OT: The Tiger Effect

[Chin Diesel]

Making a separate thread on golf and viewership.

Last week's PGA featured two of the best golfers in the world on top of their games. Today Tiger is in the hunt for the first time in two years at a no name filler tournament.

Normally the PGA championship would have ratings 4 to 5 times higher than a Greensboro Open. There literally wouldn't be any reason for anyone outside of hardcore golf fans to watch this. Except for Tiger's presence.

Today's ratings will provide a very clear indication of the power of Tiger as a media presence. Light sports weekend overall. Can he pull ratings all by himself?

 

[Kitaman]

I plead guilty.

 

[Jerry1714]

Yes. Sunday at the PGA got a 6 I believe, bet this gets close to a 3. Last year the final round at the Wyndham got a 1.6

 

[Peacefrog]

Tiger definitely still increases viewership although at this point it's not always dissimilar to a gruesome car wreck attracting gawkers. Any big name golfer would help the ratings of this tournament. If Speith or Rory showed up there would be a spike as well. In this case everybody knows what's on the line and there is certainly interest in whether or not Tiger's last ditch effort to get into the playoffs will be successful. Fan or hater, there is certainly interest there but in a different way than there used to be.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Tiger definitely still increases viewership although at this point it's not always dissimilar to a gruesome car wreck attracting gawkers. Any big name golfer would help the ratings of this tournament. If Speith or Rory showed up there would be a spike as well. In this case everybody knows what's on the line and there is certainly interest in whether or not Tiger's last ditch effort to get into the playoffs will be successful. Fan or hater, there is certainly interest there but in a different way than there used to be.

That's my whole point. Last weekend you had multiple big name golfers like Rory and Jordan at a high profile tournament. And no Tiger. This weekend you have a low profile tournament and no names except Tiger. His presence is the singular reason for anyone to watch. For a sport like golf which has many variables affecting viewership there is a clear distinction between last weekend and this weekend as to who has drawing power. Even if it is to see a possible train wreck. No one would be watching today to see if Dustin or Phil would choke and put an 80 on the board. Good, bad or otherwise, today's numbers are all about Tiger.

 

[Fishy]

At this stage, I don't think Rory moves the needle at all in terms of ratings on US television - neither does Jordan.

If it's a major, big names on the leaderboard will always help the Sunday broadcast, but if either of those two are near the top of the leaderboard today, I don't think anyone changes their schedule to watch.

 

[Chin Diesel]

At this stage, I don't think Rory moves the needle at all in terms of ratings on US television - neither does Jordan.

If it's a major, big names on the leaderboard will always help the Sunday broadcast, but if either of those two are near the top of the leaderboard today, I don't think anyone changes their schedule to watch.

I agree Rory is more of an international name than a US name. It's amazing how quickly that star power fades when you go a whole year without fame early on your career.

I'm pretty sure Jordan is a needle mover now. The last hour of the British Open, which was on a Monday, we had 40+ people in the one lounge at work watching his quest. As soon as Spieth missed the putt on 18 and was eliminated the room emptied out. He's not Tiger, but he's is starting to show some drawing power.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Just to throw a wrench in people's Sunday plans, you should be going to the beach or park today. I'm going to be at the beach.

Today is a major event for the women's rights movement. Always held on the Sunday nearest August 26th.

http://gotopless.org/

 

[TasteofUConn]

I think I probably have the same viewing habits of a lot of softcore sports fans.
I have never watched any golf outside of the majors, excepting, once or twice, the Ryder Cup.
The first majors I watched were as a kid - I watched Jack. Couple times with my dad, here and there.
The next span I recall watching was the Greg Norman choke era, with various name guys (Faldo, Fuzzy, Seve, et cetera). Watched that about as much as Jack.
Obviously, Tiger was next. Watched a lot of Tiger at the majors.
After Tiger's wife 9 ironed him, I watched only a couple of majors until Spieth arrived on the scene last year. I think I saw Bubba win the Masters. Cabrera's win. Couple others.
Spieth has changed my interest level in golf. I watched at least the final round of every Major this year specifically to see how he did. I will definitely be following closely when the Masters rolls around in the spring.
Guy is compelling, and he's got game. Watching this guy drain 20 foot putts when it matters is something novel. Going to be fun getting to watch him the next 20 years. Day, McIlroy, Dustin - they'll make excellent foils for him, as Day did at the PGA.

 

[TasteofUConn]

Today is a major event for the women's rights movement. Always held on the Sunday nearest August 26th.http://gotopless.org/

Should definitely warn that the link is NSFW. Click it and t1tties everywhere.
On a side note, who is against women's b00bs being out? Figure all the women should be for it, because it's a right that they would have, but not have to exercise. That's 50% right there. Men should be for it. That's another 50% right there.
Are church ninnies, bible thumpers, and jealous women really enough of a coalition to keep toplessness illegal in some places? Lord.

 

[uconnever]

Should definitely warn that the link is NSFW. Click it and t1tties everywhere.
On a side note, who is against women's b00bs being out? Figure all the women should be for it, because it's a right that they would have, but not have to exercise. That's 50% right there. Men should be for it. That's another 50% right there.
Are church ninnies, bible thumpers, and jealous women really enough of a coalition to keep toplessness illegal in some places? Lord.

Don't watch much golf at all. Barely watched last weekend. Will 100% watch today.

 

[Kitaman]

Is it fair to say that Tiger has personality (good or bad) that is attractive to such a 'quiet' sport. He displays emotiong, vocal outbursts, drama with scratch play, etc..

Spieth, Rory, Phil and others are great golfers but (too me) boring to watch. Speith has a supreme killer instinct but that of a jaguar compared to the lion Tiger was.

 

[donyell34]

Speith draining 20 foot putts is novel? Tiger did it for years. Where have you been?

 

[Chin Diesel]

Is it fair to say that Tiger has personality (good or bad) that is attractive to such a 'quiet' sport. He displays emotiong, vocal outbursts, drama with scratch play, etc..

Spieth, Rory, Phil and others are great golfers but (too me) boring to watch. Speith has a supreme killer instinct but that of a jaguar compared to the lion Tiger was.

Spieth moreso than Rory. Remember Rory's 5-iron in to the pond earlier this year? That's raw emotion.

 

[intlzncster]

I agree Rory is more of an international name than a US name. It's amazing how quickly that star power fades when you go a whole year without fame early on your career.

I'm pretty sure Jordan is a needle mover now. The last hour of the British Open, which was on a Monday, we had 40+ people in the one lounge at work watching his quest. As soon as Spieth missed the putt on 18 and was eliminated the room emptied out. He's not Tiger, but he's is starting to show some drawing power.

Nobody moves the needle like Tiger. People always talk about how he 'changed the game', but his biggest accomplishment is getting a whole generation of fans to be very interested in golf (who wouldn't have otherwise been). He single-handedly increased purses as well. A healthy, successful Tiger is huge for golf.

 

[intlzncster]

Should definitely warn that the link is NSFW. Click it and t1tties everywhere.
On a side note, who is against women's b00bs being out? Figure all the women should be for it, because it's a right that they would have, but not have to exercise. That's 50% right there. Men should be for it. That's another 50% right there.
Are church ninnies, bible thumpers, and jealous women really enough of a coalition to keep toplessness illegal in some places? Lord.

Yep. In the interest of the usual Boneyard thread tangent:

Http://gothamist.com/2015/08/20/times_square_topless.php

"But the main issue here is that the Naked Cowboy walks around in the exact same clothing as we do and nobody has a problem with it. In the newspaper, instead of reporting the nice things that people say about us, despite the fact that maybe 95 out of 100 people that walk past me smile at me or look happy or start laughing, or say hello, no, there’s just one or two people that say, “Oh, it’s disgusting” or “It’s horrible.” It’s usually—and I hate to be rude about this—overweight women. They’re the ones that are rude to us the whole day."

Europeans are so much more advanced (read: normal) than Americans in this respect.

 

[TasteofUConn]

Speith draining 20 foot putts is novel? Tiger did it for years. Where have you been?

Speith seems to be better at it in the clutch than anybody I've seen. Tiger hit his fair share of long putts, to be sure, but Tiger was great substantially because he was so much longer than the field and therefore had easier approach shots and so on. Sure, he was an excellent putter. But Speith seems to me to me notably better, which is why he is #1 notwithstanding his lack of distance.

 

[Leebo]

I know a surprising number of the no-names in this event. Kaymer, Snedeker, Haas, Casey, Donald, Simpson, etc.

 

[David 76]

At this point Tiger is the Trump of the tour.

Shouldn't be taken seriously but the press and the crowds can't get enough.

 

[Robertelamin]

Is it fair to say that Tiger has personality (good or bad) that is attractive to such a 'quiet' sport. He displays emotiong, vocal outbursts, drama with scratch play, etc..

Spieth, Rory, Phil and others are great golfers but (too me) boring to watch. Speith has a supreme killer instinct but that of a jaguar compared to the lion Tiger was.

As far as I can tell, Tigers personality consists of fist pumping after a nice putt or saiying "Tiger" in a goofy way when he hits a bad shot.

 

[Edward Sargent]

At this stage, I don't think Rory moves the needle at all in terms of ratings on US television - neither does Jordan.

If it's a major, big names on the leaderboard will always help the Sunday broadcast, but if either of those two are near the top of the leaderboard today, I don't think anyone changes their schedule to watch.

Rory does move, lots of Irish in US. I for one turned on the golf while the grandkids were put to bed, saw Tiger was no where near # 1 or # 2 and turned it off. Hs's out of Fedex

 

[Fishy]

1) Nah - McIlroy does nothing for ratings.

2) What time do you put the kids to bed? 6? Jesus, grandpa, let them live a little.

 

[TasteofUConn]

At this point Tiger is the Trump of the tour. Shouldn't be taken seriously but the press and the crowds can't get enough.

Yeah, but, Trump has a better shot of winning at this point.

 

[Leebo]

It struck me as really irritating this week that the whole story was really about how much the golf universe overreacted to his rough stretch.

"We said he was dead way too soon, but now it looks like he's playing pretty well. If we had just been reasonable before, this wouldnt have been shocking."

 

[Nostical]

No golfer moves the needle like Tiger Woods. The Wyndham printed an additional 39,000 tickets when he committed and sold 50,000 more than last year over course of the tournement.They set record attendance figures every day with most of those extra tickets sold to people who followed Tiger. His galleries were huge while the rest of the nondesript leaders heard crickets. TV ratings were up over 250 percent compared to last year. All to see the golfer ranked 286th in the world. That's star power unlike any we have ever seen.