Senin, 18 Mei 2015

Are You Ready For Fox Sports and the U.S. Open?

Don't worry, you won't see John Madden coming out of retirement and bellowing "Boom!" and "Bam!" every time someone launches a 350-yard drive or sinks a 30 footer.

Better still, you won't see Jimmy, Howie, Terry, Michael and Curt breaking down video of the world's best golfers.

No, Fox Sports has assembled an eclectic cast headed by Joe Buck, Greg Norman, Holly Sonders and others to bring you the 2015 U.S. Open on television and digital platforms.

Here's a review of the Fox Sports golf line-up:

Joe Buck--I like Buck as a baseball announcer. He's right up there on my favorite list alongside Vin Scully of the Dodgers and Jon Miller of the Giants. Buck is excellent with Troy Aikman on Fox's NFL telecasts, too. That said, he's got a long way to go to equal the excellence of CBS's Jim Nantz and NBC's Dan Hicks. These two silky smooth talking announcers sound like they came out of the womb announcing golf. I know he'll be broadcasting some warm-up events, but the 2015 U.S.Open might just be the biggest challenge of Buck's career. How he sets up Norman and addresses the nuances of the game of golf, will go a long way in determining his ultimate success.

Greg Norman--I've interviewed Norman twice and he's a terrific story teller. I hope he can bring the same color and detail to his presentation on Fox. My concern is Norman has so many other things going on in his life such as clothing, wine and turf businesses that he might not have enough time to fully prepare. My guess is Norman will attack this challenge just like everything else he does and do an admirable job. It's unrealistic to think, however, that he can be on the same footing initially with Johnny Miller, who is synonymous with the U.S. Open.

Holly Sonders--We really haven't seen much of the curvaceous Sonders on Fox Sports golf since she left The Golf Channel last July. Articulate and well-informed about golf, Sonders, a former collegiate player at Michigan State, is knowledgeable and always prepared. She lights up the television screen. Wow, was there anything better than watching her swing a golf club on Golf Academy Live on The Golf Channel. It was about the only time I ever paid attention to whatever swing tips they were doling out.


Filling out the starting line-up for the U.S. Open coverage is former PGA Tour pros Brad Faxon and Steve Flesch as on-course analysts, two-time U.S. Women's Open champion Julie Inkster as on on-course reporter, 1995 U.S. Open champ Corey Pavin as a studio analyst, Irish journalist Shane O'Donoghue as host and former USGA executive David Fay as a rules analyst.

In what appears to be a cast of thousands, others who will participate in the coverage, include Tom Weiskopf, LPGA notables Natalie Gulbis and Morgan Pressel, and venerable Fox broadcasters like Tim Brando, Curt Menefee, Charles Davis and Joel Klatt.

Still others on the Fox Sports Golf coverage team are Shane Bacon, Mark Brooks, Robert Damron, Jay Delsing, Debbie Doniger, Gil Hanse, Buddy Marucci, Scott McCarron, Ned Michaels, Eoghan O'Connell, Joe Ogilvie and EA Tischler.

Fox Sports plans to televise more than 32 hours of the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. In total, it will air more than 300 hours of golf, including other U.S.G.A. championships and amateur events during the late spring and early summer

I'll watch to see if the Buck/Norman team can perform under pressure. After years, of superb coverage by NBC, it'll be interesting to see if Fox is up to the task. 

To be sure, they certainly have an impressive line-up of on-air talent.

Jumat, 01 Mei 2015

Golf in Italy and The World Expo

NOTE: "I love everything about Italy--the history, great food, friendly people and, yes, its golf courses. Below is a guest post by my good friend Bjorn Jingberger, president of Golf Holiday Italy, a golf travel professional who partners with Italy's best golf clubs and resorts to offer fantastic golf packages. Bjorn is highlighting some of his top golf packages in conjunction with the World Expo in Milan, Italy. Enjoy the post and click to his free e-brochure to check out some great packages. Ciao!"--The Golf Travel Guru.
The World Expo in Milan, Italy is running between May and October 2015. It’s a fantastic opportunity to book a golf break, play a few rounds on selected top golf courses, enjoy world-class food and wine and visit Milan and the Expo, which has many things to do, enjoy and experience. Download this free e-brochure for great ideas and inspiration for your next golf break in Italy and read on for more details.

From May to October,Milan, organizer and host of the 2015 Universal Exhibition, becomes a global showcase where 140 countries and some leading international organizations will showcase the best of their technologies. The spectacular showoffers a concrete answer to a vital need: guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the planet and its equilibrium.

On its 1m square meter exhibition area, Expo 2015 will tell everyone out about the worlds best dishes with tasting opportunities, while displaying the best of the agri-food and gastronomic traditions of each of the exhibitor countries.

Outside the exhibition area, located in Rho, a few miles west of centreMilan, the entire city will play an active role with thousands of cultural and recreational eventsorganized throughout the city, such as the largest exhibition so far of Leonardo da Vinci with works of the Renaissance icon borrowed from Italian and international museums.

For more excitement, visit the magnificent gothic Duomo Cathedral, or purchase opera tickets for an event at the famous La Scala theater, or attend one of the more than 140 spectacles during the six-month expo. If you’re a shopping enthusiast, Milan, as a global fashion capital, is near paradise. From the best in value-for-money dining and phenomenal fashions, you’ll find it in the magnificent city of Milan. Football fans will get their treat as well, as both AC Milan and Inter play at home in the city.

To enjoy the Milan good life, don’t forget to stop by CaffĂ© Camparino, just next to the Duomo, for an aperitif. The bar opened in 1915 by Gaspare Campari, the inventor of…well you know what!

 Golf
Why not combine a visit to the Expo with a few days of golf? Northern Italy is home to around 80% of the country’s golf clubs. Discover excellent golf packages, specifically designed to satisfy most interests and tastes, which are available in a free e-brochure you can access here GREAT GOLF PACKAGES IN ITALY

For those who prefer to remain in and enjoy the Milan area there are a couple of golf breaks very close to the centre of the city. Or, in less than an hours drive north you can reach both Lake Como and Lake Maggiore with its breathtaking views and picturesque villages.

Heading east, consider a golf weekend in Franciacorta, the wine region, famous for its white sparkling wine, as well as at the beautiful Lake Garda where a few rounds of golf can be combined with a visit to an Amarone producing vineyard. Alternatively, continuing further east, north of Venice, there’s an interesting golf break combining golf and visits to local coffee and grappa producers.

Golf Holiday Italy acts as a marketplace enabling golf clubs, resorts and golf hotels to reach out to the international golf community.  Through our website, our social media channels and selected media partners, Italian golf structures have access to a cost efficient and easy-to-use platform to market themselves to an international client base.