With the weakened Pebble field, including lack luster celebs,  I was curious to note how that effected the TV ratings. One would have thought, with the NorthEast snowed in, and the density of population, PB still would have fared well. But did it? Not according to USA Today.

PGA Tour: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Sunday, 3 2.5 (1.9 million)  CBS Down 40.5% from last year's fourth-round coverage.

40.5% That's huge. With only 1.9 million, We're talking WNBA viewership numbers.

Other sports ratings, save Duke v.Maryland, which was up 5%, were also down, but not to the extent of golf.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2006-02-13-tv-ratings.htm

This is certainly a non-arch thread, but the commentary, what we hear, turns me off the view, even Pebble Beach.

I am a die-hard golf viewer; i will watch USA Thursday afternoon in January; and the current *bs network crew just doesn't cut the mustard.

Here's alittle something I picked up (and took the time to upload and download) just for Rich. I know he can name the course just from one photo.



Taken at a recent SJSU fund raiser, a few champions. From left to right; Mark Wiebe, Ken Venturi and the 2006 AT&T Champion, Arron Oberholser.

To illustrate what kind of champion... Here's Arron signing flags, well after most everyone had left.

Screw tv ratings! You should have been there.

Pete, while your protective posture of chest thumping damn the torpedo's full speed ahead defense of Monterey Peninsula, that certainly needs no defending, the topic was the TV ratings for that event. And unless you're willing to supply those on the east coast with tickets and transportation, your being there, as opposed to your insensitivity of those who are not, is quite remarkable.

If you think only Tiger was missing, then you're missing the point, as much as Rich saying:

Anybody who would prefer to watch college basketball rather than golf (EVEN DURING "MARCH MADNESS (tm)"), or even care if BB had better ratings, should really not be spending too much time on this board.

You see, Duke v. Maryland was the CBS lead into Pebble, not the opposition. So, not only did Pebble lose the 5% increase in viewers that basketball provided, but lost another 40.5%.

Maybe those who are spending a good deal of time on this board, and having the Dick Cheney attitude of the public be damned, should broaden their horizons and consider how to attract more to our game, rather than repel them. And take note, losing 40.5% of the viewing public from the previous year,  is repelling.

The PGA has long used the one star syndrome. Hogan to Palmer, to Nicklaus, to Watson, to Norman, to Tiger. If the PGA's marketing would evolve, other than "these guys are good" when they only promote one guy, to include say the top 25, then the marquee value, and viewership of the PB, and other tournaments would increase.

But to smuggly sit and and wrap yourself in the Monterey Peninsula, ignoring the realities, and consider any others not supporting your contentions to be golfing outcasts is just silly, and you need to stop.

Here's alittle something I picked up (and took the time to upload and download) just for Rich. I know he can name the course just from one photo.



Taken at a recent SJSU fund raiser, a few champions. From left to right; Mark Wiebe, Ken Venturi and the 2006 AT&T Champion, Arron Oberholser.

To illustrate what kind of champion... Here's Arron signing flags, well after most everyone had left.

Adam

I thought the picture was you, Huntley and Anneka Sorenstam in drag (just her, not you and Bob...... )!  The course, of course, is Cinnabar Hills, which we all know to be the course which,when it develpos its patina of age will blow away Pasatiempo and other decrepit nearby pretenders.  Speaking of which, I remember 5 years ago, on a thread about "Tiger-proofing", mentioning that AO had shot ~62 at Pasa and we ought to think about "Oberholser-Proofing" that course in the future.  God, it's hard to be always right......

I wish I had been there with Pete, what a day.

As for the TV coverage, no way. I tuned in for 25-30 minutes on Saturday and it was painful. I saw the pros hit maybe three shots, a chip and a handful of putts in almost half an hour. I also saw a couple of gorgeous blimp shots.

The rest was commercials, more commercials, promos for other CBS products, interviews with C-list "celebrities", a few wild flailing swings by double-digit handicappers and then still more commercials. All of this accompanied by Jim Nantz's sickeningly overwrought vocal stylings. Honestly, it was like a parody of a network golf telecast.

Maybe it was somewhat better on Sunday but the one time I turned it on I gave up after seeing three minutes of "golf" sanwiched between two commercial breaks and the "golf" was still more amateurs (I thought they would be less visible on Sunday) wrapped around one shot of Oberholser standing around waiting.

Brent,

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, as Venturi always referred to him, is so sickening sweet that your pancakes would be amply covered each day by syrup Jimmy is spewing.

And to think we still need to endure him at the Masters.

If they move AN's holes any further into the woods, the players will need Smokey the Bear for a caddy. For instance, #11 has become an architectual/aesthetic nightmare.

The rest of the "AM" stuff....hmmmm...Justin Timberlake or Phil Harris....Romano or Hope.....Lopez or Deano??

Its no contest.

Exactly!  Jack Lemmon

Here's a theory...todays "stars" are over exposed, and we tune them out whenever we can.

Maybe those who are spending a good deal of time on this board  (note: I choose to edit our your political nonsense as it only detracts from your comments), should broaden their horizons and consider how to attract more to our game, rather than repel them. And take note, losing 40.5% of the viewing public from the previous year,  is repelling.

Is there a correlation to the change in viewership to the number of golfers playing the game?  Show me the study or analysis supporting your claim.

Why do you want to attract more to the game?

And, how were the ratings for the Duke / Maryland game compared to last year?

Huck, Yes, I did it for Rihc. Because he lives in Scotland, and you were likely there yesterday.

Tom Zeni, I don't doubt that your numbers are correct.
Are you trying to corrolate why the numbers were down?
With this years new rota of the west coast swing, I wonder how much was due to that?

Adam,

This thread stemmed from my first thread that asked "...has the ATT Pebble Beach Pro-AM fallen to the bottom of the strength of field list?" - or words to that effect. Some thought it had, others hadn't.

The TV ratings show a precipitable loss in viewship from a mere 12 months ago. With the NE snowed in, one would have thought the ratings would have been up, as viewers fawned over the Monterey conditions. But, it didn't happen.

I feel the PGA needs to take a serious look at marketing it's players. And, CBS needs to take a serious look at how they're presenting the PB tournament to viewers. It appears CBS has squandered the advantage they had in attracting snowbound viewers who, after a long winter's nap, are getting their first taste of a new golf seaon.

Instead we get: "...where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, a nation turns it's weary eyes to you.