Sorry to be negative but ABC's coverage

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pat, Strange is beyond moronic and in person is a total asshat.  His commentary is  boorish at best. We morons cannot condone his style nor his existence .

Ed,

You're right, he's giving the rest of us morons a bad name He is a total DB

[Craig Sweet]

Not sure what you were watching but at 4:45am  mountain time I tuned in the Open on ESPN and Tom Waitts and Jack Nicolson were doing the commentary...Waitts kept mumbling  cliches..."never up never in" and his favorite  "hit it Alice!!!!". Nicolson simply grinned a lot and mentioned his own iron play several times.  All in all not near enough commercials for my taste.

[Jason Topp]

I think Tirico is fine but he should know how to pronounce Jiminez.

[Sam Morrow]

As bad as it is it's still better than their early 90's coverage with Brent Musberger. Musberger has become a cool, dirty old man doing only college football but his fetish for calling Cory Pavin a GLB made Liberace shake his head.

[Howard Riefs]

Would've been nice to see Scott Van Pelt get some significant airtime on the ABC weekend broadcast after carrying it on Thursday and Friday on ESPN. He's the best golf announcer in the ABC and ESPN stable — though I realize the bar isn't very high.

[Tim_Cronin]

First, it's ESPN's coverage, not ABC's. ABC, alas, no longer has a TV sports department. (ESPN produces ABC's taped coverage.)

Second, ESPN gets Alliss for about an hour a day. On Thursday, he arrived about 7 a.m. ET.

Third, HD, and digital broadcasting in general, has made the old scan-conversion and fuzzy live pictures from the UK in the analog days  look nearly as crisp as those from Augusta.

Fourth, for those commentators you don't like, there's a mute button. (And, depending on your provider and your own set-up, you may be able to silence the commentary and leave the ambient on-course sound audible if watching with surround sound. The best of all worlds, and you can do your own commentary.)

Fifth, your local ESPN radio affiliate may be carrying the live ESPN radio broadcast.

Sixth, there's an R&A radio feed on the R&A website.

Seventh, I can handle most all the commentary, if only to listen to Rankin, Tirico, Pepper, Van Pelt and North, but I do wish I had the BBC feed via DirecTV for an alternative.

Eighth, the DVR (and VTRs before the DVR) is a wonderful thing.

[Doug Siebert]

The quality of camera work and the resolution provided by HD TV is excellent and that's what a telecast is really all about. Years from now we won't be looking at a grainy replay of the 2013 Open. The camera positioning and angles are outstanding.

Except in a few decades we might be using holographic cameras and displays and today's HD will look as crappy as old B&W footage of Bobby Jones looks to our eyes today

[Bill Gayne]

The quality of camera work and the resolution provided by HD TV is excellent and that's what a telecast is really all about. Years from now we won't be looking at a grainy replay of the 2013 Open. The camera positioning and angles are outstanding.

Except in a few decades we might be using holographic cameras and displays and today's HD will look as crappy as old B&W footage of Bobby Jones looks to our eyes today

So true.

[Dale_McCallon]

I think Tirico good, and SVP is one of the few reasons left to watch Sportscenter.  He has the perfect mix of knowing sports while great drama is supposed to be fun.  With some more seasoning I think Duval could be really good as well.

Agree with others about Strange and Azinger.  Snore inducing. Azingers comments on Tiger's square shoulder was one of the oddest things I had ever heard.

[Dan Kelly]

I think Tirico is fine but he should know how to pronounce Jiminez.

Count your blessings. At least he doesn't have to spell it.

Emoticon omitted.

Favorite moment of the coverage: Woods let the GD bomb fly after a bad shot. Azinger said: Either he doesn't know there are microphones  everywhere, or he doesn't care.

To which someone (Van Pelt?) said: Zinger, you ignorant slut. No, he actually said: he doesn't care; he would have to be a complete fool not to know there are microphones everywhere.

I recommend streaming coverage from Great Britain.

Even as I type this, Woods  is entering the grounds, his shoulders remarkably level....

[Tim Martin]

I think Tirico is fine but he should know how to pronounce Jiminez.

Count your blessings. At least he doesn't have to spell it.

Emoticon omitted.

Favorite moment of the coverage: Woods let the GD bomb fly after a bad shot. Azinger said: Either he doesn't know there are microphones  everywhere, or he doesn't care.

To which someone (Van Pelt?) said: Zinger, you ignorant slut. No, he actually said: he doesn't care; he would have to be a complete fool not to know there are microphones everywhere.

I recommend streaming coverage from Great Britain.

Even as I type this, Woods  is entering the grounds, his shoulders remarkably level....

The shoulders comment was one of the weirdest most nonsensical things I have ever heard.

[Sam Morrow]

Ya know I'm old enough to remember when they actually showed The Open on ABC, today have 7 hours straight of infomercials.

[John Kavanaugh]

Based solely on the number of people who have made the show, it is easier to have the lead in a major than to announce one. I have a handsome charismatic friend who suddenly became awkward on no more than the Greygoose 19th hole. Bitching about the talent level of these guys is tiresome from a bunch of first time caller, long time listeners.

[Jason Topp]

I think Tirico is fine but he should know how to pronounce Jiminez.

Count your blessings. At least he doesn't have to spell it.

Emoticon omitted.

Good Point!

[RJ_Daley]

If you aren't enjoying this, call emergency services and have them bring a cardio defibrillator. 

What do the broadcast critics have to say about the essay written by Tom Rinaldi with the theme of defeat's role in the final victory?  And, Strange's comment that Rinaldi's essay sent tingles "right through his scalp".  I thought that was an excellent broadcast moment.  We should be willing to give these guys that we criticize their proper due when they have a good broadcast moment.  I think Strange's comment came as close to giving the regular viewer the feeling of a real competitor in a major of what it is like to feel a crushing event of a defeating moment late in the tournament, being yanked from the jaws of hopeful victory.   None of we mavens and critics will actually never know that, but I can try to imagine the tingling of the scalp as Curtis described.   

[RJ_Daley]

Another good broadcast moment.... not sure if it was intentional by director and camera crew or luck.  But, Woods makes birdie to get solidly in the mix at 14 and Mickelson approaches his excellent 2nd shot on the green approach to the par 5 17th.  The camera caught them passing like two ships in the night... so to speak.  (maybe one is the Titanic and the other is TGS Lollypop?)  

That commentator presenting the event of contrasts theme also plays into Tirico's somewhat bold and fine observation (possibly contrary to the overall golf marketing powers that be to always idolize Tiger) where Tirico observed the contrast of Tiger's cursing and grumpiness, and Mickelson's smile at a bit of adversity and generally pleasant demeanor. 

[Patrick_Mucci]

JakaB,

When the women announcer says that Westwood has missed another fairway while his ball's in flight and it ends up nthe fairway, and then announces that Mickelson can't get home and he knocks it on the green, you have to question competency.

The comments from Strange, and others, have been so incredibly inane in spite of an abundance of material.

I thinki could pick a better crew from this website, and I might even include you 

[Anthony Butler]

Well, we can all give up watching now and get on with some useful for the rest of day...

[RJ_Daley]

I disagree.  I think this broadcast team, including the camera positions and where the hand helds have gotten to, and the commentators have risen to the occasion.  

If shooting the equal best score of the championship, on the final day, and a birdie at the last hole with outstanding tee ball, approach and birdie putt doesn't win this.... !

[Joe Bausch]

A replay of the final round, condensed to a 3 hour show, is from 9 PM to midnight tonight (EDT) on ESPN2.

[Martin Toal]

My recollection of US announcers at majors is that it is pretty intestinal most of the time.

The BBC coverage was pretty good, and even Mark James is improving as he tries (and fails) to be funny less these days.

[Jim Nugent]

I just read that the BBC showed next to nothing of Phil's round.  Is that true?

[Andrew Brown]

I just read that the BBC showed next to nothing of Phil's round.  Is that true?

By the time I started watching Phil was on the back nine. The first time I can recall seeing him was his birdie putt on 14....

[Rich Goodale]

Not completely true.  They did focus primarily on Poulter (great early round story) and then Westwood and Woods and Scott, but once it became clear that W, W and S were leaking oil big time and Phil had sneaked into the mix (~mid back nine) they gave him his due.

Greatest Open I've ever seen.

Rich

PS--coulda been even greater if they hadn't overwatered the greens and surrounds last night/this morning.....

[Terry Lavin]

Not completely true.  They did focus primarily on Poulter (great early round story) and then Westwood and Woods and Scott, but once it became clear that W, W and S were leaking oil big time and Phil had sneaked into the mix (~mid back nine) they gave him his due.

Greatest Open I've ever seen.

Rich

PS--coulda been even greater if they hadn't overwatered the greens and surrounds last night/this morning.....

Agree and disagree.

This was the greatest final round that I've seen in the Open, but I think they saved the day by putting water on the greens. They pushed the envelope on Thursday but seemed to right the ship as the Championship progressed. All in all, a demanding but not demonic setup.