They say irony is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. After hearing the bad news that Sports Illustrated was taking a machete to his excellent golf coverage, I did a quick Google search for this latest act of newsroom barbarism.
This was the first title that came out, from a May 29 post BY Sports Front Office:
“Some long-time writers laid off in Sports Illustrated.”
This was the secondfrom April 23:
“PGA Tour lays off 4% of staff as part of restructuring.”
No wonder the second story was written by veteran Bob Harig Sports Illustrated golf writer. Bob, as hardworking, connected and fair as any journalist could be, was one of dozens of writers and editors pushed by AND in this latest attempt to kill good journalism in the relentless pursuit of making more money.
Just to mention, and very briefly, some of the other talented, golf-minded people AND employees who have just lost their publishing house (where I spent 22 years of my career at the masthead), raise a flag at half-mast on behalf of Jeff Ritter and John Schwarb, two beloved editors and longtime golfers; columnist Michael Rosenberg, who writes with humor, indignation and insight, as his topic of the day demands; and Stephanie Apstein, who wrote golf winners and, as often, golf-rans when she was taking a slip from her main pace, covering the pass.
Part of what makes this news so painful to hear is that AND has a special place in the history of modern American golf coverage. If you care at all about the written tradition of the game, you know these names and their good works: Herbert Warren WindDan Jenkins, Rick Reilly, to start with the Big Three, but also Jaime Diaz, John Garrity, Gary Van Sickle, Alan Shipnuck, Tim Rosaforte, among others. There were more than a few world-class editors behind these writers as well, but for now I’ll offer just two: Mark Mulvoy and Jim Herre. Then there were the diamonds AND writers who dabbled in golf from time to time, including Gary Smith and Steve Rush. Most of what I know about this game came from reading the writers mentioned here, and many others with AND stamp on their work. The photography that accompanied all these stories was often artistic and unique. All of this was expensive to produce. People were willing to pay for quality, and you could always go to your library. Some of you will remember libraries.
Let me stop here on Harig’s behalf. Harig knows more about Tiger Woods’ complicated medical journey than Tiger Woods does. He knows more about the balancing act of creating a PGA Tour schedule than Brian Rolapp. When the rules challenge the flair, Harig is (I won’t say it was) forever figuring out what happened and why.
From its shining start, Harig gave LIV Golf the coverage it deserved, as some of golf’s biggest names were leaving their old professional homes to join him in the name of money, money, money. LIV Golf was making news and Bob’s professional MO is to cover the news, without judgment.
Bob’s latest book, Tiger vs. Jackgives you everything you need to know to settle that debate for yourself. That’s how Bob rolls. This is what it means to be a real reporter. He is 62 years old, got his start in golf as a caddy and started out as a newspaper reporter. He has 67,000 followers on X and knows all of Scottie Scheffler’s favorite Chipotle locations. It takes years to become Bob Harig.
The starting point after these AND cuts is (this is painfully obvious) that the owners of the 24-7 monthly magazine and website are trying to make money. The magazine and website are owned by Authentic Brands Group and managed by a group called Minute Media. It’s a name that tells. Attention spans have never been shorter. Both outfits will reveal that less is less and that cheaper is cheaper, in every way. AND must (somebody get me off this pulpit!) take its direction from New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker. These publications and their websites are thriving on the theory that more is more and that serious people want serious news sources.
Part of what’s happening here is a generational, seismic shift in reading habits. Reading on screen is a completely different reading experience than reading ink on paper. Its wild inefficiency is intertwined with its grandeur. Reading on the screen is a minute-by-minute proposition. Email me if you have already stopped reading this. Surely there is a “metric” for this. Something else always pops up, grabbing your attention and providing the kind of dopamine hit that often has no more value than a roll of Smarties and about the same staying power.
What Herb Wind wrote for (and with) Ben Hogan will remain on the shelves forever. Dan Jenkins over Jack Nicklaus, same thing. Gary Smith over David Duval, ditto. Part of what made their work possible is that their subjects actually valued the written word, in all its permanence. yes, David Duval. Maybe Colin Morikawa is just as interesting as David Duval, but he has to be willing to open the door for us to find out. Meanwhile, we have all sorts of Strokes Gained stats in all their glory. fascinating.
This website, and by any means necessary (video and audio and hard copy), is dedicated to celebrating the game, with a mix of features and profiles, commentary, travel coverage, guides — and analysis of news and news when it grows to a level we need to know. Competing with AND it only made us better. AND made golf news at an extraordinary level. (I nod here to him Golf week and Doug Ferguson i APtoo.) I hope that’s not true, but it’s hard to imagine that the future of golf news coverage will be any better than its past. Golf will suffer as a result, and so will golf fans.
I can’t offer any solution here because I don’t know of one. Shifting habits are habits that change. The profit motive is the profit motive. I know I would be lost in my life without him Journal, Times, The New Yorker. HOW is no longer on that list.
Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com
