| Ex-coach Jimmy Collins shows no sympathy for Bruce Pearl Jimmy Collins has no sympathy for Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who has admitted lying to the NCAA during its investigation of ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
McDowell wants early shot at Woods Northern Ireland's US Open champion is happy to take on Europe's toughest tasks at Celtic ManorAny more of this and Tiger Woods will arrive in Wales for the Ryder Cup next week with a persecution complex and a dance card bearing more names than the Newport phone book. "I'd love to play him in the singles on Sunday," says Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, adding his name to that of his countryman and friend Rory McIlory, who raised a few eyebrows – and perhaps the ire of the world No1 – with his recent declaration that everyone in the Europe team would like to play Woods given his recent form.You should be careful what you wish for when it comes to Mr Woods, especially when the competitive cocktail of a Ryder Cup is given even more of a kick by what the great man might construe as a public slight. But if anyone on Europe's team has it within himself to withstand anything and everything the prideful Woods can come up with, the suspicion is it may be McDowell.There is no doubt McIlroy is the more talented player – "Perhaps the most talented player I have ever seen," says his compatriot – but McDowell has the swagger to fit every occasion and the game to beat anyone over 18 holes. He proved that at Pebble Beach in the summer, where his response to finding his name atop the leaderboard late on Sunday afternoon was to knuckle down and bring home the US Open trophy. And he proved it at Valhalla two years ago, when he was one of the few successes on the beaten Europe team, winning two and a half points out of a possible four."There was a bit more anxiety about Valhalla but this time I'll be at a familiar venue as one of three major champions on the team," he says. "I'm a lot more comfortable about what to expect and I'm looking forward to it. I feel much more of an integral part of the team now. I'm hoping to play five games."McDowell's development as a player is not the only thing that has changed since Valhalla, of course. Europe has a new captain in Colin Montgomerie and a quartet of vice-captains who are likely to be more valuable in the team room than the dissolute group assembled by Nick Faldo last time round that featured, among others, José MarÃa Olazábal, DJ Spoony and the drummer from Iron Maiden."We had a great team and I think we played well but we were outplayed by a great US team," McDowell recalls. "We might still have lost, but maybe if we'd had a bit more energy in the team room it could have been different. We arrived on Tuesday, and Wednesday and Thursday were very busy days. By the time Friday came around, what with the travelling, it had all been a bit of a blur."We just didn't have that x-factor in terms of someone to get up and rally the troops – that extra spark in the team room was missing. José MarÃa gave a great speech on Saturday evening ahead of the singles but that was the first really emotional speech we'd had all week."There will be no shortage of emotional speeches at Celtic Manor, and nor will there be any shortage of volunteers when it comes to taking on the biggest challenges, at least not while McDowell is around. Like the Proclaimers, he would walk 500 miles to be a part of a winning European team. Who wants to hit the first shot on Friday morning? Who wants to play in all five series of matches? Who wants to lead the charge when the singles start? Expect his hand to be raised."Major championships are what really define a player at the end of their career but for me it is about the Ryder Cup as well – the team you have played with, the experiences you have shared. Golf is such an individual sport, so sharing it all with 11 other players is something very different to what we are used to. I'm definitely a big fan."Ryder CupGolfLawrence Doneganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
JetBlue kicks off NFL games in the air Pilots have been know to announce sports scores, but JetBlue Airways is taking the next step as it offers DirectTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package to passengers for free. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Wayne Gretzky's son commits to play baseball at San Diego State Trevor Gretzky, son of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has committed to play baseball at San Diego State. He is a first baseman who hit .341 with ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
NFL stresses illegal hit penalties in new video By BARRY WILNER 2010-10-22T04:06:29ZNEW YORK (AP) -- The NFL delivered its message about heavier punishment for illegal hits, including suspensions, directly to the 32 teams Thursday with a video spelling out what to avoid.... hosted.ap.org |