Conference 7.286::golf

	Johnny Miller is a breath of fresh air.  He really knows the game,
	and isn't afraid to speak his mind.  His tips where he helps the
	other announcers are fun.

	Now if we only could get someone other than Bryant Gumble in the
	booth with him.  Bryant may love the game, but so far the game
	doesn't love his announcing style.  It's almost enough to make
	me yearn for the well rehearsed lines of Vin Scully.

	Sigh,
	Larry

    He had  the best line I have heard on golf coverage.Calcavecchia
    was behind an NBC vehicle and Miller says "If he goes for the green
    he is on some medication we can't mention on tv." I was rolling
    
    Ted

    	Johnny Miller has been one of my favorites for a long time.
     He had one of the best years ever for a golfer.  I think he won
    7 different events that year and had numerous other top 10 finishes.
    If he were to have a year like that with todays money, I could easily
    see him winning $2,000,000.00 in a year!!!
    	As an announcer, Johnny simply tells it like it is.  He knows
    what he's talking about, and isn't afraid to say when someone chokes
    or blows it.  One time, and I forget who the golfer was, but a player
    who was contending for the tournament on Sunday, pushed his tee
    shot way right and into some trees.  The guy ended up bogeying the
    hole.  Miller came right out and said he didn't know what the heck
    was going thru that guys mind on that tee.  It was a fairley short
    par 4 and he should have been hitting 3 wood or a 1 iron off the
    tee, giving him a full wedge into the green, but instead tryed to
    ease up on a driver and never finished the swing.  He has many times
    questioned the course management of players, saying how they just
    seem to hit it as far as they can off the tee, instead of playing
    the hole smart, and setting up for a good approach shot.
    
    Beak

         What I really like about Bryant is how no matter how
    far from the green or how tough a shot the player has, he
    always pipes up with " he has that left for birdy" !
      Miller usually responds with something like "He'll be really
    lucky to get up and down from there Bryant, the rough is knee
    deep, no green to work with, and he has the worst short game on
    tour."
    
    Mad Hacker

    
    Yeah, Beak, I remember Johnny's great years (two?) where he hit
    EVERYTHING on the stick.  He was winning with 65-62-63-65!!!
    Jack "may" be the best ever but, to me, Johnny Miller played
    the best golf EVER for a bit more than a year.  
    
    Then he took time from the tour to build his house and built
    up his body (remember when you couldn't tell him from that
    skinny guy, Larry Hinson??).  His swing was never the same...
    
    I'll never forget Johnny SH*NKING a shot (I'm almost positive
    it was something like the 18th at Pebble in the U.S. Open).
    Right during his domination of the tour.  For the life of me,
    I can't remember whether he won or not.  Just remember that
    sh*nk going dead into the gallery...
    
    Yes, he tells it like it is too.  But Marc McCumber really had
    it together out there as the roving reporter...  just finished
    playing, knew the course/wind/undulations etc... 
    
    But Beak!!!  What happened to my man Watson????
    
    

    Almost anybody's better than Sculley and Trevino in the box...8^)
    

    I guess I'm probably in the minority, but I have no problem with
    Bryant Gumble...oh, well, that's what makes horse races, eh? As
    for Johnny Miller - yes, he is quite refreshing. My all-time
    favorite on-course reporter is Gary McCord, but Mark McCumber got
    off one real doozie, speaking about (I think) the 16th, as a hole
    that will "pucker your backside." 
    
    		Frank

    
    I agree that Miller is real good and Gumble stinks but, is it me
    or does the camera work on NBC really stink !!  On CBS you can 
    usually tell when a good shot is hit and where it's going, or a
    bad shot for that matter ....  but the last two tourneys on NBC
    I noticed that following the ball was difficult ....
    especially Floyds putt on 17 I think, he told the camera man to
    move, so he moved to where you could not see the hole and id the
    putt went in or not.
    and why did Calc have to hit around that tractor ????
    
    the best camera work were the shots of Calc's "live in caddie" 8*)
    I'll leave out the rude ball comments ;^)
    
    ace_who_leaves_for_Florida_in_21_days   !!
    

    Did anyone see/hear the interview between Rocco Mediate
    and Johnny Miller?
    
    It was funnier than anything on Comedy Tonight!!
    Miller was still laughing to himself after the commercial!
       Ang
    
    

    	I missed it.  But Johnny once again showed his golf knowlege
    when he said on Sunday, that Jody Mudd would probably play his tee
    shot safe on 17, and go for the center or right center of the green
    instead of going for the pin, which was located right over the trap
    on the far right of the green.  Mudds shot ended up about 4 feet
    from the pin.  Later, Miller, when asked if the shot was intentional,
    said, if he were a betting man, he'd bet Mudd was going 10 feet
    left of where he ended up and just pushed the shot a bit.  He was
    proven correct in the post-tourny interview where Mudd said he got
    lucky on 17 when he pushed his tee shot and ended up only 4 feet
    from the pin, for what proved to be the winning birdie.
    
    Beak

    "Beak",
     yeah ,that was another great call on the push shot by Mudd
     that Miller continues  to call in advance!
    I just hope he keeps this level up and doesn't
    get sloppy with success.
     How would you like to have Miller, McCord,Venturi
    Trevino, and Zoeller doing a tournement!                
       ..and Rocco Mediate for some good laughs!
    Mudd   took a big chance on a full swing , side hill
    cut shot on 18 out of the rough  with a  tree in his line,
    but he had the look or  "zone" quality in hie eyes, so
    I guess he felt confident.
          
        Ang

    That was another time, that I would have agreed with Miller, who
    said he thought Mudd should have just layed out in the fairway a
    good 100 yards from the green.  This way, if he threw in a good
    wedge, he could still make par, but would be almost guaranteeing
    himself of no worse than a bogey.  since even IF Calcaveccia birdied
    the hole, Mudd would have still been in a tie, that was the correct
    play.  But, Mudd came out looking great.  If he had dumped that
    ball into the water though, he could have easily become a goat.
    Congrats to him, for making a great shot, but I think it was the
    wrong decision.
    
    Beak

    
    
    As it turned out is was a great golf shot but a STUPID shot.
    
    Being great is obvious because of the result but for what?
    He still ended up boggying the hole. A safe lay up under the tree
    would have yielded him the same net result. In this light the
    shot was a stupid gamble that mudd was lucky enough to pull off.
    If you look closely at the replay you can see that mudds' ball
    come pretty close to the tree.
                
    
    
    Tom

    
        Mudd also got very unlucky with the shot.  His low shot hit
    30 yards in front of the green and all but plugged.  A normal
    bounce and he would have been on the green close to the pin,
    making Calcavecchia's putt meaningless.  

    -rick

    
    	After watching Zinger "go for it" out of the rough to a tough pin
    position at the Doral, when the commentators all expected a lay-up
    shot. Then seeing Mudd taking a similar chance... it appears the Pro's
    like to take destiny in their own hands, and when given a chance for
    winning it all , they take the chance.
    
    	Walt

        Walt,
    
              I think your right. Playing for a tie, at that level, may not
    be the best idea. Too much could happen on the playoff holes. 
     Here is an interesting question to ponder......if you were Jodie what 
    would your decision be and why. Consider the course, your opposition,
    a chance to win, the money, etc. Top it all off with the fact that you
    have say 3-4 min to make up your mind.
    
     Frightening, no ?
    
    
    
                         Ken

    Ken,
    
    I agree that no-one leading a tournament wants to go into a playoff
    where anything can happen (ask Greg Norman!).
    
    But from Mudd's standpoint, he must place himself in a position
    to win the tournament. Punching out to 100 yards or so seemed best
    with a 2 shot lead. If Calcavechia makes birdie, then he still has
    a makeable winning putt after a wedge approach. And no worse than
    a playoff. He could easily have lost it all hitting the tree (ball
    going OB, into water, into trees, hitting himself, ...).
    
    He must have felt that Calcavecchia would have a likely bird after
    his super drive (9 iron left to the stick) and that Mudd *had* to
    make par. Do you play to win or play not to lose?
    
    Frightening? Yes!
    
    Eric

    	In that particular situation, I'd say you play not to lose.
    He had a 2 shot lead.  I could understand his play, had it been
    tied or even if he had only a 1 shot lead, but with a 2 shot lead,
    I would have layed up, and tried to get up and down for a par from
    about 100 yards away.  Then, * IF * I didn't, and * IF * Calcaveccia
    made a birdie, I still wouldn't have lost, at least not yet.
    
    Beak

    Hi Ang,
    
    	Miller's comments are like taking a lesson. He's constantly
    providing "tips" rather than simply stating needs/results.
    
    	I've really enjoyed his addition to the booth... But Gumble!
    
    	If he says "On this Sunday" one more time .... GRrrrrrrrrr!
    
    	Walta

     I like Johnny Miller because he seems so relaxed. It's like he's
    sitting in his living room talking to his best friend. He adds humor to
    the game and is a pleasure to listen to.
    
    Pete

      yep, 
    
           another vote for Johnny ! Tells the truth, gets the point across
    clearly, and understands the game.
    
    Brian Gumbol..........Yech!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    
    
                         Ken

       Eric,
    
             Going for it or not may be a personality trait. Among other
    factors. I thought about this and while I am not fully sure, I think
    I would have tried the same shot as Jodie. I would rather lose outright
    than face Mark in a playoff. He would out drive me and has a excellent
    short game. Remember the British Open and his second shot from the
    rough on the final hole.
    
    
                       Ken

    Does Johnny Miller play any more? If not what happened to him?
    Did he just loose it one day?
    
    thanks
    tony
    

>          <<< Note 890.24 by DEVMKO::BLAISDELL "Rick, dtn 264-5414" >>>
>                     -< he caught a bad case of the yips >-

	Rick, what gives?  You seem to know a lot about the yips?? :-)
    

    
       See 511.4  Mike.  Think I've got a cure, will start working on
       the patent, write a book, and make a million dollars.  8^)
    
    -rick

    I think Johnny had a bad attack of the back problems.  That's what I
    heard.  Right now, he has a bad case of the Jim "B*t H%@d" Lamply
    disease.
    
    Hope he gets rid of the latter soon, then eventually the 1st.
    
    <flame off>
    jr

    Years ago, Miller bought a ranch in Utah. He did a ton of outdoor work,
    and really built himself up - probably injuring his back in the
    process. At the same time, his golf game and his touch went South.
    Still, when he was in his prime, NOBODY ever hit it closer to the pin
    or could put up a more devastating number. That 63 at Oakmont was a
    monster!!
    
    __Jack

    
    	Check out this month's Golf Digest!  Miller's on the cover and
    	his lesson has somthing really great, imo.  The picture of him
    	at impact is terrific and I pictured it as my swing key this
    	past weekend.  He has such a visual swing and really goes after
    	the ball and his position at impact was fun to mimic.
    
    	Btw, he's the main interview in Golf magazine too.
    
    	Tom
    

    Good article.  IMO, Miller, as an instructor, is one of the best.