Golf Channel desk analyst Brandel Chamblee has been called a lot of things by a lot of people throughout his years on television, but maybe none will compare to what his colleague Rich Lerner said about him in a recent feature story by Andrew Gruttadaro in The Ringer.
“I don’t say this lightly: I think there’s a case to be made he is the greatest desk analyst in the history of sports,” Lerner, the longtime host of Golf Channel’s Golf Central and Live From studio programs, claimed in the piece. And frankly, he might have an argument.
No one has driven the conversation in the sport of golf more than Brandel Chamblee has over the past two decades, and that’s by design. As Gruttadaro explains in his piece, Chamblee’s combination of an almost psychotic level of preparedness and his willingness to “stir the pot” has made him a formidable foil to whoever sits across from him on set. Not to mention, Chamblee has an instinctive sense of what makes for good television.
“He is the most provocative thinker we have now that Johnny [Miller] has retired,” Lerner says of his colleague. “And the other thing about Brandel I would say from where I’m sitting: He’s generous on set. He sits in the middle—he’s SGA, he’s Jordan, he’s the high-volume scorer. We know that—I need to put the ball in his hands and let him create and work some magic. But he’ll turn around and say, ‘Richie, it’s like one of your essays: high level.’ He’s constantly looking to elevate his partners in a genuine way. … You know that every day is going to be interesting, going to be alive. We’re going to have some laughs, and we’re going to talk the shit out of golf.”
To be sure, Brandel Chamblee has talked the shit out of golf. He’s weighed in on every topic ranging from the LIV Golf saga, Bryson DeChambeau’s “dubious” YouTube numbers, the “entitlement” of modern golfers, Tiger Woods’ “underachieving,” and, well, the list goes on.
That’s why he’s so polarizing. He’s unafraid to speak his mind. And, crucially, he gets people talking. That’s why Lerner believes he’s one of the best to ever do it. You don’t always have to be right in this business, you just have to be convicted. Brandel Chamblee has conviction in spades, and is right enough of the time to make it hard to ignore what he says.
On TV, that’s the perfect combo.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.