The Ryder Cup would be nothing without anti-Americanism
Posted on Friday, October 01, 2010 at 08:19 AM
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The Ryder Cup teed off this morning and, well, I don't care. It's probably more than not caring because I actively dislike the Ryder Cup. To me it's an event that is built solely on hype and a ludicrous battle between American chauvinism and anti-Americanism.
The ridiculous, over the top, embarrassing nationalistic displays and language used by the American team is intended to lure Americans into rooting for the team (and helpfully boost the TV ratings) because it's "America vs Europe." Despite these efforts, from what I can make out taking American newspaper sports sections and web sites as a guide, American interest in the event is not great.
Over here it's a huge deal. I don't know if people in Germany, Spain or France care about the Ryder Cup, but in Ireland and in Britain this is one massive event.
Golf itself is a big deal over here and I can accept that golf fans would want to watch the Ryder Cup. What I don't understand is all this 'rally around the blue flag' nonsense because nobody really feels "European." Even the flag is a fiction because that is the EU flag, not the flag of Europe. Would the European Ryder Cup team shun a Swiss or Norwegian player because those countries are not EU members? I seriously doubt it.
So, as I stated above, the Ryder Cup's appeal outside of true golf fans is to anti-Americanism. There will be a lot of let's stick it to the Yanks type rhetoric from the tabloid media and those ignoramuses who pay attention to golf every two years. The ostentatious displays of American patriotism play into this anti-Americanism beautifully.
I am sure that the PGA loves encouraging all this WWE style nonsense because it boosts the ratings. They probably also like it because it might actually, hopefully, possibly get the players to really care, almost as much as they might if they were playing for a genuinely desired golf title, like the Masters and British Open, or even a minor title with a tidy pay check.
Fortunately for me, the Ryder Cup is on a pay TV station, one I don't subscribe to. So I'll have absolutely no trouble avoiding it on my TV this weekend. For the past few days it has led every single sports bulletin with the latest on what the players are saying, eating, scratching, whatever.
Maybe there just aren't enough big-time sports here at this time of year and the sportswriters and broadcasters have to do something and the Ryder Cup is it. I just wish they didn't have to stir the pot of anti-Americanism to generate interest. Of course, it probably wouldn't exist without it.
8 comments
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TheYank | Oct 05, 2010, 05:44 AM EDT
citizen69
You're talking my language. I can accept the rivalry bit, but well, who's America's rival in the Ryder Cup? Europe? What's that?
Oh sure, I know where it is, but I'm not nearly as sure as to what that is. There are no easy stereotypes that can be used to describe Europeans, no easy imagery to call on that says these people are our rivals.
But, your comment about rooting for the Irish players is right on the money. This morning's press here is full of admiration for how the Irish players did yesterday. Why not just focus on 'Europe'? Why the insistence on Irish flags at the Ryder Cup? Because Europe is a flag of convenience for this competition. Nobody would imagine a Europe team at the Olympics, would they? Europe at the World Cup? No.
For one weekend, every two years this contrivance is foisted upon us. All of which is fine if not for the rhetoric, which is way over the top. If it's not built around anti-American attitudes, would the competition be as interesting if instead of the US the team was North America, featuring Canadians, and Mexicans? I doubt it. (I don't even know if there are any Canadian or Mexican golfers who are all that good.)
You're talking my language. I can accept the rivalry bit, but well, who's America's rival in the Ryder Cup? Europe? What's that?
Oh sure, I know where it is, but I'm not nearly as sure as to what that is. There are no easy stereotypes that can be used to describe Europeans, no easy imagery to call on that says these people are our rivals.
But, your comment about rooting for the Irish players is right on the money. This morning's press here is full of admiration for how the Irish players did yesterday. Why not just focus on 'Europe'? Why the insistence on Irish flags at the Ryder Cup? Because Europe is a flag of convenience for this competition. Nobody would imagine a Europe team at the Olympics, would they? Europe at the World Cup? No.
For one weekend, every two years this contrivance is foisted upon us. All of which is fine if not for the rhetoric, which is way over the top. If it's not built around anti-American attitudes, would the competition be as interesting if instead of the US the team was North America, featuring Canadians, and Mexicans? I doubt it. (I don't even know if there are any Canadian or Mexican golfers who are all that good.)
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citizen69 | Oct 04, 2010, 12:46 PM EDT
Maybe we don't all feel European but we can support the Irish/Northern Irish players with pride as other member states support their players. This is sport and in Europe sport usually bring great rivalry, so yes the is some Anti-American pot-stirring but i wholeheartedly believe it is light hearted and not meant with any real malice. America is a huge golfing nation so it is special to beat them... Congrats to the Euro team & well done McDowell for a great finish!
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TheYank | Oct 04, 2010, 05:15 AM EDT
If there was real solidarity amongst Europeans you would not have the bitter, vitriolic language used by Greeks & Germans about one another a few months back; you would not have some states suffering economic depressions so that the savings and pension plans of others could be spared any pain; you would not have resentment at people moving from one state to another to "take jobs from the native people"; you would not have forced extraditions of an internal ethnic group.
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TheYank | Oct 04, 2010, 05:13 AM EDT
As for the "feeling European" thing, I'll stick with that. The sense of 'Europeanness' is like a sprinkling of sugar on a cake: it's there and it probably adds to the flavor, but the cake of emotional pull and allegiance would taste pretty much the same without it. National allegiance trumps European allegiance by a long, long way. In America it's the opposite. Feeling for one's state is the sugar on top: has been since state sentiments were crushed in 1861-65.
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TheYank | Oct 04, 2010, 05:06 AM EDT
trevorlynch,
First of all, I want to agree with you. It is both too sweeping and too one-sided. It seemed better to me on Thursday evening than it does now. I'm not going to back away from all that I said above, but the tone is not quite what I wanted. It was supposed to be a lot lighter.
I was talking to a friend of mine on Thursday and he told me that he couldn't stand all the talk, as if the Ryder Cup was a war.
Sure he wanted Europe to win, but only vaguely. It was not on the same level as watching Ireland play an international soccer or "even Rugby" (his words, he's not that big a fan) match. This is a man who LOVES his golf and watches it week in week out. All he really wanted was to see good golf.
And, one last thing, thanks for that info on the flag. I thought it was the EU's flag first and foremost. Now I know different.
First of all, I want to agree with you. It is both too sweeping and too one-sided. It seemed better to me on Thursday evening than it does now. I'm not going to back away from all that I said above, but the tone is not quite what I wanted. It was supposed to be a lot lighter.
I was talking to a friend of mine on Thursday and he told me that he couldn't stand all the talk, as if the Ryder Cup was a war.
Sure he wanted Europe to win, but only vaguely. It was not on the same level as watching Ireland play an international soccer or "even Rugby" (his words, he's not that big a fan) match. This is a man who LOVES his golf and watches it week in week out. All he really wanted was to see good golf.
And, one last thing, thanks for that info on the flag. I thought it was the EU's flag first and foremost. Now I know different.
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DrTrelawney | Oct 02, 2010, 01:54 PM EDT
'because nobody really feels "European."'
Pardon? Where does this insight from? Plenty of people from that continent -- the Irish in particular -- are happy (maybe even proud) to feel themselves Irish.
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trevorlynch | Oct 01, 2010, 04:16 PM EDT
Article is too sweeping for my liking.
The blue flag is European - it's the symbol of the Council of Europe which has 47 member states. The EU also uses this flag, but only adopted it in 1985. Considering Europe comprises many sovereign countries, it's as good as you're going to get.
Yes, I do 'feel' European, and no, I am not anti-American.
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