Several media analysts this morning reserved some criticism
for CBS' restrained coverage of Greg Norman's fourth-round
Masters collapse. In Chicago, Michael Hirsley notes it wasn't
until the 16th hole when Verne Lundquist said Norman's
performance "might go down as one of the great final-round
collapses in major tournament history." Hirsley writes, "For
CBS-TV, it might go down as one of the longest-pondered obvious
observations in tournament history" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/15). In
New York, Phil Mushnick writes that CBS' announcers, "perhaps
fearing for their Masters lives, had to tip-toe around [the
Norman story]" (N.Y. POST, 4/15). USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke
considers that one of CBS' many "bogeys" yesterday, including
using footage of Jack Nicklaus instead of Norman in the opening
(USA TODAY, 4/15).
DID THEY KNOW SOMETHING? The GolfWeb poll conducted online
on Saturday asked respondents what Norman would be doing after
his round on Sunday. One of the choices was "Looking for a place
to hide after a 78." Twenty-three percent picked that option,
while 36% believed he would be "crying and putting on his first
green jacket" (THE DAILY).
