Brent Musburger is on the firing line again as he prepares to take the mike next week at the U.S. Open
golf tournament, his first Grand Slam event since leaving CBS for ABC more than two years ago.
Frank Chirkinian, his old boss at CBS, has criticized his interviews. Golf Digest accused him of being "outside the fence with a tin cup." And the U.S. Golf Association was concerned he didn't have the savvy for the U.S. Open."I was looked upon as an outsider," admitted Musburger, who became ABC's regular golf announcer this year. "I'm aware of the perception of an outsider. But now, things are entirely different."
Going into ESPN and ABC's shared coverage of the Open on Thursday, Musburger will have done eight tournaments for ABC, including one LPGA and one Seniors event. With CBS, he was restricted to the Masters once a year for six years.
"I understand that it will take a few years, but now, people are becoming accustomed to my voice," he said. "Coming into the U.S. Open, things are a whole lot different than going to Augusta."
What Musburger can't understand are the comments Chirkinian, CBS' golf producer, made to Golf Digest, criticizing an interview at the Tournament Players Championship in March with PGA champion John Daly. Musburger asked Daly about rumors that he was a big drinker and sometimes beat up hotel rooms.
Chirkinian called the interview "unconscionable," adding: "What you've done is you've established in the eyes of the other players that you are not to be trusted. Every player who was there and heard the interview said, `Don't come to us. We will not be interviewed by you.' "
That, says Musburger, is ridiculous.
"I mean, what kind of business is he in? I mean, some people had come to me with the rumors, and it seemed obvious that to be a decent reporter, I had to ask him," Musburger said. "No one has stopped talking to me because I asked Daly those questions. I can't imagine anybody in the business having a ridiculous view of an interview like that. I just can't understand the comment.
"I guess in the friendly confines of golf, you don't look beyond it at the bigger issues and the bigger stories that are out there," Musburger said. "Maybe Frank ought to take a look at what his guys are asking."
Last year, ABC dropped Dave Marr after 22 years with the network, and began looking for a new golf announcer. ABC Sports president Dennis Swanson said Musburger was a natural because of his experience as "a traffic cop" of the airwaves. Swanson also must have realized that he had a highly paid, high-profile talent in Musburger relegated to World League football games, which no one was watching.
The change was not made without first discussing it with the USGA, which runs the U.S. Open. The USGA doesn't have veto power, but it usually is consulted about announcers.
"My reaction was to be concerned and fairly seriously concerned," former USGA president Sandy Tatum, who negotiated the rights deal with ABC, told Golf Digest. "Brent had limited experience in televising golf, which, to put it mildly, had not been particularly successful for him."
So, last fall, Musburger said he went to dinner with his producer, Terry Jastrow, Tatum and USGA president Grant Spaeth to get acquainted.
"The USGA is a different kind of group," Musburger said.
Downright cliquish, actually.
"And I was just getting into it," Musburger said.
"I think they are traditionalists and wanted to make sure that I had the proper feelings for golf. So, we went out to dinner, and we had a great time."
He still apparently must convince Golf Digest, which can't forget that at the Masters he once referred to golfer Larry Mize as Johnny Mize, a Hall of Fame baseball player.
Still, Musburger thinks he eventually will unlock the door that golfing lords have slammed shut to protect their game from the outside.
"This is the most demanding audience that we play to in sports, and the reason why is they all play and are all deeply involved," Musburger said. "All you ever hear in other sports is, `You're against my team.' In golf, they're more into technicalities and how to play."