You’re a rookie on the PGA Tour and you just won your first tournament — what would excite you more — earning 500 FedEx Cup points or putting yourself into The Masters field for the first time and getting a two-year tour exemption?
Peter Kostis is pulling no punches these days when it comes to the fact that CBS Sports showed him the door when it chose not to renew his contract or that of Gary McCord on the golf broadcast team.
Kostis was on a recent podcast and said it was The Sheriff Of Nottingham aka Tour Commish Jay Monahan, who was pissed off at the way he interviewed a certain rookie winner after his big moment.
After the conclusion of said interview Kostis said he got a call from a CBS executive in New York.
“They had gotten a call from the commissioner (Jay Monahan),” Kostis said. “And the commissioner was upset I didn’t say, first off, that the player had won 500 FedEx Cup points. And he didn’t want me talking about majors.”
Kostis said he continued to leave the FedEx Cup out of his post-round interviews with winners, which he believes led to a diminished role and eventually played a part in him losing his job altogether.
Kostis claimed he never received a straight answer from CBS. The network supposedly pushed for Kostis to work through the Waste Management Phoenix Open so they could give him a proper “retirement” send-off, but Kostis declined.
Kostis was not a happy man.
“From the bottom of my heart I believe this — that no one in management of a network or at the leadership of the PGA Tour gives a rat’s ass about the quality of the telecast,” Kostis continued. “They don’t care about the quality of the viewer experience. They don’t care about anything other than promotion. They’re interested in the marketing of the product.”
CBS now has Davis Love III, a true PGA Tour company man and cheerleader in the lineup. Thus far, Love has proven to be totally bland and boring.
4 Comments
baxter cepeda
As is everyone else except Kostis and McCord; Justin is pretty boring.
This is truly on believable. I don’t get why Peter continued to keep the fed ex cup points out of interviews after he got in trouble. But If kostis cared about the viewer experience he would have made sure he stayed on.
I am so frustrated with the talking heads in golf coverage. The pga tours talking heads are now as boring, and accent annoying, as the Euro Tour, and that is saying a lot.
I like Kostis, probably teaches on tv better than anyone, but McCord losing his job is just insane. Who will be smart enough to pick up Both Peter and Gary?
I would imagine Fox may be interested.
They would get two elite golf broadcasters while the competition would be left with a bunch of weekend warriors.
Tom Edrington
Miss both guys; Plus Kostis also revealed he saw Patrick Reed cheat not once but TWICE; couldn’t say anything because the TV guy then becomes the story…..all Kostis was doing was verifying what we already suspect — Reed is a cheat although Kostis was so amazed watching Reed improve his lies on two occasions that he feels Reed may not be aware that he’s doing it….
baxter cepeda
One time roger maltbie was commenting on the coverage how reed was improving his lie a bit by testing a wood in the rough before settling on a shorter club.
He is conveniently careless. But with all eyes watching Reed now its gonna leave him no choice but to be the most honest player in the game. Funny thing is it may free him up to be even better. All that honesty is good for you.
Tom Edrington
Yes, he’ll have to be straight up when he’s in contention, but what about the rest of the time when he’s not?