Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Purely as an interested observer had it in my top five sporting press convferences ever (Usain Bolt, Steve McLaren, a Kevin Keegan one, and one i forget)

apparently it was electric, a really crackling tense atmosphere

i think i would quite like to see it for all team sports

You've just been drubbed, all 11 in a football team are sat down either side of the manager and asked questions, see what the body language and responses tell you

Much better than the Geoff Shreeves (with the odd exception) line up in front of a media wall and ask them about an offside decision, penalty appeal etc

It was a kind of open mouthed viewing moment wasn't it Rich. Tho it was another example of taking responsibility, Stephen Gallacher hit a terrible shot on the par 3 17th when two down with 2 to play and Mick was in trouble. He walked of the tee saying how shocking the shot he just hit was and giving himself a good talking down.

Mick seems to have decided to deflect the blame from himself and his mates instead of giving themselves a collective good talking down.

Dunno about deflecting the blame from himself, he won 2 out of 3 points and was 6 under v Stevie Gallagher after 17 think he performed pretty well at golf.

There seems to been some problems in the background between Mick and the captain tho. That isn't a great spot to be in a team environment and openly telling people that you should have played on Saturday is undermining at best isn't it?

Totally agree, Phil was clearly raging he didn't get a game on the Saturday. I thought he and Bradley deserved to be out in the fourballs in the morning at least and should have rested in the afternoon as fatigue was an issue with a few. Watson openly admitted that Phil had sent him texts pleading to play and that he told him he wasn't playing well enough in his opinion. So perhaps Watson shouldn't have been airing those points also? Doesn't exactly portray a positive image and help the team environment? I don't agree with what Mickelson did but Watson is well known for being very stubborn but by the end of the weekend he looked exactly like what he is a hero from an long past era.

yes I think that's a good point too, deffo not a good team vibe coming out from the US team now. I hadn't really considered it before but it could be that there is such an age gap between the Captain and his backroom staff and most of the team that it made it difficult for them to connect and bond.

I read today that Mcginley was concerned that Victor Dub was such a private and quiet guy that he had concerns about him in the team environment so he went to stay with him at his home for three days to get to know him better. It's a nice touch that might have made a difference.

Eh?

I hope you are not suggesting that old people cannot relate to kids these days? I've seen no evidence to suggest that, none at all. I often discuss Level 4 Minecraft range-merging matters with the kid next door.

[tikay]

What do you think of Phil Mickelson's remarks regarding the US captain's role in their latest Ryder Cup defeat Tony?

I was very disappointed in Phil, Phil. (ooh, that was clever). I spent half an hour researching the whole affair this morning.

Its one of those awkward spots, when you feel caught between two pals who fall out. (Jim Furyk intimated EXACTLY that).

I've always admired squeaky clean Phil, & to me, Tom Watson is the greatest Ambassador golf has ever known. So I was sort of in an awkward spot.

I guess Phil was bang out of order, tbh. Time & place & all that. He had no need to air the matter there & then, a word in private was all it needed.

You appoint a Captain, & that's it, off you go, you support him all the way, right or wrong. Dissing Tom Watson is like farting in front of Her Majesty the Queen. It's just not done. 

Anyway, did you enjoy the 2014 Ryder Cup? Have to say, for the bookies, it was a better result than last time. MUCH better.

I was a little stunned to be honest, lets be fair in the grand scheme of things Phil Mick is a golfing heavyweight and will go down as a great player when he stops playing but he is no Tom Watson is he?

It looked to be right from the Arsene Wenger school of deflection to me coz now the coverage is about the captaincy of a guy that will probably never be involved in a Ryder Cup again, not about the glaring deficiencies in the games of some of the US players who will play in it again. It's deja vu all over again, in 2010 Hunter Mahan cost the US the event because his short game and shot selection down the stretch against G Mac were shots that no European player would have hit.They were US one dimensional up in the air shots instead of what the Yanks laughingly call a more 'European shot' and were badly executed too. Fast forward to yesterday and Mahan's short game fell apart again. It isn't Tom Watson's fault that Mahan hasn't improved the weakest part of his game in the last 4 years is it?

There was a 5 minute spell of golf yesterday that started with Mahan taking 6 on the par 5 18th when in the middle of the fairway with his tee shot to Kaymer holing a pitch and run shot for eagle on the 16th that just encapsulates the whole US golf problem. Almost no players that play golf worldwide or even regular guys like us play the short game shots he played down the stretch, watch the shot Rose plays when short of 18 and the one Mahan plays from the side of the 18th. Then a couple of minutes later the shot by Kaymer for eagle is a shot the US players just wouldn't have played, and in some cases couldn't execute well anyway.

It isn't Tom Watson's fault that the US tour still mainly play golf courses that limited players can overpower, with very limited penalties if you hit a bad shot and people can make millions of dollars by hitting it as far as they can and flicking it on to the greens. Keegan Bradley could still be the stupidest golfer in the world as he simply hits every shot as hard as he can and treats golf courses like something he only has to over power instead of play. So when he has to then play golf he is lost. I thought it was fitting that one of the players most under the radar in golf Donaldson beat Bradley who's ability is really over rated because he is a brash gung ho American player and his two biggest tournament wins came when players leading fell back and handed him the chance to win.

I wouldn't be amazed if Watson, who has to be one of the best US players ever at playing every variation of golf was frustrated at how badly some of his players play real golf shots on real golf courses. Not the made for TV birdieathon's they are used to. They have changed it in the last few years tbf and are trying to toughen up their courses but they still don't require the skill set that it takes to play on various different golf courses around the world.

The most disappointing part of the week for me was the TV coverage, seem to have spent months bigging up the event but not many shots were shown live and why on earth couldn't there be a red button offering of each match when there were only four matches on course at an one time thru the first 2 days?

You used to be able to select any one of 8 champions lge matches at once(you might still be able to do that) and those games are ten a penny these days but that wasn't offered as an option on one of the biggest sporting events here.


I'm pretty sure it will be a losing event for most firms but the good thing is it will be a several million pounds better than the last one was!

That is a truly great Post Phil, thank you.

As to the TV Coverage, well I'm not much of a fan of the Ryder Cup, so never watched it all, but after all the hype, yes, the coverage was a bit of a disappointment.

Given how many cameras they had on the course, & with so few players on course at any one time on Days 1 & 2, it was a surprise we did not see almost every shot.

As to the Presenting & Commentary Team, I suppose it is all a bit personal & subjective, but I do not much enjoy the work of Richard Boxall, Mardy Monty, & especially Sarah Stirk, who seems to me to be a female version of Dale Winton, in that every word she utters is utterly predictable & bland. I have a sort of wish to see her out on the course on a really windy day, to see how she'd cope with some wind in that hair of hers. She is very professional, to be fair, "safe pair of hands" & all that, but Dame Balding has that one won hard-held.

On the plus side, Howard Clark is excellent, & the few hours of commentary by Jack Nickalus on Sunday made up for almost everything, I just love listening to him, he makes the game so simple.

The fuss over Donaldson's "winning shot" was puke-worthy, too. He's a fine man, no problem with him at all, but he never won the Ryder Cup, the Team did. He happened to be the lucky one who sealed the deal. It could well have been several others.

We won't see Poults in a Ryder Cup again I fancy, & on balance, he seems to have had his time. Always good TV, him.

I shudder at the notion of Padraig as next Captain, that'd be a worse appointment than Peter Beardsley as next Newcastle Manager. Almost. 

 

[tikay]

Phil is correct though the difference in 2008 was down to the captains.

It just wasn't that anything Azinger did had that much of an impact though.

Oh I don't doubt he was right, but that's not the point.

Time & place.

I bet Phil is regretting his comments already. If not, he soon will if Mr Chamblee Wamblee has gauged it right.


http://www.golfchannel.com/media/brandel-chamblee-reacts-phil-mickelson/

Don't think he was right on any level. The difference in 2008 was that Europe were captained by Faldo who was completely inept at the task. However the European players have done the classy thing (although they must have been tempted otherwise this week by some of his comments) and not aired any recriminations in public.

And there you have it.

It's easier when you have won though. Losing hurts some folks, a lot.

+1

Our players might litigate each other but at least they haven't blamed someone who didn't hit a shot for their poor individual play and as far as I know not one of our possible team was shagging the wife of another player already assured of being in the team either. Must be great for team morale to know that one of Mick's/Bradley's/Fowler's best mates was shagging one of this weeks team's Mrs' behind his back.

Crikey.

Where do you get that sort of info Phil, is it all over Twitter or something?

I really do need to get out more.

But yeah, if it is true, it can't have helped.

Finally, before we put the Ryder Cup to bed for another 2 years, worth thinking about short memories. Rory is the hero, & quite rightly so. Yet it's barely a year since the man once described on blonde as a "f***ing clown" was widely lambasted for his career being in ruins after he switched clubs. He don't seem to be doing so bad to me.

As to Tom Watson, I've never admired any golfer as much as him, & the events of the last week have not changed that.

Can't help but wonder what Tom Watson privately thinks of Mr Reed.

[TightEnd]

This would seem to belong here

Find out which roundabout won the Roundabout of the Year competition

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/11130066/Roundabout-of-the-Year-2014-competition-in-pictures.html

Click to see full-size image.

[Karabiner]

So who was shagging who's wife?

You can't just leave us hanging like that Phil.

[tikay]

Find out which roundabout won the Roundabout of the Year competition

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/11130066/Roundabout-of-the-Year-2014-competition-in-pictures.html

Click to see full-size image.

Dead right it belongs here.

Oh my, there is a Roundabout Appreciation Society?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout_Appreciation_Society

And look at this......

As of 2013, the association is reportedly trying to attract more women members, by putting a windmill on the front cover of its calendar

Yeah, that'll do the trick.

Their Calendar sold 100,000 copies last year!

Here's the much visited "Roundabouts of Britain" website.

http://www.roundaboutsofbritain.com/about-us/

It's got a shop & everything.


http://www.roundaboutsofbritain.com/go-to-shop-2/

[BigAdz]

What do you think of Phil Mickelson's remarks regarding the US captain's role in their latest Ryder Cup defeat Tony?

I was very disappointed in Phil, Phil. (ooh, that was clever). I spent half an hour researching the whole affair this morning.

Its one of those awkward spots, when you feel caught between two pals who fall out. (Jim Furyk intimated EXACTLY that).

I've always admired squeaky clean Phil, & to me, Tom Watson is the greatest Ambassador golf has ever known. So I was sort of in an awkward spot.

I guess Phil was bang out of order, tbh. Time & place & all that. He had no need to air the matter there & then, a word in private was all it needed.

You appoint a Captain, & that's it, off you go, you support him all the way, right or wrong. Dissing Tom Watson is like farting in front of Her Majesty the Queen. It's just not done. 

Anyway, did you enjoy the 2014 Ryder Cup? Have to say, for the bookies, it was a better result than last time. MUCH better.

I was a little stunned to be honest, lets be fair in the grand scheme of things Phil Mick is a golfing heavyweight and will go down as a great player when he stops playing but he is no Tom Watson is he?

It looked to be right from the Arsene Wenger school of deflection to me coz now the coverage is about the captaincy of a guy that will probably never be involved in a Ryder Cup again, not about the glaring deficiencies in the games of some of the US players who will play in it again. It's deja vu all over again, in 2010 Hunter Mahan cost the US the event because his short game and shot selection down the stretch against G Mac were shots that no European player would have hit.They were US one dimensional up in the air shots instead of what the Yanks laughingly call a more 'European shot' and were badly executed too. Fast forward to yesterday and Mahan's short game fell apart again. It isn't Tom Watson's fault that Mahan hasn't improved the weakest part of his game in the last 4 years is it?

There was a 5 minute spell of golf yesterday that started with Mahan taking 6 on the par 5 18th when in the middle of the fairway with his tee shot to Kaymer holing a pitch and run shot for eagle on the 16th that just encapsulates the whole US golf problem. Almost no players that play golf worldwide or even regular guys like us play the short game shots he played down the stretch, watch the shot Rose plays when short of 18 and the one Mahan plays from the side of the 18th. Then a couple of minutes later the shot by Kaymer for eagle is a shot the US players just wouldn't have played, and in some cases couldn't execute well anyway.

It isn't Tom Watson's fault that the US tour still mainly play golf courses that limited players can overpower, with very limited penalties if you hit a bad shot and people can make millions of dollars by hitting it as far as they can and flicking it on to the greens. Keegan Bradley could still be the stupidest golfer in the world as he simply hits every shot as hard as he can and treats golf courses like something he only has to over power instead of play. So when he has to then play golf he is lost. I thought it was fitting that one of the players most under the radar in golf Donaldson beat Bradley who's ability is really over rated because he is a brash gung ho American player and his two biggest tournament wins came when players leading fell back and handed him the chance to win.

I wouldn't be amazed if Watson, who has to be one of the best US players ever at playing every variation of golf was frustrated at how badly some of his players play real golf shots on real golf courses. Not the made for TV birdieathon's they are used to. They have changed it in the last few years tbf and are trying to toughen up their courses but they still don't require the skill set that it takes to play on various different golf courses around the world.

The most disappointing part of the week for me was the TV coverage, seem to have spent months bigging up the event but not many shots were shown live and why on earth couldn't there be a red button offering of each match when there were only four matches on course at an one time thru the first 2 days?

You used to be able to select any one of 8 champions lge matches at once(you might still be able to do that) and those games are ten a penny these days but that wasn't offered as an option on one of the biggest sporting events here.


I'm pretty sure it will be a losing event for most firms but the good thing is it will be a several million pounds better than the last one was!

That is a truly great Post Phil, thank you.

As to the TV Coverage, well I'm not much of a fan of the Ryder Cup, so never watched it all, but after all the hype, yes, the coverage was a bit of a disappointment.

Given how many cameras they had on the course, & with so few players on course at any one time on Days 1 & 2, it was a surprise we did not see almost every shot.

As to the Presenting & Commentary Team, I suppose it is all a bit personal & subjective, but I do not much enjoy the work of Richard Boxall, Mardy Monty, & especially Sarah Stirk, who seems to me to be a female version of Dale Winton, in that every word she utters is utterly predictable & bland. I have a sort of wish to see her out on the course on a really windy day, to see how she'd cope with some wind in that hair of hers. She is very professional, to be fair, "safe pair of hands" & all that, but Dame Balding has that one won hard-held.

On the plus side, Howard Clark is excellent, & the few hours of commentary by Jack Nickalus on Sunday made up for almost everything, I just love listening to him, he makes the game so simple.

The fuss over Donaldson's "winning shot" was puke-worthy, too. He's a fine man, no problem with him at all, but he never won the Ryder Cup, the Team did. He happened to be the lucky one who sealed the deal. It could well have been several others.

We won't see Poults in a Ryder Cup again I fancy, & on balance, he seems to have had his time. Always good TV, him.

I shudder at the notion of Padraig as next Captain, that'd be a worse appointment than Peter Beardsley as next Newcastle Manager. Almost. 

 

Coverage always annoys me when they flash to a long putt to win hole(obviously holed) and a short putt to halve hole(obvious miss). Yet show nothing else of the action in that game. TBF that is a standard golf moan, but especially RC week.

I quite like our Sarah, got a strange mini crush on her. She can plumb bob my putter whenever she likes.

[tikay]

What do you think of Phil Mickelson's remarks regarding the US captain's role in their latest Ryder Cup defeat Tony?

I was very disappointed in Phil, Phil. (ooh, that was clever). I spent half an hour researching the whole affair this morning.

Its one of those awkward spots, when you feel caught between two pals who fall out. (Jim Furyk intimated EXACTLY that).

I've always admired squeaky clean Phil, & to me, Tom Watson is the greatest Ambassador golf has ever known. So I was sort of in an awkward spot.

I guess Phil was bang out of order, tbh. Time & place & all that. He had no need to air the matter there & then, a word in private was all it needed.

You appoint a Captain, & that's it, off you go, you support him all the way, right or wrong. Dissing Tom Watson is like farting in front of Her Majesty the Queen. It's just not done. 

Anyway, did you enjoy the 2014 Ryder Cup? Have to say, for the bookies, it was a better result than last time. MUCH better.

I was a little stunned to be honest, lets be fair in the grand scheme of things Phil Mick is a golfing heavyweight and will go down as a great player when he stops playing but he is no Tom Watson is he?

It looked to be right from the Arsene Wenger school of deflection to me coz now the coverage is about the captaincy of a guy that will probably never be involved in a Ryder Cup again, not about the glaring deficiencies in the games of some of the US players who will play in it again. It's deja vu all over again, in 2010 Hunter Mahan cost the US the event because his short game and shot selection down the stretch against G Mac were shots that no European player would have hit.They were US one dimensional up in the air shots instead of what the Yanks laughingly call a more 'European shot' and were badly executed too. Fast forward to yesterday and Mahan's short game fell apart again. It isn't Tom Watson's fault that Mahan hasn't improved the weakest part of his game in the last 4 years is it?

There was a 5 minute spell of golf yesterday that started with Mahan taking 6 on the par 5 18th when in the middle of the fairway with his tee shot to Kaymer holing a pitch and run shot for eagle on the 16th that just encapsulates the whole US golf problem. Almost no players that play golf worldwide or even regular guys like us play the short game shots he played down the stretch, watch the shot Rose plays when short of 18 and the one Mahan plays from the side of the 18th. Then a couple of minutes later the shot by Kaymer for eagle is a shot the US players just wouldn't have played, and in some cases couldn't execute well anyway.

It isn't Tom Watson's fault that the US tour still mainly play golf courses that limited players can overpower, with very limited penalties if you hit a bad shot and people can make millions of dollars by hitting it as far as they can and flicking it on to the greens. Keegan Bradley could still be the stupidest golfer in the world as he simply hits every shot as hard as he can and treats golf courses like something he only has to over power instead of play. So when he has to then play golf he is lost. I thought it was fitting that one of the players most under the radar in golf Donaldson beat Bradley who's ability is really over rated because he is a brash gung ho American player and his two biggest tournament wins came when players leading fell back and handed him the chance to win.

I wouldn't be amazed if Watson, who has to be one of the best US players ever at playing every variation of golf was frustrated at how badly some of his players play real golf shots on real golf courses. Not the made for TV birdieathon's they are used to. They have changed it in the last few years tbf and are trying to toughen up their courses but they still don't require the skill set that it takes to play on various different golf courses around the world.

The most disappointing part of the week for me was the TV coverage, seem to have spent months bigging up the event but not many shots were shown live and why on earth couldn't there be a red button offering of each match when there were only four matches on course at an one time thru the first 2 days?

You used to be able to select any one of 8 champions lge matches at once(you might still be able to do that) and those games are ten a penny these days but that wasn't offered as an option on one of the biggest sporting events here.


I'm pretty sure it will be a losing event for most firms but the good thing is it will be a several million pounds better than the last one was!

That is a truly great Post Phil, thank you.

As to the TV Coverage, well I'm not much of a fan of the Ryder Cup, so never watched it all, but after all the hype, yes, the coverage was a bit of a disappointment.

Given how many cameras they had on the course, & with so few players on course at any one time on Days 1 & 2, it was a surprise we did not see almost every shot.

As to the Presenting & Commentary Team, I suppose it is all a bit personal & subjective, but I do not much enjoy the work of Richard Boxall, Mardy Monty, & especially Sarah Stirk, who seems to me to be a female version of Dale Winton, in that every word she utters is utterly predictable & bland. I have a sort of wish to see her out on the course on a really windy day, to see how she'd cope with some wind in that hair of hers. She is very professional, to be fair, "safe pair of hands" & all that, but Dame Balding has that one won hard-held.

On the plus side, Howard Clark is excellent, & the few hours of commentary by Jack Nickalus on Sunday made up for almost everything, I just love listening to him, he makes the game so simple.

The fuss over Donaldson's "winning shot" was puke-worthy, too. He's a fine man, no problem with him at all, but he never won the Ryder Cup, the Team did. He happened to be the lucky one who sealed the deal. It could well have been several others.

We won't see Poults in a Ryder Cup again I fancy, & on balance, he seems to have had his time. Always good TV, him.

I shudder at the notion of Padraig as next Captain, that'd be a worse appointment than Peter Beardsley as next Newcastle Manager. Almost. 

 

Coverage always annoys me when they flash to a long putt to win hole(obviously holed) and a short putt to halve hole(obvious miss). Yet show nothing else of the action in that game. TBF that is a standard golf moan, but especially RC week.

I quite like our Sarah, got a strange mini crush on her. She can plumb bob my putter whenever she likes.

Yes, all very formulaic, like Richie Benaud on Test Match Highlights, you knew every clip would be a boundary or a wicket. But with x-teen hours per day to fill & a ton of cameras, the "whole hole story" would have been so much better. 

Anyway, just for Adzy, & whilst we await Phil's reply to Methuselah, here's Adzy's bit of fluff, not a hair out of place, as ever.

Click to see full-size image.

[AlunB]

So who was shagging who's wife?

You can't just leave us hanging like that Phil.

I assume he was talking about Dustin Johnson, but if not do tell

http://deadspin.com/report-dustin-johnson-had-sexual-indiscretion-with-p-1614689008

[BigAdz]

I recall Phil telling me it was Jimmy Walkers Mrs.

I apologise if I recount the name incorrectly.



Oh, and TY TK........hubba hubba...

[tikay]

Earlier today, these two ships collided at the mouth of the Suez Canal.

How do these things happen? It's not like you they are exactly small. Maybe a bit of brinkmanship, I shall NOT yield?

[TightEnd]

this was the best analysis of the Ryder Cup I have seen

really brings it home how much preparation McGinley did compared to Watson

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/ryder-cup/2014/paul-mcginley-tom-watson-shane-ryan

[Tal]

this was the best analysis of the Ryder Cup I have seen

really brings it home how much preparation McGinley did compared to Watson

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/ryder-cup/2014/paul-mcginley-tom-watson-shane-ryan

McGinley's hand was behind each of Europe's triumphs, and Watson's shadow darkened every American failure.

Bit of dramatic licence on display!

[bobby1]

So who was shagging who's wife?

You can't just leave us hanging like that Phil.

During the speculation about Dustin Johnson's sabbatical it came to light that he had slept with at least 2 PGA Tour players wives. Willie Mackenzie's wife claimed that it had taken place after they had split up. The really unfortunate guy tho was Jimmy Walker as it then came out that his wife and mother of his 2 kids had also been at it with . The sad thing here was it seemed that they had worked thru it and he had forgiven her so they certainly didn't need that in the public domain really.

If you go thru google Ralph there are a good few links to those stories

[Karabiner]

So who was shagging who's wife?

You can't just leave us hanging like that Phil.

During the speculation about Dustin Johnson's sabbatical it came to light that he had slept with at least 2 PGA Tour players wives. Willie Mackenzie's wife claimed that it had taken place after they had split up. The really unfortunate guy tho was Jimmy Walker as it then came out that his wife and mother of his 2 kids had also been at it with . The sad thing here was it seemed that they had worked thru it and he had forgiven her so they certainly didn't need that in the public domain really.

If you go thru google Ralph there are a good few links to those stories

Cheers Phil. JW and D.J both coached by Butch too.