Who would you choose for the Ryder Cup ?

[Lefty]

Whatever happened to the likes of Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio & Stan Musial whom played their entire careers with one team.

Agents who make money by helping players change teams.

[Lefty]

Ignore Jack's opinion at your peril

BBC SPORT | Golf | Nicklaus bullish over US chances

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Lefty

Agents who make money by helping players change teams.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with players changing teams. Just as I see nothing wrong with you or I changing employers when it's beneficial to us to do so.

[Lefty]

Players changing teams depends on the reasons and the peopel who benefit.

The growth of the sports agent has seen players in many sports changing teams because of higher wages and the agent getting bigger fees. It has seen the erosion of any loyalty to clubs, especially those who grew up wanting to play for the club they supported as a kid. When I worked in Premier League football I saw cheques flying out to greedy agents who deserved little.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Lefty

Players changing teams depends on the reasons and the peopel who benefit.

The growth of the sports agent has seen players in many sports changing teams because of higher wages and the agent getting bigger fees. It has seen the erosion of any loyalty to clubs, especially those who grew up wanting to play for the club they supported as a kid. When I worked in Premier League football I saw cheques flying out to greedy agents who deserved little.

I can't speak for your clubs and any loyalty issues but loyalty in American sports became extinct with laws allowed the creation of the free agent player. Some blame players, some blame team owners, and some blame sports agents. Anyone that blames the agents has put the cart before the horse. Agents simply provide a service that both players and owners wantonly seek. They are not the bad guys here.

You mentioned "loyalty to clubs" but in American sports that gate swings both ways. Owners trade and cut players every day in an effort to better their teams. Loyalty is not a word associated with team owners. American sport has become such huge business that players and owners alike are looking out for their own best interests and loyalty is rarely, if ever, an issue. Blame the agents if you like but without team owners that will pay any price to obtain top players and players that follow the money, agents would be as extinct in sport as loyalty has become.

[GolfSavage]

I'm not real fond of the players and teams that negotiate a contract, then fail to live up to it. If you agree to play somewhere for 3 years for "X" amount of money, then someone else gets a better contract the next year, you shouldn't be able to hold out for more money until it's time for a new contract. By the same token, if a team signs you for 3 years, but gets in salary cap trouble, they shouldn't be allowed to dump you just to make room to buy someone else. Perhaps they put clauses in to allow such things, or there are performance clauses and bonuses, etc. but a contract should be honored and both sides held to it.

[JungleJ]

Originally Posted by colourblindchameleon

Rose for example forfeited his Fedex placing in America to ensure he guaranteed his place in the Ryder Cup team by recently playing in both Holland and Scotland ...whereas Poulter and Casey didn`t. If there were no captain`s picks then it would have been very interesting to see whether the likes of Casey and Poulter would have bothered to play at Glen Eagles last week! Poulter may have harpped on about how much he wanted to be in the Ryder Cup team, but his actions stated otherwise!

It`s a bit like footballers who kiss the emblem on their shirt after scoring a goal, and then go and sign for a different club the next week!

The suspicion is that Faldo tipped Poulter off about the captain's pick - so Poulter was actually protecting his place on the team by skipping Gleneagles. If Poulter had played there and stunk out the joint, Faldo would have been crucified for naming him to the team.

I reckon Casey also knew his place was secure. In the past both have shown they want to play the RC, and have secured the results they needed on the final weekend.

[Darth Fader]

Originally Posted by JungleJ

The suspicion is that Faldo tipped Poulter off about the captain's pick - so Poulter was actually protecting his place on the team by skipping Gleneagles. If Poulter had played there and stunk out the joint, Faldo would have been crucified for naming him to the team.

I reckon Casey also knew his place was secure. In the past both have shown they want to play the RC, and have secured the results they needed on the final weekend.

I was a marshal at the Johnnie Walker championship at Gleneagles,on the Friday morning the players were talking about the 2 picks being Poulter and Casey,not furtively but on the range area and the practice putting green,anyone in the vicinity would have heard it.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Darth Fader

I was a marshal at the Johnnie Walker championship at Gleneagles,on the Friday morning the players were talking about the 2 picks being Poulter and Casey,not furtively but on the range area and the practice putting green,anyone in the vicinity would have heard it.

Gee thanks for all the inside-the-ropes info you shared with us.

[Darth Fader]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

Gee thanks for all the inside-the-ropes info you shared with us.

It was pretty un-spectacular actualy,apart from spending the best part of 4 days getting a good view from inside the ropes,un-limited access to watching these guys practice etc,pretty boring really.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Darth Fader

It was pretty un-spectacular actualy,apart from spending the best part of 4 days getting a good view from inside the ropes,un-limited access to watching these guys practice etc,pretty boring really.

We wouldn't want to impose on you to share some of the less boring stuff.

[Lefty]

At the Belfry, Clarke shot 80, Monty is heading the same way.

So Faldo's picks are looking better

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Lefty

At the Belfry, Clarke shot 80, Monty is heading the same way.

So Faldo's picks are looking better

They may look better to you but that 11 1/2 points they earned still looks great to us.

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by Lefty

At the Belfry, Clarke shot 80, Monty is heading the same way.

So Faldo's picks are looking better

Monty seems about done to me. I said that before the RC. Darren's been having trouble putting a 4 good rounds together too. There comes a time ... and Nick is taking the blame for it. He's used to it though.

[Leaguegolf]

I doubt Monty and Darren together would've played as well as Poulter. They are your versions of Davis Love III.

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

I doubt Monty and Darren together would've played as well as Poulter. They are your versions of Davis Love III.

Exactly. It would've been like Zinger picking DL3 or Freddie Couples. It was time to move on.