Ep. 138 - Joel Klatt

I thought you'd like it. And then we had on Andrew Luck at the end because Joe Claid I felt would be a great person to touch on Luck, and as a guy that went through some injuries and went through a lot of stuff as a quarterback himself, I thought he was a first person expert on such a thing, and I thought he made some great points there. This week's Clubhouse, as all of them are, are brought to you by my good friends at titlist and the new

t series Irons. They represent an entirely unique approached iron engineering, built from the ground up, powered by breakthrough technology including new Max Impact. They deliver a balance of power and performance unlike anything titlist has ever made, and yet with one swing you'll feel that they are a hundred percent pure titleist. You can visit titlist dot com to learn more about the T series irons, the T one hundreds for precision, T two hundred for distance, the T three

hundred for forgiveness. I've got some T one hundreds on the way and they will go immediately in the bag. I cannot wait to get them in play. I played with Brad Faxton and Brett Quigley the last few weeks as we were wrapping up our season. Uh, and they're both at him in the back and they were loving them. They said, everybody switching immediately to the T series Irons, and you should as well. Make sure you visit titlist

dot com and Joel and I went along. It was a lengthy talk about everything, So I figure, why waste your time with me, chatty. Now, let's get to it. Let's get to the guest, and we welcome back into the clubhouse, the lead analyst for Fox's primetime college football games that changed this year There at noon. Joel Klatt's gonna have to get up earlier this year. First game this week in f a U at Ohio State. You can follow him on Twitter at Joel Clatt and he's

now got him self a fancy Instagram. That one is Joel Underscore class and Joel. That's what happens when you wait so long to get on the social media trainings. You've got to change your names. You don't even have a consistent social media handle. I know, I'm so old. Um yeah, it took me a while to get uh into the insta generation. But I do like it more because it's more positive. Twitter is just like it's just like the old Chappelle show, Like if you have hate

in your heart, let it out. Instagram is like actually where like hope and wonder still exists. At least there's belief in the good out there. It might be a lie. Your life might be a complete it might be a complete, false, false presentation of who and what you are, but hey, at least I can look at it and go, man, that person works out a lot. That is a lot of working out to do. I want to ask about

your gram is exactly that. It's what you hope your life or wish your life was like, whereas Twitter is the angst of the reality of what your life actually is. So it's just bitterness. It is. It's definitely bitter. There was there was some fun Twitter stuff this week, and obviously we got the Tour Championship, we got Rory versus Kepka. Before we get to that. Personally, you're a guy that, as we all know now loves golf and we did a great job this year as a part of our

coverage at the Opens. Does the golf go down a whole bunch starting this week? Is the round's gonna be deducted on your gen app after after football starts. It's such a depressing moment because I'm so excited for the season, right, I really am, and I love what I do. But I walked away from the course when was it Friday? When it was and I I was like, this is it for a while? My handicap is about to explode. Yes,

and so you know, I might play, might play. I would say between I don't know four and six times the rest of the football season. So it's definitely sad and my rounds go down like crazy. Although this is when you can get your handicap up a little bit because it's tough to as you know, listen, this is like lamenting about a positive thing, but when you play at twelve or an eight handicap and you're, you know, down there and you're you're basically giving them their entire

be of strokes. I don't know how many twelves shoot seventy eight against me, but I just I'm like, you're not a twelve. I'm like, screw you, You're not a twelve. Was that seventy seven again? Awesome? Awesome? Make sure you plug that one in the in the old phone. Well, somebody that that doesn't have to battle much with strokes in terms of giving them to players is is Rory mclroy. And I mean, we're coming off the end of the twenty nineteen season wraps up with a Rory mclroy win.

Of course, he won the Tour Championship again, he wins the FedEx Cup. And it was I think, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I think it was much needed. I mean, this is a guy in Rory mclroy. The trend was starting when he was playing next to a big name player in a big moment he struggled And I'm just gonna roll some off for you, Joel. You gotta go back to the masters. The third round he was in the final group at Jordan's Speed when

Speith was playing unbelievable. Started the day a shot back of Speed, He shot seventy seven and didn't make a birdie. The next year he's three back of Patrick Reed. Of course, he flags it on two, has a little short one for eagle misses that goes on to shoot seventy four. Wasn't really a factor after that. The Tour Championship last year, playing alongside Tiger three shots back, goes out in thirty nine,

shoot seventy four. Never in the conversation at all, just really just kind of a person walking alongside Tiger and that scrum at eighteen. And then you go to that w GC event playing with brooks Kepta. He was leading Kepto by a shot going into the final round there paired together. It was this big moment for golf fans to get to see these two head go head to head and kept a shoot sixty five, Rory shoots seventy one, loses by five. It was Rory's a guy we've known

to be a great front runner. That's how he's won a lot of his major championships. But I think this was a really big moment for him to step up. Look, Brooks KEPTI in the eye, number one player in the world and take him down on the golf course alongside him. Did you agree with that? I mean, he he knew.

He pointed to that that day in Memphis that you were talking about the w g C with Brooks directly, and he said how disappointing that was, and how he wanted to remedy that and fix that and come out there. And he talked about not being able to take the fight to Tiger last year UM in the Tour Championship in that final round, and how he was just walking along and how he was probably the only guy not enjoying that walk up the eight team UM last year

in Atlanta. I would even go to the to the w g C in Austin when he was, you know, played the match play against Tiger, and he wasn't really in that one either. And here's Tiger who's still you know, hadn't won the Masters yet, he had won the Tour Championship, was just slowly getting back into the year, and Tiger beat him pretty soundly UM on that day in in Austin. So know, I think there's lots of of instances that

we're creeping up into the back of Rory's mind. And maybe it's because that was at the forefront of what we were talking about in the golf media. Um. And then there's one other factor to this, And and Shane, I think that everybody watches golf now this is this is there is a point of demarcation and the sports lifespan, and it's before Tiger and after Tiger. We expect our stars to close it out every time, to make the put every time. That's what we think great golfers do.

And and like it or not, if you're Rory, that's the standard for you because of your talent. You know, if you're talented enough to do what he's been able to do and shoot some of the scorts that he's been able to shoot, um win by as many shots as he's been able to win, and in some of the biggest championships on Earth, then we expect you to do it as consistently as Tiger used to do it. And and I don't know if that's reality. I think that the reality the sport is more what Rory is

giving us, even from insanely talented players. I don't know if you agree with that or not. But I think that it's an expectation management type of conversation for golf fans. Maybe we expect too much from Rory McElroy. Um when we see the type of consistency and greatness that we've seen from Tiger Woods and even from other guys that kind of jump up for a little bit, like a Brooks kept up. But I'll tell you this, Brooks didn't show up yesterday and I don't see people jumping all

over his throat. I mean, he was somewhat of a non factor and he was the one with the one shot lead. If I'm not taking so um, I don't know. Maybe maybe it's the way we view it, Shane, and and there's also a little bit of Rory needed that and he certainly addressed that after the round. Yeah, it's interesting you bring up the Kepka thing because you're right, nobody's really mentioning that he didn't play great with the

lead going into it alongside reemaca Roy. And it's funny you talk about perception over reality and Bruce Kepka's ability to burst on the scene winning these major championships. If you think about his year this year, and I mean He's had an unbelievab year. He's probably gonna be Player of the Year. It's something we're gonna get into. But you know, he had a chance on seventeen and eighteen at August to make those birdies and put the pressure

on Tiger. And the put on eighteen I I can I consistently say is one of the worst puts that you will see under the gun, because I mean it wasn't even close to going in. And if you think about the way he started on Sunday at the US Open, I mean, you know, he he he was. He got off to such a hot start, and of course those first seven holes of the holes you can do it at. But then you go to the Open Championship and and it was a completely reversed It was a complete reversal

of what he did there. It was a brutal start playing alongside J. B. Holmes, And again, I feel like we don't touch on that. I don't know why we don't do it for Kepka and we tend to do it for Rory, But that seems to be the approach we in the media to have for both those players. Well, I remember, I'm gonna I'm gonna miss the exact number of holes. But Brooks, I want to say, played his last eleven or thirteen holes of that Sunday at the US Open in one over par. You know he yes,

Yet did he come out hot? Yes, he did on the easiest holes on the course, and then nothing, you know after that, it would mean nothing was going. I mean, the plots weren't dropping, and that was kind of a little bit. I mean, it's crazy because these are the two guys that are vying for Player of the Year. I mean, these are the two guys that are going

to win it. It's probably gonna bey Brooks Kepka, but I mean there's gonna be some rumblings um from PG eight tour people about what Rory did in those events. And I mean I would vote for Brooks kept a hundred times over a hundred considering this season, especially how

he played in the major championships. And don't you think it's just a matter of I think that some of the people that are closer to the tour are going to try to value the tour and they're gonna look at strokes gained, and they're gonna look at Analyz Dix and they're gonna look at the players because there's a disproportionate value on the players from people close to the tour and the network that does the players versus the rest of the Gulf world, and how we value the players.

Championship it's just an okay event, great you know, you can tell me how great it is, doll the cows come home. It's just not The course is not major championship level. It's a great field. It's a great field, and it presents some amazing theater with the difficulty of those last two holes. But it's just not a great course. And and you can't tell me now, I know, I listen, I understand that it's it's the next card when brought up when talking about Hall of Fame or great minister

or so on and so forth. But I'm voting for Brooks kept a hundred times out of a hundred as well. I thought he was more consistent over the course of the season, even though his strokes game number is not gonna be what Rory's was. But but he did it in the events that I think history will deem matter more. And and he was right there and virtually every major championship with a chance and got it done in one of them. Um, I think it's a brooks Kepta year.

And I think if you were going to argue, and I know we'll get into this a little bit later as well. I think if you were to ask me who was hurt most by the format this year in the FedEx Cup, I would say it was brooks Kepta. And you've got to expand on that. Is that just because it's it was three events just running through right after some of the events he wanted and was playing. I just I just I left it open ended. Didn't sorry you did like the radio that was like the

radio thing. I'm very impressed, Like, we'll be right back, this is coming up next, We'll be right back, joy Brooks kept actually had a bad season. Let me tell you about the VOVO first. So, um, I thought that the playoff events, the two playoff events were overvalued for Justin Thomas and Patrick Read. I thought that the season that Brooks had, regardless of what happened in those playoff events, and he should have basically had the lead in the

Tour Championship to start rather than Justin Thomas. I thought that was the only thing I didn't like. I actually really liked the staggered start. I know I might not. I might be in the minority on that in particularly with some of the purest They hated this this staggered start type of a deal and how we were, you know, just aligning strokes rather than points. I thought it was great.

I thought it made yesterday really good. I thought it made the shots more pressure packed because the players knew exactly what they were for. Brooks Kepta is putting on the eighteenth hole for the equivalent and Paul brought it up right away, the equivalent of a million dollars times. Does anybody have a million dollar put in their life? He had one yesterday. Um, you can look at the bounce that Rory got on the on the left style

of what was it? Was? It beat? Yeah, when he when he pulled that wedge and it looked like it was going to go in the drink. And the bill as a bill hustle because I remember that the holes everything used to be flipped. That was the bill hoss save hole and he got he got a great break there too. I mean that's a that's a what a ten million dollar break? I mean, you know it was such it was such a bad it's like that format.

But I just thought that the two playoffs events going in were overvalued and and I thought that they tried to make those two big they tried to make I think that they try to make it way too much about the playoffs. You know, It's like, listen, it's not the playoffs. Just let the season roll into the Tour Championship and then stagger the start, and I think we would have just as good, um kind of of of

a finish to the season. So I thought Brooks should have entered the Tour Championship with how he played all year with the lead, he should have been in the Justin Thomas position. And that's why I think he was hurt most by the format. Yeah, you know, it's I've I've preached this a lot, and you and I are in total agreement here. There is an agenda to push stuff and make it a bigger deal than it is. You know what golf has going for it is the

players dictate the pressure of the event. We can say all we want about it, but when you really really get down to the nitty gritty, for these guys, the majors matter more. Somebody like Rory McElroy is circling the Major's brooks Kepta is circling the Major's Tiger Phil Ricky on down the line, these guys are circling those events as the ones that mean way more to them, and the money doesn't matter. They could go out there and play for free. It's a little bit like the Ryder Cup.

They could make the purse zero dollars for the major championships and the guys would still play in it, knowing what comes with a Master's victory or a US Open title or an Open championship for p G A. And I also think that to your point on the players and your point on this the FedEx Cup is it can be great too. It's not a major title. There's no reason to push it out there as such. But on Sunday, Brooks Keptcott and Rory you're playing in the finals.

We're gonna watch that. People are gonna watch that. Sports fans are gonna pay attention to that. And I said something on Twitter again, going back to the positivity of Twitter, I said something about the excitement of Sunday and how pumped I was that we were getting Captain and Rory again in the final group. Especially what I mentioned had just happened at the w g C. And somebody goes, well, the money doesn't matter at all, you know, we're there

for the players. I said, well, that's every golf event outside of major's, I mean outside of the major's. If it's a great final round leaderboard, you are going to watch it, golf fan A, B and C. And if it's a mediocre leaderboard, you're probably gonna watch it. And if it's terrible, and maybe you won't. But I mean, golf fans watch good golf and good players play it

no matter the circumstance. Yeah, listen, I'm I'm in full agreement with that, and and I get it from a business standpoint, and the tour in particular and maybe some of the networks they've got to try to drum up support. But when you have it, you know, I don't know, I guess I when you've got great championship at hand, it speaks for itself, you know. And so I was all in yesterday, whether it was for fifteen million or not, the same I was watching Memphis. Yeah, that's just the way.

I don't I don't know if that makes us like golf junkies versus just the casual golf fan. Does the fifteen million make it more interesting to the casual golf fan. I'm not sure. I do think it's interesting when you're talking about the back nine and you're seeing these guys that are the best players in the world and they've they've like Xander Shockley hit a really average I believe into the Uh what was it? Oh, I can't now a sixteen hole. I'm so bad at which hole it was.

But he had a wed it's THET And I'm like, well, that's because he's playing for millions of dollars. So all these people that all and that's another Twitter tough guy, muscles the mooney doesn't out of these guys, Yes, it done. Fifteen million matters to anybody, of course it does. I don't care if it's Brooks kept or not. And that he's made, you know, six million dollars this year or

however much he's made. Let's just say for sake of argument, Brooks kepco has made ten million dollars this year off the course and on the course, and he's got a put yesterday for the equivalent of a million dollars. He makes it, he makes four and a half. He misses it. He makes three and a half, you might think, well, who cares four and a half three and it's a billion dollars. That's a tenth of his income. I'm gonna put you on the green for a tenth of your

income and see how you feel about it. Well, it's it's like I was watching million dollar listing last night and these homes are in New York. It's fifteen six, and the person that's trying to buy it is like, no, I want to offer fifteen four. And it's like, well, they can afford a fifteen million dollar home, but they're not gonna pay two hundred thousand more than they want to pay just because they have fifteen million to spend.

They're just not going to And you know, it's it's like like the whole telling, like explaining things to people. It's this is serious pressure, because this is serious money for Rory Mcinpoie, Brooks, Capca or anyone it is. It is life changing money for people that have already made life changing money. And that is why I think that the FedEx Cup works, and why I think that when people complain about the FedEx Cup, they're just complaining because again,

it's talked to them too much. I mean, it's almost the tourist fault at times that they have to shove it down your throat as the ultimate test. If it was just what it is. This is a ton of money for these players, This is a life changing event, and this is as important to them in their careers as anything else. Then I think people could watch it and go this is great drama because you you nailed it.

There were some awful golf shots hit on the second nine yesterday, and I feel like you don't even see that in majors at times when guys completely fall apart. I mean guys were hitting bad wedges. You think about the last hole, Zander mses that pud for Bertie, then Kepka has that fairly easy up and in for Bertie and doesn't pull that off. You know, these they're thinking

about it. They can't think about anything else. They're not gonna win the event, so they're probably going, Man, I wonder well, and and I will tell you I know enough, and you know enough tour players as well. You know, when you talk about like the top ten guys in the world or top twenty guys in the world, they're probably gonna be fine, you know, and and be back at this stage maybe year in and year out, but

it isn't to guarantee. You think of guys like Anthony Kim and Hunter Mayhan who have played at this level, and Anthony Kim, no longer in the sport, takes the the insurance money. Hunter Mayhan is playing in the corn Ferry finals, you know, fairy Well, it's just it doesn't always work out every year. So I'm not saying that Brooks kept in the back of his mind is like, I gotta make as much money because I don't know if I'm but be a good player in the future.

But golfers know that in the back of their mind this is a sprint for them. They know it's difficult. I'm good friends with Brendan Steele. You know that I play a lot of golf with them. You you're buddies with Maxima. You play golf with him. Max had a great year this year. You won. What a life changing event that is for him because now he gets to, you know, get into some of the events that maybe

he wouldn't get into normally. Well, Brendan is not getting into those events now after being a top thirty player, in the world. He finishes one seventy whatever, ninth in the FedEx Cup, and there's pressure, man, there's pressure. This is no guarantee for these guys. They literally have to perform. It is not a contract. They have to perform or

they're out. So when you give them the chance to roll out there and make fifteen million dollars, and not only that, but you know, second places making a boatload, third places making a everybody's making money, they're they're going to feel the pressure. And I do. I do feel like the last nine holes yesterday was incredibly entertaining because

of the money. And that's why I like the staggered start is because these guys knew exactly what they were doing and what it was for when they were hitting these golf shots. Yeah, I mean you make a great point. I mean, Jordan's speeth. You if you'd have bet me Jordan Spieth wouldn't make the Tour Championship two years in a row, I mean I would have called you crazy.

And Jordan's Spiez was at a level that we're seeing Kepka and Rory and these guys at right now, and all of a sudden, you know, the swing gets loose and the puts aren't dropping, and you're not making it. To these points, you're not making the money you were making four or five years ago. And to your point, again, Jordan's speeth isn't worried about money. But this is their

livelihood and this is what they do. And this is why you see guys on the Champions Tour play until they're sixty two, sixty sixty four, because they're used to a lifestyle that they want to keep up. It makes sense. It's any business. I mean, if you turn sixty and I said, Joel, you're never gonna get to do TV again, you'd be thinking, well, I've had a good career. It's been great, but I gotta figure something else's out to do. I'm not just gonna sit around for the next twenty

five years. Yeah, you'd probably just play golf. But what are we going to do for money? What am I gonna do for money? I've probably played golf. You can you play so much golf? Just to touch on the player of the Year thing, kept Kis Season twenty one starts three wins, of course, including the PGA Championship, nine top tens, thirteen top twenty five, tie for second of the Masters, one at the p G eight, second alone at the US Open, tie for fourth at the Open Championship.

I believe he's the fifth player that's ever finished in the top five, and all this all the Majors in one season, joining Jack, Jack, Tiger, Ricky and Jordan's Speed, I believe are the other four. Rory nineteen starts, three wins, fourteen top tens, sixteen top twenty five is pretty ridiculous. Didn't play great at the major the nineteen started sixteen top twenty five and two miss cuts, so one event through the weekend he didn't finish in the top twenty

five when he made the cut is fairly remarkable. It feels like that feels like Tiger numbers there, tie for twenty one of the Master's T eight at the p G, A T nine at the US Open, and of course missed the cut at the Open in Northern Ireland, which actually ended up being a positive for Rory considering the press he got in the way he handled that whole situation. But I mean, I'm with you and I don't think we have to talk too much about it. I'm going

capto just with the way he played in the big events. Well, and I think that regardless of how Rory handled the situation in Port Rush, I think that that was still a massive disappointment for you know. And and so Brooks didn't give us one of those this year. You know. You you say to a golf fan, you say, like Brooks kept two thousand and nineteen, and they're just gonna

be like one an amazing year. You say Rory McElroy two thousand and nineteen, they would say, and then you would have to be like, well, look at his strokes game, look at his top look at strokes gain stats, right, but you do you know, I'm sure a lot. I've heard a lot. I've seen a lot of the people on Twitter, you know, and someone I was like, well, this has been the best strokes game season that we've

seen in PJ Dale. Tiger didn't do it, And I'm like, okay, we get it, Like I get it with the analytics, but sometimes you just have to vote on feel and all you have to do is and I call it like the the guy on the bar theory, Right, you could you walk into a bar, you find a casual golf fan and you say who had the better year? Roy mclroy brooks kept nine out of ten times you're gonna get brooks kept. I mean, you're not getting an

argument out of me. I I agree with you. Let's take a quick break in the conversation with Joe Glad to remind you about the Titless T series irons. From the Tour's best to the best in your forceome Titless T series irons are designed to help discerning players at every level go lower than ever before. From the precision of one the distance T two hundred the forgiveness of T three hundred. T series is for players who know the difference between wishing you could and knowing you can.

Visit titlist dot com to learn more about the T series irons and whether it's the tour level shaping and feel of the T one hundred, the powerful playability of the T two hundred, of the maximum speed and forgiveness of T three series is a power packed lineup of performance, but all the innovation of the irons goes in for only one reason, one reason only, to help titleist players put lower numbers on the card. Visit titlist dot com to learn more about the T series irons. Now back

to Joel, I was gonna ask you. You mentioned, you know, looking back and again it just wrapped up a day ago. But just looking back on two thousand nineteen, in five years from now, is it just gonna be the Tiger win at the Masters that we remember? Is that really going to be the highlight of this season for everybody when you look back on it years from now. There's no question in my mind, There's no question in my mind. I've never seen it. Golfers shut down the rest of

the season as hard as Tiger shut out. That's it. I'm good, guys, I am good. And you know what. To his credit, he was that was I was. I was too young to really feel and get into, you know, Jack winning the Masters that day in April, the first of all the Masters, Augustin National. So much credit to them for getting those guys out early, split teas in threes so that we could actually see this thing finished rather than just be like, well let's see if we can.

I mean, the decision of the Gulf year, maybe the golf decade was Augusta National, spliting the teas, going in threes, getting that thing in before the weather hit. Unbelievable decision. Take some serious downs next, Like, for the rest of my life, Shane, I will remember getting my kids, my three boys. Now, my youngest is a little too young

to understand. I have a seven, five, and two year old, and I got the oldest two boys, Henry and Sam, and and we ate some pancakes and then we sat there and it was the first sporting event that my seven and five year old have sat through and watched with me and cheered with me watching. I'll remember it for the rest of my life. And it was because of who was playing and the gravity of the situation of him winning that championship, that tournament, and it's so embarrassing.

I cried in large part watching him hug his son. And I'm sitting there with my sons and they're cheering and my five year olds going Tiger Tiger. I mean, it was one of my favorite moments that I've had in my entire life because of what I got to experience with my kids. It wasn't just that I'm a big fan of this this guy, Tyger Woods. I will

always remember that moment. And so if someone asked me about two thousand and nineteen, just period twenty five years from now, That's the moment I'm going to remember from from this year, whether it's the golf world or or the other golfers or so on and so forth. It was that impactful. I don't care what he did the

rest of the season. I hope he's healthy moving forward, and I think that we're going to get him maybe and kind of spits and starts, and we'll get some elite golf out of him for the next four or five years. I hope once or twice a year. Um. But man, what he gave to us that April morning was some of the best stuff that I've ever seen in my life. And so for me, there's that is hands down the easiest answer of the entire interview. That's

the most memorable. That's the moment Tiger Woods winning the Masters. Well, and you personally, I mean, you know, golf and ten will be something you remember for a long time. You helped us out with the Fox coverage at an unbelievable job at the opens doing interviews and features. You know, you you we get a chance to go to Charleston, we do the U S Women's Open, and then we get the Pebble Beach and you're I mean, you were around.

You know, you're around famous coaches and famous players and peers, and you know you talked to coaches all the time. I know there's been certain coaches that have called you when you've been in my car before and you've somewhat bragged as you showed me who's ringing you on your phone?

But you know you're sitting on set getting these guys coming through that you watch weekend and week out on the golf course, and I'm assuming players you admire how much fun was the part of the business side for you, or you got a chance to be a part of the golf coverage and got to interview all these guys. Yeah, I don't know, I'll always remember that as well. I mean, it was I don't know really how to put it

into work. It was. It was one of the most fulfilling work years of my life, in large part because of the golf and because of of what I thought we all achieved together, Shane. I mean, I thought that the Fox broadcast was amazing and and it was the culmination of a lot of years of work I had done. The digital stuff. Um, you know, Mark Lumis asks me to come aboard and and and do the interview interviews. You started doing digital with me at Chambers Bay, you know,

and to see where you've gone is unbelievable. And and to just help that broadcast and get that broadcast into a point where you know, it was critically acclaimed and rightly so, is one of the better telecasts of the entire golf season. I'll always be proud of that, There's no doubt. And I know I had a very small part in that, but you guys were amazing, Our technical crew was amazing. I'll always remember, you know, two thousands us open a Pebble Beach has a huge success for

all of the people that I'm really close to. I was so happy for you and Joe and Paul and Brad and and and Curtis and Mark Loomas our producer, and Steve Buying, our director, and everybody. We have an army of people out there that we've seen every year now for five years, an army of people, and they worked there, they worked their guts out, and you know, for the first time for that to be acknowledged as like, hey, that was really good from from the people in the

golf world. That was a really fulfilling part of this year, and then just from sitting down with those guys. Man, I'm a golf fan, you know, and I'm a junkie. I think people now that listen to the pod understand that I'm a golf junkie. I was very anxious. I was very nervous. I told you this several times. Uh, just as a friend I was. I was a little

bit out of my comfort zone. And I didn't I didn't know how golf fans would react seeing a college football analyst um sit there and talk with those players. I didn't know how the players would react. And and I did start to feel fairly comfortable when basically the very first interview that I did all week long was with Ricky Fowler and the first thing he asks before we're on the air is O, Hey, how do you think my Cowboys would this year? And I was like, Okay,

everybody asked you about their football team was unbelievable. I'd ask you every night who asked you this time? That's right? So um Man, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I can't wait for next season. Um On. Next year, I hope that I able to join in the same fashion. I think that that's the plan um, but man, it was. It was fulfilling, to say the least. Yeah, it was fantastic. Yeah.

The nice thing about two thousand twenties, we're actually gonna get to do our little golf trip that we've we've somehow, we've somehow finagled into being a part of our our media day. We didn't get to do it this year because we were at the USA Ameter all week obviously in eighteen for the Pebble Beach for them and Victor hobblin one and so, you know, Loomis and everybody was said,

you guys have seen Pebble. You guys are fine. And so normally you and I try to get out there and play golf for three or four days around media Day. And we're gonna do it Wingfoot. We're gonna play a few somewhat decent places. We got to figure it out what the what the rota is this year we've got wing Foot And then I mean, can we can we squeeze Pine Valley? Does that even? Is that even the possible? He's you're dropping the number one course in the country

in our trip already, twist my arm. We'll try to make it work. People are gonna hate us and they're gonna be jealous. But it's okay. It's that's the That's one of the biggest perks about doing golf is you do get to play a lot of golf on the road. I think that's something you and I had a great chance of encountering this year together. And it's not always it's not Listen, it's not always Pine Valley and wingfoot. I mean what, you and I will play anywhere, we

don't care. We we played and we played academy in me where I am and I have end tee it right now. So we talked a little golf. Obviously, we've got college football on the horizon. I was looking at your rankings. I was looking at some of the videos you've done the last few days and and make sure, as I mentioned, checkout Joel's Instagram Joel Underscore Class. He's posting a lot of preview stuff there. Players, Heisman watch

all that stuff, and it's it's a great video. I I need to ask you this because I've I've gotten to the point with college football where I just basically pencil in who's gonna be there at the end. Is this gonna be another Bama Clintson year, where basically those are the two teams and it's everybody else I think. I think so, Uh, Clemson is incredible. They've got six players on offense back that we're all conference, They've got a quarterback that's likely Heisman Trophy winner, They've won the

national championship a year ago. I gotta replace a lot of leadership on defense, and then Bama is going to be as good as they've ever been. Uh. To a quarterback has been tremendous, and they've evolved on offense to the point where they threw fifty two touchdown passes last year that led the country. I don't think that you would ever have predicted that Nick Sabans Alabama team was going to lead the country and touchdown passes, but that's what they did a year ago. And so just points

of the explosiveness that they have. They've got one of the best wide receivers in the country and Jerry judy Um. It's it's hard for me to say that any other team is going to play for the national championship other than those two. If there were a few, here would be like my short list of four teams that I think have a chance not only to make the playoff, but potentially win a game in that semifinal and and

hoist the national championship. I'll start with Oklahoma. I think that that story could be one of the best stories in college football, is that Jalen Hurts transfers as a graduate from Alabama. I would love nothing more. I mean, if you were to say, like, what would you want to see most out of this season, it would be Jalen Hurt plays Alabama in the College football playoffs. That's what I want to see. I want to see Oklahoma

play Alabama with Jalen Hurts this quarterback. They've also got a new defensive coordinator, so they were the worst past defense in the country last year. My whole contention is is that if they're just average, it's always like you know those players on on on tour where you're like, man, if he could just if he was just an average driver, would be if he could just if he was just an average putter, he would be incredible. That happens all

the time. Well, that's the that's the same thing with Oklahoma. If they were just average defensively, they might win a national championship. Alex Crench is their new new defensive coordinator for Lincoln Rally of their head coach. We'll see about that. Michigan I think is gonna be right there. They've got a new offensive coordinator's name is Josh Josh Gaddis. He comes from Alabama. UM, They've got their quarterback back, their best offensive line that they've had under Hardback, great wide

receiver corps, and they always played their defense. So Michigan could be there. They might pick in the Big Ten. And then to teams that I would say are sleepers, UM and and sleepers in the sense that I don't have them winning their conference, but they're the teams that would finish runner up to Oklahoma and Michigan. That's Texas and Ohio State. I'm a big believer in Texas. Love their quarterback Sam Ellinger. UM they tend to play quality

defense under Todd Orlando their coordinator. And then Ohio State. You can never rule them out with the type of talent that they put on the field. Ryan Day is replacing Urban Meyer. That's a tough task. But those are the teams. So those are the seven teams right there, Shane, that I think have a shot. And then the last team, I would bring up as Georgia. I think Georgia is a team that is really good. You have their quarterback,

have a good defense, they can run the football. They've had the lead twice on Alabama late into games in the last two seasons. We're not able to close the deal. So maybe they get over that hump and actually beat the Crimson type. You know what, I was so excited about doing it, this this juncture right here, you know what I was. I was fired up about this. I'm thinking about it all eek. I was gonna say, hey, you forgot you forgot Arizona on Arizona and they just

beat Hawaii and you texted me. I texted you on a on what Sunday morning? And I said, well, that wasn't ideal and you wrote Colorado lost to Hawaii a couple of years ago and finished one and eleven, and so uh, I'm I'm I'm gonna say, maybe not the greatest start for the Wildcats. Not a great start, oh

my goodness. But it was exciting. I mean, I'm sure you were on the edge of your seat, you know, watching Khalil Tate tackled at the one trying to force overtime Oh my gosh, that is just the PAC twelve is in all sorts of trouble. It's just it's just so, it's depressing, it's brutal, and it's and the problem is is it's unexpected. I mean, you know what's happening, you prepare yourself for it, and you see it happen. And there are eleven point favorites. And I was going, I

don't know about that. You and I talked a little bit about this, and you know, if you can, you can do it in in two minutes. I I love the way you speak on this, and I've asked you this a whole bunch of dinners and stuff about Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. I say, why are they so much better than everybody else at what they do? And I've always found it very interesting when you talk about it, because I feel like you have kind of nailed the correct answer in them. Well, it's a it's a long answer,

but I'll try to be as short as possible. They they are the most detail oriented people and coaches that I know, and and those details have a sense of urgency behind them that no other coach has. And maybe Dabo Sweeney at this point so everything involved in their program is like thought over and cared for to the tenth degree, to the one hundred degree. You know, there's a story of a defensive back, you know, plan for

Bill Belichick. I can't remember his name. Maybe it was mccordy, I'm not sure, but anyways, he says, Bill Belichick will tell you things that no other coach would even think to tell you, which was, Hey, when we're going you know, left to right or right to left today, the wind

is going to be into the quarterback's face. So I want you to be in trail technique all day when we're going that direction, when the offense is going that direction, I want you to trail the wide receiver because I think that most of the passes are going to be slightly underthrown. Guess what happened that day? He had like three PVUS pass breakups and the interception all on underthrown balls going that direction. So it's it's like every everything

matters for these guys. You know, nothing, nothing is left to chance in their entire program, and they are just tireless workers. Um. There's also an element of of evaluation and development that has to take place that I think is is incredible for those two those two guys um they will evaluate well, and then they will also develop players to allow those players to use their strengths. Bill Belichick and Nick Saban rarely will take a guy and say, hey, you you have to do this just because this is

what's required in my system. More times than not, they're going to develop a guy to a point that he has a certain skill set, and then they'll try to use that skill set to their advantage during the game plan. Bill Belichick does this better than anybody. They'll they'll morph and adjust their game plan and their players and their lineup in order to win the game. Nick Saban has done that. I just talked about how he's adjusted offensively.

In college football, you've got to score points, you've got to do it quickly. And so they've gone from a run first team to a bit of a pass first team offensively, and to a team that will throw fifty two touchdown passes, which led the country last year. Last year, Bill bella check and the Super Bowl came in and played a totally different defense against Sean McVeigh and the Los Angeles Rams, and the Rams never adjusted. They had played man coverage most of the year and then they

come in and play zone coverage. So it's the ability to adjust, it's the ability to evaluate, its ability to develop, and it's the ability to have a sense of urgency over every minute detail that possibly can come up with your team. Uh, to give you the longest two minute answer that I got done, Honese, that thought kind of nailed it. I feel like it was. It was, it was well put. And uh, you went over to from a little bit. But I'm not gonna I'm not gonna

and I'm not gonna dock you there. Well that the last thing, and and again this is you know, we talked a little bit of golf talk some college football, but it's a it's a hot button topic. But I feel like you're a great person to speak on it, and I really just wanted to get your thoughts personally as a friend, and uh, and been figured why not just do it on the podcast so other people can

hear it. You know. The Andrew Luck news broke over the weekend and it blew up, and of course there were people that had hot takes on it on one side and people that went the complete other direction. I saw what you wrote, you know, you were you said, you know, I wish him all the luck in the world and health and everything. I mean, you're a guy that went through this stuff. I mean, you're a quarterback. You had a lot of concussions in your day. I mean,

it's something that you still battle with now. So I just kind of wanted to get your thoughts on a guy like Andrew Luck hanging it up earlier than really anybody we've ever seen in that position. Well, I think everybody started to glom onto this term of like he was mentally fatigued, or he was just you know, tired and and didn't want to do it mentally anymore. And people start saying like, well, of course he's just going to take his money and right off into the sunset.

But he was conflicted. He's been very conflicted. It is, you know, even for players at that level, it is a love hate relationship with the sport. Even for for players that you know, would do anything to be on the field until their fifty, those players still have to deal with the heine associated the physical pain associated with playing this violent sport. And I say violent, and I

don't mean that in a bad way. Lots of sports are violent, and and I understood that as a player, I don't begrudge the sport of football for what I went through physically. I knew that that's what I was going to go through physically. Um So for for Andrew, this guy has has had the game ripped away from him. From his health standpoint, he has battled in the last six years. Uh. You know the labor issue in his shoulder, He's had a pain creas issue, he's had uh, He's

had an oblique issue. He's got this at least one concussion, probably more. He's had this ankle issue. This takes a toll on you where you're sitting there and you're thinking to yourself, am I going to have any not just some any quality of life moving forward? And and he took the step to step away from the game. Not everybody is Tom Brady and is going to stay healthy until they're forty two years old. And and Andrew played the game in the style in which put his body

in harm's way. And you saw the pain in his eyes when that picture that I thought was just so good of him at the podium and you could see the pain in his eyes and the conflicted nature of knowing what he needed to do for his own health and well being, and yet how that cut against everything in his fiber and his and his being of what he wanted to do. I think Andrew Luck would desperately love to continue to play football. He just can't. He

just can't do it anymore. And that is a painful place to be for anybody, any of us who played competitive sports for any amount of time, whether it was you were done at junior high or in high school, or in college or in a professional set, the day that you realize that there's a realization that you either can't or are done, and all of us are told by either our bodies or somebody else, like, this is it. You're You're it's over. The pain in that moment is immense.

And I'm talking about physical plan, I'm talking about emotional pain. This thing that has identified you for your entire life's coming to an end, and it's coming to an end because Shane, he physically can't do it anymore. And that's why my heart just went out out to him. I like, I feel terrible for him. I'm i'm. I think that the fans in Indianapolis were a disgrace for booing these hot tache artists that are throwing you know, jabs and Andrew luck and and and hopes that they're going to

get a thousand likes on Twitter. They can, I mean they can pound sand and thank God for Troy Aim because just top roped you know, the one that we're talking about, and he top roped them to the point where I was like, yeah, I'm satisfied with that. Well it's it's you know, we just live in a world. I mean, you kind of said it to start the show. I mean, you we live in a world where the

instant reaction always seems to be the dumbest. I mean, if if everybody took a moment and and just took a big breath and sat back and said, Okay, let's

let's think about it from his perspective. Because I was talking to my sister on the phote on Sunday, and I mean, you know, I I do feel like the general public the the ability to make sense of professional athletes is to try and I know it's hard to equate it to yourself, you know, and if you were working at a place and you hated your job, and you hated the hours, and you were exhausted and you felt like you got home and you didn't get to spend time with your kids because you're going to sleep,

because you had to go back to the office. And at one point you went, I gotta change jobs. I can't keep doing this. You know that makes sense to everybody in the world. There's not one person that would look at you and go, now, that's a terrible idea. You should continue at the place you're not like. Not one person would say that, And it's just it's interesting that that because of fandom and fantasy and as yeah, I mean I wish we could be doing that, get

out of either. There's two reasons why you're going to have a hot take on Andrew Luck. Selfishness. So if you're a fan and you're like you owe me, you know, like I want to see you play for my team, So it's a selfishness or jealousy, or you've made so much money that I can't stand you and the decisions

you make must please me because you're rich. Well, both of those areas to be as a human, it's just nasty and quite frankly wrong, and and unfortunately those are the areas that we see most on Twitter, that they float around a lot. To joke Lad's point, just be on Instagram. Just just go look at pictures of Andrew Luck with like some unicorns around in the background and a comment that says good luck in the rest of your life. And you're like, well, that's a real positive thing.

That's very nice and to do that. Yeah, hey, just rehab it again, guys x O x oh you'll be great. Um. So you will not only be a part of the new noon Eastern game on Fox, but we're gonna see you in the in the new studio show as well. Right, you'll be floating in and out of that because I know everybody a Fox is really excited. Yeah, everyone's very excited about the studio show that'll kick off at eleven Eastern Big and kick off with Urban Meyer, Ricky Bush,

Matt Liner, Brady quinn. Um did a preview show with them. They're excellent. You'll you're gonna love them if you're a college football fan. They're relevant and I'll be on every week just be a satellite from my game to do a quick segment and then when they come on the road for the Red River game, which we'll do again, and then Michigan Ohio State which we'll do again. Um

I'll be a part of those shows. So I could not be more excited with the direction that Fox taking college football in the investment that they've had in college football. Certainly grateful for it, and I can't wait for the season to kick off. You you broke seventy this year playing golf for the first time, Is that right? I did man four times? Like four times? So happy? Yes? Oh man. The text I would get from you when you would shoot seventy were always my favorite. I'm I

actually kind of missed those. I don't want to be the negative Twitter person. You win this one time or two and this was before I ever broke Yeah, I saw once essed it once like up close and personal, and guys, Bacon no hittard me like so not in a bad way. I'm not saying any chinks to me. For about the last we were playing, I'm gonna say where we're playing. We were playing around and I was playing really well, and for the last eight holes, Bacon

wouldn't even look at me. Well, you wouldn't even look at you. Eat it like a foot on seventeen for Bertie, And I knew when you made that, I knew where you stood Bertie Birdie in order to break seven U seventies. So I'm standing in the fairway on seventeen and I'm like, well, you know, this is it, and so I I flagged it. I just went right after a tucked pin and pulled off the shot. And then the eighteenth was a par five, and so I'm like, oh, man, like I've got I've

got a chance. And I hit one of the best second shots. I had never played the course before, and I may have gotten a touch of touch of bad information. It was a blind second shot. I hit it right where I wanted fifty minutes in and we finally got a caddie blame. I figured that was gonna happen before that's fifty minutes. This is a new record for us. I tell you what, caddies good. That's Joe Clad. Follow on Twitter at Joel Clad and on Instagram at Joel

Underscore Clad. One of the best in the business. Have a great season, and hey, you know what said, I want, I want somehow for you to have a game in Arizona. But it doesn't look like that's ever gonna happen. Look like it's not gonna happen. That's a very memorial cup. I don't think Gus and I are going to be in. It's probably not gonna watch a s u u of a. It's probably not gonna happen. Well, we'll see you on

TV alright, but it looks like I'm a wreck. A big big thanks to my friend Joe Clad for spending that much time. I know he's very busy this week getting set for the college football season. Make sure you follow him on all the social media outlets and check out on Saturday the New Studio Show eleven AM and then Joel Gus get going at noon Eastern. It's gonna be a whole new experience having the game of the week happened right around lunchtime. I know you'll enjoy it.

We at Fox really excited, and I hope you guys enjoyed the twenty nineteen season. With golf winding down and me being on the road less, you're gonna get more Clubhouse Podcast, so make sure you follow the Clubhouse Pod on Twitter at the Clubhouse Pod on Instagram. You can follow me at Shane Bacon on Twitter and Instagram as well. Big thanks to Titlist. We'll be back next week.