Jim Nantz owes Tiger an apology.

If you were watching the Masters this past Sunday, you may have heard Jim Nantz and others in the CBS crew comment on how frustrated Tiger appeared to be during his final round. Well, I noticed it anyway, and it sounded to me that Nantz was out of line and a bit too harsh. While I wouldn't normally take it upon myself to stick up for an athlete, I did in this case. The following is the email I sent to Augusta National and copied to CBS sports:

I am writing to express my opinion regarding certain
comments made by Jim Nantz in regards to Tiger Woods
during the Sunday Masters telecast.  Mr. Nantz has,
thus far, on two occasions unnecessarily criticized
Tiger for his performance and disposition.

Although I can't recall the exact words used, I
believe Mr. Nantz initially made a comment when Tiger
was around #4, stating that he wasn't handling his
frustration very well.  Then, David Feherty made the
astute observation that Brandt Snedeker caught a break
when he got a great result, from a less than great
putt on #2, which fell in the hole with a rather quick
pace.  Mr. Feherty's point was that other player's
were catching breaks and Tiger simply was not.  Thus,
the cause for frustration by Tiger.

The second unnecessary comment by Mr. Nantz was more
direct.  If I recall correctly, Tiger hit a shot on #7
which was perhaps two yards too short, and spun off
the front of the green.  Peter Kostis made a comment
that frustration was the best description for his
week.  Then, Jim Nantz remarked that all players deal
with the same frustrations.  As Tiger played his chip
shot, Mr. Kostis again reiterated his remarks about
Tiger's frustration level.  At this point, Jim Nantz
derided   Tiger by saying (paraphrasing) "but wouldn't
you think with his seasoning and experience he would
handle it better."  Mr. Kostis responded to the effect
that he certainly had in the past.  Mr. Nantz
apparently fails to realize that Tiger's record over
the years shows that he is able to properly to handle
his emotions while performing at a higher level than
anyone else in the game.

I feel that these comments by Mr. Nantz were
mean-spirited and displayed an obvious bias against
Tiger Woods.  I am aware, from an article in USA
today, that Mr. Nantz may have a history of personal
animosity with Tiger.  Whether true or not, these
comments certainly add validity to that possibility.


Frankly, while I have always enjoyed watching the
Masters, these comments by Mr. Nantz have made it a
less enjoyable experience.  With the Masters history
of great attention to detail and respect for the game,
I am hoping that you will take this opinion seriously
and ensure that Mr. Nantz refrains from offering such
negative commentary in the future. 

As you may have heard, Tiger just revealed yesterday that he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee two days after the tournament. While he did not in any way blame his performance on an injury, it is apparent that he was dealing with pain during the tournament. Of course, this would explain why he was moving slowly around the course and did not appear to be on top of his game.

As I felt during the tournament, I feel even stronger now that Jim Nantz owes Tiger Woods an apology for his negative comments during the final round. Yes, Tiger was moving slower than usual, and did appear to be laboring more than usual, but now we all know why that was. One would think that Tiger's record, establishing him as the greatest golfer in history, would be enough to earn the respect of those in the media, but apparently Mr. Nantz isn't buying it.

So, Jim, are you sticking by your comments that all players were dealing with the same set of circumstances during the Masters? Do you still believe he had no cause to show frustration on the course during Sunday's round? Or was your commentary in poor taste and presumptuous?