The Ryder Cup

Where’s this week’s episode of Talkin’ with Tewks Live, you ask? I know many of you access this site every Monday morning purely for the opportunity to hear my smooth, syrupy baritone and CSzem’s high-pitched shrill.

You can direct your complaints to my cohost as he begged off podcast duties early this morning. Why? I’m not sure, although I can only assume it has something to do with spending his son’s university savings to cover his massive gambling debts.

I don’t consider myself that much of an intimidating guy, but I could almost hear CSzem’s knees quaking while I read his text asking, nay begging, for a postponement. Here’s a word for word transcript of his message. I felt like Rocky talking to one of Gazzo’s deadbeat clients. Once again, this is verbatim:

“Um, Mr. Tewks, sir. Um, would it be possible if we moved the podcast to tomorrow? I’m really sorry, sir. I just really need it moved by a day. I don’t know enough about baseball to match your unparalleled intelligence and wit. I’m so, so sorry, Mr. Tewks. Please forgive me.”

Pathetic, right?

So, instead of a podcast previewing the MLB playoffs, I’m going to scramble something together and comment on The Ryder Cup as I watch singles play live this Monday morning.

Rain and the time difference has wreaked absolute havoc on my ability to watch coverage of the event and figure out what’s going on in the 38th edition of the format. I could never figure out if the coverage was live or not and usually just retreated to the internet to figure out where things stood.

Some comments about the event:

- The performance by the Europeans on Sunday was incredibly impressive. They very nearly whitewashed play letting the US only garner a single half point and putting a stranglehold on the competition (barring a Brookline-esque collapse)

- I love watching golfers with zero athletic talent, except the ability to hit a golf ball, prance and preen around the green yelling at the top of their lungs and pumping their firsts like they just made a sack in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl

- This is definitely the most exciting event in golf. Golfers rarely show emotion and most crowds are stodgy and boring, but not in The Ryder Cup. Everyone is jacked up to an unfathomable degree.

- My love for the European squad is waning with every Ole chant that springs up in the crowd. Then I remember seeing the US WAGs (wives and girlfriends) running onto the green in high heels at Brookline and my hatred for the American squad comes to the fore once again.

- I love how the announcers assume that the viewing audience cannot do simple arithmetic and say things like “Europe needs 14.5 points to win. They currently have 9.5. That means they need five more points to win.” Thanks, guys. What would we do without you?

- Tiger appears to be back. After losing the first two holes to one of the Molinari brothers, he has put together an incredible round, including five birdies and an eagle (as of 8:30am).

- I will never get tired of hearing the crowd cheer for bad shots by the US squad. Something about it makes me smile.

The NBC crew is trying way too hard to make it seem like the US has a chance. This competition is over. I’m going to watch the rest of the coverage unfettered and hope CSzem sacks up for tomorrow.