Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Ryder Cup woes
I have already said I do not get into the Ryder Cup. Bur apparently, a lot of you do get into it so I will try to give some analysis.
Frankly, I do not think any one really cared if we won or not. In fact I do not feel the golfers on the US team care that much either.
I don't feel Tiger Woods is losing sleep because he can't win at the Ryder Cup. Frankly he would settle for 3 more green jackets than to win this Cup.
When Woods surpasses Jack Nickalus for the all-time major victories, no one is going to say "but he failed at the Ryder Cup several times.
I was looking at profiles of famous golfers in the encyclopedia (you know, what was around before the Internet?), and I saw Jack Nickalus' biography, not one mnetion of the Ryder Cup, just his major victories. Same for Ben Hogan. It will not tarnish his Woods' legacy. You think Phil Mickelson is worried about his Ryder Cup legacy? He has got other things about his legacy to worry about.
I feel that there has been an increase of the interest in US sports of late, that we must win at several events such as soccer, basketball and now golf. I do not think it matters. These golfers don't care that much. Maybe a little but not much. They are more concerned where they are in the money earnings than this.
Does this say much for our way of thinking? Are the Europeans more into the team sport than we are? Are we that self-centered that we just care about the individual? That is another problem with this Cup. These players are playing an individualized sport in the form of a team sport and are not used to looking out for the team but themselves. The game of golf has to be a selfish game in order to succeed and it is hard for these golfers to break out of that mentality of me, me, me.
Anyway, it does not bother me that we lost. Just like the golfers are thinking right now, who cares?
Frankly, I do not think any one really cared if we won or not. In fact I do not feel the golfers on the US team care that much either.
I don't feel Tiger Woods is losing sleep because he can't win at the Ryder Cup. Frankly he would settle for 3 more green jackets than to win this Cup.
When Woods surpasses Jack Nickalus for the all-time major victories, no one is going to say "but he failed at the Ryder Cup several times.
I was looking at profiles of famous golfers in the encyclopedia (you know, what was around before the Internet?), and I saw Jack Nickalus' biography, not one mnetion of the Ryder Cup, just his major victories. Same for Ben Hogan. It will not tarnish his Woods' legacy. You think Phil Mickelson is worried about his Ryder Cup legacy? He has got other things about his legacy to worry about.
I feel that there has been an increase of the interest in US sports of late, that we must win at several events such as soccer, basketball and now golf. I do not think it matters. These golfers don't care that much. Maybe a little but not much. They are more concerned where they are in the money earnings than this.
Does this say much for our way of thinking? Are the Europeans more into the team sport than we are? Are we that self-centered that we just care about the individual? That is another problem with this Cup. These players are playing an individualized sport in the form of a team sport and are not used to looking out for the team but themselves. The game of golf has to be a selfish game in order to succeed and it is hard for these golfers to break out of that mentality of me, me, me.
Anyway, it does not bother me that we lost. Just like the golfers are thinking right now, who cares?
# posted by ttheman @ 7:49 PM 
