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From ESPN.com
Report: U.S. Ryder Cup team meeting turned ugly ByNick Menta October 3, 2014, 7:46 pm If you thought the U.S. Ryder Cup team's Sunday news conference was bad, you should have seen the meeting they had Saturday night. According to an ESPN report, things spiraled downward for an already-in-trouble U.S. team during a team meeting at the end of Day 2, with the U.S. trailing Europe, 10-6, heading into Sunday singles. Per the report: "Four sources who witnessed the proceedings in the U.S. team room at the Gleneagles Hotel said that Watson took no responsibility for any shortcomings, scoffed at a gift that the U.S. team members gave him, ridiculed several European team players and started the proceedings by denigrating the Americans' play that afternoon. "You could have heard a pin drop in that room,'' one of those in attendance said. "He was pissed. It all went from there.'' The gift was reportedly a replica Ryder Cup signed by the players on the team, which Watson is said to have rebuffed, stating that it meant nothing to him unless the team won. The report further details that Watson started off the meeting - in front of the player's wives, significant others, caddies and a few members of the PGA of America - by saying, "You stink at foursomes," before eventually ceding the floor to vice captains and other players, including Phil Mickelson, who attempted to change the mood and re-energize the team. Mickelson, of course, would go on to criticize Watson in a team news conference the following day, stating that the U.S. players were not involved in the decision-making process and that they lacked the sense of investment Paul Azinger instilled in the team in 2008. One of the sources told ESPN: "[Mickelson] was trying to lead the team and protect the team there when he put himself under the gun pretty good on Sunday night. He did that for a lot of people.'' |
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| # 1 10/4/2014 6:13:48 AM |
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We may not win another Ryder Cup for awhile. We are disfunctional to say the least.
Clearly our players were not used to being talked to by an authoritarian coach. This kind of speech is common place in nearly every form of team sports and you could easily see the following coaches say something similar: forgive the spelling: Bill Belicheck Bill Parcels Nick Saban Both Harbaugh brothers Chip Kelly Why? Because they expect to win and they expect their players to win. I am not necessarily defending Watson, but if our team is having a good time after getting their asses handed to them after Saturday's failure I would have probably reacted the same. And by the way WE DO SUCK AT FOURSOMES! Watson clearly thought he could get a rise out of them and fire them up. Should he apologize for wanting to win more than the team? |
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| # 2 10/4/2014 6:33:56 AM |
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Thats a Glass half full answer LL. I dont buy it though.
If that truly is what was said, and its just hearsay, so I'll take it with a grain of salt, i wonder what the Golf Pundits think now who publicly blasted Phil and said he had no class? Watson is a golf legend no doubt, but if this is his approach to being a leader and rallying the troops, then he truly has missed the boat and become a disconnected old man. No one responds to this and Jim Harbaugh has a well documented Mutiny on his hands and is about to get run out of town. |
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| # 3 10/4/2014 6:46:23 AM |
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Thats a Glass half full answer LL. I dont buy it though. If that truly is what was said, and its just hearsay, so I'll take it with a grain of salt, i wonder what the Golf Pundits think now who publicly blasted Phil and said he had no class? Watson is a golf legend no doubt, but if this is his approach to being a leader and rallying the troops, then he truly has missed the boat and become a disconnected old man. No one responds to this and Jim Harbaugh has a well documented Mutiny on his hands and is about to get run out of town. I forgot we now live in a world where we have to hold hands and pretend that everyone is the winner. Did it fail...yes. But leave no doubt the players should do their talking with their games...they did and we lost. Phil was not classy for his post-loss mutiny. Which is why no other player joined him on that stage. Criticism is fine and just but once again...time and place. Watson and Nicklaus are cut from the same cloth and I think they are more like Coach Saban than Coach Hippie. The players want to be coddled, and why not they are self employed, but for the most part Fire and Brimstone help coaches in both college and professional team sports. It's about winning. |
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| # 4 10/4/2014 7:08:27 AM |
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Leadership is the process of influencing others to accomplish a mission by providing purpose, motivation, and direction. Regardless of the era we are in those principles apply. We need a capt that knows each player on the team, brings out the best in each of them, and puts them in situations where they can succeed.
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| # 5 10/4/2014 7:21:26 AM |
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Leadership is the process of influencing others to accomplish a mission by providing purpose, motivation, and direction. Regardless of the era we are in those principles apply. We need a capt that knows each player on the team, brings out the best in each of them, and puts them in situations where they can succeed. Well stated Vince. This has nothing to do with coddling and everything to do with respect. What he did behind the scenes as Capt. is what Phil did in the news conference and got blasted for. Pick your battles... how can one be right and the other be so wrong?? I guess Phil should have coddled him publicly, that's the message I get from you. Don't criticize in front of people, coddle him. |
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| # 6 10/4/2014 7:58:43 AM |
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I remember a baseball team back in the 70's that literally hated their manager and owner yet went on to win multiple World Series Championships. I will repeat my simple mantra... Just play better guys as winning overlooks any dissension.
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| # 7 10/4/2014 8:03:58 AM |
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I remember a baseball team back in the 70's that literally hated their manager and owner yet went on to win multiple World Series Championships. I will repeat my simple mantra... Just play better guys as winning overlooks any dissension. Joe, that was 40 years ago before any of these guys were born. I'm not saying this with any disrespect but times they are a changing. It's a social media world and things are not the way they used to be. Like it or not. There's a George Clooney line in the movie Up In The Air, where he is addressing a room full of people that he just fired. "We adapt or we Die" |
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| # 8 10/4/2014 8:05:02 AM |
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We may not win another Ryder Cup for awhile. We are disfunctional to say the least. Clearly our players were not used to being talked to by an authoritarian coach. This kind of speech is common place in nearly every form of team sports and you could easily see the following coaches say something similar: forgive the spelling: Bill Belicheck Bill Parcels Nick Saban Both Harbaugh brothers Chip Kelly Why? Because they expect to win and they expect their players to win. I am not necessarily defending Watson, but if our team is having a good time after getting their asses handed to them after Saturday's failure I would have probably reacted the same. And by the way WE DO SUCK AT FOURSOMES! Watson clearly thought he could get a rise out of them and fire them up. Should he apologize for wanting to win more than the team? Being a nice guy didn't work (Love III, Pavin, Lehman, etc.) so Tom tried kicking some ass. That didn't work either. But I think for the long term, Watson has shaken things up and that may prove to be beneficial. |
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| # 9 10/4/2014 8:09:50 AM |
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Thats a Glass half full answer LL. I dont buy it though. If that truly is what was said, and its just hearsay, so I'll take it with a grain of salt, i wonder what the Golf Pundits think now who publicly blasted Phil and said he had no class? Watson is a golf legend no doubt, but if this is his approach to being a leader and rallying the troops, then he truly has missed the boat and become a disconnected old man. No one responds to this and Jim Harbaugh has a well documented Mutiny on his hands and is about to get run out of town. Vince Lombardi and I disagree, Jay. I think these prima donners needed to hear the truth. And in those immortal words, they couldn't handle the truth. But I think it will light a fire in the Americans that may last a decade or more. |
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| # 10 10/4/2014 8:12:49 AM |
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I remember a baseball team back in the 70's that literally hated their manager and owner yet went on to win multiple World Series Championships. I will repeat my simple mantra... Just play better guys as winning overlooks any dissension. It's really that simple, Joe. |
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| # 11 10/4/2014 8:15:56 AM |
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I remember a baseball team back in the 70's that literally hated their manager and owner yet went on to win multiple World Series Championships. I will repeat my simple mantra... Just play better guys as winning overlooks any dissension. Joe, that was 40 years ago before any of these guys were born. I'm not saying this with any disrespect but times they are a changing. It's a social media world and things are not the way they used to be. Like it or not. There's a George Clooney line in the movie Up In The Air, where he is addressing a room full of people that he just fired. "We adapt or we Die" Jay, what do you suppose Bill Belichick told his team in the locker room after Monday's thrashing by Kansas City. One thing is certain.....it wasn't suitable for prime time TV. |
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| # 12 10/4/2014 8:47:12 AM |
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We may not win another Ryder Cup for awhile. We are disfunctional to say the least. Clearly our players were not used to being talked to by an authoritarian coach. This kind of speech is common place in nearly every form of team sports and you could easily see the following coaches say something similar: forgive the spelling: Bill Belicheck Bill Parcels Nick Saban Both Harbaugh brothers Chip Kelly Why? Because they expect to win and they expect their players to win. I am not necessarily defending Watson, but if our team is having a good time after getting their asses handed to them after Saturday's failure I would have probably reacted the same. And by the way WE DO SUCK AT FOURSOMES! Watson clearly thought he could get a rise out of them and fire them up. Should he apologize for wanting to win more than the team? Being a nice guy didn't work (Love III, Pavin, Lehman, etc.) so Tom tried kicking some ass. That didn't work either. But I think for the long term, Watson has shaken things up and that may prove to be beneficial. Nice guys don't work? Worked for Freddie Couples in every President's Cup so far. He subscribes to Azinger's Pod system, like Phil said. AND it works. Oh and it works for the Euros all the time. They don't change a thing, they do the same thing every year and it works. I don't see Paul McGinley or Monty chewing those guys out. Not sure Jose Maria gave them a major yelling session and lit a fire under them in Medinah! Let the players become a team and motivate from within. These Vince Lombardi references and 70s baseball references are just comical. You need an ass kicker as a coach! grunt, grunt. Problem is, for every Lombardi, there was a John Wooden and Coach K (who last time I checked came into a situation where "divas" were under performing and made them winners). NOT by yelling and screaming at them; making them self accountable! |
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| # 13 10/4/2014 8:47:42 AM |
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I remember a baseball team back in the 70's that literally hated their manager and owner yet went on to win multiple World Series Championships. I will repeat my simple mantra... Just play better guys as winning overlooks any dissension. Joe, that was 40 years ago before any of these guys were born. I'm not saying this with any disrespect but times they are a changing. It's a social media world and things are not the way they used to be. Like it or not. There's a George Clooney line in the movie Up In The Air, where he is addressing a room full of people that he just fired. "We adapt or we Die" Times have indeed changed but players make or break any coach, manager, or captain. If getting their butts kicked every two years doesn't motivate the USA players to raise their game for three days then no system whether it be a "feel good" or old school, be worth a dang. The USA has to come to the realization that Europe has not only caught up in talent but also could be surpassing. Their 1-12 is just as good as the USA's and even adding Tiger, DJ, and Duff, might not have made a difference. Give the Asian rim countries time to develop their golf programs, like Korea, then the President's Cup will be getting the same results as the Ryder Cup. The world of golf is now truly global, if the USA has to adapt then they better focus more on improving and selecting the talent that represents the Cup teams. |
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| # 14 10/4/2014 8:48:16 AM |
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If I was Watson I would have pulled a Crenshaw in the team meeting after the Friday foursomes debacle.
"I'm gonna leave y'all with one thought, then I'm gonna leave." "Stop embarrassing yourselves and your country, act like you're the best players in the world, and take that trophy back home tomorrow!" |
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| # 15 10/4/2014 8:51:32 AM |
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I remember a baseball team back in the 70's that literally hated their manager and owner yet went on to win multiple World Series Championships. I will repeat my simple mantra... Just play better guys as winning overlooks any dissension. It's really that simple, Joe. It isn't that simple Joe. Sorry. Different world now. I'm 45 and remember the 70s fondly. My parents had just bought the house I grew up in for $30,000 and I spent most of the decade in grade school dressing up as my favorite KISS performer. It's not a mistake that this stuff leaked out. It came from a player, or many players to show that they believe Phil was right and didn't want him looking like a bad guy. That's the facts or you aren't seeing this for what it really is. THAT'S why we live in a different world. |
