NEU » into something special." Robinson became

CHASKA, Minn. -- The United States won its first Ryder Cup since 2008, and its first on home soil since 1999, this past weekend at Hazeltine National Golf Club. It was the successful culmination of a two-year process of revamping the program after the disappointment at Gleneagles in 2014.Our panel of experts weighs in on all things Ryder Cup in this weeks edition of Monday Four-Ball.1.?Who were the MVPs for each team?SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman:?For the U.S., this is easy: Patrick Reed. I have never seen a player accept the pressure of the Ryder Cup and flourish as he did. But more than that, he became a superstar who has figured out how to embrace the moment and become a likable heel character. If you want to become a star, you have to connect with the fans. Reed is now that guy. For Europe, it was clear that?Rory McIlroy?was the leader of the team and will be for the next 15 years. He played incredible golf and also embraced giving it right back to the crowd. He was brilliant.ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins:?Reed was definitely the star for the American side. I believe Rafa Cabrera Bello earned MVP status for the Europeans.ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig:?Reed went 3-1-1 for the best U.S. record and was the teams emotional force. He also took down McIlroy in singles, a bigger aspect to the victory than it appears given the overall margin. Reed is now 6-1-2 in nine career Ryder Cup matches. For Europe, it was Belgian Thomas Pieters, who formed a strong partnership with McIlroy and earned the most points for Europe by going 4-1. Its tough to believe the former University of Illinois golfer was a debated captains pick.ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel:?Well, the first is an easy one: Captain America himself, Reed, was the U.S. MVP. For Europe, I know Pieters had a better record, but McIlroy was the best player and team leader. He gets my vote.2.?What was the biggest surprise from the 41st Ryder Cup?Coachman:?My biggest surprise was Bubba Watson. Yes, Bubba. I said on my radio show that there is no way U.S. captain Davis Love III should allow Watson to be a vice captain. I thought he would be a distraction because he would be upset that he wasnt playing. Boy, was I wrong. Brandt Snedeker gave Watson all the credit for his singles match victory, saying that Bubba was in his ear the entire day and took every step with him. I congratulate Watson, who completely turned around my perception of him without even playing.Collins:?I was surprised how little European captain?Darren Clarke?used Matthew Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan. The big course excuse doesnt fly when Zach Johnson was on the U.S. squad.Harig:?The poor play of Martin Kaymer. The 2014 U.S. Open champion was the one who clinched the Cup for Europe at Medinah in 2012. He needed a captains pick this time, and were it not for what turned out to be a meaningless singles win over?Matt Kuchar, when the Cup was already clinched by the U.S., Kaymer would not have earned a point.Sobel:?I guess this shouldnt have been a surprise, but the home crowd was completely and totally into it. Obviously, the 0.1 percent minority who were being idiots and yelling dumb things at players got a lot of attention, but the 99.9 percent majority was jubilant and loud. They deserve the attention over the fans who received more of it.3.?How much does the win validate the Ryder Cup task force?Coachman:?It completely validates it. The word family was used a lot. And what that means is that you can fight and claw and still get along. No one was bigger than the team. Everyone bought in, and I think if they can continue this it will be a magical run. The job now is to start to include younger guys who will force their way onto the team because of their play. And they need to be allowed to do that.Collins:?I dont know that it validates the task force. If the U.S. had lost, would it have negated the task force? I dont believe that. What it does prove is that Team Europes model, which the task force borrowed from, works.Harig:?The Americans will tell you it was validated regardless of the outcome because a plan is in place that will guarantee continuity for years to come. But winning certainly?helps quell all the negativity, as the task force was often ridiculed.Sobel:?This completely validates everything the task force did. I know it was a punchline for much of the past two years, but the planning and strategy were obvious in the overall result. Without having the players fully invested, I dont think it wouldve meant as much to them.4.?Who should be the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain?Coachman:?I think it will be Tom Lehman. The Europeans like to have their next captain be a part of the previous team. Lehman is the only one of this years U.S. assistants who would fit that bill. Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk or even Steve Stricker will want to actually play on the team if they can. We will see.Collins:?I wrote about who the next four captains should be! Check it out here.Harig:?If you go by how the task force laid out the plan for the future, it will be Furyk. He was a Presidents Cup assistant last year as well as an assistant at the Ryder Cup. You can expect him to be an assistant for Stricker at the Presidents Cup next year. Furyk has played on numerous U.S. teams. It sets him up to get the gig in France.Sobel:?Ill do better than that. Here are the next 10: Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson, Phil Mickelson, Phil Mickelson, Phil Mickelson, Phil Mickelson, Phil Mickelson, Phil Mickelson and Phil Mickelson. I really think once Phil gets in charge, hell hold the position in perpetuity. As for Woods, hell be more than content to make behind-the-scenes decisions and walk the fairways with an earpiece without having to deal with the media and other responsibilities. Asics Shoes Outlet Australia .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. Asics Clearance Sale Australia . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. http://www.salenikeshoesaustralia.com/air-vapormax-clearance/vapormax-flyknit-cheap.html . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. Asics Gel Sale Australia .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Nike Air Max 1 Australia .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. CANTON, Ohio -- Forcefully and emotionally, Cris Carter summed up the 50th induction ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night. The seventh and final inductee from the Class of 2013, Carter honoured dozens of people in his life who were "going into the Hall of Fame with me tonight," as he followed Jonathan Ogden, Dave Robinson, Larry Allen, Bill Parcells, Curley Culp and Warren Sapp in being inducted. More than 120 hall members, a record, and a crowd of 11,500 was on hand at Fawcett Stadium for the golden anniversary celebration of the shrine. "I appreciate the process you have to go through to get to be a Hall of Famer," Carter said. "To be able to join these men on this stage in football heaven is the greatest day of my life." Carter needed six tries to make the hall even though he retired as the No. 2 career receiver behind Jerry Rice. He choked back tears as he made his speech after being presented by his son, Duron, and he spoke of his problems with alcohol while playing three years for the Eagles before being released. He hooked on immediately with the Vikings and hooked onto nearly everything throw his way: Carter finished his 16-season career with 1,101 catches for 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns. "This game gave me identity, gave me a sense of purpose," he said. Parcells also seemingly spoke for everyone in the Hall of Fame, and all the people gathered Saturday night. "Theres a kinship created that lasts for the rest of your life," he said about his experience as one of the NFLs most successful coaches. The master of the franchise turnaround as the only coach to take four teams to the playoffs, Parcells won Super Bowls with the New York Giants in the 1986 and 1990 seasons. "Every organization I worked for supported me to the fullest," Parcells said. "Without that, youve got no shot." Parcells was Coach of the Year honours in 1986 and 1994. He asked to have his bust placed somewhere near Lawrence Taylor in the hall "so I can keep an eye on that sucker." As relaxed as if he had no one to block, Ogden became the first Baltimore Raven enshrined. The first player drafted by the Ravens after the franchise moved from Cleveland in 1996 and was renamed, Ogden was presented by the man who made that selection, fellow Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome, now Baltimores general manager. A former college shot putter at UCLA, the 6-foot-9, 345-pound Ogden starred at tackle for a dozen seasons in Baltimore, winning the 2000 NFL championship. "He is part of the foundation of this franchise, part of the reason we have two Super Bowl championships," Newsome said. Ogden, who was given a 2013 Super Bowl ring by the team, made the hall in his first year of eligibility. He was a six-time All-Pro, made the Pro Bowl 11 times and was the main blocker when Jamal Lewis rushed for 2,066 yards in 2003.dddddddddddd. "Talent isnt enough," Ogden said. "A lot of people have talent, they dont always live up to it. For me it is about maximizing, striving for perfection." Allen, who sniffled his way through his speech, was just as dominating a blocker as Ogden. He also was the NFLs strongest man, once bench-pressing 700 pounds, saying "I did it naturally." A lead blocker for Dallas as Emmitt Smith became the NFLs career rushing leader, Allen made six All-Pro squads and 11 Pro Bowls in his 14 seasons, the final two with San Francisco. He won the Super Bowl in the 1995 season and was voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, "I just knew I had to win every play," he said. "Thats the reason I am here. I knew if I lost a play, I had 45 seconds to get even." Sapp became only the second Tampa Bay Buccaneer enshrined, 18 years after Lee Roy Selmon made it. He was elected in his first year of eligibility following 13 seasons in which he went from instant starter after being selected 12th overall in the 1995 draft to Defensive Player of the Year in 1999. That season, he had 12 1/2 sacks as the Bucs won their first division title in 18 years. For his career, Sapp had 96 1/2 sacks, extremely high for a defensive tackle. "I sit here with the greatest among the great," Sapp said, breaking into tears. "Were here, baby." Presented Saturday night by his 15-year-old daughter, Mercedes, Sapp made the NFLs All-Decade squads for the 1990s and the 2000s. Sapp, who both Ogden and Allen said was as tough to handle as any player they faced, paid tribute to his roots in Plymouth, Fla. "That dirt road was something rough," he said. "We sure turned it into something special." Robinson became the 12th inductee from the vintage Packers coached by Vince Lombardi to be enshrined. Robinson was a prototype outside linebacker who could rush the quarterback, cover tight ends or running backs on pass plays, and stop the run. He made the NFLs All-Decade team of the 1960s and won three NFL titles, including the first two Super Bowls. "This is the biggest day of the 21st century for the Robinson family," he said, adding that he "lives 25 miles from here but it took me 38 years to get here. "Now, I am immortalized." As is Culp, one of the games most dominant defensive tackles for much of his 14 pro seasons, including the 1969 season when he helped Kansas City win the NFL title. A five-time Pro Bowler, Culp also played for Houston and Detroit, retiring in 1981, then waiting more than three decades to be enshrined Saturday as a senior nominee. "It gives me joy and inspiration that will last the rest of my life," Culp said. "I am just overwhelmed by the struggles, joys and tears of those who made it here. Im happy to join them in the Hall of Fame. ' ' '