Match game for NBC in Ryder Cup
The United States team, without Tiger Woods, will attempt to end the Europeans' dominance in the 37th Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The US, loser of the last three competitions, last won in 1999. Paul Azinger is captain of the American team and Nick Faldo is captain of the European squad.
ESPN will air the foursome and four-ball matches from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. today (produced by NBC). Tomorrow the coverage shifts to NBC for the foursome and four-ball matches (8 a.m.-6 p.m.), and NBC airs the singles matches from noon-6 p.m. Sunday.
NBC Sports golf producer Tommy Roy said the coverage of match play is not the same as stroke play.
"We view match play as one of our specialties," he said. "For example, when we go to a match, we stay with it. You can't jump around from player to player and hole to hole as you would in a stroke-play event. It's a daunting task, but one that we love."
With no Woods, the US will be counting on Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, and 1999 Ryder Cup hero Justin Leonard.
"The US has only won one time in the last 14 years, and that was a miracle at Brookline," said NBC broadcaster Johnny Miller. "These 9-point differences the last two Ryder Cups is just almost, they're embarrassing, that's the only way to look at it. The Euros are favorites. They've earned that right. The pressure is amazing at the Ryder Cup, higher than any other event in all of golf."
Despite how well the Europeans have played, Miller predicts the Americans will prevail this time.
"I think it's going to be really close," said Miller. "I think this Ryder Cup is going to be right down to the wire. The US is going to have to out-putt this mighty Euro team, which, on paper, is a better team. They're a little better team than the US without Tiger there, no doubt about it."
Fond farewell
ESPN will bid farewell to Yankee Stadium with a daylong tribute Sunday. Baltimore will be in the Bronx to take on the Yankees at 8 p.m. The game will be called by Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, with Peter Gammons reporting. Pregame ceremonies begin on ESPN2 at 7. "SportsCenter" will air specials on ESPN from 1-3 p.m. and 4-6, "Baseball Tonight" will run features at 6, and "SportsCenter" will have coverage at 7. The postgame ceremonies will air live on ESPNews with ESPN covering them as part of "SportsCenter." On the Internet, ESPN.com will have a recap of some of the top moments in the stadium's history, blogs and live chats from the ballpark, an archive of 30 stadium vignettes, and an article by ESPN.com's Wright Thompson that looks back on key stadium moments . . . In case you haven't seen enough of the American League East-leading Rays lately, the Fox Sports "Baseball Game of the Week" tomorrow will feature Minnesota at Tampa Bay. Coverage begins with the pregame show at 3:30. Play-by-play announcer Mike Joy will be joined in the booth at Tropicana Field by analyst Joe Magrane. Joy, who is the "NASCAR on Fox" race announcer, began his career as a public address announcer at speedways in New England during his student years at the University of Hartford and Emerson College . . . On Sunday, Fox will air the New Orleans Saints at the Denver Broncos at 4 p.m. with the announcing team of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver . . . Since getting spanked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, the Raiders compiled a dismal record of 19-61 over the next five seasons. This year they are 1-1. Fox NFL Sunday analyst Jimmy Johnson minced no words when asked about the state of the team. "It's a mess and it's been a mess for quite some time," said Johnson. "I just don't know how anybody functions in that type of atmosphere. They do have some good young players and they showed that this past Sunday [a 23-8 win over Kansas City]. I think eventually this team will be one to be dealt with, but as far as being a coach there, being an assistant coach, being someone in administration, it really is a mess."