Masters TV Ratings: Bubba Watson Over Louis Oosthuizen + Bad Tiger Woods = Ratings Down

All, Golf, Tiger Woods, TV Jason McIntyre April 9th. 2012, 12:43pm

Bubba Watson’s exciting Masters victory over Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff didn’t exactly resonate with viewers. The numbers are in, and CBS can blame Tiger Woods* for this:

Yesterday’s fourth round at Augusta National Golf Club was watched on CBS in an average of 8.1 percent of households in the top 56 U.S. television markets, Jerry Caraccioli, a spokesman for [CBS said]. That’s 22 percent lower than the 10.4 rating CBS drew a year ago, when Charl Schwartzel captured the title and Woods contended before faltering over the final nine holes.

Worst ratings since 2004? Yikes. Wonder how much Mickelson’s triple-bogey on the front nine hurt. If you’re at an Easter gathering and glancing at your phone, wondering whether or not to get to the TV, does Mickelson not being on top for a long stretch hurt? Or can this singularly be attributed to Tiger’s absence on Sunday? [via Bloomberg]

* That’s a joke, Tiger fans. Relax. [Photo of Tiger and Bubba from 2007]

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116 Responses to “Masters TV Ratings: Bubba Watson Over Louis Oosthuizen + Bad Tiger Woods = Ratings Down”

1
arkbadger Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:47 PM
good post
2
PL StabbinKabin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:47 PM
This surprises the shit out of me. I was over at the girlfriend’s aunts for Easter dinner and they are hardly sports fans. People were glued to the TV down the stretch. I really thought the ratings would be much better let alone the worst since 2004. Fuck you people, watch golf.
3
AssaultWithAConcreteDildo Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:47 PM
What should the Masters do? Find a way to make the ending involve more famous people, even if it’s not as exciting as yesterday’s very compelling finish?
4
mizerle06 is mcintyred of all the trollin' Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:48 PM
solid opinion, buddy.
5
Eric T0upal aka BrawnyTom Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Not sure if I am in the minority, but I watched the majority of the Masters on their website.
6
johnnyoneputt Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Would Easter have anything to do with this? I don’t think this falls on the Holiday every year.
7
phillymantis915 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Not sure if I am in the minority, but I watched the majority of the Masters on their website.
The only ratings that matter are those that have a Nielson Box
/TBL’d
8
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:50 PM
What should the Masters do? Find a way to make the ending involve more famous people, even if it’s not as exciting as yesterday’s very compelling finish?
id prefer they ask rory and tiger to not play like shit.
9
Coach Mike Woodson, Atlanta Hawks Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:50 PM
A spokesman for the Masters offered a comment: “Who gives a fuck?”
/counts money
10
BeerMan Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!!!!
11
St. Bear Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Listening to Mad Dog Radio on Sirius this morning, and they had Joe McGuinness on, talking golf. They mentioned Sergio, and his comments over the weekend, and he had a great tidbit that I never would’ve guessed. Sergio is still younger than when Phil won his first major. He’s 32, and Phil didn’t win until 33. So there’s hope for Spencer.
12
TheRealAC Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:52 PM
does this account for those who watched the DirecTV feed?
13
ButtersBC Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:52 PM
The Masters also fell on Easter weekend in 2004, wonder if there’s always been a correlation between that and traditionally-used ratings
14
PL StabbinKabin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:53 PM
does Mickelson not being on top for a long stretch hurt?
You apparently didn’t watch the tournament. He was still in the mix down the stretch there, JMac
15
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Listening to Mad Dog Radio on Sirius this morning, and they had Joe McGuinness on, talking golf. They mentioned Sergio, and his comments over the weekend, and he had a great tidbit that I never would’ve guessed. Sergio is still younger than when Phil won his first major. He’s 32, and Phil didn’t win until 33. So there’s hope for Spencer.
if you ask sergio himself, he’s far less optimistic.
16
St. Bear Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:54 PM
if you ask sergio himself, he’s far less optimistic.
That was the quote that brought up the discussion. It’s just crazy that he’s on 32, and has been around forever.
17
sportsgal116 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:55 PM
Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!!!!
Yes it’s true, your honor. This man has no dick.
18
St. Bear Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:55 PM
And McGuiness went onto say that it could take a lot of the media pressure off him in a self deprecating kind of way.
19
PL StabbinKabin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:56 PM
if you ask sergio himself, he’s far less optimistic.
Hopefully he doesn’t lose the “passion” for the game again.
20
Hopboy Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:57 PM
What should the Masters do? Find a way to make the ending involve more famous people, even if it’s not as exciting as yesterday’s very compelling finish?
A representative from CBS just sent me an email to your question.
“Yes.”
Tiger losing in that playoff instead of Louis would have been pretty big numbers.
21
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:57 PM
That was the quote that brought up the discussion. It’s just crazy that he’s on 32, and has been around forever.
oh yea…it’s really bizarre. i had a similar moment with justin rose a few weeks ago when announcers were talking about his performance as an amateur in the 1997 british open and how he turned pro after that…FIFTEEN YEARS AGO!!! dude’s only 32!!!
it’s really crazy. adam scott’s been around forever too and he’s the same age as those guys.
22
payaso Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Tiger is riveting television. He brings the country together. A Southern boy and a South African? Not so much.
23
ButtersBC Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:58 PM
You apparently didn’t watch the tournament. He was still in the mix down the stretch there, JMac
/TBL checks into Twitter where people don’t point out the ignorance of the author
24
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Worst ratings since 2004? Yikes. Wonder how much Mickelson’s triple-bogey on the front nine hurt.
Yeah, Mickelson’s triple bogey hurt ratings. If Phil Mickelson was in contention the ratings would have been even more superior to 2004, when some clown named, ummm, Phil Mickelson won.
/seriously, just stay away from golf and baseball
25
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:58 PM
And McGuiness went onto say that it could take a lot of the media pressure off him in a self deprecating kind of way.
it would take a lot of pressure off of him if the media weren’t so demanding in the first place. im sure it did wonders for his and adam scott’s confidence when every article written about them talked about their shitty putting and chokey nature.
26
mizerle06 is mcintyred of all the trollin' Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:59 PM
Not sure if I am in the minority, but I watched the majority of the Masters on their website.
I did the same.
27
sousedbergin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:59 PM
Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!!!!
Ratings post free for all!
My puppy has become a dog!
Here’s a topless Argentinian soccer fan!
/Ratings Brah give the people what they want.
28
The Wayne Fontes Safari Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:00 PM
* That’s a joke, Tiger fans. Relax.
One should never imply Roy Horn smelled like beef and cheddar.
29
BeerMan Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:01 PM
does this account for those who watched the DirecTV feed?
Maybe this was rhetorical, but:
Yesterday’s fourth round at Augusta National Golf Club was watched on CBS in an average of 8.1 percent of households in the top 56 U.S. television markets, Jerry Caraccioli, a spokesman for [CBS said].
/nobody reads the posts/links
30
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:01 PM
1P. Mickelson 2E. Els 3K.J. Choi T4S. Garcia T4B. Langer T6P. Casey T6F. Couples T6C. DiMarco T6D. Love III T6N. Price T6V. Singh T6K. Triplett T13R. Goosen T13P. Harrington T13C. Howell III
Pretty stacked top 15 in 2004.
31
Seven Different Kinds Of WhatHaveYa Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Yes it’s true, your honor. This man has no dick.
it’s probably just me, but the line that cracks me up is when EPA guy says he’s from the EPA and murray says ‘how’s it going down there?’
32
PL StabbinKabin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Here’s a topless Argentinian soccer fan!
No more linking trannies with fake tits over here, aight?
33
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:03 PM
Per Google:
Easter Sunday was on Sunday, April 24, 2011.
The Masters Golf Tournament began Monday, April 4, 2011, and ended Sunday, April 10, 2011.
Easter Sunday was on Sunday, April 8, 2012.
The Masters Golf Tournament began Monday, April 2, 2012, and ended Sunday, April 8, 2012.
34
Seven Different Kinds Of WhatHaveYa Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:04 PM
im sure it did wonders for his and adam scott’s confidence when every article written about them talked about their shitty putting and chokey nature.
you think golfers ahve rabbit ears(eyes)?
35
Badger Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:05 PM
love the ratings down narrative. zmog! college hoops only beat 5 WS games and 4 NBA finals games and every bowl game but one … but ratings are down year to year!
This is why people laugh at these types of posts. You change your viewpoint depending whether or not you like the sport.
36
KingGrizz Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:05 PM
I normally don’t comment on the ratings posts, but this seems ricidulous.
37
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:05 PM
you think golfers ahve rabbit ears(eyes)?
they don’t need to…golf writers are so desperate for attention they’ll make the player aware of their thoughts regardless if said player wants to hear them or not.
/looks at laurence donegan, john huggan, john feinstein, gary whateverhisnameisatespn, etc…
38
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:05 PM
talked about their shitty putting and chokey nature.
Adam Scott is not a very good putter, compared to other pros. It’s obvious in person, when my wife started making fun of him.
Too bad it took him 69 holes to realize that if he got an ace, he didn’t have to putt.
/should do that more often
39
sousedbergin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:06 PM
No more linking trannies with fake tits over here, aight?
Can’t say that I’ll try, but I’ll try to try.
40
Seven Different Kinds Of WhatHaveYa Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:06 PM
they don’t need to…golf writers are so desperate for attention they’ll make the player aware of their thoughts regardless if said player wants to hear them or not.
ok, so they’re insecure
41
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:07 PM
I think Butters hit on it though. It’s an extremely lazy point to say that Phil’s triple made the ratings the worst since 2004, when he won his first major that year.
42
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:08 PM
/looks at laurence donegan, john huggan, john feinstein, gary whateverhisnameisatespn, etc…
You missed the parasite currently residing in Tiger Woods’ lower intestine, Rick Reilly.
43
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:08 PM
Adam Scott is not a very good putter, compared to other pros.
part of the reason i love golf is because while scott can’t putt well compared to his peers, there are very, very few of his peers that can hit the ball as well as he does.
i guess you’re only a shitty putter if you’re good enough everywhere else to be in contention all the time. those shitty players “with great short games” that contend once in a blue moon are the ones we should all try and emulate, according to golf digest and the like.
44
KingGrizz Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:08 PM
I really liked Louis’ on course mannerisms. That dude plays so solid, he’ll win another major.
45
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:09 PM
ok, so they’re insecure
very much so…it’s quite telling when they complain that there’s nothing to write about the past decade despite the presence of one of the greatest of all time.
46
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:10 PM
i guess you’re only a shitty putter if you’re good enough everywhere else to be in contention all the time.
Plus he’s a better putter than 99% of the people most of us have ever played with.
Funny thing is that I though Kuchar hit the ball the best of anyone (and Oosthuizen the worst, after the shank on 12 and shot on 15). I just had no idea Kuchar got that shaky with the putter at times. The middle of his round had some painful missed opportunities.
47
QueeferSutherland Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Truth is, unless Tiger and Phil are leading heading into the final round of a major, ratings won’t be strong. When Mickelson tumbled down the leaderboard a lot of TVs turned off.
48
PL StabbinKabin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:11 PM
Adam Scott is not a very good putter, compared to other pros.
That stupid illegal ass putter sure has helped him improve on the greens, though.
49
Seven Different Kinds Of WhatHaveYa Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:11 PM
i meant the golfers are insecure, spence, to let writers affect their mental game
50
SouvenirCity Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:11 PM
If you’re at an Easter gathering and glancing at your phone, wondering whether or not to get to the TV, does Mickelson not being on top for a long stretch hurt?
You started this sentence so well and then didn’t come to the conclusion that would have explained a ratings dip.
People watch live sports on things that aren’t a television. I have that sentence copied into a notepad on my desktop for occasions like this now.
51
Jim Harbaugh Scramble Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:12 PM
RIP the Masters
52
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:12 PM
i guess you’re only a shitty putter if you’re good enough everywhere else to be in contention all the time.
Or the inverse. Which is better though? I’m still waiting for Aaron Baddeley to break through.
53
SouvenirCity Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:12 PM
I’m even watching the Phillies-Marlins game on my computer right now! TECHNOLOGY!
54
PL StabbinKabin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:13 PM
I really liked Louis’ on course mannerisms. That dude plays so solid, he’ll win another major.
Maybe the most fluid and rhythmic swing you’ll see on tour outside of Rory and Adam Scott in my opinion. I wouldn’t have minded if he took home the green jacket one bit yesterday.
55
KingGrizz Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:13 PM
TBL — What do you reccommend Augusta National do to improve ratings?
56
illformula Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:13 PM
my man westwood is going to slowly put together the a resume of the most impressive top 5 finishes in history of majors,.
57
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:13 PM
Truth is, unless Tiger and Phil are leading heading into the final round of a major, ratings won’t be strong. When Mickelson tumbled down the leaderboard a lot of TVs turned off.
Again, Phil WON in 2004. It’s not just that.
/another swing and a miss
58
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:14 PM
i meant the golfers are insecure, spence, to let writers affect their mental game
that’s the challenge of golf…there’s so much time to think, it’s hard not to think about comments like those when they’re in your face. especially when it’s ALL you hear.
59
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:14 PM
my man westwood is going to slowly put together the a resume of the most impressive top 5 finishes in history of majors,.
I assume Jack with all his runner-up finishes is the clubhouse leader?
60
KingGrizz Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:14 PM
Also, please tell me someone saw Bubba’s press conference and his one piece of hair hung in such a way that it looked like the most bizarre unibrow of all time. I was openly rooting for him to adjust his hair.
61
HtownHacker Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:15 PM
I was flipping channels, but must admit that Mickelson’s triple bogey had me flipping over less often than I would have otherwise. Should have flipped away from the Red Sox game altogether, in hindsight.
62
Jason McIntyre Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Grizz -imo, it isn’t a situation like that. I think this really is a Tiger thing. If he’s in the mix, people will watch. If not …
63
mizerle06 is mcintyred of all the trollin' Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:16 PM
anybody in here want to go hit balls with Graeme McDowell this coming Monday in NYC? I have an open invitation but can’t go myself. holler at me if so: mizerle06(at)gmail(dot)com.
64
scripty Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Adam Scott and Sergio both won TPC Sawgrass. They just need to make 1-2 more putts in a major. That’s all it is. Scott deals with the pressure a bit better than Sergio. Sergio really outplayed everybody when he lost in the playoff to Padraig, he just caught some rough breaks.
They are like the Karl Malone and Charles Barkley of modern golf. Lack of a major doesnt invalidate them.
65
sousedbergin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:17 PM
TBL — What do you reccommend Augusta National do to improve ratings?
Internet specific electromagnetic pulse bomb.
66
Jay V Of Considerable Influence Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:17 PM
The Masters also fell on Easter weekend in 2004, wonder if there’s always been a correlation between that and traditionally-used ratings
The 3 lowest-rated Masters of the past 15 years…all on Easter.
67
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:17 PM
Or the inverse. Which is better though?
ballstriking travels, putting does not. nicklaus couldn’t make anything on bermuda greens for a large portion of his early career.
if you drive it well and hit greens, you can play anywhere. short game and putting is obviously important, but they’re hedges against a poor ballstriking round, not something to rely on day in and out.
68
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:18 PM
Grizz -imo, it isn’t a situation like that. I think this really is a Tiger thing. If he’s in the mix, people will watch. If not …
THE FIRST BORN SON OF EVERY GOLF FAN WILL DIE.
69
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:18 PM
The 3 lowest-rated Masters of the past 15 years…all on Easter.
So Phil went to mass instead of playing?
70
HtownHacker Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:19 PM
They are like the Karl Malone and Charles Barkley of modern golf. Lack of a major doesnt invalidate them.
Except that Barkley and Malone (fairly or not) could blame lack of supporting cast.
71
Brannigans Law Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:20 PM
I would think the fact that Sunday was Easter made a much bigger impact than Tiger not being on the leaderboard and Phil playing right-handed.
72
molemaninthemorning Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:21 PM
THE FIRST BORN SON OF EVERY GOLF FAN WILL DIE.
Yeah like golf fans are getting laid.
73
SouvenirCity Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Except that Barkley and Malone (fairly or not) could blame lack of supporting cast.
They also have a Jordan to blame, too.
74
Coach Mike Woodson, Atlanta Hawks Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Grizz -imo, it isn’t a situation like that. I think this really is a Tiger thing. If he’s in the mix, people will watch. If not …
followed by:
The 3 lowest-rated Masters of the past 15 years…all on Easter.
Awesome.
75
mizerle06 is mcintyred of all the trollin' Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:22 PM
that’s the challenge of golf…there’s so much time to think, it’s hard not to think about comments like those when they’re in your face. especially when it’s ALL you hear.
I was thinking about this watching Watson hit out of that pine straw on the 2nd playoff hole…the mental aspect of golf is yuge. for one, he’s GOT to be thinking that if he’d only made that first putt on the 1st playoff hole, he would be hitting out of pine straw. second, there’s no defense, no (for all intents and purposes) shot clock. there’s only the player and the ball and intense analysis/dialogue/consternation of which club to use, how far the pin is, where it’s located on the green, how the wind is blowing…so many decision only to have a moment where it’s the dude standing over the ball with millions of people watching (hundreds standing just a few feet away) and hoping his muscle memory, adrenaline, and nerves can harmonize for a half second when he takes a swing.
76
illformula Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:23 PM
I assume Jack with all his runner-up finishes is the clubhouse leader
how foolish of me to forget my audience wouldn’t realize i meant top 5′s without a victory.
jack disqualified himself from that list when he won 18 times.
77
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:24 PM
he’s GOT to be thinking that if he’d only made that first putt on the 1st playoff hole
Seriously how did that not ruin him? I’m wondering if the bad shot made him relax a bit. At that point he just had to shift into adrenaline/recovery mode.
78
scripty Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Both those putts on the first playoff hole were insane. Great theater.
79
Coach Mike Woodson, Atlanta Hawks Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Why is something like it is? Honestly, I think it’s as simple as [narrative I'm pushing today].
/people who refuse to think
80
mizerle06 is mcintyred of all the trollin' Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:24 PM
he’s GOT to be thinking that if he’d only made that first putt on the 1st playoff hole, he wouldn’t be hitting out of pine straw.
correction to #74.
81
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:24 PM
how foolish of me to forget my audience wouldn’t realize i meant top 5′s without a victory.
Lucky you I turned on my sarcasm reflector when I turned off my brain this morning. Yeah, makes more sense now.
82
SouvenirCity Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:25 PM
I was more wondering why the hell the Twitter Warden had a Rod Tidwell avatar when I saw someone retweet his report about these ratings.
83
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:25 PM
/people who refuse to think
sad, reallly
84
scripty Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:26 PM
I was thinking about this watching Watson hit out of that pine straw on the 2nd playoff hole…the mental aspect of golf is yuge
Bubba is more “grip it and rip it”, which is actuall quite liberating and proven successful as well.
85
Jim Harbaugh Scramble Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:27 PM
I was more wondering why the hell the Twitter Warden had a Rod Tidwell avatar when I saw someone retweet his report about these ratings.
who is the twitter warden?
86
illformula Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:29 PM
I think this really is a Tiger thing. If he’s in the mix, people will watch. If not …
i think the avg sports fan doesn’t fully understand how difficult it is to win a golf tournament.
if tiger being in contention on sunday was the only reason people ever tuned in to watch golf, the PGA would be a bankrupt failure. even when tiger was on top he only played a handful of events every year.
there are many factors, tiger is only one (albeit a large one).
87
cleet Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:29 PM
it’s probably just me, but the line that cracks me up is when EPA guy says he’s from the EPA and murray says ‘how’s it going down there?’
Don’t besmerch the good work of William Atherton. The man’s name was Walter Peck, EPA 3rd district.
88
BeerMan Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Bubba is more “grip it and rip it”, which is actuall quite liberating and proven successful as well.
I love watching that guy swing the club.
/literally
//no homo
89
PL StabbinKabin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Bubba is more “grip it and rip it”, which is actuall quite liberating and proven successful as well.
I want to see a view from the other side of the fairway just to see how high and how much he had to move that ball to get it to the green. Thank God, Bubba hits the ball a mile high and has a million shots in his golf bag.
90
PL StabbinKabin Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:32 PM
And not to disparage Bubba’s shot, but that was a much easier shot for Bubba than it would have been for Ooosty. Cutting that ball for a righty would have been a muthafuckin bitch.
91
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:32 PM
Bubba is more “grip it and rip it”, which is actuall quite liberating and proven successful as well.
I want to see a view from the other side of the fairway just to see how high and how much he had to move that ball to get it to the green. Thank God, Bubba hits the ball a mile high and has a million shots in his golf bag.
his drives on 18 blew my mind…75% of the field wasn’t making it to the FW bunker and yet he’s flying it. just insane.
92
BeerMan Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:33 PM
his drives on 18 blew my mind…75% of the field wasn’t making it to the FW bunker and yet he’s flying it. just insane.
Power of the pink, spencer.
93
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:36 PM
his drives on 18 blew my mind…75% of the field wasn’t making it to the FW bunker and yet he’s flying it. just insane.
Those were impressive. The shot on 10 was made a LOT easier by being lefty, and a good amount easier by being back much further than the first time he played that hole. 155 yards gives you quite a bit of room to work the ball, it’s just pretty tough to do with a wedge and keeping it high enough to clear the trees, while actually ending up on target.
94
Tim Ryan Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:38 PM
It’s all about Tiger if golf is looking to move the needle or grain traction.
But if golf simply wants the attention of its insecure, overly defensive, fashionably inept fanbase, then everything is just fine and dandy.
95
illformula Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:38 PM
while his shot on 10 was impressive, Oooost’s double eagle was a more deserving “top play.”
/fuck you ESPN
96
scripty Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Tim are you serious or just trolling, or fail to use the sarcasm font? Hard to tell anymore…
97
got_em_looking Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:50 PM
People watch live sports on things that aren’t a television. I have that sentence copied into a notepad on my desktop for occasions like this now
Rating are a sampling estimate… I don’t think there’s much reason to believe that all these millions of viewers interested in Bubba Watson were all watching on ipads. Like it or not, there is a simple formula for widespread interest in golf across any platform.
Tiger + Contention = Eyeballs.
98
Coach Mike Woodson, Atlanta Hawks Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Like it or not, there is a simple formula for widespread interest in golf across any platform.
It’s a fair estimate of relative popularity today.
The problem starts when you try to compare a number from today to one from last year or 5 years ago before online viewing was a viable option.
not apples to apples
99
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:55 PM
fashionably inept fanbase
I don’t think this means what you think it does.
100
Wide Word of Sport (?) Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:57 PM
while his shot on 10 was impressive, Oooost’s double eagle was a more deserving “top play.”
I’d say that Watson’s was much more skill, and the double eagle was more luck. He hit the right shot, but to get that bounce and roll was a lot of luck.
101
spencer096 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 1:58 PM
But if golf simply wants the attention of its insecure, overly defensive, fashionably inept fanbase, then everything is just fine and dandy.
suck a dick.
102
KingGrizz Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:00 PM
fashionably inept fanbase
The dress poorly?
103
scripty Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Watson’s shot was awesome in that he clips it out, and CBS goes to the angle behind the green, and there’s the 1.5 second timeframe where the ball is out of camera….
and it drops down and spins to the whole. Chills.
/Thought Phils flop on 15 on SAT was most exciting of tourney.
104
Nada Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:02 PM
Every once in a while, Grantland does something interesting, like this look at the other side of Augusta and its most famous native son.
105
Ben80123 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Grizz -imo, it isn’t a situation like that. I think this really is a Tiger thing. If he’s in the mix, people will watch. If not …
followed by:
The 3 lowest-rated Masters of the past 15 years…all on Easter.
Awesome.
Between this fact and increased segmentation and internet viewing, who the hell cares about decreased ratings? Here’s a fun experiment – the rating for the top rated show, from 1985 through 2011. See if you notice a trend and if maybe, MAYBE, it could be applied to sports as well.
33.7, 34.9, 27.8, 25.6, 23.1, 21.3, 21.9, 20.9, 20.6, 22.0, 21.2, 21.7, 17.8, 18.6, 17.4, 15.0, 16.3, 15.0, 16.5, 17.6, 17.3, 16.1, 15.1, 13.7, 14.5.
The number one rated show in 2011 had only 43% as good a rating as 1985. All of TV is dying! ZOMG!
Of course the ratings go down when there are hundreds more channels, internet viewing, etc. Continuing to point out ratings drops points to a stubbornness on a single viewpoint that is outdated and not worth mentioning.
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HtownHacker Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:10 PM
Get out of here with your numbers and logic, Ben.
107
Ben80123 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:14 PM
Sorry, I’ll go back out and play with the bees. I set them up with a couple Nielsen boxes just to fuck with the ratings.
108
Urinal Mint Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:15 PM
only to have a moment where it’s the dude standing over the ball with millions of people watching (hundreds standing just a few feet away) and hoping his muscle memory, adrenaline, and nerves can harmonize for a half second when he takes a swing.
This is beautiful.
109
guinnessgirl13 Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Also, please tell me someone saw Bubba’s press conference and his one piece of hair hung in such a way that it looked like the most bizarre unibrow of all time. I was openly rooting for him to adjust his hair.
Oh my god, I thought I was the only one who noticed this. I kept praying for him to run his fingers through it to fix it.
110
Seven Different Kinds Of WhatHaveYa Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:36 PM
i wonder how Watson’s putt on 10 is different if Louie ups the ante by birdeying. pressure was off because he could at least tie if he misses, rather than trying to save
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Seven Different Kinds Of WhatHaveYa Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Also, please tell me someone saw Bubba’s press conference and his one piece of hair hung in such a way that it looked like the most bizarre unibrow of all time. I was openly rooting for him to adjust his hair.
Oh my god, I thought I was the only one who noticed this. I kept praying for him to run his fingers through it to fix it.
when he ebtered the room for the jacket ceremony i thought he had something on his head…but it was his hair
also, i wanted to punch the tv with all the somber ceremony, especially from nantz as the chaiman thanked him
112
Nada Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:44 PM
i wanted to punch the tv with all the somber ceremony
I love watching The Masters, but after four days of hushed tones and fucking guitar music, I always end with this wish: that the folks at Augusta National would use both hands to take firm holf of that stick and yank it out of their collective ass.
113
Seven Different Kinds Of WhatHaveYa Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 2:49 PM
we did it again nada
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jthussler Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Who. Cares.
115
Nada Says:
April 9th, 2012 at 3:33 PM
we did it again nada
/ High fives
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a94buff Says:
April 10th, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Maybe people are figuring out that watching golf on TV is retarded.