Mickelson vs Watson: Was Phil Right to Be Critical of Watson at the Press Conference?

[baw1]

Phil was wrong. Seems pretty clear to me. You don't criticize your leader an hour after the end of the match in front of him and in front of the world's media. Classless. You win and lose as a team (Ryder Cup is a team event). Suck it up and give the the other team credit. Phil should have known better not to take the bait from the press. Furyk's remarks were appropriate. I wouldn't be surprised to see an apology forthcoming in the coming days.

[iacas]

Phil was wrong. Seems pretty clear to me. You don't criticize your leader an hour after the end of the match in front of him and in front of the world's media. Classless. You win and lose as a team (Ryder Cup is a team event).

Why don't you?

Maybe he's sick of losing? Maybe he's bit his tongue several years now, since 1999 (except in 2008), and he's finally had enough. It's not like this is a rare occurrence, the U.S. team losing. They lose when they're favored, the underdogs, etc. They lose often.

Tom did what he thought was right, and now we have a player on the inside of it all disagreeing, publicly.

Bear in mind I'm a big fan of people being direct and honest. This is a lot better - and will serve the U.S. team more - than if Phil had read from the script of "we didn't get it done, they are a great team, let's get them next time, blah blah blah."

[newtogolf]

It's been rumored the reason Watson sat Phil and Keegan on Saturday is because someone overheard them questioning some of the decisions Watson made.  Watson fed into the rumor when he said the reason he sat Phil and Keegan on Saturday wasn't something he felt should be discussed during a television interview.

[Infamous 273]

I think after a defeat like that, Phil owed the fans that level of honesty. Right or wrong, it was necessary to get his point across while people were still paying attention.

[baw1]

Why don't you?

Maybe he's sick of losing? Maybe he's bit his tongue several years now, since 1999 (except in 2008), and he's finally had enough. It's not like this is a rare occurrence, the U.S. team losing. They lose when they're favored, the underdogs, etc. They lose often.

Tom did what he thought was right, and now we have a player on the inside of it all disagreeing, publicly.

Bear in mind I'm a big fan of people being direct and honest. This is a lot better - and will serve the U.S. team more - than if Phil had read from the script of "we didn't get it done, they are a great team, let's get them next time, blah blah blah."

A couple of points I’ll make:

* Timing is wrong. Being critical of your leader at the press conference immediately following the defeat in front of your leader and the world is disrespectful and hurtful to him and many others. There is etiquette on and OFF the course. Especially when you are part of a team.

* Tom did not play in the event and cannot make birdies as a captain. 12 others did. All championship caliber players. They did not get the job done.

* Last time Tom captained, they did win the cup.

* Being sick of losing is a good thing and striving for positive change is a good thing.

* Finally, I just bought your book and looking forward to reading it!   :)

[RH31]

What a big baby! We need our pod system to play better waaaaaaa.....

Nothing worse than an excuse making loser blaming his captain(s) for the teams loss.

Very selfish to criticize the team captain at that moment after all the time and effort he put into it.

[newtogolf]

A couple of points I’ll make:

* Timing is wrong. Being critical of your leader at the press conference immediately following the defeat in front of your leader and the world is disrespectful and hurtful to him and many others. There is etiquette on and OFF the course. Especially when you are part of a team.

* Tom did not play in the event and cannot make birdies as a captain. 12 others did. All championship caliber players. They did not get the job done.

* Last time Tom captained, they did win the cup.

* Being sick of losing is a good thing and striving for positive change is a good thing.

* Finally, I just bought your book and looking forward to reading it!   :)

Golf is an individual sport but the Ryder Cup is a team event.  Watson, the team captain made his picks and had full control over who would play and when.  He may not have hit a golf ball but he fielded the team.

Rex Ryan doesn't play QB or on defense but that doesn't stop the media from questioning his decisions as coach and assigning him blame for losses when he opts to play Smith over Vick, why should Watson not be under the same scrutiny?

[Jeremie Boop]

What a big baby! We need our pod system to play better waaaaaaa.....

Nothing worse than an excuse making loser blaming his captain(s) for the teams loss.

Very selfish to criticize the team captain at that moment after all the time and effort he put into it.

Wait, what? Can't blame the captain for a loss? I guess you can't credit him for a win either by that logic.

[iacas]

* Timing is wrong. Being critical of your leader at the press conference immediately following the defeat in front of your leader and the world is disrespectful and hurtful to him and many others.

Timing couldn't have been better. If he says it on Wednesday a few people write about it. Plus, he was ASKED THE QUESTION about 2008. He didn't just start talking about it.

* Tom did not play in the event and cannot make birdies as a captain. 12 others did. All championship caliber players. They did not get the job done.

Tom decided who played (when and with whom), and he picked 25% of the team.

* Last time Tom captained, they did win the cup.

That was a looooong time ago. The game has changed. Europe has good players now.

[skydog]

It's been rumored the reason Watson sat Phil and Keegan on Saturday is because someone overheard them questioning some of the decisions Watson made.  Watson fed into the rumor when he said the reason he sat Phil and Keegan on Saturday wasn't something he felt should be discussed during a television interview.

I hadn't heard this but it's interesting and adds another layer here. Say what you want about Phil- he's not usually one to be overtly confrontational or disrespectful. There could be more to this story and more than meets the eye that we don't know about.

[iacas]

Say what you want about Phil- he's not usually one to be overtly confrontational or disrespectful.

Phil has done things on numerous occasions. He's questioned Finchem. Mike Davies. Course architects. Course setup. How the PGA handled the Championship's waning moments (and waning sunlight). The grooves thing. Etc. His comments on taxes… WDing from a playoff event… the list is long, and you don't even have to leave 2014 before you need a second hand to count them.

Phil has smiled (and thus skated) his way through it all, but Phil is one of the more confrontational players on the PGA Tour.

[Fourputt]

I voted yes.

The U.S. team has sucked and Phil is taking a leadership role. Sometimes that means ruffling feathers. If he said it at any other time it would not have had the impact it had this time. He's older, will be a Ryder Cup captain soon enough, and then people can remind him of what he said should his team fail to win. He knows this, too.

Watson was a terrible captain. Yes, had the guys played better Sunday they'd have won… but they basically split the singles matches and lost by a LOT. Why? Because they were down 10-6 going into it. Why was Webb first off the tee playing terribly? Why were Reed/Spieth sat? Etc.

The list of gaffes is huge.

It goes beyond the "pod" system Azinger used, though making players a little bit more accountable for and to each other - having a game plan so players know WHY they're sitting or that they might sit if they don't produce also helps.

Agree.

Phil was wrong. Seems pretty clear to me. You don't criticize your leader an hour after the end of the match in front of him and in front of the world's media. Classless. You win and lose as a team (Ryder Cup is a team event). Suck it up and give the the other team credit. Phil should have known better not to take the bait from the press. Furyk's remarks were appropriate. I wouldn't be surprised to see an apology forthcoming in the coming days.

What leader.  Tom didn't lead, he bossed.  Big difference.

I think after a defeat like that, Phil owed the fans that level of honesty. Right or wrong, it was necessary to get his point across while people were still paying attention.

Someone had to say it.  I'm so sick of people being politically correct regardless of their true feelings.  Phil did what he is known for, he expressed his opinion honestly.  There was no axe to grind, just an honest answer to the question he was asked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas

Why don't you?

Maybe he's sick of losing? Maybe he's bit his tongue several years now, since 1999 (except in 2008), and he's finally had enough. It's not like this is a rare occurrence, the U.S. team losing. They lose when they're favored, the underdogs, etc. They lose often.

Tom did what he thought was right, and now we have a player on the inside of it all disagreeing, publicly.

Bear in mind I'm a big fan of people being direct and honest. This is a lot better - and will serve the U.S. team more - than if Phil had read from the script of "we didn't get it done, they are a great team, let's get them next time, blah blah blah."

A couple of points I’ll make:

* Timing is wrong. Being critical of your leader at the press conference immediately following the defeat in front of your leader and the world is disrespectful and hurtful to him and many others. There is etiquette on and OFF the course. Especially when you are part of a team.

* Tom did not play in the event and cannot make birdies as a captain. 12 others did. All championship caliber players. They did not get the job done.

* Last time Tom captained, they did win the cup.

* Being sick of losing is a good thing and striving for positive change is a good thing.

* Finally, I just bought your book and looking forward to reading it!   :)

1) Timing is right on point.  Regardless of whether the Euros are better golfers, the US isn't a team.  They rarely act like a team, and Watson doesn't lead, he bosses.

2) But Tom can help to create a better cooperative environment by soliciting input from the players as to how they think they might match up with the opposing players.  These guys have played in pairings together a lot in PGA tournaments.  They ought to have a feeling for who might be a better match in a given situation.  Such an environment helps to create a feeling of teamwork, something important when you are supposed to be leading a bunch of guys who spend most of their playing lives as a team of one.  A good leader makes maximum use of the resources available to him.

3) Irrelevant - different players on both sides

4) That's all I see that Phil was really doing - asking to try going back to a plan closer to the one used the last time they were successful.

[MS256]

Golf is an individual sport but the Ryder Cup is a team event.  Watson, the team captain made his picks and had full control over who would play and when.  He may not have hit a golf ball but he fielded the team.

Rex Ryan doesn't play QB or on defense but that doesn't stop the media from questioning his decisions as coach and assigning him blame for losses when he opts to play Smith over Vick, why should Watson not be under the same scrutiny?

Nothing wrong with scrutiny. Bad mouthing the captain's decisions with him sitting right there is not scrutiny. It's being a whiny baby that could use a good butt spanking.

Quite a difference between coaching a football team and being the Ryder Cup captain. On a football team the player that did that in a press conference would probably be playing somewhere else the next week (if somebody wanted him). A coach can mold his team and demand certain things from them and if they are uncooperative he can get rid of them one way or another.

Golfers don't have to cooperate at all with the captain and the only repercussions for them if they sabotage the clubhouse is that they probably won't win. Players undermining a coach is a cancer in any locker room in any sport.

[skydog]

Phil has done things on numerous occasions. He's questioned Finchem. Mike Davies. Course architects. Course setup. How the PGA handled the Championship's waning moments (and waning sunlight). The grooves thing. Etc. His comments on taxes… WDing from a playoff event… the list is long, and you don't even have to leave 2014 before you need a second hand to count them.

Phil has smiled (and thus skated) his way through it all, but Phil is one of the more confrontational players on the PGA Tour.

OK, not my point though Eric. Yes, he almost always speaks his mind but this time felt different, IMO, and potentially adds credence to the thought that personal matters may have factored into Phil's Saturday benching and may have then resulted in this argurably personal rebuttal directed at TWatson. If Tom benched Phil for BS personal reasons, that gives Phil every right to fire back at him, and if that was the case, Phil took it easier on Tom than he should have, IMO.

I voted yes but have mixed feelings about it, especially considering Phil is the biggest loser in RC history.

[Jeremie Boop]

Nothing wrong with scrutiny. Bad mouthing the captain's decisions with him sitting right there is not scrutiny. It's being a whiny baby that could use a good butt spanking.

Quite a difference between coaching a football team and being the Ryder Cup captain. On a football team the player that did that in a press conference would probably be playing somewhere else the next week (if somebody wanted him). A coach can mold his team and demand certain things from them and if they are uncooperative he can get rid of them one way or another.

Golfers don't have to cooperate at all with the captain and the only repercussions for them if they sabotage the clubhouse is that they probably won't win. Players undermining a coach is a cancer in any locker room in any sport.

I'm confused on something, isn't it BETTER that Phil said it in front of Watson? People keep making the comment that saying it while Watson was right there makes it worse? It's like those of you saying this are insinuating that it's better to talk behind someone's back. Phil was upfront and honest. He made the comment in front of Watson because that's the more respectful thing to do than wait until he isn't around to do so.

[MS256]

I'm confused on something, isn't it BETTER that Phil said it in front of Watson? People keep making the comment that saying it while Watson was right there makes it worse? It's like those of you saying this are insinuating that it's better to talk behind someone's back. Phil was upfront and honest. He made the comment in front of Watson because that's the more respectful thing to do than wait until he isn't around to do so.

Not to me. He should have told him what he thought in private instead of a backhanded public ambush where Watson really didn't have the option of much retaliation or rebuttal (or punching him in the nose).

[iacas]

Nothing wrong with scrutiny. Bad mouthing the captain's decisions with him sitting right there is not scrutiny. It's being a whiny baby that could use a good butt spanking.

Completely disagree. Watson was right there. Doing it later, somewhat off the record and away from ALL the press AND Watson AND his teammates would have been the sleazy way to do it.

Quite a difference between coaching a football team and being the Ryder Cup captain. On a football team the player that did that in a press conference would probably be playing somewhere else the next week (if somebody wanted him). A coach can mold his team and demand certain things from them and if they are uncooperative he can get rid of them one way or another.

Bull. Coaches are fired all the time rather than trading the all-star player. Hockey, baseball, football, basketball. Happens all the time. Easier to fire the coach than to fire the players (and find players just as good).

Imagine a scenario wherein Alex Ovechkin whined about his coach. You think they'd trade #8 and keep the coach? Oh wait, that already happened… they fired the coach.

Golfers don't have to cooperate at all with the captain and the only repercussions for them if they sabotage the clubhouse is that they probably won't win. Players undermining a coach is a cancer in any locker room in any sport.

Who is to say the players didn't agree with Phil?

OK, not my point though Eric. Yes, he almost always speaks his mind

I don't know who Eric is, but you said Phil wasn't controversial, and I disagree and shared why.

I'm confused on something, isn't it BETTER that Phil said it in front of Watson? People keep making the comment that saying it while Watson was right there makes it worse? It's like those of you saying this are insinuating that it's better to talk behind someone's back. Phil was upfront and honest. He made the comment in front of Watson because that's the more respectful thing to do than wait until he isn't around to do so.

+1.

Not to me. He should have told him what he thought in private instead of a backhanded public ambush where Watson really didn't have the option of much retaliation or rebuttal (or punching him in the nose).

What good would doing this in private have done?

So eventually a few members of the press might hear a little bit about a brief private meeting? What change would that bring about?

None.

[Dave2512]

I say yes but he should have called out Bubba Watson as well as a few others on the team. It was very winnable and they let it slip through their fingers. The biggest gaffe was sitting JS/PR on Fri afternoon. Not only because they were hot but because after winning the AM session they had momentum. Then after he was fried by the media Fri night he went total 180 and got weird with the pairs he sent out on Sat.

But Phil needs to look in the mirror and point the finger at himself. He was out there with Bradley on Fri doing the sad-sack despite being billed as the invincible US pair that had to be together to mow down anyone put before them. A big reason the out of form KB was a pick. IMO they were doomed after they bailed on the BMW. But the media is fickle with this stuff. They started the blame game on Fri and now they're upset with Phil. Just like Medinah they are already calling for the next captain savior.