What a Tool - Jason Dufner Didn't Watch Ryder Cup

[skydog]

You think tiger watches the masters when he is injured? You think he has the boys over for a superbowl like atmosphere? I doubt he does.

You're missing the point entirely comparing watching the RC to the Masters.

And like rb, I acknowledge that his Winston analogy isn't a perfect one but it is a good one to frame the issue here as something beyond just a "why does it matter if he watched" dismissal. When there's constant talk about a lack of unity and true interest in the RC from the American squad, it irks me when some toad like Dufner says something like this and helps validate that argument. It's not a huge issue and most of you disagree, but it's just my $0.02 and something to talk about other than which Tiger body part falls apart next.

[rb72]

Many athletes are not nearly as fanatical  as fans are. If they aren't playing, and their team is not playing, many of them don't bother to watch.

But that's my point. Considering he has been on previous Ryder Cup teams (with some of the same guys) and he was supposed to be on this one, effectively that IS his team. Otherwise I agree. I would have no problem with other American Golfers saying they didn't watch if they had no actual connection to the team. When I first heard him say he didn't watch I almost expected him to give as a reason that it bothered him too much because he couldn't be there but when he didn't it almost came across as him bragging about how watching something so unimportant to him is a waste of his time.Maybe its because i don't care for the guy but that's the impression that I got.

[3putter]

Let me first qualify this by saying that I am somewhat mystified by how many people on this forum count themselves as Dufner fans. To me, the guy has ZERO personality so I'm not quite sure what they are fans of.

Good for you. That lack of personalit is enough for me to like him. Play golf and move on.

[rb72]

Good for you. That lack of personalit is enough for me to like him. Play golf and move on.

Really? So you look forward to the day when human athletes are replaced by robots?

[3putter]

Really? So you look forward to the day when human athletes are replaced by robots?

I like what I like. I wanna see my pro golfers hit good shots and win, anything else is extra. I follow Dufner on Social media, he has more personality than you give him credit for.

[iacas]

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying it's a big deal, but just based on how I would feel about it if the star of my favorite pro team did something like this, it is, at least, a small deal. And correct me if I'm wrong but I believe he did make the team but had to withdraw. I'm not sure how your last statement is relevant since while golf is generally an individual sport, we're talking about the Ryder Cup here which is certainly a TEAM event.

Dufner's got a ton of personality.

Talk to him. At least follow him on Twitter.

[rb72]

Dufner's got a ton of personality.

Talk to him. At least follow him on Twitter.

Well I don't do twitter and its not likely that I'll have any opportunity to talk to him personally anytime soon but what I'm talking about is the image that he projects on television. While I'm sure you can't get a 100% accurate picture of someone's personality from what they project on TV I believe that in most cases it can't be far off. After all, they're not actors. they're not trying to hide who they are. For example, Billy Horschel comes across as an intense gregarious person who wears his heart on his sleeve. And its not even necessary to be intense or outgoing to project personality. Fred Couples is neither of those things, yet he projects as someone who is cool and very likeable. Dufner (IMHO) however, projects as someone who is dull, unkempt and unathletic. He shows no emotion and it seems to me that this is due in large part to the fact that he genuinely feels no emotion. He comes across as someone who doesn't say much because he genuinely doesn't have anything to say. Even his fellow golfers got a kick out of (laughed at him for) the one event that he is most famous for. The picture of him sitting in that classroom fits the image to a tee. Its not that he's sitting on his hands that made it funny, but the dull uninterested look on his face. He's supposed to be there to entertain the children and instead he looks like one of them. And not just any one of them, but the painfully awkward, totally disengaged one who doesn't feel he is included in the festivities and just can't wait for the clock to strike three. He looks like an idiot. Obviously I don't dislike him, or anyone else that I see on TV, personally because I don't know them personally but when you make your living on Television its all about image. And as I said I simply don't understand why so many on this forum are drawn to that particular (and particularly dull) image, but to each his own.

[jamo]

Dufner's got a ton of personality. Talk to him. At least follow him on Twitter.

Yup.

[Zeph]

Well I don't do twitter and its not likely that I'll have any opportunity to talk to him personally anytime soon but what I'm talking about is the image that he projects on television. While I'm sure you can't get a 100% accurate picture of someone's personality from what they project on TV I believe that in most cases it can't be far off. After all, they're not actors. they're not trying to hide who they are. For example, Billy Horschel comes across as an intense gregarious person who wears his heart on his sleeve. And its not even necessary to be intense or outgoing to project personality. Fred Couples is neither of those things, yet he projects as someone who is cool and very likeable. Dufner (IMHO) however, projects as someone who is dull, unkempt and unathletic. He shows no emotion and it seems to me that this is due in large part to the fact that he genuinely feels no emotion. He comes across as someone who doesn't say much because he genuinely doesn't have anything to say. Even his fellow golfers got a kick out of (laughed at him for) the one event that he is most famous for. The picture of him sitting in that classroom fits the image to a tee. Its not that he's sitting on his hands that made it funny, but the dull uninterested look on his face. He's supposed to be there to entertain the children and instead he looks like one of them. And not just any one of them, but the painfully awkward, totally disengaged one who doesn't feel he is included in the festivities and just can't wait for the clock to strike three. He looks like an idiot. Obviously I don't dislike him, or anyone else that I see on TV, personally because I don't know them personally but when you make your living on Television its all about image. And as I said I simply don't understand why so many on this forum are drawn to that particular (and particularly dull) image, but to each his own.

Maybe they know someone who can appear, and I quote you, "dull, uninterested, emotionless" and looks like "an idiot" in real life, and know that how he's projected on TV may say very little about him as a person. Maybe they even see themselves as a person of some resemblence to Dufner, and see how poorly such a person's actual personality shines through in the media.

Sure, he seems a bit emotionless and dull, but how do you peg him as an idiot based on what you've seen?

Some people are naturally gregarious, outspoken and handles the media and attention with ease. Others are on the complete opposite end of the scale, which makes them really hard to evaluate based on how they act on a stage, where they by nature does not thrive. For all we know, Dufner could be putting on a mask (consciously or not) when playing golf or being at the media's attention, simply to be able to focus on what he's doing.

I have met few celebrities in real life, but I believe their personality shows better on a platform like Twitter than on TV. It's still a media platform that is broadcast to millions, but it's more relaxed. In the end, if you really want to get to know someone, you have to meet them or at least have private discussions on the Internet.

And Dufner primarily makes his living playing golf, not being a TV-star. Positive media attention is sometimes useful, but it doesn't make you better at golf. You seem to expect a lot from the golfers just because what they are doing is broadcast to the world. If you look at the list of regulars on the PGA Tour, there are only a selected few that really stand out as people really thriving in and enjoying the media attention. Most of them play their golf, do their interviews and go home.

I don't know if Dufner puts on a mask or not when he's in the eye of the media, but I respect him for not trying to be a monkey to the media and changing who he is just because it's expected by many. After all, he's a golfer, not a TV-personality.

[turtleback]

You're missing the point entirely comparing watching the RC to the Masters.

And like rb, I acknowledge that his Winston analogy isn't a perfect one but it is a good one to frame the issue here as something beyond just a "why does it matter if he watched" dismissal. When there's constant talk about a lack of unity and true interest in the RC from the American squad, it irks me when some toad like Dufner says something like this and helps validate that argument. It's not a huge issue and most of you disagree, but it's just my $0.02 and something to talk about other than which Tiger body part falls apart next.

No it is NOT a good analogy to frame the issue, IMO.

Ongoing team vs, one time team

Professional coaching staff vs. captain with no professional team coaching experience

On the team vs, not on the team

A better, but still terribly weak, analogy would be a pro football player who was selected for the Pro Bowl but was injured and could not play and didn't watch the game.  Or a basketball player who makes the Olympic team but gets injured and can't go and chooses not to watch any of the games.

[iacas]

While I'm sure you can't get a 100% accurate picture of someone's personality from what they project on TV I believe that in most cases it can't be far off.

I don't believe that at all.

Golf is a competitive sport and a teeny portion of what a person is. I've known football players who are among the most generous, open-hearted, giving, caring people I've ever met, and yet on the field they "play" a very different role: wanting to punish the opposition so much their entire family feels the pain.

I don't believe it's anywhere near 100%. Not even 20% perhaps.

[Spitfisher]

You're missing the point entirely comparing watching the RC to the Masters. And like rb, I acknowledge that his Winston analogy isn't a perfect one but it is a good one to frame the issue here as something beyond just a "why does it matter if he watched" dismissal. When there's constant talk about a lack of unity and true interest in the RC from the American squad, it irks me when some toad like Dufner says something like this and helps validate that argument. It's not a huge issue and most of you disagree, but it's just my $0.02 and something to talk about other than which Tiger body part falls apart next.

I understand and get the point entirely, my point as professional golfer perhaps the last thing they want to do is watch more golf, after playing, practicing and golf related commitments. To a vast majority of pro golfers the end of the season is the FedEx cup.

[mvmac]

my point as professional golfer perhaps the last thing they want to do is watch more golf, after playing, practicing and golf related commitments.

I've heard Tiger say that several times.

[Zeph]

Yup, and he's not the only one.

Quote:

Q: Do you watch golf on television?

--Dustin Murphy / Broomfield, Colo.

A: Honestly? Not much. I made a pact with myself a long time ago that I wouldn't watch unless my close friends were in contention. That way, I can give myself a little time away from the game.

--Tiger Woods

[Undr Par]

I'm a JD fan, I do however know that by what I see from him on TV (not a social media guy "Twitter") and don't know him personally that it seems as if I could get more back from the walls in my house then from him...he actually looks stoned to me everytime I see him LOL or like a surf/skate rat from the 90's wanna be....

Onto him not watching the RC...I'm pretty sure that most athletes in whatever given sport they are in after their season is over aren't sitting in front of the TV watching their follow athlets play...I mean I doubt Adam Jones and Nick Markasis are having the boys over watching the Royals and Giants WS games.....for that I think JD gets a pass...I'm not going to hold that against him...and honestly him giving an opinion on future RC decisions, choices for Captain etc, I'm pretty sure the question was asked of him what he thought, should he have just said, "No Comment" I didn't watch it so I'm not giving my 2 cents on that matter?...then this post would have been about him being more of a shell and really not caring...

[cubdog]

On a more positive note I was happy to see Dufner  play reasonably well in Austrailia. His injury could be career threatening so for him to finish as well as he did is encouraging. I hope he has a successful 2015.

cubdog

[skydog]

I follow Dufner on Social media, he has more personality than you give him credit for.

Dufner's got a ton of personality.

Talk to him. At least follow him on Twitter.

I'm not on twitter, and maybe call me old fashioned, but I believe that by definition someone's goofy posts and antics on twitter do not constitute a personality, since you know, a personality has to be expressed IN PERSON and all.

And for all the folks saying it's common for players to not watch their respective peers play once their season is done, you clearly miss the point of why the RC is supposed to be different and why I take issue with public indifference to the event from former players. Europe and many many of its former players are publicly engrossed by and supportive of the event, meanwhile we've got this clown. Night and day, but I'm tired of explaining my position on here.

[newtogolf]

I'm not on twitter, and maybe call me old fashioned, but I believe that by definition someone's goofy posts and antics on twitter do not constitute a personality, since you know, a personality has to be expressed IN PERSON and all.

And for all the folks saying it's common for players to not watch their respective peers play once their season is done, you clearly miss the point of why the RC is supposed to be different and why I take issue with public indifference to the event from former players. Europe and many many of its former players are publicly engrossed by and supportive of the event, meanwhile we've got this clown. Night and day, but I'm tired of explaining my position on here.

I think you want to equate the RC with the Olympics but I'm not sure it's viewed that way (at least I don't), especially since the Olympics will now include golf.  I think we understand your opinion, we just don't agree with it in this particular case but we can agree to disagree