Sunday, August 15, 2010

Pavin's Pressure Shot


Memo to Corey Pavin: You can do this.

Leave Tiger Woods off the Ryder Cup team. The world will not end. You will not be pelted with rocks and garbage.

And, it must be noted, it is crucial for your team's chances of winning.

The same Pavin who used to hit 228 yard 4-woods into the 18th green at the US Open on Sunday, or chip in for birdies from thick rough at the Ryder Cup as a player, needs to summon the guts to play the shot that needs to be played.

Leave him home.

You do this not to embarrass Tiger Woods, or to punish him. You do it because it's the right thing.

Every ounce of logic points to Tiger not being a captain's pick.

Here's how you say it.

Pavin (as written by Czabe):

"Look, I've given this a lot of consideration, and explained it to Tiger. The Ryder Cup selection process is a 'now' thing. How are you playing 'now.' Especially for captain's picks. This has no reflection on his talents, or his career. He's been the world's best player for the last 13 years, and when his career is over, he'll probably be the best ever.

But again, this is a now thing. Right now, he's not playing to form. He is, by our carefully designed points system, a bubble player. And bubble players need to be playing well going into the fall to merit selection. He's not playing well. He'll even tell you that.

Furthermore, he has played a very limited schedule due to changes in his life. This is how it should be. However, this is not a positive credential to be a captain's pick.

Lastly, because of all of this, he will be playing a limited amount of competitive rounds going into the Ryder Cup. This too, is far from ideal.

So in the end, I decided to make the tough call, and go with somebody else. I am sure some will criticize me for it, but when I signed up to be captain, I specifically signed up to absorb that kind of criticism.

I will always regret the poor timing of my captaincy, in which I was unable to have the world's #1 player on my team. But my responsibility is to the team, and our country in this exhibition, not to my resume or his."

"Any questions?"


There. Just say it, Corey. You can even cut and paste if you like. By the time the plane lands at Celtic Manor, all of the Tiger distractions will be long gone. If you choose the "easy" route now, then the hard part will arrive in force next month in Wales.

If you broke obvious statistical trends to put Tiger on the team, do you have the balls to bench him for at least one session, maybe two? He'd be terrible right now in alternate shot, so you'd be looking at a better-ball only captain's pick, plus singles. Which is typical of what captain's picks get.

But Tiger has never, ever, ever sat a Ryder Cup session, even when fatigue or format might have dictated otherwise.

If you feel obligated to bring him Corey, you'll feel just as obligated to ride him once he's there.

And do you really want the history books to show that you got scared into taking Tiger Woods, watched him go 0-4-1, and lost the Ryder Cup by a point?

Now put a good swing on this one, Corey, and hit the shot.

8 comments:

  1. I don't know why this is even an issue. Tiger should sack up and just make a press release that says,
    "I'm not playing at 100% now or even close. I would be a detriment to the Ryder Cup team and therefore I will not accept an invitation if offered."
    I don't think he though.

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  2. There are too many outside pressures that will land him on the team. Not the least of which is the TV viewership that will take a huge hit if he doesn't play.

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  3. Tiger won't be Pavin's pick, he'll be NBC and ESPN's pick. Like it or not, and I don't, TV ratings will take a huge hit if Tiger doesn't play. The only way Tiger won't be playing is if Tiger himself says he's not playing. Corey is merely a corporate puppet.

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  4. Bill's right. I'm one of those viewers that only watch if Tiger is in the top 5 because I have yet to see another player (save Daly) with an engaging or entertaining personality and is good enough to get tv face time. I detest the courtesy wave to the crowd after they just chipped in an eagle or even just after winning a whole bunch of cash. Do double fist pumps, dance on home plate, do your end-zone dance, get emotional. Professional sports is first about ratings and second about the sport... unless you're a World Cup fan.

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  5. Cren,

    what personality does Tiger have beyond the one created by IMG/Nike/ESPN. He has none but that which you preceive him to have. If you don't watch unless he is on TV then you are boob like most of the TV viewing population. There was great golf going on yesterday and you likely missed it because your "hero" wasn't in contention because he and Stevie were too busy yelling at everyone and cursing on the course.

    Lastly, how is this an issue giver Tigers record in the Ryder Cup. HE IS 10-13 for Pete's sake.

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  6. I gotta call bullshit. Czabe, you just have it in for Woods. Pavin won't make the picks until after the first 2 rounds of the FedEx. What if Woods plays well enough at the Barclays to advance, then puts in another top showing at Deutsche Bank? Not to mention that the team as is is going to be very inexperienced. You know damn well that match play is a different animal. Woods would still be a good fourball partner and formidable opponent.

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  7. Bottom line is;

    Cory does NOT want Tiger
    Tiger Never HAS wanted to be a Cupper
    T.V. Wants Tiger badly.

    It'll be interesting to see this play out.

    (imo...No, he should NOT pick him...not even a close call.)

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  8. Forget about stupid golf and Tigger Woods. Jim Rome summed it up quite well on his show Thursday saying "Tiger Woods is the PGA's boring robot.
    Who do you like in college football this season?

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