|
|
| |
| Sun, Nov. 23, 2008 |  |
 |
|
||
| |
Woods' stuff inexplicable Tuesday, Jun 17, 2008 By Harry King LITTLE ROCK - Allegations about officiating in the 2002 NBA playoff game between the Lakers and the Kings, that's old news. The now topic is the possibility of collusion between NBC, the U.S. Golf Association, Nike, and Tiger Woods' caddy Steve Williams to jack up prime time ratings of the U.S. Open. The network took a chance with its tournament coverage, asking the USGA to schedule the leaders late in the afternoon so they would finish during the evening hours. The USGA said yes, knowing that Woods' presence was a must. There was no need to involve Woods in the plan - he thinks he's going to make everything, anyway - but Nike and Williams had to cooperate. The company that produces Woods' golf ball implanted a hole-seeking device in the sphere and Williams made sure it was in play at the appropriate time. "All I know is that Nike has been working with NASA on a special alloy for use in golf cups," said a USGA official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. That tongue-in-cheek theory is as good as any when it comes to explaining Woods making shots that mattered when ratings were at stake. On Friday evening, just as ESPN's golf coverage moved into the 7 p.m. slot on the East Coast, Woods was very ordinary at three over par. Then, he was good from 18 feet, 16 feet, 20 feet, and 15 feet - each birdie part of a quintet of five straight threes. " ... all of a sudden, they started flying in from everywhere," he said. They all went in the middle with perfect speed as Woods primed the Saturday night audience with a back-nine 30. Need more evidence of the hole-seeking ball theory? Check out Saturday evening. Phil Mickelson had lost all the left-handers in the country with a nine on the par-five 13th and Rocco Mediate was boring casual fans by hitting 15 greens. Lee Westwood is a nice player, but he's a foreigner. Closing fast on the 9 p.m. hour in the major markets on the East Coast, with viewers reaching for the remote, it was up to Woods. Oblivious to his network's "scheme," NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller was speculating about Woods putting off the front of the green and the ball rolling 50 yards down the 13th fairway. Woods made it from 70 feet, a putt nobody had read correctly. That's when Williams evidently pocketed the ball with the homing device. Williams must have put the ball back in play on No. 17 when Woods' too-hard chip sought the bottom of the hole. The caddy got the word from NBC - if Woods makes eagles on No. 18, the hook is set for Sunday night. The 30-foot putt, left to right with five feet of break, was pure and Woods was the tournament leader. After that, every reference to the U.S. Open mentioned that Woods had never lost a major when had at least a share of the 54-hole lead. His bum knee was a nice touch to the plot. This was the ultimate reality show, even better than "Celebrity Circus Stars." In the 7-9 p.m. EDT period on Sunday, NBC averaged an 11.4 overnight rating - more than twice that of second-place CBS - and the highest overnight rating in that time period since ABC did the Oscars in February. For NBC, it was the highest overnight rating average in that time period since the 2006 Winter Olympics, CNBC reported. The overnight rating for the six-hour telecast was up 21 percent compared to 2007. Such boffo numbers assures more U.S. Open golf in prime time when the tournament is in California in 2010 and 2012 and in Tacoma, Wash., in 2015. As for the tournament, Woods won Monday in an 18-hole playoff, plus a sudden-death hole. The networks didn't plan for that or the golf drama would have pushed Nashville Star to a late slot that night. ------- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
