Johnny Miller's Legacy

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, OurGolfStats said:

I would have never paid any attention to his broadcasting,  if he had not been such a great player…

Really? I find that hard to believe. He was one of the main two announcers for thousands and thousands of hours of TV coverage. Major championships. Ryder Cups. Etc.

[turtleback]

12 minutes ago, OurGolfStats said:

Playing career.  I would have never paid any attention to his broadcasting, if he had not been such a great player - same as Nick Faldo.  And, nobody really pays attention to Gary Koch or Roger Maltbie's broadcasting.  I like them both, but they do not have the pedigree Miller had.  There was a time where I expected him to win every tournament that he entered - just like a stretch Tiger Woods had.  He definitely changed broadcasting by "telling it like it is", when all other broadcasters were afraid to criticize.  But, as far as legacy goes - playing career was amazing.

His stretch was 2 years - Tigers was more than 10.

Miller is clearly, IMO, in the top 5 of all time announcers.  He is nowhere near the top 5 of all time players.

Faldo had a much better playing career, but isn't anywhere near Miller's class as an announcer, IMO.

Edited February 13, 2019 by turtleback

[TimBob]

From what I saw and what I have heard, Miller was the type of player who if he was "on" on a particular day, and you happened to be at the course that day and were following him, you would be mesmerized and think "this guy should win every week."  He was an "emotional player" and quite intense. His ball-striking was probably the best of anyone of his era, and his swing was athletic. So he was a little different in some ways. Some players who are excellent you could watch and not realize how good they are because they are kind of robotic and seem to mostly have a knack for "getting it done" without seeming spectacular. Miller was fun to watch and that was the biggest part of his on-course mystique. He didn't have the mental makeup to allow him to win some weeks when he probably should have. But he did win 25 times in a relatively short time.

[OurGolfStats]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

Really? I find that hard to believe. He was one of the main two announcers for thousands and thousands of hours of TV coverage. Major championships. Ryder Cups. Etc.

I guess this is what makes polls interesting - different opinions.  Everything you said here is true.  And, he is my favorite announcer.  But, the question posed was "what is his greatest legacy".  Maybe we look at "legacy" differently. 

I consider what he accomplished on the course, on his own, managing his nerves over every shot to win 25 tournaments, etc. to be a more significant accomplishment than a television network choosing him to deliver knowledgeable insights on other people's golf games.  I would hope that he would feel the same way about his career.  Maybe that's not "legacy", though.  But, it is my opinion.  And, I don't think it should be hard to believe that some people have that opinion.

 

[iacas]

How do you define legacy, @OurGolfStats?

Off the cuff I’d define it as a mix of the greatest accomplishment and that which the person will be most remembered by.

With that definition broadcasting wins 2-0.

[turtleback]

5 hours ago, iacas said:

How do you define legacy, @OurGolfStats?

Off the cuff I’d define it as a mix of the greatest accomplishment and that which the person will be most remembered by.

With that definition broadcasting wins 2-0.

I agree, just as Faldo is 2-0 the other way, in my opinion.  Ken 'my God I've won the Open' Venturi is another interesting hat in this ring.