WEBVTT - Fire Drill 019: LIV, Live from London 0:00:04.400 --> 0:00:08.520 You cannot make this ship up this Keystone cops. And 0:00:08.840 --> 0:00:11.200 when when I when I first texted Norman, it wasn't 0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:13.480 like a gotcha. I really hadn't seen the video. I 0:00:13.480 --> 0:00:16.480 had no idea he was even there. And and then 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:19.080 right when we were looking at the video, that's when 0:00:19.079 --> 0:00:21.200 he texted me back and said, I had no idea. 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:25.439 It's like so absurd. There was there was dozens and 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:29.000 dozens of people there, like who saw him standing there? 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:31.120 I didn't because he was behind me, like lurking in 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:34.440 the shadows like a snake. But everyone else saw it, 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:44.080 Like it's just so ridiculous. Another log on the fire 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:57.680 hears give it time. Welcome back to the fire Pit. 0:00:57.880 --> 0:01:00.720 I met Janella and on this episode of the fire Drill, 0:01:01.040 --> 0:01:04.600 which is quite hot, we hear from Alan Schipnuk on 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:09.160 being live at the inaugural Live event in London, joining 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:12.200 us is Ryan French and Michael Bamber, before we get 0:01:12.240 --> 0:01:14.400 to the specifics of a day in which Alan was 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:18.480 ultimately escorted out of Phil Nicholson's press conference. A quick 0:01:18.560 --> 0:01:21.520 appreciation for the sponsors who make all of this possible. 0:01:22.200 --> 0:01:24.480 We want to thank Dormy Workshop for making the next 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:28.160 set of merchandise will be dropping on Firepit Collective dot com. 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:30.039 We're lucky to have our logos on some of the 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:35.080 Bishop Famili's handmade leather goods such as head covers, stash bags, 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:38.600 and glove caddies. Thanks to bag Boy for their support. 0:01:38.959 --> 0:01:41.720 Bag Boys Nitron Auto Open push Cart is the best 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:44.399 in the business and for me, it's not even close. 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:48.040 And thanks to Part Points, our friends Brandon Ebert and 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:50.840 Kevin Quinley have created an app that changes the way 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:55.120 you can score the game, which is especially good for beginners, kids, 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:59.760 families and buddies trips. Looking for an alternate format, download 0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:03.640 the Today and go make part and now is Joe 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:07.520 Horowitz likes to sing settle down and settle in. This 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:17.560 story is about to begin, Alan Shipnuk. First of all, 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:24.400 are you are you okay? Yeah? I mean, it's the 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:26.640 whole thing has been so nutty. I mean I was 0:02:27.200 --> 0:02:33.040 literally just standing in the back of Phil's press conference. 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:38.880 You know, I wasn't so when I got when You're 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:41.440 just getting credential has been a journey. They finally credential 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:43.520 to me today after it already bought tickets. I was 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:47.240 just just gonna just go as a fan basically, they 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:50.480 came through their credential that late this morning when I 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:55.840 was already in London, and and but one of one 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.360 of the very nice women working in the media center, 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:02.320 she came out to meet me and she's like, Phil 0:03:02.360 --> 0:03:06.680 doesn't want you to talk to him. I was like, well, okay, 0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:09.760 let's just see how it plays out. I mean, I 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:12.320 flew across the ocean to be here, Like he's the 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:14.760 most important person in this tournament. I'm not going to 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:18.280 commit to not asking him a question. But we just 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:20.240 kind of let it go and I was just gonna 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:24.000 feel it out. And so he was doing his scrum 0:03:24.080 --> 0:03:26.880 and I just kind of stood in the back and 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:29.880 I hadn't even really decided how was it going to play. 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:31.640 I just wanted to see what his energy was like 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:34.800 and what the whole, the whole vibe was and and 0:03:34.840 --> 0:03:38.560 then the goods like descended on me and things just 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:43.280 got really weird. So what's really weird? What's what? What's 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:48.400 really weird? Me? Um? Well, they I mean the guy 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:50.600 that grabbed my arm and was pulling me away and 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:53.800 I just said, don't touch me, and he said you 0:03:53.800 --> 0:03:56.120 need to come with me. I said, no, I'm actually 0:03:56.120 --> 0:03:58.600 gonna watch this press conference. He's like, you need to 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:01.920 come with me. I said why, He said, because we 0:04:01.960 --> 0:04:04.160 need to scan your bads. I said, I just got 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:08.200 scanned five seconds ago. And so then he grabbed me again. 0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:12.600 I said, don't fucking touch me. And by now there 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:15.520 was like some energy, you know, in in the little 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:20.680 His other reporters are right there, and so his other 0:04:20.720 --> 0:04:22.240 buddy was like, kind of they were, they hadn't like 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:24.200 boxed in. He was kind of nudging me. So I 0:04:24.240 --> 0:04:27.320 started walking and then my old high school basketball coach, 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:29.240 Joe chap Will be so proud. It was like going 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:31.599 for an offensive rebound. I kind of gave the swim move. 0:04:31.839 --> 0:04:33.640 I did little spin that I was back to where 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:36.200 I was. I went around both of them. It's one 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:38.400 of the greatest moments of my life. Unfortunately that no 0:04:38.440 --> 0:04:41.120 one got that on camera. Um. But then then there 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:43.920 was a third dude. So now, like I didn't want 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:45.600 us to be a whole side show, and it was 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:48.120 already too, I mean, Phils already up there talking. I 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:51.400 was like, okay, I'm just gonna like just walk away 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:54.560 because this is not gonna end well for anybody. So 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:57.880 so then we walked twenty feet. So there's like there's 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:02.760 this little where the pen is to get into the 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.159 the flash interview area and they scanted my badge, it 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:10.760 comes up green. I said, see all good, and he's like, well, uh, 0:05:10.800 --> 0:05:13.400 we need to reassess your badge, you know. And this 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:16.800 whole time like if I even, like, you know, change 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:19.120 the weight of my foot, he was like, he's like 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:23.360 shadow boxing. It was so ridiculous. But I'm standing out 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:25.640 there and it's just a thing, Like there's all these 0:05:25.640 --> 0:05:28.560 security people. So if I could see an n wandered 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:31.360 over the New York Times and everyone everyone's getting all 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:33.359 fired up, and I was just like, I'm just gonna 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:36.200 go very zen here, and I was, I was just 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:39.400 on deep freeze. They kept changing their story why and 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:43.000 then finally the guy said, well, um, I said, you know, 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:45.240 my computers in the press room. I'd like to go 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:47.080 do my work now. And he's like, wow, you can't 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:48.880 go in there because there's somebody in there. He doesn't 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:50.600 want you in there, which I guess it could have 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:53.359 been Norman actually, but I'm assumed maybe it was Phil 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:58.200 doing some postcrum interviews. I don't know. Um. And then 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:01.320 and then finally one of the people who runs the 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:04.200 pressroom came and got involved, and then they I think 0:06:04.200 --> 0:06:06.120 at that point, whether it was Norman or whether it 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:09.520 was Phil, they exited the tent. So then everyone just 0:06:09.600 --> 0:06:10.839 kind of melled out. I just went back to my 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:15.560 computer and started typing, which ironically I'm writing like a 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:17.839 whole story, which I'm still gonna write and we'll still 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:19.960 post on practical Collective dot com about like I thought, 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.880 it was a super interesting day at and a big 0:06:22.920 --> 0:06:26.840 moment for the sport, and I was, you know, um, 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:29.200 I'm not here. I came here with no agenda or 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:31.800 no vendetta, Like I just was a curious observer house 0:06:31.880 --> 0:06:33.240 was going to play out. So it's just kind of 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:38.160 my dispassionate. Um, you know, dispatch on on the first 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:42.040 round at the live event. Um, you know, I guess 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:44.000 I'm trying to help them out by by being here 0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:46.640 and writing about it in a serious manner. But it 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:49.520 took a turn for the absurd to say the least, 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:53.400 Wasn't it Isn't it also a little bit about the 0:06:53.440 --> 0:06:57.600 fact that the kind of the golden rule of journalism 0:06:57.640 --> 0:07:01.120 is is if you write something about somebody day, you 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:05.719 show up the next day and face the music. Yeah, 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:08.600 I mean for sure, like you know, this is this 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:10.520 is why I'm here because Phil's here. You know, I 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:13.840 hadn't really planned to cover the event. Um, but he's 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:18.800 returning to public life obviously have been chronicling his whole journey. 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.880 I've been part of it in some way. Um, and 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:23.360 so yeah, I feel like I needed to be here. 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:26.120 I would love to have a conversation with Phil, you know, 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:28.400 whether he's out by the dais or we can have 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:30.400 a private moment, like if he's got things what he 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:32.360 wants to say to me. You know, I'm here to listen. 0:07:32.440 --> 0:07:36.840 And um, you know, I'm definitely not like avoiding the 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:39.120 guy or Greg Norton for that matter, who I've had 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:42.600 my own issues with lately. Um. So yeah, I mean yeah, 0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:47.240 came into the lions Den here and uh, I was 0:07:47.280 --> 0:07:50.200 just here to try and do some serious work and 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:53.320 um it's turned into fucking clown show. But I'm still 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:55.840 here to do work and that's my My goal has 0:07:55.840 --> 0:08:00.800 and changed from what you've heard of stil In in 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:02.880 his indoor press Scotts the other day, and as we've 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:05.320 observed over the years, these guys can sometimes be very 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:09.240 different indoors and outdoors. Um, was he still automaton Phil 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:12.400 the r E. Fleischer you know, stamp of approve of 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:14.600 Phil like the other day, or was over there shades 0:08:14.680 --> 0:08:16.320 of like we're actually going to see the real film 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:20.560 mikls him again. Yeah, he he loosened up a little bit. Um, 0:08:20.680 --> 0:08:24.640 I could see that. I think, Um, he was definitely 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:29.440 over coached and that that first press conference and overrehearsed, 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:33.800 and there was a stiffness and an awkwardness there and Um, 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:35.400 but you know, I get it. It's there was a 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:37.400 there was a lot of build up. There was a 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.720 lot of things that he wanted to say, some things 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:43.439 he couldn't say, some things he had to say. So 0:08:44.200 --> 0:08:46.680 that was kind of a fraud return to public life, 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:51.240 and you know there's a challenging scenario for him or 0:08:51.240 --> 0:08:56.040 for anybody, and putting putting that position. Um, there was 0:08:56.040 --> 0:08:59.240 a little more levity this evening. I mean even when 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:00.880 when they kind of went me out of this area, 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.520 I could still hear Phil that you know, they amplified 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:04.920 by speaker, so I got a little taste of his 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:08.679 comments anyway, and he did he I think just getting 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:11.760 back between the ropes and feeling the love from the crowd. 0:09:11.800 --> 0:09:13.520 You know, got a big ovation on the first hole 0:09:13.679 --> 0:09:16.320 and people were were cheering for him all the way through. 0:09:16.559 --> 0:09:19.320 You know, he had a couple of recovery shots from 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:21.840 the wrong side of the ropes and he's knuckle bumping 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:28.720 folks and they're definitely it's definitely a pro Phil crowd. Um. 0:09:28.880 --> 0:09:31.319 Some of that made just because you know, he's validated 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:34.839 this tournament and this this new enterprise. I think people 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:37.000 are also just they like cheering, fulfill they like watching 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:38.880 him play, and they're happy to see him back. So 0:09:39.280 --> 0:09:40.920 there was a lot of good energy out there for him. 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:44.839 And as you're saying, Michael, I think I think he's 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:47.199 kind of peeling back some of the artifice and I 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:49.680 think he's gonna be a little more real. And you know, 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:52.160 the US Open week next week is gonna be fascinating. 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:56.439 Um uh. You know, he's already got his press conference 0:09:56.440 --> 0:10:01.679 set for Monday, and um, the British, the British boys 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:05.559 are are are different. I mean they came strong this week. 0:10:05.600 --> 0:10:08.199 I mean they don't mess around in these press conferences, 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:10.280 but a lot of them are aren't really on the 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:12.360 golf beat. They're more generalists and they're just they're just 0:10:12.400 --> 0:10:15.319 here because it's a big tournament. You know, next next 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:17.880 week will be the actual golf press and people feels 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:19.760 known for a long time and has has a lot 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.959 of relationships with UM, so I think there'll be a 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:26.319 different level of intimacy and maybe emotion and how he 0:10:26.400 --> 0:10:30.120 handles that is going to be quite fascinating. So just 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:32.280 take take us through it for a second here. So 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:37.960 you you flew red eye landed this morning and and 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:42.600 went directly to to the to the golf course. Yeah, 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:44.160 pretty much. When I came to the hotel, took a 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:48.160 shower and change clothes. But yeah, then just got still, 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:51.640 you know, because of my daughter's high school graduation and 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:53.839 other reasons. I mean, that was part of why I 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:56.000 wasn't gonna be here, but ultimately I just felt like 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:59.640 I had to be, so um. I probably it would 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:01.120 have been great to be here even a day or 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.719 two earlier, but this is like the earliest I could 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:06.120 have I could have made it. So yeah, I'm going 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:08.000 on about forty five minutes of sleep since I left 0:11:08.040 --> 0:11:11.920 California two days ago. But I've got some adrenaline, for sure, 0:11:12.120 --> 0:11:15.240 I mean, um, but yeah, so I mean it was 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:19.319 a good day out there, like it was. My takeaway 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:20.840 from this whole thing is it just felt like a 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:23.880 golf tournament. You know. There was some of the pageantry 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:27.720 with the beefeaters and the flyover and the trumpets and 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:31.760 the black London taxis, but once they put they put 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:33.200 a peg in the ground. I mean it was just 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:37.680 really good golfers trying to shoot a low score. And um, 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:41.520 it's not it's not a exceptionally artful course, but it's 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:43.719 a tough test. I mean it's a narrow fairways and 0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:46.280 very fiddley and a lot of moving on the greens, 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:48.160 and so guys were it was. It was a really 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:49.719 good test. I mean you had to you had to, 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:52.200 as Michael Bamber says, you had to golf your ball. 0:11:52.320 --> 0:11:55.920 So it was fun to watch. I think, Um, there 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.320 was a cool energy. I mean it was the first 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:00.680 few holes, it was it was total a key like 0:12:01.600 --> 0:12:03.560 hundreds of people were just ducking under the ropes like 0:12:03.600 --> 0:12:08.840 it was you know, Francis we met Um Brookline kind 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:12.480 of thing, and he definitely they got things slightly more 0:12:12.520 --> 0:12:14.480 under control as it as a day we're on and 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:16.400 people kind of chilled out. But the first few holes. 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:19.240 I mean, it was just it was like it was 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:23.160 kind of this cool energy, like uh, you know, football style, 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:25.640 and I enjoyed it. It It was fun to be out there. 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:29.600 Did did Dustin Johnson looked like his normal self or 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:34.720 did he look different? Yeah, he looked like the same 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:40.480 Dustin Johnson, which is to say, mildly disinterested. Um, but 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:43.760 you know, he kuy knows how to play golf. I 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:46.360 mean he he hit one of the worst drives I've 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.520 ever seeing him, you know, slice ad ob when you 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:51.760 have all the room in the world down the left 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.080 side of that hole. But he fought back. He had 0:12:54.120 --> 0:12:57.840 a lot of great iron shots. And I think, you know, 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:01.480 for Dustin, for Phil, those two guys, especially that this 0:13:01.559 --> 0:13:04.240 is kind of a new energy. It's a new start. 0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:06.760 It's it's not that they have anything to prove, per se, 0:13:06.880 --> 0:13:09.600 but I think they're more fired up for this event 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:11.640 than they would just be the Canadian Open. You know 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:14.440 that that's kind of old hat, but they're a little 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:16.760 bit there's obviously a big spotlight on them. There's a 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:19.880 certain amount of scrutiny, especially Phil. You know, he put 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:21.719 his neck on the chopping block for this whole thing 0:13:22.480 --> 0:13:26.960 that might be the wrong metaphor um, given the geopolitical 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:31.000 underlying currents here. But the you know, I think I 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:34.480 think there's there's a certain amount of there's a certain 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:39.479 amount of like I gotta prove myself here, you know. Uh, 0:13:39.720 --> 0:13:41.320 which that one thinks that there's just gonna be a 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:42.920 lark for them and they're not gonna try hard because 0:13:42.920 --> 0:13:44.760 they already got their money and it's just an exhibition, 0:13:44.880 --> 0:13:47.240 but that it may evolve into that. But I think this, 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.480 especially this week and maybe the first few, like Phil 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:53.240 was grinding hard. I mean he was working really hard 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:56.360 out there because his driver he hit some loose drives 0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:58.600 and he didn't look comfortable as part of pretty much 0:13:58.640 --> 0:14:02.200 the whole round, he fought really hard for a very 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:05.280 good score. You know, shooting sixty nine puts them in 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:09.040 the top ten. So um, I mean, nothing could be 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:10.439 more film Nikles than if he just goes out and 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:13.160 wins this thing. I mean, that would just be almost 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:16.040 it's almost a feeling of inevitability, right like it's just 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:18.079 the only thing to be even that would make more 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:20.200 senses for him to go in next week at the 0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:24.080 US Open. But um, so yeah, I detected some energy 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:26.720 out of both those guys. They weren't punching the clock. 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:28.840 I mean, they were here to work, and uh, that 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:30.720 was that was kind of a fun thing to watch too. 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:34.800 What were there any signs of Saudi Royals in the 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:40.360 gallery or elsewhere in the clubhouse. Yeah, yeah, a couple 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:42.320 of guys. I don't know their names, but I've seen 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:44.440 them in photos and I know they're very involved in 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:48.040 the Public Investment Fund and um, I don't know if 0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:51.640 the royals, but they're definitely ruling class and they were 0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:57.160 they looked elated. They were hugging everybody like I think 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:01.840 this was a big moment war for all the people 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:04.440 in Saudi Arabia who have you know, kind of gone 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:07.120 to the wall on this one. For Norman, who has 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:10.800 made plenty of mistakes, but he has built this thing. Um, 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:13.360 there was I mean, Norman was giddy out there on 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:16.040 the first tea and it was just like, man, we did. 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:19.200 It's it's not easy to build something from scratch, and 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:22.680 there's they've taken a lot of shrapnel, there's been setbacks, 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:25.920 but it's just to get this thing off the ground 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:28.960 is a huge accomplishment. And you know, we now know 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:30.960 that they're not here. This week. But we know Patrick 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:33.240 Reed and Bryson de Shamber coming. I mean all of 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:38.240 a sudden they have accumulated critical mass of major championship winners, 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:42.960 future Hall of famers. Um. But but needle movers right, 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:47.040 like surgery. Garcia is not really a a factor. We 0:15:47.080 --> 0:15:48.640 can we got on the PGA Tour, but he moves 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:52.960 in the needle. He's a very polarizing Patrick Read, superpolarizing 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:58.480 Bryson de Shambo, incredibly polarizing Ian Poulter, you know, very 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:02.800 much love hate kind of personality. So they're not They're 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:05.640 not the best golfers in the world anymore. But I 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.479 mean you can say Patrick Reed might be, but um, 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:11.720 they are. They are huge personalities. And then you throw 0:16:11.760 --> 0:16:15.960 pill into that mix. Um, you know, Dustin I don't 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:18.640 think I think people mostly love Dustin. But if they 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.240 get Ricky Fowler, I mean that's a lot of star 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:24.760 power that that's a lot of personality the average fan 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:28.960 connects with. I mean, like John Rom Colin Marikawa. They're 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:32.520 better golfers anyone that's in this live field. But they 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:35.760 don't don't they don't inspire any emotion, right, I mean, 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:37.840 they're fun to watch play golf, but nobody really cares 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:40.200 about them, even the way they do about Patrick Reid 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:42.480 or Sergio Garcia or Bryson or any of these dudes. 0:16:42.520 --> 0:16:45.440 So it's it's interesting, well, I mean, Live is sort 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:47.760 of O l I V. They've sort of corned the 0:16:47.800 --> 0:16:52.440 market on on the bad boys and and the contrarians 0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:57.040 and um, the people that get that really get social 0:16:57.080 --> 0:17:00.520 media fired up. So it's it's worth king. I think 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:03.560 that's the bottom line that's working. I just think from 0:17:03.600 --> 0:17:06.800 I mean, obviously the longevity of it and is that 0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:09.919 but from a TV watching perspective, obviously on YouTube and 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:14.320 on my computer. But I mean it was really good. 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:18.359 It was really good. The shotguns start works. My wife, 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:21.720 who never watches golf, is like, holy kaw, we just saw, 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:23.760 you know, fifteen drives in a row. Like at the 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:25.640 beginning of the event. It was like boom boom boom 0:17:25.600 --> 0:17:28.399 boom booh boomp. And you know, obviously some of that 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:30.960 is because it's a new product and whatever, but like, 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:33.520 I mean, I kind of explained it. I was just 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:37.399 talking to Mark. It's like it's like starting a race 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:40.760 and the cars are already going around right like it's 0:17:41.480 --> 0:17:44.239 it was like back to back to back every if 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:47.200 they got bigger names and it was like, you know, Phil, 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:49.280 I don't tell you it's not there, but like Phil 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:51.919 Tiger Rory. If they got bigger names and that's how 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:54.000 you opened a golf show. I think it was awesome. 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:57.480 The leaderboard on the side was awesome. Uh, you know, 0:17:57.520 --> 0:18:00.560 the constant action. Obviously they don't have any answers, so 0:18:00.960 --> 0:18:04.280 it's easy to give constant shots. But I think just 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:09.320 from a TV watching perspective, I was really really impressed. 0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:12.800 I was. My expectations were, let's hope the cameras on 0:18:13.040 --> 0:18:18.560 and the MIC's work, and they were like pretty seasoned. Uh. 0:18:18.600 --> 0:18:22.480 In my opinion, yeah, they brought they brought in pros. 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:24.639 I mean, they know what they're doing. It's also cool. 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:27.480 It's an underrated thing is they've all played basically the 0:18:27.480 --> 0:18:29.439 same number of holes, So the leader board has a 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:31.960 lot of meaning. You know, on a Thursday, one guy's 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:35.720 in the clubhouse at minus three, someone Birdie's first two holes. 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:38.480 But you can't compare those scores. There's so much such 0:18:38.520 --> 0:18:41.160 a disparity and how many how deep into their round 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:43.359 they are. But pretty much you look at the board, 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:45.640 you know everyone's played the same number of holes plus 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:49.760 or minus one and so um, to me, the leaderboard 0:18:49.760 --> 0:18:52.560 takes on even more value. And but I agree, Ryan, 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:55.480 I mean it was it was. It was neat to 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:58.440 when you know you're on you're walking around out there 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:03.760 and just there's golf everywhere. And you know, if you 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:06.560 go out early on a Thursday morning at a tour event, 0:19:06.800 --> 0:19:09.480 or on a Friday morning or Saturday or Sunday for 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:11.200 that matters lonely, you know, it takes a while to 0:19:11.240 --> 0:19:12.960 fill up the golf course. But it was just it 0:19:13.080 --> 0:19:16.400 was it was fans everywhere because they you know, some 0:19:16.400 --> 0:19:18.399 some people wanted to watch Phil, someone to watch the 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:22.000 English lads. There was a South African contingent of fans 0:19:22.000 --> 0:19:23.639 out there are pretty boisterous and there's a there's a 0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:27.680 bunch of South Africans here. Um, so the crowd was 0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:30.439 was pretty big, pretty loud, and nicely spread out. I mean, 0:19:30.440 --> 0:19:34.600 they're the Phil Dustin group definitely had the biggest gallery. 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:37.080 But I was impressed, you know, it was it was 0:19:37.119 --> 0:19:39.680 a pretty good coverage throughout the whole course. But right away, 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:42.440 like you're saying, like you just you went from zero 0:19:42.480 --> 0:19:44.320 to a hundred really quickly, from from kind of the 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:47.200 fan experience from the beginning to the end and again 0:19:47.240 --> 0:19:50.400 like everybody's finishing at the same time was really cool 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:53.600 in my opinion. You know, like no one's ever watched 0:19:54.840 --> 0:19:57.840 eight straight hours of TV of golf, Like it's compacted. 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:00.960 So if you know, like you know you're gonna watch 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:03.080 the last two hours, you're gonna see everybody. I thought 0:20:03.080 --> 0:20:06.639 it was. I thought it was. I was very skeptical 0:20:06.680 --> 0:20:09.080 a that they could pull anything off that. I mean, 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:11.479 they've had a lot of stumbles leading up to this. 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:14.440 I was like, I didn't think they had a chance 0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:17.080 to pull off a good product, and I mean it 0:20:17.160 --> 0:20:19.879 was simple things like that a drone shot and I know, Ellen, 0:20:19.920 --> 0:20:21.399 you were on site, so you might not have saw it, 0:20:21.480 --> 0:20:23.879 but there was a drone shot of Phil and Dustin 0:20:24.040 --> 0:20:28.439 and Scott Vincent walking up the uh fairway when they 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:30.879 had little bubbles over their head with their face and 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:33.679 their score and like you know, pointing to who it 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:36.680 is is very minor, but it was like b roll 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:39.080 waiting for the next shot to start. And it was 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:42.920 an added thing you know that the PGA Tour doesn't 0:20:42.960 --> 0:20:46.399 do or p J recoverage doesn't do. It kind of 0:20:46.400 --> 0:20:49.719 felt like XFL. Remember when XFL came out and they 0:20:50.040 --> 0:20:52.320 ran for the ball in the middle of the field 0:20:52.440 --> 0:20:55.280 and they had this sky cam over that the you know, like, 0:20:55.320 --> 0:21:00.200 there's there's some aspects to what's going on here at 0:21:01.040 --> 0:21:04.560 I think the traditional tour can I really learn from 0:21:05.040 --> 0:21:09.359 the way. I mean, if this wasn't four billion dollars 0:21:09.359 --> 0:21:12.760 worth of Saudi Arabian money, I think they're everybody on 0:21:12.800 --> 0:21:16.119 this call would be rooting for this, this kind of 0:21:16.160 --> 0:21:21.960