| How has Cincinnati's city golf privatization played? Private contractors are squeezing more revenue from fewer golfers on city-owned courses, a Courier analysis shows. feeds.bizjournals.com |
'The US will be Ryder Cup underdogs' The 'villain' every European always wanted to see beaten steered the US to Ryder Cup victory in 2008 but he is finding it difficult to predict a follow-up win for his successor, Corey PavinLike Jerry or Tom or the cast of the Dirty Dozen, Paul Azinger is one of those incorrigible characters who seems never to have met a confrontation he did not relish. Nor is he the shy and retiring type when it comes to seeking a little controversy just to keep himself amused, as was clear this week when Ian Poulter found himself under attack from environmentalists after posting a short video on Twitter of a trip he took on a private jet.Briefly, Azinger stopped his 140-character baiting of his pal about the coming Ryder Cup match to attack an enemy far more dangerous than an Englishman with a deadly putting stroke, the former vice-president of the United States. "@IanJamesPoulter AL GORE the ultimate hypocritical tree hugger set the standard high for private air travel. Friendly skies to you Ian," he wrote with an incongruity that could only mean he was deliberately trying to provoke.Alas, Al Gore and friends have better things to do with their time than debate the future of the planet with professional golfers. Ruckus came there none. Better luck next time or, more likely, better luck next week when Azinger will be on familiar, and infinitely more fertile, ground with the start of the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor. He will spend a couple of days working for the US television network ESPN as an analyst – a role in which he excels, being highly articulate and inclined to tell it like it is."It should be a compelling contest," he says. "I'm really looking forward to it."But given his obvious passion for the event, given that he has written a book expounding on his captaincy of the 2008 winning USA team, Cracking The Code, and given he tweets incessantly about the Ryder Cup (this week he has also been poking fun at the 2010 US team uniforms), he would presumably have preferred a more central role, such as the captaincy for a second time."Why would you presume that?"Uh-oh, here we go.Scroll through the recent history of Ryder Cup acrimony and it does not take long to find Azinger's name. It is usually adjacent to that of Seve Ballesteros, with whom he shared a ferocious appetite for the contest and a burning enmity. "The Americans are 11 nice guys and Paul Azinger," the Spaniard said after one of their spats, to which Azinger replied: "The king of gamesmanship doesn't like me? Good."Ballesteros was a much better player (five major victories to the American's one) with a much better Ryder Cup record (20 wins, 12 losses – one of them to Azinger in a famously acrimonious singles match in 1989 – and five halves, to the American's record of 5-7-3) but they were equals when it came to caring about golf's greatest team event."I really enjoy the patriotism of the matches and the competitive nature of matchplay. I guess it is in my blood a little bit," Azinger says. "I think one of the great things about the European team with respect to the Ryder Cup – one of the big differences between the European team and our team – is that it is in their blood, in their heart. It is a passion. For us, for the most part, it is in our head and in our mind. I think there are some American players for whom it is in their blood a little bit and for me it was in my blood somehow."You could say that again, or at least you could if you can remember how in 1993 at The Belfry, with Europe having already lost the trophy, Azinger refused to give up against Nick Faldo in his singles match, eventually eking out a half. Or how about 2002, when facing the indignity of losing his singles match to Niclas Fasth and so giving the Cup to Europe, he holed a bunker shot on the 18th for a half, leaving Jim Furyk to suffer the indignity.Such feisty vignettes secured Azinger's status as the Yank every European wanted to see beaten even if, secretly, they admired his ability as a golfer and cussedness as a man.European fans were to be sorely disappointed in 2008 when their favourite villain moved into the captain's role and guided the USA to well-deserved victory over a favoured Europe team. The details (lots of them) of that triumph are all in his book, which should be required reading for all future Ryder Cup captains and for anyone who still feels inclined to defend Faldo's stewardship of the Europe team.The Englishman no doubt wanted to win but seemed to treat the whole affair as a bit of lark. Azinger treated it as a military operation – literally, stealing an organisational concept from the US Marines."If the players had not played great we wouldn't have won no matter what. The credit belongs to them and not to me," he says. "But I think the captain can create an environment and that's what I did. I decided that for the American team, 12 was too big a number to be bonded in such a short space of time. I thought we would be better off bonding in smaller groups."After that, the one thing I did that was influential and impactful was that I made a sales pitch to the players to get them to believe in this concept, selling them on the idea that small was better. It was then a matter of messaging the players about preparation and how they would prepare in their small groups. And then I got out of their way because it was completely about them."Azinger's "pod" system worked and, many people suspect, it would work again given the right circumstances and personnel although, if the mood music in the States is correct, Corey Pavin has been decidedly lukewarm towards his predecessor's ideas."We have talked to each other a little bit before he made his picks. He's got some copies of my book, which I sent to him," Azinger says, adding: "Corey has got a philosophy and strategy, and there is no reason for me to know a great deal about them. I am satisfied to watch."In which case, what does he think he will see? "I think the US will be a slight underdog although I do believe that Corey is bringing over the most powerful hitting team that has ever been assembled," he says."I believe if there is not a lot of rough, then the Americans can win these matches. If there is a tremendous amount of rough then I believe the US team will be in a bit of trouble."And the European team? "Well, the one thing I would say is that I think our selection process is better than yours, simply because you have been forced to leave out the seventh best player [Paul Casey] on the planet," he says. "But Colin Montgomerie is a bright guy and I think he made his picks based on possible pairings. I was surprised about Casey, but that doesn't mean I'm right."This is a typically pointed and intelligent assessment, as you might expect from Azinger, although it does lack a definitive prediction of the outcome. "There is a crack in my crystal ball, otherwise I would get myself to Las Vegas and bet on it," he says – an equivocation that should at least strike a blow to the spirits of Pavin and his men. After all, if the greatest US patriot in Ryder Cup history won't declare victory in advance then, really, what chance do they have?Ryder CupGolfCorey PavinColin MontgomerieLawrence Doneganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Gentler Todd Haley part of the recipe for Chiefs' winning ways Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley was painfully aware of his "crazy dude" coaching perception last season. Player unfriendly? Let's just say ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Champions sign causes Wigan row • Football fans claim signs are discriminatory• Council quick to respond with conciliatory signsWigan's first Super League title win for 12 years has created fresh tension with the town's Premier League football club in an unusual row over signposts.The local council responded to Wigan's win against St Helens in the Grand Final by putting new signs reading "Wigan Warriors Super League champions 2010" underneath "Welcome to Wigan" on three approaches to the town. However, that provoked an angry reaction from Wigan Athletic supporters, and the council has now bolted the old signs, which describe Wigan as "home of Premiership football and Super League rugby", underneath."I'm happy the council have now decided to see sense," said Paul Farrington, who runs a Wigan Athletic fans website. "Driving through the town as you leave the motorway, you wouldn't have even known Premier League football exists here.""It's an absolute disgrace," another supporter, Mark Cowley, told the Wigan Evening Post. "The person who made the decision simply can't be from Wigan. Any sporting success in the town should be celebrated but not at the cost of any other clubs.""It was a clearly discriminatory act to focus solely on the rugby," said Andy Wolstenholme.However, Mark Tilley, the council's head of highways, said: "We are proud both of the Warriors' recent success and Latics' Premiership status and wish to acknowledge this at certain gateways to the borough. We have therefore added new plates where there weren't any at all previously, and at other sites we will be celebrating both rugby and football together."There is a small expense attached to such signage but we look forward to celebrating continued success for both teams in the year ahead."Wigan WarriorsWigan AthleticSuper LeagueRugby leaguePremier LeagueAndy Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Browns still missing receivers Cribbs, Massaquoi By TOM WITHERS 2010-10-21T15:20:14ZBEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Browns wide receivers Joshua Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi remain sidelined by concussions sustained on helmet-to-helmet hits by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison.... hosted.ap.org |