Enough with the Jack Nicklaus glurge. It’s been non-stop since yesterday. I don’t care. I want to see the actual competetion once in a while. How many “final walks” has Nicklaus made in the last couple of years anyway? It seems like every other tournament it’s always his “last” something or even worse “might be” his last whatever.
What is it with these ceremonial golfers anyway? Why are they even allowed on the course? It’s embarrassing to watch these old farts kill snakes for four hours and hold up the game and wind up with a +19. What other sport does that? You don’t see Bill Russell wandering onto the court during the NBA finals. You don’t see Gordie Howe trying to climb onto the ice during the Stanley Cup. Why should we have to endure the Golden Bear scrambling to make double bogey?
If we must allow them onto the course can we at least try to remember why we’re here and show the golfers in contention insteading of going away from coverage for 45 minutes to show an old man shuffle over a bridge?
Also, let’s put a moratorium on the word “special.” I don’t want to hear how “special” the moment is. I don’t want to hear how “special” the course is to Jack. I don’t want to hear people being asked if they have any “special” memories of Jack. Find a different word, for fuck’s sake.
And whoever the announcer was who said that Nicklaus has “never been without a lack of effort.” You are an idiot.
Here, here. But it gets to be the same when Woods is playing, they only show him. He’ll look at a putt, look, look some more, take a practice swing, wait. All the while someone more interesting is playing another hole! I don’t want to see the same damn person over and over again unless that person is making holes in one on every damn hole.
A-fucking-men! I didn’t mind enduring the endless walks of Arnold Palmer. He was a gentleman. But Jackass Nicklaus … hell, no! What a sombitch. I remember when he was with the commentators at some tournament or another, and they were watching a fellow chipping out from a bunker. He holed it. Jackass’s comment? “Technically, his swing wasn’t correct.” You dipshit. He holed it. His swing was perfect. Gah.
That’s part of it too. Jack’s got a bit of an arrogant streak. It seems like he doesn’t like to compliment other players and I always sense a bit of subtle bristling whenever the subject of whether (really more like when) Tiger will break his career majors record. He’ll point out that Tiger doesn’t have anyone like Arnie to challenge him, etc. He doesn’t say anything overtly hostile but you can tell it bugs him that he isn’t the “greatest ever” any more. He also takes himself too seriously in the majors and says he wants to compete and not just be a ceremonial player, but he IS a ceremonial player and has been for years.
What a dick. What the hell is he saying, that Arnie used to run onto the green and kick his ball into the water or something? I mean damn. It’s the man against the course, and Tiger is a better man. In so many ways.
I wholeheartedly agree with the OP. I actually thought the coverage had switched to another channel and started looking for it elsewhere. Giving up, I went back to TNT, only to discover it was just a 10 minute Golden Bear wankfest I’d been watching instead of, you know, the tournament.
Oh wait! He’s teeing off live right now! Announcer: “He’s reaching into the memory banks with that one.” :smack:
I heard that the bastard has refused a spot in the honorary tee-offs at Augusta. What sort of piss ant personality does it take to snub the legends of the game while pretending that he still has a chance to win anything? Oh nevermind. That would be he.
For one thing, Tiger does play against extremely challenging fields. Guys like Els, Mikkelson, Sergio, Singh, Goosen, etc. are not exactly powderpuffs. I would argue that Tiger plays against bigger and better fields that Nicklaus ever did. Tiger does not have that signature, arch-adversary like Jack had with Arnie, but that’s not his fault. I don’t see why he should be penalized for being peerless in his era. One of the real measures of greatness is a clear separation from the field. Babe Ruth had no one close to him in his era as a homerun hitter. Jordan never had a peer either. To me that’s an extra point in favor of greatness, not against it.
I think Nicklaus has a pretty healthy ego and really enjoyed his “greatest ever” status. It really bugs the shit out of him that someone better has come along.
By contrast, Arnold Palmer seems to take nothing but delight in Tiger’s success. Tiger himself has never been anything but respectful, even adoring, of his predecessors. He relishes his own place in history but I don’t doubt that if some kid starts breaking his own records 30 years from now he’ll be the first to congratulate the guy.
More from the announcers just now after Jack missed his putt on 17: “He never knew the meaning of the word quit.” “No, sir, he didn’t.” Gimme a fucking BREAK.
Now he’s walking off the 17th green: “Well he knows and they know and we know that this is goodbye.”
On to the 18th tee: “Well everyone at the hotel, and in Scotland, and the US and Russia all know that this is Jack’s last tee shot at 18.”
…
Now he’s standing on Swilcan Bridge, posing for pictures.
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Five minutes of nothing but Jack walking to his 2nd shot.
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Finally the leaderboard graphic. “There’s your leaderboard - Woods by four. A story that’s taken a serious back seat to what we’re watching here at 18.” Thanks for rubbing it in.
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18th green, final putt, less than one second after he makes his birdie putt: “What a way to call it a career!!”
“Not a dry eye in the country.”
“Classic. Timeless. Unforgettable. Thre words describing this place, this moment, and this man.”
And we finally cut to a commercial, probably moments before the announcers rush down to the green and fellate him.
It’s now been more than 30 minutes of nothing but watching Jack finish the hole, with zero footage of the tournament, and about five seconds devoted to the leaderboard.
Well, he is the greatest ever. Tiger might get there one day, but he isn’t there yet.
I’ve heard Jack sing praises of Tiger. I think you guys are nuts raggin on Jack like you are. Jack is a phenomenally dedicated family man, and he’s done tons of charity work. Sure, he’s competitive-- you have to be to win. No, he’s not Arnold, but it’s ridiculous to expect one person to be like another. But he’s a perfect gentleman in his own way, and everyone who plays with him always talk about how friendly and personable he is. Maybe the announcers are going overboard, but that’s not his fault.
Well, yeah, I’m sure he has a good side, and I’m glad you came into the thread to present it. But Dio gave me a much needed avenue for venting one of those “Am I the only one noticing this?” things. I don’t like him, but yeah, he’s great and all that.
