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PGA Championship Sunday stories

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Rockbottom, Aug 20, 2006.

  1. Rockbottom

    Rockbottom Well-Known Member

    Here it is, coming up on 9 p.m. on the East coast, and precisely one of the six AP-budgeted stories have moved from Medinah.

    WTF, Nancy Armour and Tim Dahlberg? Paul Newberry would have filed, written through and been back in Atlanta by now!

    rb
     
  2. Rockbottom

    Rockbottom Well-Known Member

    OK, now two -- as Armour's Ryder Cup story just appeared.

    Dahlberg must still be in the merchandise tent.

    rb
     
  3. 2underpar

    2underpar Active Member

    any suggested heds?
     
  4. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    Litke's column just moved.
     
  5. Rockbottom

    Rockbottom Well-Known Member

    I am feeling "Domination by the dozen" right now, but am not sold on it.

    rb
     
  6. 2underpar

    2underpar Active Member

    it's getting old trying to keep coming up with tiger heds every major.
    Maybe I'll go with Tiger wins.
     
  7. Leo Mazzone

    Leo Mazzone Member

    Eldrick "Tiger" Woods finishes with a lower score than rest of PGA field to claim 12th major victory/win/triumph, move within one half of one dozen major victories/wins/triumphs of Jack Nicklaus
     
  8. clutchcargo

    clutchcargo Active Member

    Tour golf writing has become so predictable and impulsive that it's become a big turn-off. No question Tiger is the most-watched player in history and deserves to be in the headlines, but I'm amazed at how topnotch golf writers seem incapable of finding any other compelling storylines.

    Just two months ago, Mickelson appeared poised to win the U.S. Open after winning the 2005 PGA and 2006 Masters, and pundits were saying how now, for real, we suddenly had a genuine even-steven rivalry at the top of the game. Then lefty blows the Open, Tiger wins the British and now wins the PGA, and already we are hearing again about how Tiger is in a class by himself, that he's clearly the best player in the game, that he is a cinch to break Nicklaus's record of 18 pro majors, blah, blah, blah.

    What's up with that? Then Els has a great stretch, or Vijay, or Goosen, or whomever, and then suddenly everyone runs to their side proclaiming this or that and how Woods no longer is the top golfer. Then again, Tiger wins a tournament or two, to include a major, and suddenly he's a god again. That kind of superficial reporting, and it includes the top national writers, really gets tired.

    The other part about golf coverage that bugs the snot out of me, and it ties into what I just said, is how there is such a rush to judgment, an itchy trigger finger to say what's going to happen next month, or next year or over the next five years.

    Case in point: Just five weeks ago, Tiger was "stuck" on 10 career majors and had just missed the U.S. Open cut following death of his dad. Writers were starting to write that Woods might have a hard time catching Nicklaus's 18-majors record, that too many other good players had caught up to him and that Micleson was now too big an obstacle for him. Then, Boom, Woods win two majors, and I read Ian O'Connor's column filed late today that now says Woods won't just break Nicklaus's recrod, he will smash it and end up with 24-25 career major victories.

    Why the haste in declaring that Woods will now win 25 majors when just five weeks ago 18 looked questionable. This is typical kneejerk, shallow writing. Besies, how the hell does O'Connor know that Woods will stay healthy, keep his game sharp, get distracted by fatherhood, etc.? Why is there such a rush to declare Woods' future in this manner. It looks just like junk writing, like making some silly, far-fetched prediction for far down the road. Total over reaction, fluff. Where's the real insight, some solid perspective?
     
  9. Your head is in the proverbial sand trap.
     
  10. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    clutchcargo,

    Good post.

    One common theme I find in most sportswriting today is a sheer lack of enjoyment in what the writer just witnessed. Instead of making declarations, sometimes good writing involves just describing, with a good turn of phrase, the arc of a Woods' three-iron this week, or the way his ball died in the cup over and over in the final two rounds, the mark of not just a well-read, well-struck putt, but a putt so well-read and well-struck that last revolution of the ball was the last revolution the ball had in it. If you're going to celebrate Woods, celebrate that. Not the number he attained, the number he might attain or the number he should attain.

    Some athletes, usually football players, get that treatment, because the game isn't so given over to numbers. Well, those guys and Derek Jeter.
     
  11. Ledbetter

    Ledbetter Active Member

    Well put. I've worked hard during the past year to bring the fun of sports back into what I write. It doesn't always happen, but I'm trying.
     
  12. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    ledbetter,

    Lord knows it's not always fun. Preseason football, for example.
     
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