Johnny Miller Master Thread

[JessN16]

Most announcers become prima donnas and the network executives are afraid to FIRE them because of the contracts, and the fear of "rocking the boat". Who needs announcers? Use the mute button and watch the action. There is way too much commentary during golf tournaments anyway. It is NOT a fast action sport, where the viewers need the announcers to keep up with the fast pace of play. Dottie is one of the few worth listening to, but that is because she won two Majors and was the "Heart and Soul" of the US Solheim Cup teams. How many Majors have McCord and Feherty and Tirico ever won? Dottie speaks from experience and the others speak in spite of their LACK of experience.

I don't really set experience prerequisites on my announcers. Howard Cosell never played sports at all. Harry Caray wasn't a great baseball player; neither was Mel Allen. I could listen to Keith Jackson do play-by-play on the Terminex guy killing bugs in my storage shed, but I don't recall him being a great player.

On the other hand, ESPN has a studio full of ex-jocks who can't string together a sentence and if the teleprompter ever goes on the blink, who knows what they'll start spitting out. Launch codes for nuclear warheads, probably. There's a reason broadcasting is a major at most reputable universities: It's an art form much like singing or writing. Some guys are naturally talented at it, but most are uncomfortable at it or just downright terrible. Jess

[reif99]

I think Miller is OK.

[Harry Longshanks]

How about this gem from the third round of the Tour Championship:

"If he had put that in the cup, he would have made it."
[commenting after either Sergio or Phil (can't recall which) lipped out a putt.]

Ya think, Johnny?

[deronsizemore]

I'm not a huge fan of Miller and I can tell the other announcers get mad at him. Just got finished watching the Tour Championship where on one of the greens Miller kept saying something like "I told you it didn't break that much, I knew it didn't break that much..." and Dan Hicks makes the comment (and almost with a little anger in his voice): "I don't think anyone every said that it broke that much Johhny!"

[Trav]

I'm not a huge fan of Miller and I can tell the other announcers get mad at him. Just got finished watching the Tour Championship where on one of the greens Miller kept saying something like "I told you it didn't break that much, I knew it didn't break that much..." and Dan Hicks makes the comment (and almost with a little anger in his voice): "I don't think anyone every said that it broke that much Johhny!"

I think it was Gary Koch, not Hicks - but you're right about the tone of voice. There seemed to be a stunned silence, then someone made a lighter comment, as though prompted by the producer to lighten things up quick. I get real tired listening to him announce with great precision how the putt will break when he's off somewhere in a studio, not there reading the green.

I have to think other announcers are as tired of hearing Miller proclaim the "final" opinion on everything, including obvious ones like the putt going in the cup noted above, as we are.

[Young Golf Prodigy]

He was criticizing Kenny Perry for plumb-bobbing at the Ryder Cup, saying that it wouldn't work with the shaft in his putter, then Kenny 1 putted the next 5 holes from 6 to 15 feet. Hmmmm........

[Young Golf Prodigy]

How about this gem from the third round of the Tour Championship:

No offense, but he is talking about where to play the break, not just being an idiot. If he had said "played the break inside the cup" it would have worked, but he literally shanked it into the trees there.

[Harry Longshanks]

No offense, but he is talking about where to play the break, not just being an idiot. If he had said "played the break inside the cup" it would have worked, but he literally shanked it into the trees there.

I realize that. But his only job is to talk in an articulate manner about what he is watching. He is unable to do that without sounding like his brain is pickled from too many gin and tonics.

And he had also spent the previous 2 minutes describing how Phil/Sergio (?) should play the break to the left edge of the cup. Then immediately after the miss (which was played to the left edge of the cup IIRC), he comes back with "If he had put that in the cup, he would have made it." So even if you give him the benefit of the doubt on the language error . . . "play to the left edge" and "put that in the cup" aren't the same thing.

[RogueGolfer]

I could listen to Keith Jackson do play-by-play on the Terminex guy killing bugs in my storage shed, but I don't recall him being a great player.Jess

Amen to that! I wonder how he would have done in Nance's position at the Master's.

[iacas]

I realize that. But his only job is to talk in an articulate manner about what he is watching.

His only job is to talk in a way that his audience enjoys and can relate to. Whether or not that's "articulate" is up to the audience.

I understood what he said there - where to play the break - and so I think you're reaching a bit if this is the best you can come up with.

[iQuest Golfer]

Amen to that! I wonder how he would have done in Nance's position at the Master's.

He would have sounded like Keith Jackson. Excuse me... but... I'm not looking for Keith to announce golf. I hear enough of him doing football. The same with Billy Packard. Everyone has their favorite personality who you want doing color commentary... killing bugs in your storage shed.

Right now, Johnny, for all his imperfections, is the only one that can consistently carry the NBC team. In fact, probably the only one that can do it on any station that covers golf. I can count on one hand... maybe two-three fingers the current crop of golf personalities that could carry the 4+ hour slot over the 2-3 days... and 2 are foreign... and, it ain't Dan Hicks either. It's easy to bash Johnny. He's getting to be like Yogi Bera... "Ninety percent of the putts that are short don't go in." OK, some of Johnny's are worse... but not much. They provide foder for boards like this. The thing is... Johnny has the experience, knows what it is like to be the top dog on the course and has experienced the agony of losing the putter's touch. IMHO, he's earned his stripes on the battlefield and doesn't mind telling you his opinion. For every faux pas he's there with 5-8 observations that increase the intelligence of those that watch the game. And, he's not afraid to open his mouth and put his foot in it either -- truth be articulately told; most of it is deserved anyway when you look past the political correctness of the comment. One day, he'll be gone and he'll be revered like Carey and Cosell for being the individual he was and calling it like he saw it. And, when the new kids have taken over with their heads up the network ar*es with all the PC BS talking over sports, you'll remember the day Miller said what he did and wish he was back calling the match.

[deronsizemore]

I think it was Gary Koch, not Hicks - but you're right about the tone of voice. There seemed to be a stunned silence, then someone made a lighter comment, as though prompted by the producer to lighten things up quick. I get real tired listening to him announce with great precision how the putt will break when he's off somewhere in a studio, not there reading the green.

Ah yes, you're probably right. I always get those other guys in the booth messed up. I don't get to hear them talk as much with Johnny up there so it's easy to get the other ones confused. haha

Yeah, it's real tiring. I guess he keeps his job for the sole purpose that he does create controversy. I guess if he was just a plain old boring announcer he would have lost his position 10 years ago. I just get the feeling that Johnny thinks he is probably the best golfer to ever have touched a club and resents anyone else that is a good golfer in their own right. Like him saying "yeah, they are good, but not as good as I was." Yes, Johnny was one of the best golfers in the world and arguably the best golfer of his time (which was a span of 5 or so years?). That still doesn't give him free reign to be a pompous ass.

[JessN16]

He would have sounded like Keith Jackson. Excuse me... but... I'm not looking for Keith to announce golf. I hear enough of him doing football. The same with Billy Packard. Everyone has their favorite personality who you want doing color commentary... killing bugs in your storage shed.

Don't know if you're aware of this or not, but Jackson used to call golf. He was on the mike for at least one Ryder Cup and I'm sure he did some of the regular tour stuff if he was doing the Ryder. I want to say he's done the Masters before but I can't be sure of it.

He also was once the NASCAR play-by-play guy, did the Indy 500, baseball, NFL, basketball, you name it. If you think you hear enough of him now you should grab some tapes of 70s sports highlights. More likely than not you'll hear ol' Keith. Jess

[iQuest Golfer]

Don't know if you're aware of this or not, but Jackson used to call golf. He was on the mike for at least one Ryder Cup and I'm sure he did some of the regular tour stuff if he was doing the Ryder. I want to say he's done the Masters before but I can't be sure of it.

My point exactly!

Jackson has been used so much in other venues that at a golf match he's outta place. Another is Chris Berman. But then, I don't want to get off on a tangent; after all, this is Johnny's thread and I"m sure more want to take their shots.

[Awsi Dooger]

He would have sounded like Keith Jackson. Excuse me... but... I'm not looking for Keith to announce golf. I hear enough of him doing football. The same with Billy Packard. Everyone has their favorite personality who you want doing color commentary... killing bugs in your storage shed.

Your only problem was you understated everything. I particularly appreciated the last two paragraphs, which were the same two themes I was going to add, before seeing your comment.

Miller has a rare ability to blend focus on the mental and physical aspects of the game. Every time I think I've heard everything in his repertoire, like the familiar high on the grooves chip shot from fluffy rough, he comes up with something new. In the Ryder Cup it was interesting when he emphasized that uphill shots like the second on that 18th hole tend to miss right. Sure enough, one player after another was ending up on the hill in the hay. I've heard players say they learned from his observations, like Tom Watson who mentioned something along the same lines, that he heard Miller say a certain type of shot generally promotes a specific type of miss, and that caused him to focus on eliminating that tendency in his game. Miller also does his homework, even this late in his career, past 60. He'll get to the course early and get a read on the break at spots where critical putts figure to be struck. Miller's excellence was even more glaring once Faldo moved to CBS. He's content to blabber, "lookey there!" and other nonsense all afternoon. You can tell Nantz is frustrated. In the early tournaments he'd ask Faldo for swing analysis after a bad shot, but once it was so predictable and empty he almost never turns to Faldo anymore. Now they have Kostis take that role, even from a tiny monitor on the course.

[Three Putt]

JM is awful. Can't stand his "canned" telecasts and little smug look while doing it.

He's royalty, and all the viewers are peasants.

Johnny....."He's got about a 60 yard shot, out of that thick...nasty....and knotted rough, he has to carry the greenside bunker and stop it on the green, .......Ohhh, and by the way idiot golfer sitting on the couch, don't even think for one moment you could hit this shot, you are an idiot, and I am a major winner."

He's golf's answer to football's Joe Theisman, just much more arrogant.

[N.V.M.]

Johnny so often says what everybody is thinking. backfires once in a while, but that's become his trademark.

[iQuest Golfer]

JM is awful. Can't stand his "canned" telecasts and little smug look while doing it.

Wooooah! I don't know what station you're watching the telecast on but I've never heard Johnny say, "Ohhh, and by the way idiot golfer sitting on the couch, don't even think for one moment you could hit this shot, you are an idiot, and I am a major winner."

Come to think of it, I'm not sure that 60-75% of the golfers watching could make that shot.