Paul Azinger Commentaries (MERGED)

[ShowMe]

Anybody else not a fan of the Zinger as an announcer?  I think he's trying too hard to be Johnny Miller, but it's not working for him.  He seems to go out of his way to try and be negative or to try and stir things up.  For example, he kept going on and on today at the BMW Championship about DeChambeau "calling out" Cantlay and how Cantlay took it personally.  Must have mentioned it at least 10 times.  There was no evidence of that.  He asked Cantlay to stop walking.  Big whoop.  Sure, they weren't chit chatting with each other for the 7 hole playoff, but so what.  They weren't chit chatting for the first 18 holes either.

 

It's getting to the point where I'll have turn off the sound on the tv and listen to the commentary from Sirius XM.  Then again, if I have to hear Earl say one more time that if so and so makes this putt he'll move to 75th in the FedEx point standings, and it's only the first hole of the first round, I might just have to shoot myself.

 

I think that Sir Nick, who actually has the championship golf bona fides (unlike Zinger), does a much better job, although a lot of that could be because Nantz makes anybody look good.

Edited March 12, 2023 by 1t2golf

[tannyhoban]

I like watching the Euro tour with their announcers.

Much better than US coverage. 
 

It’s not just Azinger. It’s the production.

[Hawkeye77]

🙄

[nickilii]

I couldn't stand johnny miller so when Paul took over I figured he had to be better. after watching one tournament when Paul started I knew I couldn't stand him either...

[SEP1006]

39 minutes ago, ShowMe said:

Anybody else not a fan of the Zinger as an announcer?  I think he's trying too hard to be Johnny Miller, but it's not working for him.  He seems to go out of his way to try and be negative or to try and stir things up.  For example, he kept going on and on today at the BMW Championship about DeChambeau "calling out" Cantlay and how Cantlay took it personally.  Must have mentioned it at least 10 times.  There was no evidence of that.  He asked Cantlay to stop walking.  Big whoop.  Sure, they weren't chit chatting with each other for the 7 hole playoff, but so what.  They weren't chit chatting for the first 18 holes either.

 

It's getting to the point where I'll have turn off the sound on the tv and listen to the commentary from Sirius XM.  Then again, if I have to hear Earl say one more time that if so and so makes this putt he'll move to 75th in the FedEx point standings, and it's only the first hole of the first round, I might just have to shoot myself.

 

I think that Sir Nick, who actually has the championship golf bona fides (unlike Zinger), does a much better job, although a lot of that could be because Nantz makes anybody look good.

 

Agree with this 1000%. When they first announced that Zinger would be replacing Miller I thought it might be a good choice.

 

But man does he ramble on and on, just likes to hear himself talk for sure. Granted trying to fill in for Miller is impossible but he needs to quit trying is hard.

[Superfast2.0]

His catchphrases are kinda weird

[Nixhex524]

I'm not really either.  When he called that shot Cantlay had out of the greenside rough saying he was gonna "hit the pin", I was like "ok, buddy... NFW"  Then of course Cantlay lips it.. LOL  Lucky call, but overall, he's just a low key McCord to me.  Could do without him.   

[BNGL]

1 hour ago, ShowMe said:

Anybody else not a fan of the Zinger as an announcer?  I think he's trying too hard to be Johnny Miller, but it's not working for him.  He seems to go out of his way to try and be negative or to try and stir things up.  For example, he kept going on and on today at the BMW Championship about DeChambeau "calling out" Cantlay and how Cantlay took it personally.  Must have mentioned it at least 10 times.  There was no evidence of that.  He asked Cantlay to stop walking.  Big whoop.  Sure, they weren't chit chatting with each other for the 7 hole playoff, but so what.  They weren't chit chatting for the first 18 holes either.

 

It's getting to the point where I'll have turn off the sound on the tv and listen to the commentary from Sirius XM.  Then again, if I have to hear Earl say one more time that if so and so makes this putt he'll move to 75th in the FedEx point standings, and it's only the first hole of the first round, I might just have to shoot myself.

 

I think that Sir Nick, who actually has the championship golf bona fides (unlike Zinger), does a much better job, although a lot of that could be because Nantz makes anybody look good.

I’d push back on him not having championship bonafides. He did spend 300 (close to it) weeks inside the top 10 and won a dozen times including a major in ‘93. Then this little thing called cancer sidelined him in late ‘93 early ‘94?  I hate hypotheticals but he was playing golf at close to the best in the world and then was lost for a year due to sickness IF that hadn’t have happened, who knows where he’d be in annals of golfing history. But if you ask anyone who truly knows golf, Azinger could flat out play his good was as good as anyone’s.

[ShowMe]

Just now, BNGL said:

I’d push back on him not having championship bonafides. He did spend 300 (close to it) weeks inside the top 10 and won a dozen times including a major in ‘93. Then this little thing called cancer sidelined him in late ‘93 early ‘94?  I hate hypotheticals but he was playing golf at close to the best in the world and then was lost for a year due to sickness IF that hadn’t have happened, who knows where he’d be in annals of golfing history. But if you ask anyone who truly knows golf, Azinger could flat out play his good was as good as anyone’s.

You're right.  And he did come back pretty strong after the cancer, as I recall.  That's very commendable.  And he did do a great job with the Ryder Cup team.  He didn't have the greatest swing (in the classic sense), extremely strong grip, but he definitely made the most of what he had.

 

He stills sucks as a commentator, though, IMO.

[brutus27]

I like him, but wouldn’t be sad if I never heard the word “legislate” in golf commentary.

[cubanstogie]

It’s like anything personal preference, but I am not a fan of Azinger as announcer at all . He was a phenomenal, gritty competitor though. Then again friends, I like Nance and Faldo and thought Johnny Miller the best. 

[BNGL]

32 minutes ago, ShowMe said:

You're right.  And he did come back pretty strong after the cancer, as I recall.  That's very commendable.  And he did do a great job with the Ryder Cup team.  He didn't have the greatest swing (in the classic sense), extremely strong grip, but he definitely made the most of what he had.

 

He stills sucks as a commentator, though, IMO.

Sure and that last part purely subjective he can suck as a commentator but he was a great player. 

[AdmiralPicard]

He lost me with the train smoke thing.

[Phabs]

Johnny Miller is the most condescending pompous announcer ever. Azinger isn’t my favorite but I don’t have to mute the broadcast when his mouth opens like Miller. 

[NJBigFish22]

He is just awful, says the same thing over and over, extremely negative (but a lot are).  From the NBC golf crew, I would actually rather have Bones in the tower with the extremely poor mans Jim Nantz (Dan Hicks). 

[4thand11]

Zinger gets a lot of hate it seems.  I think he's OK.  Not great, but fine.  I'd take him any day over Faldo and IBF.

[elwhippy]

As a Brit Zinger is about as popular as a 4 putt from 2 feet. Annoying. 

[GolfTurkey]

I would be happy if they played audio of Johnny Miller commentating on the 2001 Honda Classic over the live pictures; wrong tournament Johnny would still beat listening to "straighter than train smoke".

[kwcsports]

Zinger is an idiot. He was a great golfer, just dumb as a stump. He has nothing to add of any substance to the broadcast IMHO. 

[MattyO1984]

3 hours ago, elwhippy said:

As a Brit Zinger is about as popular as a 4 putt from 2 feet. Annoying. 

 

That sums it up perfectly! I’d take Paul McGinley over Zinger and that is saying something.

[JohnnyCashForever]

A Terry Gannon/Phil Mickelson team would blow Hicks/Azinger and Nantz/Faldo out of the water.      

[Ferguson]

Anybody else not a fan of Paul Azinger as an announcer?

 

 

 

Only every Monday, 100% of the time.

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

10 hours ago, ShowMe said:

You're right.  And he did come back pretty strong after the cancer, as I recall.  That's very commendable.  And he did do a great job with the Ryder Cup team.  He didn't have the greatest swing (in the classic sense), extremely strong grip, but he definitely made the most of what he had.

 

He stills sucks as a commentator, though, IMO.

LOL, so it's "I really had no freaking clue about any of that but I'm still right!"

 

Carry on.

[SouthHope]

I'm not a fan at all, have to mute the TV when he's in the tower.

[jdl]

I like the Zinger but yesterday was not his best work for sure.

[z71bcm]

My biggest gripe about Azinger is him constantly stating the obvious.  He does provide some good insight but we don't need to know that if someone misses a putt in the playoff to tie it will cost them the tournament.

 

One other note from the tournament yesterday. I feel like Bryson's new caddie needs to get out of his way on the greens and just let him do his thing. It was like he was constantly trying to get TV time.

[physasst]

I wish we had more Duval as an announcer. I think he does, for my own tastes-which is all this is really about- the best job of anyone that I've seen. Faldo is okay. 

[Ferguson]

Dear Paul,

No announcer needs to use the term intestinal fortitude more than once in a 4-day broadcast.   

 

Dear Bones, 

Enough already. 

 

 

 

[me05501]

I'm not a big fan, but it bears noting that yesterday had to be a slog from an announcers standpoint.

 

Dechambeau and Cantlay separated themselves from the field so it was a two-man tournament on the back nine. Then the same two players were in a 90-minute playoff that no one really expected. So the talking heads had really shot all their thoughts about those two players, their swings, their caddies, their moods, their tempos, etc etc etc and then were in a position where they had to fill five minutes between shots for a long time. 

 

I'd say that's what the networks get for whittling Sunday coverage down to a few featured groups, but in this case there was a gap of several shots between the last group and any other action on the course. 

 

At least earlier in the day there was some drama about who would make East Lake. 

 

In general I watch golf coverage to see golf being played and it annoys me that you have guys out there shooting 64-66 in the afternoon and getting very little TV time. But all the networks have determined that viewers prefer to see the leader stalking his putt instead of someone else hitting a great shot at the same time. I wish it wasn't so. 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by me05501

[RSinSG]

6 minutes ago, me05501 said:

it annoys me that you have guys out there shooting 64-66 in the afternoon and getting very little TV time.

I agree with this. Finau has played some great golf over the past few years and seems to be very popular yet he rarely got any airtime. Now that he has won again, and this time on the big stage, it looks like we may see more of him. He’s not the only one that for some reason the networks choose not to follow.