| | The amazing doses of emotion tied to the 135th Open Championship (which we crass Americans insist on referring to as the British Open) will long be remembered not only for Tiger's dominance and wonderful strategy off the tee, but also for the underlying storylines involving the "win one for 'pops' or 'mom' (DiMarco) effort being put forth by the top two finishers.
I was rooting for them both, to be honest. I'm fans of both fiery competitors and have been for a long time. So, when Tiger tapped in for the win and turned to hug Steve Williams, there was a tear in my eye. Tiger embraced his caddie tightly and at least 3 times refused to let go when Williams started to break the embrace.
And TV was there to show us all the emotion. I was fine with that. Then, ABC crossed the line and became more like the Truman Show. If you haven't seen that Jim Carrey masterpiece, I strongly recommend it. You'll be left with some powerful personal convictions at the conclusion as we weigh the question of whether or not everyone with a TV needs to see all the private, intimate moments that define our lives.
Make no mistake, when Tiger let go of all the emotion and sorry while embracing his wife, we did not need to be there. At one point, ABC's Nick Faldo - no friend of Tiger's - commented that "this is one of those times when you just wish the cameras would disappear."
Exactly. There are moments that deserve to remain private and it would have been very simple for ABC to make the decision to cut away to other scenes once Tiger left the green. Show a highlight package, interview Hank Haney (Tiger's coach), find someone else to talk with, or go to break and come back for the award ceremony.
Yes, I could have stopped watching when I thought that line was crossed. But whether my eye balls were on the scene or not, is not relevant. It shouldn't have been shown. The shot was tight enough to count the tears and read the lips of a hurting son who just wants dear old dad back by his side.
We could have enjoyed the championship drama without that intrusion.
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| | Posted 7/23/2006 4:21 PM - 6 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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