spurschick
09-24-2006, 08:29 AM
Buck Harvey: Alone again, U.S. returns to what it is
San Antonio Express-News
This morning, given the nature of the Ryder Cup format, the United States will win back something.
Specifically, me.
This morning, the Americans will be themselves again. They will tee off as the individual, corporate entities they are, and it will be easy to appreciate their ability to focus without any other humans getting in the way.
But that won't erase the first two days of the Ryder Cup, when I saw the U.S. golfers, again, look like American basketball players in long pants.
How appealing is that?
Some would argue it's cut-and-run wrong to pull for The Other Side, and this issue was on local message boards this summer. Then, someone questioned the patriotism of a Spurs fan who said he wanted Manu Ginobili's Argentina to beat the U.S., and the reply to that was short and powerful.
To paraphrase, it said: I'll root for whatever country I want to root for because, next week, my unit is heading to Iraq.
This fan earned his status, but then so did Argentina and Greece. These countries were so united and built on teamwork — without even one Coach K feel-good message — that it was a pleasure to see them succeed with what appeared to be less talent.
The Carmelo Anthony/LeBron James Americans tried to capture what other countries have, and it worked to some degree. The Americans didn't win gold in Japan, but they got along.
The Ryder Cup team tried the same, with Tiger Woods counseling the rookies. But the Americans also were merely simulating what has taken others years to grow. Just as the Greek basketball players knew each other as the Americans never will, the same goes for European golfers.
Something Ian Woosnam said before the Ryder Cup restated that. Then, asked if he ever considered playing more in the U.S., the European captain said: "Not really. I've been over there for four or five weeks at a time and found that every city was the same. The players are all over, so there's no atmosphere at night. Over here the players are all in the same place, so it's easy to find someone to have a few beers with."
The Europeans make a lot of money, too, and they don't spend all waking hours at a bar with Woosie. But they've still worked and lived together without the corporate jet life of the Americans, and that's a reason those from different countries bond as those from one country often haven't.
The European golfers seem to genuinely like each other, and it matters. How else could Sergio Garcia, who flinches every time he gets near the leaderboard of a major, seemingly never miss with an iron or a putt at the Ryder Cup?
Asked for his own explanation, Garcia simply said on Saturday, "Because I love it."
He loved it partly because the European putts fell again, and anyone who has played in a scramble has questioned this chicken-egg theory of team golf. Do teams win because they are having fun, or are they having fun because they win?
In the most psychologically complex sport, there are no answers, only theories. Most thought, for example, that Tiger's anger earlier in the week over his libeled wife would bring out his best.
Instead, Darren Clarke, grieving over the recent death of his wife, seems to be the one who has found both comfort and his touch on the course.
Clarke also had his longtime Ryder Cup partner, Lee Westwood, but his European teammates are fluid enough to switch around. The only way to find Tiger an appropriate match is to pair him with the world's third-ranked golfer, Jim Furyk.
Given that, Tiger and Furyk split Saturday, losing once to Clarke and Westwood. And when Clarke ended the match by chipping in, he and Westwood grinned as if they were playing darts for a pint.
Isn't this as appealing to watch as an Argentine backpick?
More than one American fan likely appreciated it, too. How a team wins should matter sometimes as much as who wins.
This morning, Tiger and his teammates can win back these people. Then they will be at their best, alone with only a caddie as support.
San Antonio Express-News
This morning, given the nature of the Ryder Cup format, the United States will win back something.
Specifically, me.
This morning, the Americans will be themselves again. They will tee off as the individual, corporate entities they are, and it will be easy to appreciate their ability to focus without any other humans getting in the way.
But that won't erase the first two days of the Ryder Cup, when I saw the U.S. golfers, again, look like American basketball players in long pants.
How appealing is that?
Some would argue it's cut-and-run wrong to pull for The Other Side, and this issue was on local message boards this summer. Then, someone questioned the patriotism of a Spurs fan who said he wanted Manu Ginobili's Argentina to beat the U.S., and the reply to that was short and powerful.
To paraphrase, it said: I'll root for whatever country I want to root for because, next week, my unit is heading to Iraq.
This fan earned his status, but then so did Argentina and Greece. These countries were so united and built on teamwork — without even one Coach K feel-good message — that it was a pleasure to see them succeed with what appeared to be less talent.
The Carmelo Anthony/LeBron James Americans tried to capture what other countries have, and it worked to some degree. The Americans didn't win gold in Japan, but they got along.
The Ryder Cup team tried the same, with Tiger Woods counseling the rookies. But the Americans also were merely simulating what has taken others years to grow. Just as the Greek basketball players knew each other as the Americans never will, the same goes for European golfers.
Something Ian Woosnam said before the Ryder Cup restated that. Then, asked if he ever considered playing more in the U.S., the European captain said: "Not really. I've been over there for four or five weeks at a time and found that every city was the same. The players are all over, so there's no atmosphere at night. Over here the players are all in the same place, so it's easy to find someone to have a few beers with."
The Europeans make a lot of money, too, and they don't spend all waking hours at a bar with Woosie. But they've still worked and lived together without the corporate jet life of the Americans, and that's a reason those from different countries bond as those from one country often haven't.
The European golfers seem to genuinely like each other, and it matters. How else could Sergio Garcia, who flinches every time he gets near the leaderboard of a major, seemingly never miss with an iron or a putt at the Ryder Cup?
Asked for his own explanation, Garcia simply said on Saturday, "Because I love it."
He loved it partly because the European putts fell again, and anyone who has played in a scramble has questioned this chicken-egg theory of team golf. Do teams win because they are having fun, or are they having fun because they win?
In the most psychologically complex sport, there are no answers, only theories. Most thought, for example, that Tiger's anger earlier in the week over his libeled wife would bring out his best.
Instead, Darren Clarke, grieving over the recent death of his wife, seems to be the one who has found both comfort and his touch on the course.
Clarke also had his longtime Ryder Cup partner, Lee Westwood, but his European teammates are fluid enough to switch around. The only way to find Tiger an appropriate match is to pair him with the world's third-ranked golfer, Jim Furyk.
Given that, Tiger and Furyk split Saturday, losing once to Clarke and Westwood. And when Clarke ended the match by chipping in, he and Westwood grinned as if they were playing darts for a pint.
Isn't this as appealing to watch as an Argentine backpick?
More than one American fan likely appreciated it, too. How a team wins should matter sometimes as much as who wins.
This morning, Tiger and his teammates can win back these people. Then they will be at their best, alone with only a caddie as support.