2016 Masters thread

Weather forecast is for rain tomorrow, then windy and cool (60s) the rest of the tournament. Mixed bag. Softening the course would rule out all but the bombers, but real wind would bring the guys who live off accuracy (like Zach Johnson) back into things.

 

Love that forecast; makes it more interesting rather than just bombers

 

Wonder if ESPN or CBS or Golf Channel, or anyone else tried to approach Woods about doing some color for the weekend while he's on IR?

 

He may only have been on the grounds for the champions dinner last night.

 

He's made it very clear that he hates watching golf, so I doubt you'll ever see him in that role.

 

Cabrera, Lowry and JB Holmes paired together Thursday and Friday.

Lowry is easily the shortest of the 3, and he's not short at all.

 

Van Pelt really wanted to say 2 balls, 1 cup.

 

Yeah.....she can handle by bag anytime she wants.

 

http://deadspin.com/how-augusta-nat...source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

 

I read this last year. Most of it is bullshit.
1. The author being peeved about questioning the way Augusta National does things, then miffed about the "Because I said so" answers forgets one thing: It's their club. It's a private club. They make the rules. Anyone is free not to buy a ticket or apply for a media credential.
2. Many American institutions had racist and sexist practices back in the day. They evolved. The club was slow to admit women but they have. They also have African-Americans (Lynn Swann, for one). Get over it.
3. Speaking of birds, there are birds. That part of the story was patently ridiculous. And CBS was the one who piped in the bird calls, not the club.
4. The author is somehow ticked off because the club has volunteers give them a cart ride from the media entrance to the media center? What the hell's wrong with that? It's a bit of a hike on foot. Christ, they're just trying to help.
5. Also, what's so wrong with the rules on cell phones? I think it's admirable that there's somewhere left in this country where people have to unchain themselves from technology. He's also wrong about players' wives being scolded for taking pictures at the Par-3 Contest. I don't know whether he went there or not, but everyone can have cameras Monday through Wednesday. Players, the wives, kids, caddies, etc., were taking pictures constantly during the Par 3 yesterday.
6. Using Steve Elling as an source -- the only media source -- was idiotic. Elling has been a chronic complainer in every media center he's ever been in. He went out of his way to make waves and the putting green incident is an example. You know going in that you can't go past the ropes of the practice areas. It's always been the case. But players are available walking from the course to the clubhouse and in the locker room. Ditto Shipnuck. Media are not allowed in any of those cabins. Period. It's like trying to crash the private luxury suite of an NFL owner. He also tried to crash Angel Cabrera's party in a private room of the clubhouse after he won in 2009. You'd think Ryan would have interviewed someone else with another point of view.
7. Billy Payne has taken this club not only into the 20th century but the 21st century. He and the club go out of of their way to help the media do their job, not hinder it, as long as you're covering the tournament. If you're there to ferret out their secrets, there will be waves. But again, it's their candy store. They make the rules. Don't like it. Don't cover it.

 

All I can say is that the two times I covered the Masters, I was well treated from the professional and personal point of view, had all the access I needed to write stories, and met some very nice people, including a number of club members.

 

It's a news story. It's also one of the ten most important sports stories every year. Not covering it is not an option.

It's a private club, but they open it to the public for this Tournement. They cannot refuse to sell tickets to women because they want to. If you are critical of the Tournement as journalist and they revoke your media credentials because of that, it's wrong and the other journalists should call them on it, repeatedly. Whether they do that or not is open to debate.

Whatever the rules of the Tournement are, journalists should obey them, but it's their job to report the rules. And it's part of the function to opine on them.

That said, it's not North Korea. It's China. Dictatorial Capitalism