Bob Lobel: The Allure of The Masters

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

My friend Diego Messina, long-time golf partner and world famous hairdresser (that’s correct), had one of the best lines to describe the popularity of golf 20 some years  ago.

Describing the allure of this game he simply said, “golf was the drug of choice in the 90s.” Right on, Diego, now give me a boys regular.

It has waned somewhat for factors surrounding money (doesn’t it always ). Watching the Masters kinda brings it all back. I had one chance to plat at Augusta. Harry Sinden, one of my all time favorites, said he would take me. I said ok, let's do it. 

Then, at some point, I must have said something nasty about the Bruins, and he never brought it up again. The perils of wearing a microphone! 

It's sacrifice after sacrifice. What I'm going to tell you now is a true story. I don’t tell it often, but this seems like a good time to unload it. 

Bob Lobel: How My Decision Made Room for Jim Nantz 30 Years Ago

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Last weekend was the Final Four and this weekend is the Masters. 

If your name is Jim Nantz, can it get any better than that? Nantz is  the lead dog and of this seven-day stretch, and he shines. I'm not saying he is there because I am not. I am saying that I have this story to tell and, since I've never really told it before, I think I should now.

Masters, Mad Men, and Passive Entertainment

What these men do might have more in common than you'd think.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

The 78th Masters Golf Tournament ended on the same night that the 7th and final season of Mad Men premiered. Is this a coincidence? Yes, it is, actually. The Masters always ends on a Sunday (just like every other major golf tournament), and Mad Men has aired on Sunday nights ever since its second season in 2008.

The Finale of Breaking Bad, AMC’s other tent-pole program over the last half-decade, ended on a Sunday night last September, preceded by several hours of football. This is also merely a coincidence. Football is played on Sundays, and Breaking Bad aired on Sunday nights throughout its entire broadcast run.

But these coincidences provoke thought. No, there’s no subliminal message behind Mad Men airing on the same night as a golf tournament and Breaking bad airing on the same night as football, but there are connections to be drawn. Breaking Bad airing after 10 hours of fast-paced blood sports, with Mad Men airing after slow-paced peaceful recreation is too interesting to ignore.