WEBVTT - Fire Drill 048: The LIV Grades Are In 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:07.880 Welcome back to the Fire Drill. Uh. I'm super tired. 0:00:07.960 --> 0:00:10.799 I'm gonna try to keep this energized. First of all, 0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:14.239 we talk live. We all give grades of live. And 0:00:14.720 --> 0:00:17.280 before you say we're gonna get all our anti live 0:00:17.400 --> 0:00:20.120 or not, it's not true. So listen to our grades 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.120 of the first full year of live. Uh. We talked 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:26.200 about what is now will always be referred to as 0:00:26.200 --> 0:00:29.600 the butter Ball Bermuda. Somebody on Twitter called it the 0:00:29.640 --> 0:00:31.960 butter ball instead of the butterfield, so we're calling it 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:34.360 the butter ball and all the stories that come with that. 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:37.839 We talk about Bannon Dunes and our trip there, and 0:00:37.880 --> 0:00:40.559 we rank all the courses. We talked about my swearing, 0:00:41.040 --> 0:00:44.519 we talk about I mean, it's insane. It's always a 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:48.560 fire drill, It's crazy. We were super tired, Uh, but 0:00:48.680 --> 0:00:51.559 we we got it done. Before we get into the 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:54.320 actual podcast, I want to thank We want to thank 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:57.920 a couple of our sponsors, Dormy Workshop. This is when 0:00:58.240 --> 0:01:02.040 Alan Shipnik usually says artisanal. I don't even know what 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:05.680 that is. They make club covers and putter covers. I 0:01:05.720 --> 0:01:11.080 don't know what artisanal neans, but supposedly there artisanal, so uh, 0:01:11.319 --> 0:01:14.440 Dormy Workshop is a great supporter of ours. So check 0:01:14.520 --> 0:01:18.320 them out and then uh part points the app. Uh 0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:20.840 it's a great way, a new way of scoring. It's 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:25.240 awesome app use it go make par huge supporter of us. 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:27.280 They sent us some bottles of wine while we're at 0:01:27.600 --> 0:01:30.120 Bandon Dunes. I'm not a wine drinker. I'm a Jack 0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:33.800 and coke drinker. But I did drink their wine. Uh 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:38.160 so it was amazing wine. Uh power points. Dormy Workshop 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:40.640 great supporters of the fire Pit. As you can see 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:44.959 above my head, fire Pit, the fire Pit Collective. I'm 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:48.840 in the office, flew down from Bandon. That's all I got. 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:52.760 Jake's laughing at me, and here is us talking about 0:01:52.800 --> 0:02:02.440 the week in golf. I got can't you chan nothing thing? Well, 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:10.120 what I'm thinking about? Can't get them? H think well 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:20.280 I'm thinking about. Hello. This is Alan ship Knuck back 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:23.800 for another fire Drill podcast. I am joined uh per 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:27.560 usual by Michael Bamberger and Ryan Frent. We were doing 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:30.519 these every Sunday, but because we were all three of 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:32.440 us were in trans at home from Bandon. It's now 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:35.960 Monday morning. But our dedication to you, the listener remains 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:40.040 so um guys. We were. We were having a heck 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:43.160 of a time in one of the greatest spots on Earth. 0:02:43.280 --> 0:02:46.480 But um, what was interesting to me was that, you know, 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:50.240 a bandoned is the mecca for the recreational golfer in America, 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:53.800 and you're you're surrounded by golf conversations at all times, 0:02:53.840 --> 0:02:56.400 and people are talking about their gear, and they're putting 0:02:56.400 --> 0:02:59.679 stroke and their favorite players and whether they're gonna go 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:01.160 to the map Ssters next year and whatever. I mean, 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:06.160 every conversation is infused with golf. Um. But I did 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:09.560 not hear anyone talking about the Live finale in Miami, 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:12.840 even though it was a pretty exciting event and had 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:16.280 an interesting format. You had, uh, you had some some 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:19.519 heavyweight matchups, you know, camp Smith taken down Phil Mickelson 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:22.440 and in their in their singles, and you had you 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:25.000 had a top finish, but it wasn't on the TV, 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:26.600 in the grill room, it wasn't on the lips of 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:30.720 the golfers. Um. I just thought it was an interesting dichotomy. Um, 0:03:30.760 --> 0:03:34.560 so what now that the first season is over and 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:36.240 and it's all in the books, what do we think 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:38.120 of where Live is and what do we think of 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:40.320 what happened in Miami, and let's just talk about that 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:46.920 for a little while. Somebody start, Michael is starting, Okay, 0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:52.640 I guess I'm starting. No, Michael, you start okay, he's 0:03:52.640 --> 0:04:03.320 shaking it off. Um season overall one bigger and more 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:06.640 impact than I think any of us dreamed. I mean 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.280 to think that Cam Smith and Dustin Johnson and Brooks 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:14.160 Kepka and Bryson de Shambo would be playing anywhere else 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:18.800 besides the PGA Tour is wild. Uh. And I don't 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:22.800 think even the Live loyalists at the beginning of this 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:25.880 thought in their first season they would have marquete names 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:28.080 like that I should and I don't think any of 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:32.800 us did. So the impact on the game is obvious. Uh. 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:36.680 The PGA Tour change your whole structure. So for the 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:39.880 people that are like, oh we negative live like they 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:43.240 have made an impact, there's a hundred. There's no Anyone 0:04:43.279 --> 0:04:47.000 who says that you haven't is not being realistic. That 0:04:47.080 --> 0:04:53.400 being said, I don't know how they get anyone to care. Uh. 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:57.400 And you said it perfectly that Sunday dinner or Saturday 0:04:57.400 --> 0:05:00.080 dinner is we have twenty four nerds. We are like 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:02.760 when I say nerds, I mean, me and one of 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:05.080 the players that was with us at Bandon are breaking 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:08.800 down the Bermuda field, and the Bermuda field is deep 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.680 in the weeds of of golf nersery. I mean, that 0:05:11.800 --> 0:05:14.120 leader board is like, I mean, you've got to be 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:18.120 a serial, serious golf fan to to be locked in 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:21.279 on that. And we hadn't talked about live and the 0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:23.800 only time we you brought it up and we talked 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:26.880 about it was the fact that we hadn't talked about it. 0:05:27.360 --> 0:05:30.880 And I don't know how to overcome that because I 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:34.240 mean that night I looked it up. I mean, Bryson 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:38.120 and Louis Eustasen had a twenty three whole match, Like 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:41.360 if that was in the World Golf Classic or in 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:45.080 the match play tournament or whatever, people would have been 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:48.920 locked in. And somehow, no, I didn't even know, no 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:52.359 one cares for some reason in the United States, maybe 0:05:52.400 --> 0:05:56.400 some people overseas do. There's a more TV. I just 0:05:56.480 --> 0:05:59.960 don't know how they overcome it. I think the money 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:03.520 aspect has turned more people off than it has turned 0:06:03.520 --> 0:06:07.880 people on. Like it just it's not the driving force 0:06:07.920 --> 0:06:12.680 of why people watch golf. I completely agree with that 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:16.040 rhyme word for word, uh, And I would say, of 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:19.920 course it has had an immense impact because we've seen 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:23.120 the PGA Tour structure itself, and the PGA Tour has 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:26.680 lost some of its marquee players. But it's the most significant. 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:33.400 But at all professional golf exists for fans, This this 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:39.240 first year seems almost inconsequential, not completely, but as you say, 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:42.080 this was this was in theory a great event that 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:47.080 nobody cared about in our circle anyway. I mean TV 0:06:47.240 --> 0:06:52.000 is obviously the key because if you had that Bryson 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:56.080 match on TV, if you had Camp Smith against Um 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:59.320 against Phil Nicholson even Sunday, you know I did, I 0:06:59.360 --> 0:07:01.400 did watch a lot of hlights and I did read 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:03.360 everything that was written it, so I was I was 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:07.640 paying attention. Um. You know, the Durral is of course 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:10.280 that people know from so many, so many great championships 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.960 there on the PGA Tour. It was set up as 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:17.720 a real championship test. And you know Cam Smith shooting 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:20.280 sixty five in the final round, three shots better than 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:22.960 anybody else. I mean, it's just electric to watch that 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:24.960 guy play golf. That was a reminder of it. So 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:27.360 if it was on TV in the back drop people 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:29.960 would have gotten into it, and it just seems like 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:31.920 the biggest miss of all that Live could not find 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.080 a way to get on any TV platform in the 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:39.040 United States. And even this, uh excuse me, this Fox 0:07:39.040 --> 0:07:42.440 Sports deal that where they might buy the time would 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:47.040 certainly be worthwhile investment because um again, if it's on 0:07:47.080 --> 0:07:49.040 the grill Room and bandon, people are going to tune 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:50.600 into it because you know these players and you care 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:53.000 about them and you have some emotional investment in them, 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:56.480 and especially in a matchplace scenario, I think it would 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:59.480 have been a great show. So that, to me is 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:01.320 the biggest critique of all for a Live is that 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.600 they just they never found a way to get themselves 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:06.960 on TV throughout this whole season and obviously launching as 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:08.680 as a beta test, and no one knew it to 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:12.560 expect as soon as they signed Dustin um and and 0:08:12.920 --> 0:08:16.320 surprisingly good initial offering of players, and they kept adding 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:19.720 players like it's really from from their perspective, I think 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:22.480 that that was the difference maker, was not getting on TV, 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:25.120 and that's still a riddle they're gonna have to solve 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:27.960 for a year two. But because that's how you will 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:31.080 get the casual fan even pay attention and or no 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:34.520 you know that you you exist. So that was really 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:37.719 driven home, um, because yeah, I mean we're having we're 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:41.760 having lunch on Sunday waiting for the shuttle, and uh, 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:44.920 you have college golf on TV, you have uh, you 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.320 have European Tour, you have PGA Tour. Like in the 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:49.679 ecosystem of golf, the one thing that's missing is live 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:51.880 and that still bogs my mind. They couldn't get it done. 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:56.000 There may be one significant thing that is missing in 0:08:56.040 --> 0:09:00.320 addition to uh a TV deal. Golf unique among you know, 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:03.640 major professional sports has an element of charm to it, 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.559 just like the tennis does when it's at Wimbledon in Paris. 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:10.160 The Master certainly has a charm to it. The British Open, 0:09:10.200 --> 0:09:13.760 for sure, does you know? The weekly tour events, especially 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:18.040 older established ones do and it is part of the 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:20.719 appeal of the of the whole thing. And even as 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:25.760 the golfers have become more athletic, physically, much bigger, there's 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:30.080 still been the charm of the little ball, the little 0:09:30.160 --> 0:09:35.480 niceties to each other and I just you know, I know, golf, 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:39.760 you know, is always derided for being this old timey 0:09:39.920 --> 0:09:44.560 thing that's aged out Uh, but maybe that whole thing 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:51.959 really is a major part of everything about it, and 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:54.320 and maybe Live is so off the mark there that 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:57.200 it can't catch on because people don't want golf but 0:09:57.320 --> 0:10:01.760 louder the music or the shotguns starts and all and 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:05.080 all the rest. Uh. I have no idea, but that 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:09.000 would be I guess on my part that that's a 0:10:09.040 --> 0:10:12.360 good word for it. I mean Live offers many things, 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:14.360 but charm is not one of them. I mean, the 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:17.679 the product is so in your face, the personalities behind it, 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:21.040 whether it's Greg Norman, or it's Sergio or Patrick Read 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:23.120 or Pat Perez and his wife or you can go 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:27.040 on down the list, like it's just a very aggressive 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:31.400 set of personalities and um, you know, I'd say Rory 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:34.960 has a certain charm about him, right, like there's um 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.920 it's but Phil Nicholson does not. Like he's just so 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:41.320 brash and and he's he's such a um, he's so 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:45.520 polarizing and for whatever reason, Live just attracted those personalities, 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:49.400 brooks Kepca, I mean Ian Poulter, Like you've gone down 0:10:49.440 --> 0:10:53.000 the list. I mean it's a very specific personality type. 0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:57.120 Um and so summed up by summed up by one 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:01.280 quote I'll read from pet Perez, uh, who has struggled 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:05.720 the entire Live season. So they asked him about it 0:11:05.760 --> 0:11:07.559 and he said, I get a lot of grief people 0:11:07.800 --> 0:11:10.960 saying I never sew up, so I did today. Uh, 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:15.360 so everybody can just shut up. The guy plays one 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:19.160 good round of golf and in state of being like, hey, 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:21.200 you know, it was great to be in the team 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:26.040 format or whatever thanks to my teammate. I mean, that's 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:28.440 what he says. It's just so wild and there's so 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:34.760 many heels, so many like I just they have leaned 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:39.240 into it. And uh, at some point that just you know, 0:11:39.600 --> 0:11:44.280 I've always said, I like Bryson was very popular slash 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:46.400 polarizing in the PGA Tour because there was a lot 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:49.839 of you know, good guys around him. It's good to 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:52.040 have a heel amongst a bunny good guys, but like 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:56.000 just a bunch of heels is just not that just 0:11:56.520 --> 0:11:59.160 doesn't work. It's not working for some reason. You know, 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:04.000 it's just not working. And uh, I just it's Cam 0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.240 is not totally outspoken, so he's I mean, he's definitely 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:12.719 the quietest and and not the the you know, the 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:16.880 heel type, but he just doesn't have the personality that 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:19.480 already does, so he just doesn't offset those other guys 0:12:19.520 --> 0:12:21.680 to me. And just to follow up on what what 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:25.400 Alan was saying about Phil raising Phil's name, Well, for 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.480 thirty years, Phil actually was one of the more charming, 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:32.240 if not really actually the most charming figure in golf 0:12:32.520 --> 0:12:35.240 because for that long run when he was so close 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:38.200 and couldn't close it into major and then you know, 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:40.959 and then when he started winning majors and contending to 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:43.760 majors and not closing us opens and he had his 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:46.160 parents there and his kids there and his wife there 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:49.280 in an O Shuck's manner, and then badass Phil emerged, 0:12:49.400 --> 0:12:53.000 you know suddenly around at um, you know, with the 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:55.120 leather coats and the whole thing, and it was a 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:59.440 whole hair dial. Yeah, the hair tie and the everything 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:03.880 was was different. And uh aviators and you captured this 0:13:04.000 --> 0:13:05.880 so well in your book that there's been you know, 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:09.520 two films, uh and Uh. I was very drawn to 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:14.240 old Phil. I have not you know, uh into new film. 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:17.160 He's saw he saw a new fil so hard it's 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.000 it makes you want to run the other way in 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:25.679 my opinion. Um, but you know, Dustin Johnson, he had 0:13:25.720 --> 0:13:28.640 a certain charm of you know, c ball hit ball. 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:31.160 There's a lots of different way. You know, charm is 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:35.440 abroad really kind of a morphous kind of word. But 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:38.600 you know, you think of VJ. Not a charming person, 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:41.760 but there was a certain rugged charm to the fact 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:43.520 that he would just stand on the range all day 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:45.960 and hit balls and try to figure it out for himself. 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:52.280 You know, that loner quality and uh, this lived to 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:56.240 her is so much us against the world that actually 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.480 the individualism, which is a huge part of the appeal 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:02.360 for for me and I think for many is is 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:08.079 so far lost. Interesting. Yeah, I mean Dustin is. It's 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:10.280 funny because I feel like Dustin, among all the guys 0:14:10.280 --> 0:14:12.480 who went to live, he's taken the least amount of shrapnel, 0:14:12.840 --> 0:14:15.880 probably because people do like him, but mostly because he's 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:19.280 just been very real about it, like it's great money, 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:22.760 it's kind of fun. I'm wanna do something different. He's not. 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:25.880 He's not talking any trash to the tour. He resigned 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:28.320 his membership, he didn't sign on any lawsuits, and he's 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.040 just kind of like, hey man, I'm just having I'm 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:32.440 just having fun making birdies, making millions. What's a big deal, 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:35.320 and people have accepted that from him because he has 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:37.800 not been in your face about it and he's uh, 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:39.840 he just kind of goes with the flow as always, 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:44.560 so hey, speaking of people, is Charles Howell even on 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:50.520 live like the man is disappeared, I mean truly disappeared, 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:54.600 Like I mean we're talking about I think he's like 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:58.520 fifteen or something ridiculous in the all time PGA twour 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:02.560 winnings like this man was an a t M. I'm 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:06.880 not sure he's alive. Is Charles Howell? Did Charles Howell 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:12.120 play in any actual live events? Char You've got my number, 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:15.840 give us the call. We want to know hashtag where's 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.800 Chucky three sticks? I mean, where the hell is? Like 0:15:19.880 --> 0:15:23.080 that's a relatively big name, right, I mean Charles Howell 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:27.320 is like a known name in golf. I haven't heard 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:30.000 a damn. I'm not I'm swear I'm not sure he 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:33.320 played in a live event. Well, I have proof of life. 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:36.560 I saw him a few times. But yeah, okay, it's 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:40.600 funny because he UM. I think early on when right 0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:43.320 when he signed UM, I said something on one of 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:45.600 our podcasts about it's hard to be mad at Charles 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:47.040 Howe and then when no one can really be that 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:50.280 mad at Charles Howe. He just is. It was very benign, 0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:53.000 kind of throwaway line when he sent me on Instagram 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:56.040 saying thank you so much for the support, and like 0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:59.480 that's how undersiege these guys are that if you if you, yeah, 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:01.800 if you say anything nice about him, they're like even 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:04.960 just sort of neutral, like so grateful. I thought that 0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:07.600 was really that. That was charming by Charles Howell. But yeah, 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:13.160 Charles Howell and Cam tren Gali are two wild signings. 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:18.320 I mean, Charles I get, Charles I get, but Cam 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:22.320 tren Gali is a wild wild signing. Go ahead, Michael, 0:16:22.360 --> 0:16:25.840 I'm sorry, No, No, Judge Hendrick, I would say is 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:30.040 a loss for the tour, you know, and lost Roger Cup. 0:16:30.040 --> 0:16:31.720 People are going to a great Roger Cup captain. And 0:16:31.760 --> 0:16:33.920 he would have been fun. He is a lot of fun. 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:36.360 We've been so fun. And I mean I'm a big 0:16:36.360 --> 0:16:38.920 fan of Luke Donald too, but he doesn't have the 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:42.760 personality of Henrik and in the presence, you know, it's 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:45.040 just I thought you had to be European to be 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:48.960 the European Cup captain. Well, I mean all these guys 0:16:49.360 --> 0:16:52.280 from Chicago, yeah, all these guys are pretty Americanized at 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:55.240 this point. But um, that's what I'm saying about the 0:16:55.240 --> 0:16:57.960 heel part of it, Like we love Sergio, we'd love 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:00.840 to hate Sergio and Ian because as they were amongst 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:03.720 a bunch of nice European guys, and now they're just 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:06.879 a bunch of like a couple of assholes amongst a 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:11.920 bunch of assholes. So it's like, yeah, it's like, doesn't work. 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:15.480 I will say, I mean echoing the earlier comments that 0:17:16.720 --> 0:17:18.840 I think on the whole, if you had to grade 0:17:19.400 --> 0:17:21.879 Lives debut, I still think it's got to be a 0:17:21.920 --> 0:17:25.040 B plus or something in that range where they had 0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:30.040 so many victories and as far as launching themselves and 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:33.440 getting players and just the amount of buzz and discussion 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:36.679 they've created, it far out strips it's you know, it's 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:39.760 actual impact in the sports world. But um, you know, 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:43.200 when I've sometimes I get asked to speak at at 0:17:43.280 --> 0:17:45.560 things or the book events, and there's always a Q 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.840 and ATHEI end. So many questions are about live golf, 0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:51.000 And when I put up the ask Allen every week, 0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:55.399 so many questions about live golf. So people are tuned 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:58.360 into it, but what they're tuned into is the controversy 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:03.760 and the noise, and the macro developments and the sports 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:08.640 washing and the and as a business story and as 0:18:09.280 --> 0:18:12.520 um as a Shakespearean you know, exercise and and and 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:15.639 all these big themes, but they're not tuned into is 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.960 the actual competition. So, I mean they've they've created an 0:18:19.000 --> 0:18:21.960 insane amount of buzz this year and credit to live. 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:23.880 That's what they need to do. Get the name out there, 0:18:24.600 --> 0:18:28.680 make a mark in the larger sports world. Um, and 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:32.400 they've done a spectacular job at that. But you can't 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:34.919 you can't survive forever on that. At some point the 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:37.639 competition has to become compelling and people have to be 0:18:37.720 --> 0:18:40.879 invested in the players, the teams and what's actually happening 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:43.639 between the ropes. So for for year one, I think 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:46.600 mission accomplished and they probably have to be delighted about 0:18:46.640 --> 0:18:49.240 where they are, But there are some very serious questions 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:52.040 going forward if it's viable as a as a sporting 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:55.399 entity and not just as a conversation piece. Yeah. I 0:18:55.440 --> 0:18:58.920 mean I put up a tweet yesterday about Pat perezdon 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:03.080 is weekly his earnings. I mean it is insane. He 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:06.960 played an eight live events basically broke part a couple 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:12.520 of times um and made eight million over eight million dollars. 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:15.320 And obviously there's some debate about whether the upfront money 0:19:15.359 --> 0:19:18.240 counts against that or a dozen or whatever. At minimum 0:19:18.240 --> 0:19:21.040 he made eight million dollars. If he has any upfront money, 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:24.680 let's say it's five million. Just for conversation piece, he 0:19:24.720 --> 0:19:27.240 played eight events and made thirteen million dollars. In his 0:19:27.359 --> 0:19:30.399 twenty year PGA Tour career, he made twenty eight million. 0:19:30.840 --> 0:19:35.879 If I'm Pat Perez, I understand, like I like, there's 0:19:35.920 --> 0:19:38.679 no I mean, but to your point, Allan, it is 0:19:38.720 --> 0:19:42.840 like I put that tweet up and it is instantaneous interaction, 0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:46.040 like and it's relatively split down the mill And I 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:48.560 wish I could have a poll underneath of it of 0:19:48.600 --> 0:19:51.600 like did any of you are that are saying good 0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:53.920 for Pat? Which I agree, good for Pat for going 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:58.960 to make ten million dollars playing terrible golf, Like did 0:19:58.960 --> 0:20:02.160 they actually watch it? You know? And that's the conversation 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:06.280 that you know, we continue to have is Yes, guys 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:08.200 are making a lot of money. Yes, we understand why 0:20:08.200 --> 0:20:10.600 people are living. Yes, they have made a serious impact 0:20:10.600 --> 0:20:14.240 on the game of golf. Does anyone care outside of 0:20:14.880 --> 0:20:19.320 players leaving, does anyone care? And to Alan's A plus, 0:20:19.359 --> 0:20:21.639 I I would echo that I would give the exact 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:24.320 same gray abuse. Uh. I mean when you think about 0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:28.600 where live golf was at the time of MOFO, what 0:20:28.600 --> 0:20:33.320 what was that February Allen? Yeah, okay, So then and 0:20:33.359 --> 0:20:36.480 then Nicholas did a forum at at the Honda tournament 0:20:37.000 --> 0:20:41.600 and and uh. Jimmy Roberts was the moderator, and he said, well, 0:20:41.920 --> 0:20:45.919 Phil's done this, and uh. And then Big Jack said, well, 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:47.879 it looks like he'll be going alone in the house 0:20:48.359 --> 0:20:51.159 kind of applauded or left. And the idea it was 0:20:51.640 --> 0:20:54.520 it was over. You know, that's what people thought. And 0:20:54.560 --> 0:20:56.480 of course it's anything but over. They've got some of 0:20:56.480 --> 0:20:59.600 the biggest names in golf, they're playing big courses, they've 0:20:59.600 --> 0:21:03.880 got a capable telecast even though it's on YouTube. And 0:21:04.119 --> 0:21:05.880 I don't see how you can give it anything other 0:21:05.920 --> 0:21:07.720 than the A plus in terms of getting it up 0:21:07.760 --> 0:21:10.080 and running given where they were, and let's not forget 0:21:10.080 --> 0:21:12.399 about the pandemic that slowed them down for two years. 0:21:13.000 --> 0:21:17.119 So this, this whole thing shows the application, you know, 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:20.480 the intelligent application of money, just like Augustin National does 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:22.479 every year. Every year you'll go back to Augustin nationally 0:21:22.520 --> 0:21:24.960 done some new thing, and whether you like it or 0:21:25.040 --> 0:21:28.119 don't like it, it's always done well. And that's you know, 0:21:28.160 --> 0:21:31.440 the intelligent application of money to a problem. And that's 0:21:31.480 --> 0:21:33.960 not as easy as its ounds. So I agree, I 0:21:34.000 --> 0:21:36.720 would actually give it an a plus. But this let 0:21:36.760 --> 0:21:38.800 but the piece that we're speaking of, can you get 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:42.560 people to care? You can't buy that, You really cannot 0:21:42.600 --> 0:21:46.840 buy that. Yeah, and I mean lived. They have some 0:21:47.040 --> 0:21:49.120 very very smart people behind the scenes. You know, they're 0:21:49.280 --> 0:21:52.560 unheard of for the sports fan. They don't speak publicly 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:55.840 but when but they are very sharp, you know, some 0:21:55.880 --> 0:21:58.560 of them, Michael. I've talked to some of them, and um, 0:21:58.760 --> 0:22:02.480 some money plus brain power is powerful. Now. Obviously Greg 0:22:02.480 --> 0:22:05.760 Norman's made some gaffs and whatever, but um, the people 0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:08.040 behind the scenes are are pretty clever, and I think 0:22:08.080 --> 0:22:10.960 that that's part of how they've gotten this far. Norman 0:22:11.000 --> 0:22:13.320 has been very effective. You know. Norman has made the 0:22:13.359 --> 0:22:17.719 case of you know, he says short, simple things that 0:22:17.760 --> 0:22:21.239 may or may not be true, but they're landing. You know, 0:22:21.440 --> 0:22:24.080 this tour can be additive and people are like, yeah, 0:22:24.240 --> 0:22:26.200 what's wrong? Why not have more you know it was 0:22:26.280 --> 0:22:29.680 some competition. Good, So he's been effective. Can we talk 0:22:29.680 --> 0:22:32.640 about the Butterfield field. Let's talk about the Butterfield because 0:22:32.640 --> 0:22:36.639 that was super compelling. Uh, Ryan, these are your people 0:22:36.800 --> 0:22:39.399 that this this is You've You've built your life caring 0:22:39.400 --> 0:22:43.600 about things like the Butterfield Bermuda Open. So talk to viewers. 0:22:44.119 --> 0:22:48.520 People didn't care about the Butterfield. I was into it because, 0:22:48.880 --> 0:22:51.119 uh well, I'll just say this. I was at the 0:22:51.400 --> 0:22:55.720 North Bend Airport and James Power was contending and there's 0:22:55.720 --> 0:22:57.320 a couple of Irish guys on our trip and they 0:22:57.320 --> 0:22:59.359 were losing their minds because they know him personally and 0:22:59.359 --> 0:23:01.159 they know his spat answers, and they were hooting and 0:23:01.200 --> 0:23:04.960