The Ryder Cup revealed the worst of the United States
Anyone still reeling from the humbling Ryder Cup defeat to the United States?
What a great sporting spectacle this biennial rivalry springs up; one sadly ruined this time around by crude, crass and disrespectful Americans.
As the post-mortem dissects Nick Faldo's ham-fisted involvement at Valhalla, his critics surfacing from all crevices to spout the vitriolic disapproval of his leadership, the real question that should be asked is why the Americans persist in encouraging such graceless - entirely graceless - scenes at a golf event.
If denigrating the sport into some kind of jingoistic rodeo is the only way the Untied States can win, we are better off without it.
In many ways the United States Ryder Cup team provided a microcosm of the country's self-interested and parochial outlook.
Take JB Holmes, as an example.
An out-of-shape man with a goatee - yes, a goatee - who prides himself on bashing the ball further than anyone else in the world.
If ever an image were needed to sum up America's foreign policy, surely this halfwit's desire to bomb first and worry about the consequences later provides the perfect advert.
There's more: In the absence of Tiger, Chad, JB, Hunter and Boo are surely names that epitomise America's continual bastardisation of the English language.
One assumes such monikers are seen as creative Stateside, in the same way their fans' tiresome chants of "U-S-A" and then, ingeniously, "Boo-S-A" never got boring. Not once.
Which bring us neatly on to Weekley - a man so powerfully thick that when he was asked by a journalist if he'd returned from the The Open in Britain, he replied "No, I was in Scotland."
Heaven knows, being intellectually challenged would never prevent someone from being a sporting role model, as the Premier League palpably demonstrates, but when stupid starts being celebrated, as it was at Valhalla in the shape of Weekley, the world of sport really does have problems.
If anything were responsible for crossing the boundary dividing acceptable and insulting in the Ryder Cup it was Weekley's inflammatory behaviour (and that of Paul Azinger, who encouraged supporters to cheer the Europeans' missed putts, for goodness sake).
Sadly for Europe, the corpulent huntsman has a deft touch around the greens, which he displayed emphatically by shooting a front nine of 29 (had it been scored) against Oliver Wilson in the Sunday singles.
His golf was magnificent; unfortunately, like the rest of the three-day event, the defining images of this Ryder Cup will not be about the golf.
That honour has gone to the idiot Weekley who assimilated riding his driver down the first tee.
Inciting galleries full of indecorous people with moderate IQs is always likely to cause its fair share of problems as years of football hooliganism in this country will testify.
But in golf? The sport old men take up to pass the time and temper their increasingly short tempers? It's just not on.
One would think the lessons of Brookline in 1999, when a phalanx of the players' wives ran on to the 17th green where Jose Maria Olazabal was still waiting to putt, would have stayed fresh in the mind.
Part of golf's appeal, believe it or not, is its arcane rules and etiquette: these are parts of the game an outside observer might find elitist, utterly pointless and desperately annoying - but that's the sport; that's the game.
Bad golf etiquette has become as obvious as bad table manners and, worryingly, is now just as common.
We all know the type of golfer or person I am referring to: the spitting, the swearing; obliviously walking across someone's line; not raking bunkers and the chronic failure to replace divots or repair pitch marks are the kind of faux pas committed by the same people who hold their knives and forks like pencils or those unaware that butter, when spread on roll, should have made its journey from dish to bread via a side plate.
To some such idiosyncratic behaviour may not be important. But it is.
Without the standards and rules designed to support culture and class we would degenerate into a morass of moribund morality.
This Ryder Cup was sport's equivalent to speaking with you mouth full.
People play golf because they like rules and sticking to them.
They provide order and play an intrinsic - albeit draconian - part in the sport's make up.
Without them golf cannot be defined as golf.
They are the intangible fabric that holds the sport together in the same way that a working and progressive society is underpinned by manners/culture/respect/tolerance/honesty.
Both are made irreparably weaker when etiquette is ignored.
Such core values are central to the past and future of golf as we know it - particularly when it comes to the Ryder Cup.
The venom which spilled out at Valhalla - from the shameful sledging of Lee Westwood to Anthony Kim's ignorance - crossed the divide.
It became an exercise in America flexing its muscle in the most undignified way.
This is not sour grapes.
An element of brashness is par for the course when to comes to Americans, excuse the pun, but even for them this went too far.
Samuel Ryder would be turning in his grave.
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So Sergio Garcia making Angels on the golf course is acceptible?
Boy, there weren't any strong prejudices in that analysis! I particularly liked the one about JB Holmes: "bomb now, ask questions later" as the perfect advert.
The bottom line is that Europe got outplayed. And yes, I do smell sour grapes!
Poorly written and a total waste of my time. Give me back my 2.5 minutes you elitist hack. The US Ryder team was the breath of fresh air that golf needed. There has been no compelling story in the golf since Tiger left to have his knee fixed. "Morass of moribund morality"? You're killing me with your sophomoric attempt at erudite wit.
Thanks for your kind words, sorry for sending you to sleep Damon.
While I admit that there may be the occasional lazy stereotype in this piece, I honestly believe there is no defending the actions of the US Ryder Cup team. If you think this was a "breath of fresh air" for golf you may want to consider waking up and smelling the coffee.
James Peacock, bald, overweight. Couldn't have a more fitting last name. I guess the ryder cup would have been much more fun for you to watch if everyone there was as bitter and smug as Jose Maria Olazabal. The golf was great and fairly contested (Have you ever heard of Home team advantage?) Great job on the article if your goal was to drum up hatred. Nice work man, kudos, the world needs more people like you.
John, you can have bald but I have to object to overweight.
Yes, I am aware of home team advantage which is why the Valhalla fairways were widened at and the greens quickened.
There is no problem with that. Nor is there a problem with vehement and well-meaning support.
As for drumming up hatred towards the US Team, I think they managed that well enough on their own.
I agree with many of your points here James. Also valid points have been made that USA had the home advantage and outplayed Europe but why do they insist on turning everything into a circus? Seeing Boo Weekly riding his driver down the fairway was nothing short of embarrassing. I presume that Weekly has no idea that golf was invented in Scotland and I'm sure that those at the Royal and Ancient Club wouldn't stand for this kind of ridiculous behaviour at St Andrews. Ryder cup or not there is no place for this kind of thing on a golf course. I can say with some confidence that no european player would ever behave like this. And that no european fans would sink to the levels of insulting the opposition players mothers in order to try and increase the advantage. What an utter disgrace.
Strip away James's teasing jocularity and occasional grandiloquence, and there's little to disagree with here. The behaviour of some American players and fans was crass at best and imbecilic at worst, serving only to reinforce stereotypes that could otherwise be dismissed as crude. While passion and fervour should not be discouraged, golf should be a refuge for those who like it leavened with some decorum.
At what point did it become convienient to forget the behaviour of the European fans?
"Boo ate all the pies", really, if we're discussing manners maybe we should start closer to home.
Hi guys,
A quick note to an otherwise really interesting debate.
I'd appreciate it if the focus could remain on the debate and personal insults were avoided.
It's not really in the spirit of these blogs (as well as the small matter of it being against the website's terms and conditions.
Many thanks!
Joanna Geary
Development Editor
joanna.geary@birminghampost.net
There were an extreme number of insults thrown our way in this article. Definitely sounds like sour grapes. There are a number of overweight European golfers that have been on past Ryder cup teams, example Colin Montgomery. I think the crowd and some golfers went over the top but Sergio did the very same in the past. So it must be acceptable by the European team because he keeps being put on the team. So please quit whining, since you lost and be proud that you have had a great record lately. It was one of the most watched sporting events, which makes it a success. Or would you like no one to watch it?
This is the most unethical and unprofessional article I have ever read. Calling people halfwits? How do you keep your job? This reads and sounds like a teenage girl who just lost her boyfriend to her best friend. Just except the fact that Europe got beat and start acting like a man instead of a little girl! Better luck next time around.
What a bunch of crybaby pussies you Europeans are. Cry me a river, and get Westwood some braces.
God could you Europeans cry any more. You got beat DEAL WITH IT And your sick of USA ? what about olay olay olay or however you spell that chant you guys have.
Pot calling the kettle black this is?
Euro trash calling other people fat and complaining about facial hair. I didn't hear the americans complaining about the brits' bad teeth and poor personal hygiene. Or about Sergio trying to cheat or doing angels on the course. Have you ever stopped to consider that you really aren't any better than the rest of the world? Go drink and drown your sorrows you toothless alcoholic piece of euro trash.
Two words would adequately characterize the source of this dribble: "sore loser". Please attribute this comment to one of many goateed Kentuckians who happen to to share a common heritage with some who most fairly and squarely won the Ryder Cup.
Fast Tony -- Say what you will about behavior of some of the American players -- but if I am to believe the entirety of your assertions, I must also conclude Ian Poulter's typical style of dress is the model of golfing decorum -- which I think even you must admit is not the case. Let the best player on your team be an example to you -- oftentimes superior talent is accompanied by a bit of creativity, character, and perhaps even eccentricity.
This article is really funny! To the journalist who wrote it, I say keep up the good work. You have a great future in journalism or perhaps next week as food critic. Funny, funny stuff.
Care for a tissue? You are such a sore losing, cry baby! Hahahahahahahah...hate that for you...
USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
I don't remember seeing you there; although, I did meet some rather boorish foreigners. But, on the whole, everyone I met European as well as American were polite, fun, and lovers of golf.
Perhaps you should write a note to yourself: Golf is a game!!! It is not war; of, you do know what war is, don't you. That's what we either beat you at or bail you out of.
What a jerk you are!
My friend you are so out of touch with reality that it is almost comical. Golf is a relatively boring sport to watch on T.V. but I tell you I was completely enthralled in the the Ryder cup.
Don't bash a native Bluegrass "good ole boy" because he talks funny. Some people might think you look funny but they probably keep that to themselves no?
Grow up and realize that the Ryder cup is a beautiful even and "home court advantage" should be exploited!
P.S. Please don't compare golf to WAR because WAR is ugly and golf is beautiful
I believe your comments reek of sour grapes. I spent three days at the Ryder cup and had many conversations with European fans. The mockery of the sport was displayed on both sides and the winner of this contest was Europe. I've never been to a sporting event where leprechaun, matador and Elvis costumes were worn in pride. By the way, all costumes were worn by the European fans and the brash cheering came from both sides. You will have the Ryder cup on your soil in two years and when I'm there, I'm sure I will be able write a very similar article as yours, about the fans from Europe. Let it go and enjoy life! Many sports have evolved over the years and I'm sure Mr. Ryder would roll over in his grave, if he knew England has allowed the "lower European's" on the team.
I attended the final day of the Ryder Cup this year, and it was one of the great sporting events that I will ever witness in my life. I would rather not see cheering for poor play by the European contingent, let alone crude comments directed at Westwood or anyone else.
98% of the fans, including me, were excited and partisan, because we had two local players on the team in Kenny Perry and J.B. Holmes. I disagree with Mr. Peacock in his assessment that the exuberence displayed at the Ryder Cup has no place in golf. This event, and golf in general, only benefitted from the drama, the spectacle, and the tension. It made for splendid television and wonderful material for writers like you to choose to bemoan or celebrate.
You complain about the fans cheering for bad shots and taunting specific players, yet you lower yourself to the very thing you dislike by calling players like Boo Weekley and J.B. Holmes as "idiot" and "halfwit." You don't know them. You've never met them. You know what you've seen on television, only. But I suppose that is the British form of "journalism," which is to call names, incite hatred and ignorance, and create a new story when the real one isn't very desirable to read. Your kind is also lambasting Nick Faldo for being the reason why the Cup was lost. I don't recall Mr. Faldo even swinging a club last weekend.
You should be going after the likes of Westwood (who was more worried about someone else's cheerleading than his own game), or Garcia (who caved under the pressure of a 23-year-old kid's brilliant play), or Harrington (who inexplicably was invisible all weekend). The players simply lost to a better team this time. They didn't go out and play well enough to beat an inspired American squad. For Poulter's brilliance and Karlsson's dominance, too many other players failed their team, their captain, and their continent.
In two years, you will get your chance. You will have the home course and the fans rooting for your boys. Let loose. Show exhuberance. Cheer the Americans' poor shots. Call their hotel rooms in the middle of the night. Invite your infamous soccer hooligans to attend, if you like. At the end of it, you won't hear us Americans complaining if we lost for something other than poor play.
Real men don't whine.
Olay, olay, olay, olay...Team Europe was simply outplayed. See you in Wales in 2010; until then enjoy the sour grape whine.
Mr. Peacock,
Your article is so far over the top, I'm surprised anyone can take it seriously. Regardless, I don't know how well acquainted you are with J.B. Holmes and/or Boo Weakley but as far as arbitrarily calling anyone a "halfwit" or "idiot, "such comments are by far the most unprofessional, unjustified and unacceptable attacks In have read in a long time from any sports source. I would hope you retract these comments, defend them appropriately (which I imagine is not possible), or publicly apologize. Otherwise, your article seems to stereotype the British as much as your claim that the the American behavior at the Ryder Cup stereotypes ours. You should find a different profession before you further discredit your countrymen via your writing style.
Cry moar.
Wow. I am getting slated.
I don't believe, for one minute, that I can be the person to successfully explain the concept of irony to Americans. But I will try.
Do you guys not see the irony in someone (me) being heavily criticised - rightly so - for enforcing stereotypes when that is exactly what the US Team/supporters did at Valhalla? Surely you must then be open to the same criticism?
NB jsyeag, "halfwit" is probably on the harsh side but anyone - anyone - who pretends to ride his driver down a fairway in front of the world's eyes can safely be described as an idiot without denigrating my profession.
Mr. Peacock,
This article is disgraceful. Your personal attacks on the United States Ryder Cup team, and very off base assessment of the behavior of the U.S. golfers is embarrassing. The fact of the matter is, these men were representing their country, and were damn proud to be doing it. There were a lot of people who thought that they stood no shot against the European team, and they took offense to that. I guess if you had your way the golfers would just drudge along from shot to shot with there hands at their sides until the round was finished. The thing that makes the Ryder cup such a great event is the team dynamic, and the fact of the matter is team sports invoke more passion and enthusiasm. I agree that there is a specific etiquette that is important in golf, but there is also a need for it to evolve. I will concede that there were some lines crossed by the crowd, and Weekly's trot down the fairway was a little brash. I will not, on the other hand, allow you to disrespect men who represented a country that I love with passion. So I must recommend that before you judge those who you have no association with, and insult men who merely got excited about giving their country something to be proud about at a time when so many things are not well, you take a look in the mirror and see that this article is far more outrageous than anything that happened during the Ryder Cup.
Jon-Michael
Dan Harris -- I will admit that Poulters dress sence may be a little colourful for some but he isn't walking round the course in board shorts and flip-flops is he?
It's funny, someone talking about out of line behavior in a sport, is from the same country where soccer (or football as it's known to the rest of the world) violence is known as "The English disease"
Kentucky=beautiful
Valhalla=wonderful
US Ryder Cup=fun loving Golf Players
Weather was=super
European Team=not into it
you=bitter
sry for you. Must be the weather across the pond getting to you.
Louisville Ky is the center of the horse racing world. Boo was merely trying to get the fans excited by "riding" off the tee box. Also, I was so happy to see Anthony Kim actually stand up to Sergio during his ridiculous attempt at getting a free drop on Sunday. He pulled the same garbage in the Fedex Cup tournament 2 weeks ago, when he had a large tree directly in front of him. Free drop just so happened to give him a direct shot at the green. Luckily Vijay had 10 feet for eagle.
Fast Tony: Eccentricity is eccentricity, no matter how manifested. Personally, I enjoy seeing the those who do not care to mask their individuality simply to conform to a set of somewhat superficial expectations -- I would put both Poulter and Weekley in that category.
Want some cheese with that whine? Good God man, stop giving the US even more reasons to view the Euros as anything but PATHETIC. Go riot in a soccer (yes SOCCER) stadium or something you pinhead.
Come on, Mr. Peacock. Althogh I strongly disagree with the content of your article, I know you love all this "criticism". This article very likely collected an all time high number of hits for you. Congratulations -- job well done!
Sour grapes aside (and there were enough here to make several gallons of jam) there is some merit in the article.
Golf has been deteriorating into another boorish sport for the last twenty years or so. The Ryder Cup has seen more than its fair share of crass behavior on both sides of the pond. I call it the "Happy Gilmour-ization of Golf". This is just the most recent example.
I've got an idea. The next guy that yells "You da' man!" at a tournament should be punished harshly.
Perhaps he should be locked in a room with no windows and forced to watch the BBC for a week.
That ought to do it.
Keith, I agree, but i think "GET IN THE HOLE" guy, shouting this while one tees off on a 540 yd par 5 should not be forced to watch the BBC, he should be shot on sight.
Keith, I agree, but i think "GET IN THE HOLE" guy, shouting this while one tees off on a 540 yd par 5 should not be forced to watch the BBC, he should be shot on sight.
"This is not sour grapes"? I think a statement such as this at the end of a long drawn-out diatribe is akin to saying "Don't take this the wrong way but". Personally this sounds a lot like Colin Montgomery claiming his obesity is America's fault.
You'd think someone who obviously thinks so much of himself and his own intellectual prowess would have realized that during your obvious sour graped attempt to lash out at us littel ole Southerners, you also played right into every age old stereotype the world shares of certain "Englishters" as well; such as being:
Pompous, Snotty, Wimpy, Rude, Sensitive, Insecure, boring, sticks up the butt, with an overall inability to cut loose and enjoy anything. The only difference between you and most Kentuckians is at least we are completely comfortable with the stereotypes that fit us. We're even Ok knowing we're one of the few places on earth that have a worse dental reputation than you.
Tolly Ho, and tell the queen she's still welcome here anytime she wants to come. I hear Kentucky is one of her favorite places!
Americans are too dumb to understand irony!
or
You are too dumb to realize you are being a sore loser and making excuses.
You pick.
It is on thing to have an opinion about a raucus crowd that you believe is degenerate. You are entitled to that opinion. Although i disagree and believe you couldnt be further from reality. It is another to personally attack a mans dignity by calling him an idiot or blasting his name. Talk about origianl chants? What is that ridiculous Ole thing you all havve been singing since the beginning of time? HAve you all gone mad. Is there no imagination or originality in the great UK? Over weight? long drives. I suppose the ill tempered, i think i mught eat the first child I see scowls displayed by the great ball striker Ian Poulter is totally acceptable. Oh yea dont forget the 4 morons dressed like giant cartoon lepracauhns drawing attention to themselves every time the red light of a TV camera shone in their direction. What makes that even more apalling is there was a person pressed in a ghost costume that Lee Westwoods wife verbally assaulted by calling him a "D!CK" and then asking security to remove him from the grounds. Just like the europeans. Let somone else fight a battle for you.. I surmise. As I stated at the beginning your opinions are lost in a sea of hatred and rendered ineffective by the personal attacks of honorable men. Ther is a thing that the rest of the world calls having fun that the europeans havn't learned of yet. Our gentlemen did not taunt, bait or otherwise show up any other player on your team. We played within the rules of the game. We won. We had a better team last weekend.
Mark in Ky said:
"Louisville Ky is the center [sic] of the horse racing world". Er, if you want an example of American parochialism there it is. Ever heard of Ascot? Epsom? Newmarket? Longchamp?
I forgot how illegal is was to pull out a driver on the tee box and hit a ball as far as you possibly can. Maybe JB should just lay up with a 5 iron off every tee to make sure he's in the fairway. What you don't know Mr. Peacock is that JB Holmes has been doing this his entire life. This is the reason he is where he is today. This is what allowed him to be on a winning Ryder Cup team. Do you know how many golfers would love to have his distance? You act like it's a bad thing.
And to call JB a halfwit for no good reason is totally unacceptable. He is a young golfer who has done nothing wrong to you or anyone else. Yes he has a goatee. So do many people from his home state of Kentucky, including myself. That is our culture around here. I don't have a problem with you stirring things up in an article. You are a journalist, that is your job. Just don't go calling people halfwit's for no other reason except that you are upset that your team got beat.
Denigrating is a big word for someone so low in class. Why don't you accept the loss and keep your opinions about goatees and other men's bodies to yourself?
You sir have no idea what Tripe you are writing and furthermore, you wouldn't know the game of Golf if it bit you in the Bum! Sour Grapes is what it sounds like to me !!!