2016 Masters thread

[Cosmo]

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

 

[Chef2]

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.

 

[Songbird]

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

 

[Chef2]

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

 

[Cosmo]

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

 

[hondo]

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

I read this last year. Most of it is bull****.
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.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

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.

 

[heyabbott]

They make the rules. Don't like it. Don't cover it.

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

 

[poindexter]

Three minutes of commercials an hour. No Chris Berman despite ESPN coverage. Gorgeous grounds. They throw out people who yell MASHED POTATOES.


Hell, they can sacrifice virgins at Amen corner, if they deliver all the stuff listed above.

 

[Cosmo]

I read this last year. Most of it is bull****.
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.

Great points. I hadn't seen the story before, just popped up on my Twitter feed today.

 

[DanOregon]

It think the thing about The Masters is that it is the one event that looks pretty much the same as it did 30 or 40 years ago. We always talk about things not being as good as they one were, but it is kind of nice to have something not change (the camera angles, the hushed tones, the music, the course etc.) and the event not pimp itself out for every last dollar like pretty much every other sport has done.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

I'll be happy to listen to all of the bitching and wailing about Augusta when these same people take Burning Tree Club in Bethesda to task for way worse.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Spieth is 4-under through 10, making him 22-under for his last 82 holes at Augusta. Must like the course.

 

[jr/shotglass]

I absolutely love my ChromeCast. I'm watching the Spieth and Fowler groups on big screen, gorgeous quality, and it's not on real TV until 3.

Spieth is stunningly good, but he is scrambling a bit. A little scattershot off the tee.

 

[poindexter]

Spieth is stunningly good, but he is scrambling a bit. A little scattershot off the tee.

I don't claim to be an expert, but I've watched the Masters for too many years. You don't really get penalized at Augusta for wayward tee shots.

 

[Cosmo]

There are spots where they can absolutely kill you, but you generally have to be really wayward to get penalized.

The anti-Spieth today is Ernie Els, who needed seven putts to card a tidy 10 on the first hole.

 

[poindexter]

And their website is the tits.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Speith is 5-under and surrounded by English. Three shots clear of everyone.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Fowler out in 36, in in 44! for an 80.

 

[Pilot]

I read this last year. Most of it is bull****.
1. The ....

In the comments the author says:

There is literally no other event on the planet where security would treat you that way for ducking a rope near a putting green.

Having covered an Olympics, I disagree. Maybe I didn't have any experiences THAT outlandish, but at the Olympics someone had clearly thought of every shortcut a reporter might want to take, ever corner he or she might want to cut, and they had a person or three standing there ready to tell you "no."