How can TNT improve The Match? The Spittin’ Chiclets guys have ideas

This week’s episode of Subpar offered a change of pace from the usual lineup of Tour players: Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette, also known as Spittin’ Chiclets, were in the house for a lively chat with hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz.

Whitney and Bissonnette have gained a massive following over the last eight years, thanks their hockey podcast, Spittin’ Chiclets, which showcases their outspoken and irreverent opinions. But Bissonnette, a former NHL player and current TNT host, is also a personality in the broader sports world — including golf! — evidenced by his role at the most recent iteration of TNT’s The Match, which featured Rory McIlroy, Rose Zhang, Lexi Thompson and Max Homa.

Bissonnette served as a special contributor from an on-course cart alongside DJ Khaled, so he was privy to an insider’s perspective on how The Match operates. And for future iterations of the made-for-TV format, he and Whitney have some ideas for TNT to consider.

“Have them get buckled beforehand,” Whitney suggested.

“Shout out to Capital One, they spared no expense on putting those on,” Bissonnette said. “They did the night one this year. I think the whole thing was like over 10 in production. So it, it was just a real cool event.

“I think that maybe moving forward, they obviously want pro golfers ’cause the shots are nice, but I don’t think maybe the people would care as much about that as they would maybe hearing like old-school guys sling stories,” he continued. “Like, imagine having, like Wayne, Brett Hall and like a couple other old-timers out there. I would love to do it with Whit against Charles and Wayne Gretzky. I think that that would be a fun foursome.”

“I don’t think the golf world is gonna be tuning into that one,” Whitney replied. “That’s the problem.”

“Here’s the thing though,” Bissonnette countered. “The last one they had the biggest golfer in the world currently, aside from Tiger, the biggest draw, Rory McIlroy. And I think that they got about 650,000 in viewership. So you’re telling me if people are saying Wayne Gretzky is gonna be the next match, but they ain’t gonna get that many people watching?”

“I don’t think it’s Wayne, I think it’s me and you that can bring the viewership down,” Whitney joked.

“But that wasn’t the sell,” Bissonnette replied. ” I said the foursome. We’re coming as a package deal here, baby. C’mon!”

“I would watch, it’d be great,” Knost offered. “And Charles is just, I mean, it’s hilarious. He’s not scared of s—.

“They need you in there, like chirping guys a little bit,” Whitney said. “Get ’em goin’, bust some balls.”

“I would say, turn it even more into a circus,” Bissonnette said. “Let’s get DJ Khaled back for a three-hole in the midst of it all against Wayne and Charlie.”

There you have it, TNT. Plenty of food for thought for next time. For more from Whitney and Bissonnette, check out the full episode of Subpar below.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.