Azinger calls Faldo something that rhymes with 'Nick'
Azinger says tabloid story is inaccurate
Update: In an interview with SI's Gary Van Sickle on Sunday night, Azinger called the story in The Daily Mail inaccurate and said it distorted his quotes.
If you like your Ryder Cup with a little bite, you're going to love Valhalla this September.
It is well known that the U.S. captain, Paul Azinger, and the European captain, Nick Faldo, have had a frosty relationship through the years, first as players and then as broadcasters. Considering that neither man would ever be called reticent, we thought it was just a matter of time before one of them couldn't hold his tongue any longer. Well, that time is now.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Daily Mail, Azinger took aim at Faldo's transformation from aloof player to affable Golf Channel broadcaster. Zinger, for one, isn't buying it.
"Nick Faldo has tried to redefine himself," Azinger said. "I'd say he is both who he is and who he was. Some people have bought it. Some have not. But if you're going to be a p***k and everyone hates you, why do you think that just because you're trying to be cute and funny on air now that the same people are all going to start to like you?
"The bottom line is that the players from his generation and mine really don't want to have anything to do with him. He did what he did as a player and there are relational consequences."
Trading insults in the papers is a far cry from 2006 U.S. captain Tom Lehman's team-bonding barbecues, but the U.S. team could use the edge Azinger clearly intends to bring. It's not like things can get any worse for the Americans, who have lost five of the past six cups and were embarrassed, 18 1/2 to 9 1/2, in 2006 and 2004.
Posted by: Brian Taylor | Apr 8, 2008 1:30:18 PM
I think Nick won the war on the golf course and on the airwaves. That being said Paul is a great guy and will lead the US team well in the RC.
Posted by: Henry | Apr 8, 2008 10:51:29 AM
Nick has always had a quick wit, but he's also carried the label of jerk very well. At the Byron Nelson several years back during a tues. practice round, Faldo hit up on a green where a pro friend of mine was practicing. No fore from him or Fannie. Came up to the green, hit some sand shots, one which hit the other caddie, and a few putts. Not a word was uttered by him to anyone. That friend of mine is Rafael Alarcon, who you of course now know as Lorena's long time coach. When Faldo left, we just looked at each other and Rafa gave me that smile and simply shook his head. That's the real Faldo.
Posted by: Kevin | Apr 8, 2008 7:49:47 AM
Nick is by far the better and more accomplished player, but Zinger is the man the people will go to war for. But at the end of the day it doesn't really matter, the Euro's have won more RC's recently because they have played and putted better. It's that simple..
Posted by: Viktor K | Apr 7, 2008 4:24:51 PM
And Azinger tries to get away with it, naming the interview 'a distortion, inaccurate'.
He names Tiger a nut, in every aspect (does z try to get away from that too ? Insults Montgomerie. And this US team leader is known breaking and throwing clubs, being the opposite of a sunbeam. Already he has given the Europeans a fantastic motivating start signal, when the American..sorry Canada and Mexico and whole of South America, ..I mean when the US RC leader acts so like a pn..ick !!
Posted by: Robert Eaton Kelley | Apr 7, 2008 3:50:50 PM
The Faldo I have followed as a writer, fan, and lover of golf both in the U.S. and Europe over the years is a man of wit and intelligence, who probably also has not suffered fools. Such wit and intelligence are not always found in sports, and perhaps that has been the problem in the past. But kudos to him as a TV analyst. Incidentally, I'm not aware that all the fans and players love Johnny Miller--another good commentator--either.
Posted by: richard | Apr 7, 2008 11:46:35 AM
Faldo is still Faldo in the booth. His sense of humor is sort of fake; comes across as sort of silly. He can be a good analyst, if he just sticks to that. But he is clearly a jerk, and it is no surprise that a class guy like Z can't stand him. I agree with others: it's good for the U.S. position in the Cup, the four days every two years the likes of Monty and Sergio actually shine.
Posted by: Andrew | Apr 7, 2008 11:02:46 AM
I'll tell you now: the US will take Nick Faldo and Co to the cleaners in the next Ryder Cup clash in Kentucky. I have interviewed Faldo on a number of occasions over the years and Nick has seldom been easy on the media, that is, until he joined their ranks and had to polish his image. With six majors to his credit, Faldo has proved he can play the game at a high level, but he has been a disaster in dealing with the press and people over the years. I remember an incident at the Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City some years ago when Faldo refused to give interviews to the entire press corps because one reporter had the cheek to knock on his hotel room door and ask for an interview. He reported the matter to the tournament director and then refused to speak to any writers. Obviously all but one of them had nothing to do with the incident. Now he has been re-inventing himself; but the truth is that Nick does not know how to deal with people and I doubt that a team under his captaincy will be able to hang on to the Ryder Cup.
Posted by: Mark | Apr 6, 2008 7:06:28 PM
I'd love to see them duke it out! Let's put aside all that gentleman's game stuff, duke it out! Just two guys with microphones, headphones and sport jackets duking it out. I have $20 on Zinger!
Posted by: Dave M | Apr 6, 2008 6:48:39 PM
Great, this is just what we need too get the juices flowing, maybe a good broohaha before the first shot would liven the US up. screw Him, bloody Englishman.
Posted by: Dave M | Apr 6, 2008 6:47:53 PM
Great, this is just what we need too get the juices flowing, maybe a good broohaha before the first shot would liven the US up. screw Him, bloody Englishman.