The Ryder Cup 2014 - Gleneagles

[Sidney]

You assume Sidney is not O'Neill mark 135.

Being from Europe as I am, I'm just passionate about European golf, in the same way people from Mayo are passionate about Mayo football or people from Cork are passionate about Cork hurling.

I want to see Sam (Ryder) stay in Europe and that's why I'll fearlessly speak out if I believe that the wrong man is in charge.

Although I certainly won't resort to the type of vicious personal abuse that some Cork hurling supporters gave Gerald McCarthy.

[David McKeown]

The funny thing about Olazabal's captaincy, "the man who bleeds European golf", is that the bits of the event he might have a slight semblance of influence upon - by pairing up the right teammates and tactics for foursomes and fourballs - were when Europe got left behind. Putting 12 men into a sweepstake for the singles isn't really an act of skill, no matter how hard anyone tries to convince themselves.

The more I think about it, I'd draw parallels to the skills involved in Ryder Cup captaincy and the skills involved in Deal or No Deal. There's more than a few idiots believe there's a strategy involved in that game too.

There's definitely a skill to deal or no deal. Darren Brown and a few others have done the somewhat complex maths to it but it basically boils down to applying game theory and the doctrine of transferred probability to it.

Obviously the skill isn't in picking the boxes it's in knowing when to take the offer and what offer that should be to maximise your chances of beating what's in your box (or more exactly what's in the box you should swap to). Must see if I can find the maths online.

[Hardy]

You assume Sidney is not O'Neill mark 135.

We've all had to get used to assuming that everybody could be ONeill. But that ends up not very different, for practical purposes, from assuming nobody is ONeill. Either way, you have to post as if you were addressing different entities.

For what it's worth, I work on the basis that not even ONeill is ONeill.

[AZOffaly]

Very Pratchettian.

[Sidney]

The funny thing about Olazabal's captaincy, "the man who bleeds European golf", is that the bits of the event he might have a slight semblance of influence upon - by pairing up the right teammates and tactics for foursomes and fourballs - were when Europe got left behind. Putting 12 men into a sweepstake for the singles isn't really an act of skill, no matter how hard anyone tries to convince themselves.

The more I think about it, I'd draw parallels to the skills involved in Ryder Cup captaincy and the skills involved in Deal or No Deal. There's more than a few idiots believe there's a strategy involved in that game too.

Deal Or No Deal is a pile of shite.

A Ryder Cup captain requires skills that are much more similar to Countdown. He must consider the 12 players he has, and arrange them into winning pairings. This can be quite the conundrum and requires a sharp eye for a combination of the highest order.
There's definitely a skill to deal or no deal. Darren Brown and a few others have done the somewhat complex maths to it but it basically boils down to applying game theory and the doctrine of transferred probability to it.

Obviously the skill isn't in picking the boxes it's in knowing when to take the offer and what offer that should be to maximise your chances of beating what's in your box (or more exactly what's in the box you should swap to). Must see if I can find the maths online.

Deal Or No Deal is a pile of shite.

A Ryder Cup captain requires skills that are much more similar to that wonderful, long-running staple of daytime television, Countdown. He must consider the 12 players he has, and arrange them into winning pairings. This can be quite the conundrum and requires a very sharp eye for a combination. And he must reach the target set in the numbers game - 14 and a half, or else the morale of the people of his continent will suffer a huge (Susie) Dent.

[NAG1]

The Ryder Cup is a marketing invention full stop.

Take it for what it is, highly paid individuals having a weekend's craic, pretending to be interested in playing in a team (in the most individual of individual sports) competition.

Sky have ramped it up to make it sell. Yes it is a fun weekend and a good spectacle, but dont try and sell it on 'Go Team Europe'

It is actually laughable.

[Sidney]

The Ryder Cup is a marketing invention full stop.

That claim would rather overlook the fact that the competition has been played since 1927, which means it has a longer history than the football World Cup.

Some "marketing invention".

[NAG1]

The Ryder Cup is a marketing invention full stop.

That claim would rather overlook the fact that the competition has been played since 1927, which means it has a longer history than the football World Cup.

Some "marketing invention".

I am referring to its current form and its popularity, Sky have taken hold of it and are driving it into something that it has never been. Trying to create this whole European team ethos which simply does not exist.

[deiseach]

The Ryder Cup is a marketing invention full stop.

That claim would rather overlook the fact that the competition has been played since 1927, which means it has a longer history than the football World Cup.

Some "marketing invention".

I am referring to its current form and its popularity, Sky have taken hold of it and are driving it into something that it has never been. Trying to create this whole European team ethos which simply does not exist.

Not really 'full stop' then.

[Canalman]

The Ryder Cup is a marketing invention full stop.

Take it for what it is, highly paid individuals having a weekend's craic, pretending to be interested in playing in a team (in the most individual of individual sports) competition.

Sky have ramped it up to make it sell. Yes it is a fun weekend and a good spectacle, but dont try and sell it on 'Go Team Europe'

It is actually laughable.

Spot on there. Can't see anyone whatsoever going into work on a Monday downhearted because their continent lost.
Very enjoyable to watch though I presume if you had Sky.

[NAG1]

The Ryder Cup is a marketing invention full stop.

That claim would rather overlook the fact that the competition has been played since 1927, which means it has a longer history than the football World Cup.

Some "marketing invention".

I am referring to its current form and its popularity, Sky have taken hold of it and are driving it into something that it has never been. Trying to create this whole European team ethos which simply does not exist.

Not really 'full stop' then.

how about a , that do? 

[Sidney]

I am referring to its current form and its popularity, Sky have taken hold of it and are driving it into something that it has never been. Trying to create this whole European team ethos which simply does not exist.

Apart from the fact that a European team ethos does exist and the competition has taken place in exactly the same form and format since 1979. Not many other sporting competitions can say that.

What exactly have Sky done to change the Ryder Cup? Because as far as I can see they've done precisely nothing to change it.

[stew]

I still cannot believe that this Muppet left a man off the team who has won more than two thirds of the points he played for. Corporate decision uf ever there was one and I think it is going to bite us on the hole!

[muppet]

I still cannot believe that this Muppet left a man off the team who has won more than two thirds of the points he played for. Corporate decision uf ever there was one and I think it is going to bite us on the hole!

So who should he have left off?

[DennistheMenace]

The Ryder Cup is one of the best sporting spectacles there is, the 2012 finale was utterly compelling.

And there is very much a European 'ethos' on tour among the players.