| Yankee sleight of hand: Derek deke? Jeter cheater? By BEN WALKER 2010-09-17T02:28:14ZNEW YORK (AP) -- Derek Jeter has a bit part in a box-office hit, and he's putting those acting skills to good use.... hosted.ap.org |
Sergio GarcÃa gives an insider's guide to winning the Ryder Cup Europe's vice-captain and a Ryder Cup winner as a player talks about the ingredients that make a successful team1 Why have you been so successful at Ryder Cups?Maybe because I love the Ryder Cup. To me, there is nothing like this event. I enjoy everything: the competition, the atmosphere, the galleries, all the activities but, what I enjoy most, are the moments that we spend in the team room, those moments stay in your mind for ever.2 What is the key to a good Ryder Cup partnership?First of all, you must feel very comfortable playing with your partner. You have to adapt to each other's game, there must be some chemistry and confidence, but you cannot get mad if your partner goes out of bounds!3 What makes a good foursomes player?The captain's decision on pairings is vital here. He must have a clear picture of who combines with who, which of the long hitters can mix better, and who will be more aggressive when needed.4 Why are some players better suited to fourballs than foursomes?Aggression is the key in fourballs. A player gives it all when he is competing under the fourballs format, that's why you see fantastic shots, you can always go for the pin because your partner has another chance. Fourballs produce the best shots.5 What are the distinct pressures of playing a singles match – are the challenges as much psychological as physical?The challenges are both psychological and physical. There is a lot of psychology in singles; there are players who impress very much on the 1st tee; some can intimidate the opponent. But overall you must have the mentality that you will never give up and fight to the very end to make your contribution to the team. We've witnessed some amazing comebacks in the Ryder Cup over the years where that point or half point makes a difference to the result. The first two days, you have a team-mate to lean on when things get tough and all of a sudden it is the final day and you are on your own. Physically, it is a draining week and when it gets to Sunday you are a bit tired and excited at the same time.6 Is playing in the Ryder Cup the most pressurised atmosphere in golf – and how have you dealt with this?I've had this conversation with some players and we all feel it is the event in which we feel the most pressure along with the four majors. The difference is that at the Ryder Cup you are not playing for yourself, you are part of a team, you are defending your continent and that puts an extra pressure on you. But I can assure you the feeling is unbelievable.7 What is the most important part of the captain's role?The captain must make sure that every player enjoys the week and feels at ease. He must fulfil the players' needs and keep them happy. Players should worry only about hitting great shots. The captain has to make important decisions on pairings, who to play and who to leave out and then he has to get the singles line-up right on the Sunday. I am sure there are a lot of other important behind-the-scenes things that I will learn about this week as I assist Colin [Montgomerie] as one of his vice-captains.8 What makes a good Ryder Cup team-mate?Someone who is able to share good and bad moments, who can handle pressure and knows how to adapt to someone else's game. And someone who brings home lots of points for the team.9 What is the best way to celebrate a Ryder Cup victory?Having a nice dinner and toasting with the whole team and with all your friends after you have celebrated in front of the fans. The galleries at the Ryder Cup are the best and they deserve a bit of the celebration, too.10 What would it mean to you if Madrid were to host the Cup in 2018?It would be great to have the Ryder Cup in Madrid for 2018 – Madrid is a fantastic city and one we all love. I think it is the best venue, it has all the facilities. I have very good friends there and I have spent a lot of time in Madrid during my life and would love to have the chance to play a Ryder Cup on home soil.Ryder CupGolfguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
AP source: Pistons to sell team to Mike Ilitch By LARRY LAGE 2010-10-05T19:32:05ZDETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons have found a new owner and he knows Motor City sports.... hosted.ap.org |
Kevin McCarra: Life without Rooney looks tough Alex Ferguson's mixed recent record at bringing through talent suggests the club's stability would suffer if their talisman leftManchester United have already had a preview of life without Wayne Rooney. When his impact dwindled to the point of disappearance last season, the club's prospects of winning a major prize vanished with him. The effect of even a small dip in standards can be remarkably vivid. Just eight months ago, he scored four goals in the 7-2 aggregate drubbing of Milan. In the quarter-final with Bayern Munich, he scored just once and his side were eliminated from the Champions League.For all the coverage of Rooney's difficulties, too little note is taken of the demands that the club makes of him. Since he moved from Everton for an initial £20m as a teenager in 2004, his smallest haul in a season for United is 17 goals. So far in this campaign Rooney has scored one for the club, a penalty against West Ham. Apart from being an exceptional attacker, Rooney has until now been a bulwark against criticism for his employers.It is still absurd to diagnose a crisis at Old Trafford so soon after United's three consecutive titles from 2007 to 2009. The side also found the time to win the Champions League three seasons ago. Nonetheless, past successes do not reduce the urgency of rebuilding the squad. Whenever Rooney fails to hold the audience's attention, the eye falls on limitations that will be tough to correct even if a high transfer fee is obtained for the striker.Rio Ferdinand has made only two starts in the Premier League this season and his claims to be over his back trouble are yet to be tested fully. Ryan Giggs has a hamstring injury and his uncanny achievement can keep a 36-year-old to the fore at United only for a limited period.Paul Scholes, who turns 36 next month, goes on contributing but to squeeze the last drops of usefulness from him the midfielder often has to be stationed near his own defence instead of being invited to visit havoc on the opposition's. Goals from him are now infrequent and he cannot be expected to set them up for others.The single advantage for Sir Alex Ferguson has been the ease with which such topics could be anticipated. He strove to address them, but with mixed results. Although Nani and Anderson came at a combined cost rising to £35m, they have failed, respectively, to bring verve to the wing and presence to the heart of the midfield. In the latter area, an abrasive Darren Fletcher complements some of the smoothness around him, but the blend is not as rich as it once was.Ferguson has been masterful in the building and rebuilding of sides, yet he no longer pulls off grand coups in the transfer market. The effort to re-establish the old dynamic traits falters when someone such as Antonio Valencia is bought in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer. The Ecuadorian, who is recovering from a fractured ankle and ligament damage, hits good crosses and is a direct runner, but the notion of a comparison with the Portuguese was firmly and properly discouraged from the outset.If the manager is ever downcast over his presumably modest budget, the disappointment is concealed. There has always been ingenuity, with someone such as Patrice Evra giving sound service for his £5.5m fee, and the drive to produce solutions has not faltered. It is Ferguson's priority to ensure that distractions such as the Rooney episode are rare, and he has also been rigorous in distancing himself from those who rail against his employers.He does not so much accept the owners of United as give the Glazers his full endorsement for leaving him undisturbed as he addresses all football issues. Ferguson, in the eyes of supporters, is the essence of all that has been glorious about United in the past 20 years and the protests over the American owners have not ignited as they did at Liverpool.Ultimately, however, stability will be under threat if the squad is deemed to be faltering and the Glazers lack either the means or the will to react. Ronaldo left for £80m but United show no signs of recruiting at that kind of price or even being able to contemplate such a step.It must come as a relief that there has been a broader decline on the English scene. The lack of an English side in last year's Champions League final, for the first time since 2004, was no coincidence. Given that context, the present United can, at the minimum, remain prominent on the domestic front.Wayne RooneyManchester UnitedKevin McCarraguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Former Yankees INF Gil McDougald dies at 82 NEW YORK (AP) -- Gil McDougald, an All-Star infielder who helped the New York Yankees win five World Series championships during the 1950s, has died. He was 82.... hosted.ap.org |