I was surprised by the news that Fox Sports and Greg Norman had parted ways after just one year. In September 2014, I sat in Norman’s office at his Florida home and we talked about his life, business and upcoming work for Fox Sports on its golf broadcasts. Just nine months before his major debut, he seemed excited and engaged by his assignment. He believed he could offer a fresh perspective to golf on TV, telling me, “Everyone’s stuck in the box.” He said that while he wasn’t a voracious watcher of golf on television, he was committed to studying the players on the tour and to being fully prepared for the broadcasts.
I probably should have seen a few red flags that would affect Norman’s potential success in the booth: his vast business portfolio, his frantic schedule, his love of adventure and travel, and, frankly, his moving on from the game of golf. Granted, my conversations were focused on his business life, but even in other interviews, I never got a sense that golf remained a high priority in Norman’s world. In fact, he plays tennis almost daily and admits to his interest in that sport.
Norman’s performance during the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay was widely panned last June. As an ardent supporter of his, I thought he was going to be more outspoken and offer greater insight and perspective. He didn’t, but to be fair, much of Fox’s coverage failed to deliver.
I didn’t think there would be a move after just one year, but sources close to the situation said a mix of Norman’s focus and his other business pursuits made it appropriate to part after one year of a two-year deal. Not seeing a path to a longer-term relationship, the feeling from both sides was to move on. In addition, with Norman being a David Hill hire, it was easier for Fox to make a move now that Hill has moved on to production venture Hilly.
When he was announced in April 2014, I thought the Shark would be a natural, bringing his go-for-broke playing style and charisma to the booth. But his brief tenure shows how difficult and time-consuming the transition can be.
Abraham D. Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
