Mike Tirico

And it took a couple of years. And then in the end of 96, one of our bosses went to ABC and then he said, hey, you told me that you wanted to start doing some other stuff. Would you like to do some golf? Did two events in 96. And then 97, I got to do golf at ABC. And the best thing about starting golf in 1997, that was Tiger's first full year of playing golf.

So I got right in when the Tiger era started and golf just freaking took off.

So I got right in when the Tiger era started and golf just freaking took off.

So I got right in when the Tiger era started and golf just freaking took off.

I had a bunch of them. I think I've done like 65 or 66 majors, and Tiger's played in most of them. Wow. Wow. And it's just so – it covered a call, I should say. And, Mike, the energy around Tiger is different from any other athlete, even Jordan. Now, Jordan was – Michael was in a team sport, right? Yeah. And there was still this incredible energy and juice around Michael when he was there.

I had a bunch of them. I think I've done like 65 or 66 majors, and Tiger's played in most of them. Wow. Wow. And it's just so – it covered a call, I should say. And, Mike, the energy around Tiger is different from any other athlete, even Jordan. Now, Jordan was – Michael was in a team sport, right? Yeah. And there was still this incredible energy and juice around Michael when he was there.

I had a bunch of them. I think I've done like 65 or 66 majors, and Tiger's played in most of them. Wow. Wow. And it's just so – it covered a call, I should say. And, Mike, the energy around Tiger is different from any other athlete, even Jordan. Now, Jordan was – Michael was in a team sport, right? Yeah. And there was still this incredible energy and juice around Michael when he was there.

But when Tiger was 100 yards away, you could just feel it. You could just see the pack of people following him. Watching people try to go hole by hole, shot by shot, to see Tiger was hysterical. People tripping over each other and trying to run ahead. It was a phenomenon that lasted for a full couple of decades. It was one of the most fascinating things we've ever seen.

But when Tiger was 100 yards away, you could just feel it. You could just see the pack of people following him. Watching people try to go hole by hole, shot by shot, to see Tiger was hysterical. People tripping over each other and trying to run ahead. It was a phenomenon that lasted for a full couple of decades. It was one of the most fascinating things we've ever seen.

But when Tiger was 100 yards away, you could just feel it. You could just see the pack of people following him. Watching people try to go hole by hole, shot by shot, to see Tiger was hysterical. People tripping over each other and trying to run ahead. It was a phenomenon that lasted for a full couple of decades. It was one of the most fascinating things we've ever seen.

Those were a couple of black golfers that were on the stage.

Those were a couple of black golfers that were on the stage.

Those were a couple of black golfers that were on the stage.

Exactly. It was like Michael Jordan. And the thing about his dominance that was so cool to me was when he got the lead, he always closed. He always, all but twice, he always closed the deal going into the final round. And guys spit up the lead every other week, usually, on tour. If not more than that, every week. So he had the impact that Jack Nicklaus had.

Exactly. It was like Michael Jordan. And the thing about his dominance that was so cool to me was when he got the lead, he always closed. He always, all but twice, he always closed the deal going into the final round. And guys spit up the lead every other week, usually, on tour. If not more than that, every week. So he had the impact that Jack Nicklaus had.

Exactly. It was like Michael Jordan. And the thing about his dominance that was so cool to me was when he got the lead, he always closed. He always, all but twice, he always closed the deal going into the final round. And guys spit up the lead every other week, usually, on tour. If not more than that, every week. So he had the impact that Jack Nicklaus had.

Because if his name was on the leaderboard, people would watch. I was just at an event with Tom Watson a couple of weeks ago. And he said, you know, when you saw Nicklaus' name on the board, you're like, uh-oh. And when you're thinking about somebody else, you're defeated. You're half defeated.

Because if his name was on the leaderboard, people would watch. I was just at an event with Tom Watson a couple of weeks ago. And he said, you know, when you saw Nicklaus' name on the board, you're like, uh-oh. And when you're thinking about somebody else, you're defeated. You're half defeated.

Because if his name was on the leaderboard, people would watch. I was just at an event with Tom Watson a couple of weeks ago. And he said, you know, when you saw Nicklaus' name on the board, you're like, uh-oh. And when you're thinking about somebody else, you're defeated. You're half defeated.

So a lot of people talk about Kaitlyn Clark and what she's done with women's basketball and the ratings are the likes of which we've never seen before. She's had an impact on that sport like Michael did in the NBA and Tiger did just in terms of this. They blew the roof and the ceiling off of where the ratings were. And that'll be the mark that's going to be so hard to get for years to come.