Team Spirit

[CAMiller]

No it's not a Nirvana tribute thread, I said Team Spirit not **** Spirit

I know Monty says it's a game for boring old farts but I also know there are one or two on here who like me play/follow golf and will have watched The Ryder Cup and the fantastic European victory. It doesn't matter if you are the best player in the world, it doesn't matter if you've played the best golf for the past two years, it doesn't matter if you played the best golf last weekend or will play the best golf the next weekend. It also doesn't matter if you make the most money or even have the best looking wife or girlfriend. What matters is playing the best golf on the day (or 3 days in the case of the Ryder Cup), playing for your team mates, supporting them through thick and thin, playing for your captain/management and playing for your fans.

To some extent, this season is like us having to play 46 mini Ryder Cups so when people joke or complain about PW and his approach to management, given our resources maybe he's onto something? Saturday's game against Stoke certainly seemed that way to me!

[CTMilller]

No it's not a Nirvana tribute thread, I said Team Spirit not **** Spirit

I know Monty says it's a game for boring old farts but I also know there are one or two on here who like me play/follow golf and will have watched The Ryder Cup and the fantastic European victory. It doesn't matter if you are the best player in the world, it doesn't matter if you've played the best golf for the past two years, it doesn't matter if you played the best golf last weekend or will play the best golf the next weekend. It also doesn't matter if you make the most money or even have the best looking wife or girlfriend. What matters is playing the best golf on the day (or 3 days in the case of the Ryder Cup), playing for your team mates, supporting them through thick and thin, playing for your captain/management and playing for your fans.

To some extent, this season is like us having to play 46 mini Ryder Cups so when people joke or complain about PW and his approach to management, given our resources maybe he's onto something? Saturday's game against Stoke certainly seemed that way to me!

A useful analogy, CAM. However it breaks down a bit when you consider that both the US and European teams can always field the best of the best whereas for us every game is pretty much David v a range of Goliaths that go from pretty big to humongous.

But it's a good point.

I don't think I have ever watched more than a few minutes of Ryder Cup play (and you can tell how infrequently by the fact that the last match I watched, Bernhard Langer was captain...) I actually enjoy watching golf - especially the British Open - but it takes up too much time that could be spent more usefully. I've tried playing golf a couple of times and have never go on with it. I also look terrible in fuchsia pink trousers and a Pringle sweater...

[CAMiller]

A valid point CT but listening to any pundits about this Ryder Cup before a ball was struck, Europe may as well not have bothered turning up, despite history showing that the factors I mentioned really count for nothing in this event.

Showing your age with the Pringle and fucsia reference, I was wearing those 30 years ago

[gm_gm]

Interesting that the team spirit always seems to be better with Europe. A sign with “Leave your egos at the door” was placed on the door of the Europe team, I would imagine the American players wouldn’t have entered such a room.

Reed also said Thomas didn’t want to play with him in the four balls because he didn’t like him, even though they won 3 out of 4 games two years ago. With the exception of a few players they don’t seem to understand the team ethic, so the yanks got spanked.

[frogmiller]

I watched the highlights which cuts a lot of the crap.

The opening tee was hilarious with the sound effects oon the practice swing.

It seems to count more to the Europeans.

I hate the USA chant.

[great_fire]

The European team are mainly millionaires who live in Florida and play on the American tour so I don't know what the difference is really, especially since been made up of players from different countries there should be less team spirit really.

[Redshank]

The European team are mainly millionaires who live in Florida and play on the American tour so I don't know what the difference is really, especially since been made up of players from different countries there should be less team spirit really.

It's an interesting one this, the "European Unity" thing so clearly present in the Ryder Cup is probably unprecedented. I can't think of any other situation where it's anywhere near as strong. It's as though - free of any nationalist inclinations or pressures - the European side can concentrate solely on team unity. The Yanks however appear to be hampered by a burdensome need to do justice to the Stars and Stripes.

Whatever it is, it works...and the Yanks appear to have no answer to it.

[great_fire]

When it used to be only the UK and Ireland they used to win all the time.