United States
TODAY NBC SPORTS GROUP HOSTED a media conference call to preview the 2014 Ryder Cup. Golf Channel analyst Frank Nobilo, Golf Channel host David Feherty and NBC/Golf Channel lead analyst Johnny Miller were on the phone sharing their thoughts about the upcoming matches at Gleneagles.
Following are comments I pulled from the transcript.
JOHNNY MILLER: I obviously have to act like I don't necessarily care who wins between the two sides, but I do care. I'd like to see the U.S. finally get a win. Obviously that would be super important. I'm just really pumped to go over there. That's all I've been thinking about.
FRANK NOBILO: It looks like we're going to have another doozy. That's the way it looks from my point of view.
DAVID FEHERTY: Well, it's the greatest event in golf for me. I don't think there's any more stress in any other event because players are used to playing their own ball for their own needs, and all of a sudden you've got 11 guys and a captain and your entire country or continent, as it turns out in Europe.
NOBILO: ... They've [the Europeans] have always been the perennial underdog, and even though on paper this year they might look slightly superior, I think the old Winston Churchill attitude comes in, I think they'd like to be underdogs, even if they're not, because they play better that way. There's such a fine line between trying to lose and trying to win, and I think that's always been the difference for the European side. When you have your back against the wall, you just fight, and that's what I think has always made them so dangerous, and they would never be complacent.
MILLER: I just think that all the world when they get a chance to beat the United States, it's a big deal. I'm not trying to sound pompous there, but I just think it's so much fun for Europe to beat the U.S., and it used to be Europe wanted to beat the U.S. but they were scared to death of the players, and then when Europe joined in with Seve and the boys, I just think that they, again, loved to beat the U.S. When they started beating them, they just wanted to beat them right into the ground.
FEHERTY: I think that it's going to be a lot closer than perhaps many people think. If you look at the U.S. Team, only one of their players has a winning record. Only four of the European team have a losing record. But it's been a contest that over the years where the underdog, the team with nothing to lose, if you like, has played so well on occasions that it wouldn't surprise me if this young team of Americans gets really inspired and is really hard to beat.
MILLER: My slant on it is that Europe is definitely more of a family and they love the Ryder Cup matches. They just cannot wait. I mean, the press starts talking about the Ryder Cup the week after the Ryder Cup, and it's two years away. It's just a love fest. It's a team love fest. I think the U.S. -- they like each other and they get to know each other better, but I think it's more of a gotta-win type of -- it's not so much that I love to put my thumb out there and hit it with a hammer.
Source: Media Conference Call: Miller, Feherty, Nobilo Preview 2014 Ryder Cup
JOHNNY MILLER: I obviously have to act like I don't necessarily care who wins between the two sides, but I do care. I'd like to see the U.S. finally get a win. Obviously that would be super important. I'm just really pumped to go over there. That's all I've been thinking about.
FRANK NOBILO: It looks like we're going to have another doozy. That's the way it looks from my point of view.
DAVID FEHERTY: Well, it's the greatest event in golf for me. I don't think there's any more stress in any other event because players are used to playing their own ball for their own needs, and all of a sudden you've got 11 guys and a captain and your entire country or continent, as it turns out in Europe.
NOBILO: ... They've [the Europeans] have always been the perennial underdog, and even though on paper this year they might look slightly superior, I think the old Winston Churchill attitude comes in, I think they'd like to be underdogs, even if they're not, because they play better that way. There's such a fine line between trying to lose and trying to win, and I think that's always been the difference for the European side. When you have your back against the wall, you just fight, and that's what I think has always made them so dangerous, and they would never be complacent.
MILLER: I just think that all the world when they get a chance to beat the United States, it's a big deal. I'm not trying to sound pompous there, but I just think it's so much fun for Europe to beat the U.S., and it used to be Europe wanted to beat the U.S. but they were scared to death of the players, and then when Europe joined in with Seve and the boys, I just think that they, again, loved to beat the U.S. When they started beating them, they just wanted to beat them right into the ground.
FEHERTY: I think that it's going to be a lot closer than perhaps many people think. If you look at the U.S. Team, only one of their players has a winning record. Only four of the European team have a losing record. But it's been a contest that over the years where the underdog, the team with nothing to lose, if you like, has played so well on occasions that it wouldn't surprise me if this young team of Americans gets really inspired and is really hard to beat.
MILLER: My slant on it is that Europe is definitely more of a family and they love the Ryder Cup matches. They just cannot wait. I mean, the press starts talking about the Ryder Cup the week after the Ryder Cup, and it's two years away. It's just a love fest. It's a team love fest. I think the U.S. -- they like each other and they get to know each other better, but I think it's more of a gotta-win type of -- it's not so much that I love to put my thumb out there and hit it with a hammer.
Source: Media Conference Call: Miller, Feherty, Nobilo Preview 2014 Ryder Cup
