offer the option like they do on the Internet where you could watch coverage where the camera stays on your favorite player for the round(obviously Tiger fans get this most of the time us other fans our jealous) offering the "big boys" specific coverage would be neat!

I just wish that the golf channels/networks spread the coverage around and I understand that they need to cover Tiger a little more, just not fully.

I thought it was neat that his tee time coincided with the air time for his comeback (that was a good idea) and I didn't mind the coverage this time due to him being out.


Burn

QUESTION...IF it was Arnold Palmer's OR Jack's comeback would this post have even been started? What is the real reason why some people don't like Tiger? After all, Tiger didn't start the hype... he just like many of us is just a golfer...He just happens to be the best golfer (on most days). The Tiger hype is all about somebody else making money off of him.

All this whining over Tiger exposure is futile. First and foremost because he's the greatest athlete in any sport right now. That's not opinion, it's fact. News of his comeback was not just on TGC, but every media outlet everywhere. He commands viewership, regardless if you're a golfer or not.

Second, people on this board are the minority. Most people don't care about golf unless Tiger is playing. It's evident by dismal TV ratings, rounds played per year and downward spiral of the equipment industry. I had so many friends tell me they didn't even realize their interest in golf went away until they heard Tiger was coming back. Now they might watch again. MIGHT watch again.

Tiger = ratings. And isn't that the only thing TV cares about?

Get over it.

Sure cover Tiger less, watch the purses go back down, watch the viewership plummet, watch the PGA Tour crumble...good ideas...


Tiger=ratings, Tiger=sponsors, Tiger=PGA Tour success.

without Tiger the PGA Tour is somewhere between major league soccer and professional bowling.

Thank you guys... you get it.

All I can say is I'm very happy I get the chance to see Tiger play in his prime. No, he's not bigger than golf, but he makes golf bigger. Like him or hate him, he's great for golf, and by the way he could buy the Golf Channel. So, suck it up all you Tiger haters. He's BACK! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't see how anyone can't get it.

You do whatever will get your viewers it's not a hard scenario...

People don't first of all 1/2 of us here don't care about seeing Tiger every 2 seconds and just deal with it, 1/2 of us complain but remember we are the hardcore golfing community, probably 5% of the total population watching (if that)

If those who complain because too much Tiger decide not to watch, networks know it's only a short term process and they will eventually be back. If you stop showing Tiger and say the non golfing market starts to not watch you might never get them back...

So lose a small amount of viewers for the short term or lose a high amount of viewers forever?

Easy decision imo

FEED US THE TIGER

TV is about ratings and money, Tiger brings both. I'm just glad GC is mostly all HD now.

I have no clue as to how you can say your above post about Tiger! How can you compare a guy who golfs to a guy who plays football, Hockey etc... ?? How is your comment a fact? What statistic or formula that is out there that can prove this??

This is the reason why some people think some of you are plain Tiger ball lickers!!

Come on guys. Don't start this debate again.

I said alot of what is being said in this post in others, and I was almost killed for it. People are very short sighted. Golf is a business and your casual fan doesn't know or care about the driving stats of Henrik Stenson. They want to see the man. If he's not playing, they're not watching. The huge outpouring of Tiger exposure was an admission to the world that the media is suffering and finally got back someone they know people will tune in for. I'd like to be a fly on the wall at TGC or CBS when he lost yesterday. There was probably a lot of cursing and handwringing. This is, in my opinion, why people probably still see golf as elitist. The number one draw in our sport is not playing, and it's just a bunch of dudes playing a sport people have little interest in. It's sad, but it's reality.

I think what the golf market is going to find out is that even Tiger will not be able to help the state of the golf economy given the current state of affairs. If Tiger continues to struggle, he may loose some of his market appeal. The flip side is if he plays well, and the ratings do surge, then Tiger is everything as advertised. At that point, he's worth every penny.

+1 I hate comparing across generations because of equipment, course conditions physical condtioning, and overall exposure but I'm going to do it anyway know. It's been said, but Jack was pretty hated as well and I don't think I've ever met a person who has claimed to be a hater. I hate all the hype too, just tune it out and enjoy the greatest golf of our generation, possibly ever. I did it again.

I think what the original poster is trying to say is just lay off at little. I mean I love to watch Tiger, but I also love watching all the other players in the field. I understand that it is all about business and marketing, but give the other players the time they deserve too. Nick Faldo and Paul really level it out for us and I really enjoy that. It seems like Dana Patrick is strictly on the channel to talk about Tiger. Maybe just getting rid of her will be the solution for me. I do like to look at her every once in a while though lol. Maybe just duck tape her and stick her camera will be cool with me. Like I said before I love the game golf and would just enjoy them to lay a little off Tiger all the time. Like someone else said though, most people don't care about all the other players, only Tiger. I think it is just something we are going to have to deal with. Every move the guy makes is commented on.

So i take it when tiger retires then thats the end of the Pga tour?

I love Tiger and its great to have him back.....BUT, there is no need to watch him sit on a tee box for 5 minutes or watch him eat a banana, i dont mind if they show every shot tiger hits, there is still room for showing other golfers

Nope. They'll be another big thing for someone to latch on to. It happens every year in football. There is always the "hot" team that the media has to talk about ad nauseam. It'll just happen over and over. Your die hard fans will be unaffected. Your casual fans are literally like cattle. They'll go to where the story is.

Very well put tbowles, the casual fan will go to the story as usual wherever/whatever sport its in. We all understand how awespiring Tigers career and ability are and looked forward to his return but the shameless Sam Jackson ad...the Tiger clock....and the FREQEUNCY of it was shocking to say the least.


PS: Ive lost all repsect for Sam Jackson defiling that line from his greatest movie role to pimp on the golf channel(of all places)

I never said the PGA Tour would be done...I said it will go back to where it was pre Tiger, which was a sport not a lot of people cared about other than that weekend in April, Father's Day weekend, early mornings overseas and that last weekend in August.

No one will ever bring the popularity Tiger brought to the game in the next 20 years. Tiger reached a whole new level of golfer, he changed the way people looked at golf.

This is why Tiger is the G.O.A.T because he changed a sport by himself.

It's a sad fact, without Tiger the PGA Tour is a low end, low ratings, sport other than those Majors, Ryder Cups, etc.

With Tiger it's a huge money grabber, big high end sport with ratings galore.


For a perfect example of this see Nike Golf...started as a hack company, just another branch of the Nike Empire, now a well respected major OEM with tons of big name Tour Players all because of one guy...

Yes Tiger means THAT much to golf and if you can't see that the PGA Tour would be a low budget mess without him then I feel sorry for you.

I don't totally agree with the OP, because it sounds like he may not like Tiger and I am a huge fan, but I do agree with him to a point as far as seeing other golfers during a tellecast. I have been a golf fan well before Tiger and i do enjoy seeing the whole tourney, but i do understand the signifigance of his return and the ratings boost.

One thing I would beg to differ with is that was said, is that Tiger is the future of golf. While he is undoubtably the reason for its standing and succes now and it would never be what it is now with out him, there are alot more people responsible for golfs future I.E, Rory, AK, Villegas, Sergio ...... Tiger makes these guys better so they can insure golfs future.

That being said DAMN glad to see him back!!!!

I think Finchem needs to get his act together to promote the tour. If you look at Nascar, as an example...If Jimmy Johnson isn't racing, do people watch? I know Tiger is responsible for the number of viewers the Tour receives, but they need to build a better platform. I'm a die-hard. I watch US Amateur highlight videos, follow mini-tours, and love the college game. But the average fan will not watch this week because Tiger is done. One person can't be bigger than the game, and until the tour realizes that the number of viewers will dwindle...

OK, this is my first, and hopefully last "Tiger" post. While I agree he is amazing to watch, and I love watching his swing, there was a part of me that enjoyed his being away from the game. I enjoy seeing all of the players.

I enjoyed seeing other players emerge, like Anthony Kim, and Boo Weekly. I watch the game because I love it. I love the smell of fresh cut grass in the spring, the way the shadows fall over the humps and bumps in the late eveing summer sun, and even love the challenges of playing in the rain.

The golf channel has dropped to ESPN level now. They are no longer a channel for die hard golf fans, they are for the every person. And I understand why, they are a for-profit orginization. Just like most golf shops. I think we have to realize, we are NOT the average golf fan. How many people who just turn in for Tiger even know, or CARE what shaft he has in his driver? Or know the Ozik shaft Vs. the Voodoo shaft?

Tiger is great, amazing, awe inspiring, makes me want to buy gatorade and Nike golf equipment. But I also am curious as to how my other favorite golfers are doing as well. And that isn't hating....it's called being a golf fan.

But then, I could be completely wrong and off my rocker too....

It's not the fact that they show Tiger's every shot and reaction that bothers me. It's when they show his worthless opponents every shot as well. Why would you rather show B. Jones shot over Adam Scott or Camillo Villegas or someone like that whom is also popular. TGC coverage officially "sucked". I was very disappointed that I got to see 1 shot of Adam Scott's and that was his chip in for birdie. I think TGC forgot that not all fans are Tiger lovers. Many people have other favorite golfers...

The other day I was watching the Match play and my wife said "Is this Tiger TV? Aren't there other pro's besides him? I'm sick of just seeing him", I thought it was funny because she doesn't like golf and she even noticed it was all about Tiger.

How many of you wish you could see Jack battle Arnie in their prime just one more time? Do you wish you could see Hogan play again?

Face it, Tiger is poised to be the greatest golfer in the history of the game. Just be thankful you get to be a witness to one of the greatest golfers of all time and enjoy it for what it is. In 30 years, people will wish they could go back and see him play again.

Long story short, Tiger IS the draw. Any decision NOT to cover every shot of his return would be a foolish one on the part of the golf channel. People tuned in to watch TIGER... not showing him would have been a blunder of monumental proportions.

Interesting tangent note: My wife and I were watching the 2nd round last night...

she noted "How come they show all of Tiger's match but only other matches when they're putting?"
I replied "Isn't that what you want?"
She said "Not really, I like Geoff (Ogilvy). Where's he right now?"
Me "Married with 2 kids!"

I would rather see others play too, but from a marketing/audience perspective I understand why the Golf Channel showed eveything Tiger did this week. The channel executives want to get the casual and non-golf fans to watch the coverage. If somebody in those categories turns on the Golf Channel to watch Tiger's return and he isn't on, they likely change the channel. The hardcore golf fans will watch no matter who is being shown and most aren't going to change the channel if they show only Tiger.

Quoted for truth!

I was halfway expecting to wake up this morning and find they had cancelled their coverage of the tournament.

But the average golf fan probably isn't watching GC.

Therein lies the problem with all the OVEREXPOSURE! The higher they raise the expectation of the casual "fan" (I use this term loosely, because they are TW fans - not golf fans), the farther they have to fall. The media hyped his return so much, as if they thought there was no way he could lose! Now that he has, they have killed the weekend ratings for these so called casual fans. Perhaps if they promoted the game of golf in its entirety, instead of the Tiger vs. the world tour, some of these sycophants might actually discover that there are some really good players who don't go by the name Tiger!

Don't get me wrong, Tiger is probably the best there has ever been! That being said, Tiger has been good for the TV contract and purses on tour, but he certainly has NOT been good (not Tiger's fault by the way) for someone who truely loves watching the game of golf and doesn't care what name is on top the leader board!

That may be true in a "normal" week, but I think there are probably a lot more watching this week than in the "normal" week.

Bowling...i actually laughed. I like watching tiger...this doesn't bother me in the least

There's one big difference though - Nicklaus was disliked because he stepped up to give Palmer (most everyone's favorite at the time) a run for his money! It was a rivalry thing - nothing more / nothing less! A case of the young gun challenging the 'King". Much like the reaction would be if one of the young guys, or anyone for that matter, actually stepped up to challenge Woods on a regular basis!

I would love for that to happen. It would certainly force the networks to focus on at least TWO guys then!

LOL, At least she didn't say Camillllllo.

The golf media groups have been dying for something to write about. The networks have been dying for something to bring the ratings back. I mean, the FedEx cup ended up being a bit a dud this year, with Vijay basically clinching after 2 events.

The non-golfer or weekend-warrior will watch golf because of Tiger. Depending upon how the WCG Match Play plays out, I don't even know if I will watch.... Cink vs. Hanson? McIlroy vs. Fisher? Honestly? Sure, a young-gun like McIlroy might be fun to watch for the real fan, but do you think the rest of that non-golf community knows who the hell Rory McIlroy is? No, they don't....

They want to see Tiger vs. Phil or Tiger vs. another "brand name" golfer on Sunday afternoon to fill in during the NFL/MLB off-season.

How is the Sam Jackson add classless, haters just grasping at straws?