You go, Dave E!
I like the Ryder Cup, too, or at least I like the potential of the event. For one thing, I love to watch the European players, who often have more charisma (or not, in a few cases) than their US counterparts. And it's great to be able to root for one's favorite players in an event so meaningful to the players, for whatever reasons, that even the most skilled golfers in the world still can "choke." The potential for great drama certainly is there, even if it doesn't (like this year
) always appear. But most of all, what I like about the Ryder Cup is the opportunity to watch good sportsmanship in my favorite pastime. Yes, just like US victories, we don't see as much good sportsmanship as we might, but it's pretty heart-warming to see these golfers with a lot of pride on the line still remembering to honor their opponents and even *like* their opponents.
We (some of us, anyway) get a kick out of pumped-up antics from Ryder Cuppers such as Corey Pavin and this year's Chris Riley, but it's much more gratifying to observe the great gentlemen on both sides. The Ryder Cup, which brings out the worst in some participants, just as surely brings out the best in others--and this doesn't have to mean their best golf. I didn't get to watch a lot of this year's event, but I know that Davis Love and Chad Campbell didn't do too well in respect to victories. I'd imagine they did pretty well in the other department, though--or maybe I'm just deluded. As to J. Miller, well, who signs his paycheck? He's rooting for a specific outcome because that's what makes higher viewing percentages. He's a little egocentric and more than a little "tuned in" to what he thinks makes good ratings, but we can watch the golf and tune him out.
