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  • "Ruby Tuesday" officially named to replace Johnny Miller

Ruby Tuesday is the code name NBC used during the recruitment of Johnny Miller's replacement.

The man behind the name? Paul Azinger. And I think he'll be a fresh voice and he too is not shy about being critical at times.

    There are few, if any, golf announcers talking heads who are realists in golf today. It is a vanishing breed. I applaud NBC for finding a worthy replacement to Johnny Miller. Good job!

    We will see. He already said that he won't use the word 'choke' ( to damage the
    pro's Brand !). Hmmmm.

    Always enjoyed his perspective in the booth at the British Open, much in the same way that I never found much fault with Miller's commentary in the US Open. Johnny's had a great career. Azinger will be a bit more measured in his criticisms than his predecessor, but I couldn't think of anyone else currently who is no longer actively playing, who has played at that level who understands the game better down the stretch on Sunday than Azinger.

    Different style and delivery, for sure, but no less qualified.

    It's a big box of nothing. Azinger is OK. Gimme the old Euro guys Renton and his sidekick. Golf is just different to call than other sports....not much you can do to spice it up from a broadcaster/talking head, as it's pretty damn boring an uninteresting to watch vs. sports with action. Spice the covg. up with shot tracer on every shot they can realistically do, have the numbers after every shot (launch, spin, yards, etc.) and compare them to other guys or the tour. Gimme the layout on the hole before they tee off with numbers like a GPS would do, elevation change, etc. I wanna feel like I'm there! More stuff like that to make it more interesting. I liked the split screen of the player hitting the shot and then the shot tracer at the same time....was that the us open on fox??

    Spuzz Who watches sports with the sound on? What would be the point?

        Spuzz

        Can't forget the Azaleas and Dogwoods in full bloom! And the crystal clear water flowing through Rae's Creek on the 12th!

        Nantz: how about that shot, Nick. Reminiscent of Freddy's shot back in '92, except it didn't stay up on the bank.

        Faldo: for sure, Jim. But if you're gonna find water as a professional golfer, you'd do well to find a creek where you can litry fill up your water bottle before taking the drop. That's the purest looking water I've ever seen, as though there's a spring nearby flowing into it. It is quite brilliant. I've heard it litry adds several years to one's life if they drink from it.

          Renton Laidlaw was the best. Funny, I play with a guy who knows everyone. We often joke about it. He does not brag but it is weird. On the day, Miller announced his retirement, I asked my friend if he had heard that. He said, "Yeah, I called Dan Hicks and he told me that Azinger was going to be named the replacement."

          With Johnny gone, who's going to remind me every 5 minutes that he won the '73 US Open and shot 63? Johnny caused me to watch TV golf on mute - I don't think Azinger will change that.

          I like Miller and think Azinger will be good as well. Faldo is OK, although sometimes he tries too hard to try and be funny. Nantz is too corny for me. Hicks is fine.

            I've told this story before, some of you guys will recall. I'll still tell it again. 😝

            My wife, daughter and I attended the 2009 Women's US Open at Saucon Valley in Lehigh, PA for one of the rounds. Miller and Dottie Pepper were there at a booth to sign autographs prior to the start of their coverage.

            So we're in Johnny Miller's line, probably 10-15 people deep. And the last couple of people ahead of me, I hear, "well.... Jack always said that I was the best wedge player he ever played against." I just kinda chuckled and it (to me) reinforced how full of himself he was.

            We finally get there. My daughter (who was 13 yrs old at the time) had a program she wanted him to autograph. Keeping in mind that she'd only been to a driving range twice in her life. (it was more for me than her or my wife.. it's not every day you get to meet a guy who shot a 63 on Sunday to win a major championship!) So Johnny says, "Hey, young lady. How's your golf game?" My daughter, who has never been anything but honest regardless of who she's talking to, says, "My dad has worked with me at the driving range, and I think I'm doing okay." Johnny looks at her, all serious like, and grabs a sheet of paper on the booth desk and starts drawing an illustration of a golf ball, and draws a line through the bottom part of the ball and another line at the end of the ball. "Well," he says, "Here's the secret. You want to impact the ball here (pointing to the botton of the golf ball) and you want your divot taken after you've struck the golf ball (pointing to the line after the golf ball). That's the goal."

            My daughter, who has likewise never been full of herself as well, replies: "My dad already taught me this. He's a scratch golfer, won the club championship last year... so he knows what he's doing." I just cringed at her comment and smiled in a humiliating manner.

            Johnny's reply? "Well, sounds like your dad is a very good player. I'd keep listening to him." He gave me a wink and a nod and said to her, "Keep listening to your Dad."

            Miller has always been full of himself, but I'll never forget that day that he put my daughter's interests above his own. He shook my hand and said, "keep up the great work, Dad."

            I'll never forget that. A definite feel-good moment.

              Sneakylong if Hicks makes one more stupid Bryson joke he should be expelled from the booth.....what an ignoramous

                My son's mother in law is Azinger's cousin, thought I have never met him.