ATLANTA -- U.S. captain Davis Love III referred to his Ryder Cup team as the best golf team maybe ever assembled, a surprising comment for two reasons.This was Davis Love, not exactly known for his brash comments.And the U.S. team isnt even assembled yet.Two days before Love makes his final captains pick, and a week before the Ryder Cup begins at Hazeltine, Love was on SiriusXMs Fairways of Life show on Friday and asked whether the Americans have tried too hard.He said they tend to panic after a bad round or lose momentum and are guilty at times of playing not to lose.You need to stand up there and smash it down the middle and take off walking and let the other team know, `We are going to dominate you, Love said.Its all about instilling confidence in the U.S. team, believing it has the better squad. Love noted the Americans dont have to do anything super human. And then he finished his thought with words sure to cross the Atlantic.Were a great golf team, he said. This is the best golf team maybe ever assembled.And just like that, Love put himself in the company of other captains making bold comments.All but one backfired.The Americans had won 11 of 12 times in the Ryder Cup when the matches were played in 1967 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, with the great Ben Hogan as the captain. The opposing captain Dai Rees gave lengthy introductions at the pre-tournament dinner to the Great Britain & Ireland squad before taking his seat.Hogan asked that applause be held until he was finished.Players stood as Hogan called their name, and he said, Ladies and gentleman, the U.S. Ryder Cup team -- the finest golfers in the world.And he sat down.GB&I was no match for the Americans in those days, and it showed. Arnold Palmer and Gardner Dickinson won all five matches in a 23 +-8 + victory.The Americans had lost two straight Ryder Cups when Raymond Floyd took over as captain in 1989 at The Belfry and summoned his inner Hogan. At the gala ball that week, Floyd introduced his team as the 12 greatest players in the world.This didnt exactly strike fear into Europe. Nick Faldo supposedly turned to Seve Ballesteros and said, I guess that makes you No. 13.Europe built a 5-3 lead after the opening day, kept a two-point margin going into singles and the Ryder Cup ended in a draw, which effectively was another victory for Europe because it retained the cup.Not to be forgotten is Hal Sutton, captain of the 2004 team at Oakland Hills.Sutton gave golf what it wanted -- Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as partners -- which sounded great on paper.This might be the greatest team in U.S. history, Sutton said after announcing they would be in the opening match. Why was it so alluring? Theyre two of the greatest players in American history. They might shoot 58 tomorrow -- if they make it that far.They had a better-ball score of 61, which might have been really special if Woods and Mickelson had made it to the 18th hole. Instead, Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington beat them on the 17th, and then Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood beat the not-so-dynamic duo in foursomes that afternoon.Oh, well. It sounded good.How will Loves comments come across?Bravado is not part of Loves personality. He sounded as though he was reminding his team how good they are -- more cheerleader than field general.Words are words, however, and they elicited a quick response.Westwood tweeted a link to the comments and said, No pressure there then lads.Rory McIlroy told Golfweek magazine, Of course were going to have fun with that. Yeah, and thats going to give us motivation. Of course, it gives us motivation if they think theyre the best U.S. team ever.Of course, it isnt.Five of the Americans on the team havent won this year. Only five of them have ever won a major.Floyd didnt have the greatest 12 players in the world, but they were pretty close: Curtis Strange, Tom Kite, Fred Couples, Paul Azinger, Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Watson, Lanny Wadkins, Mark OMeara and Payne Stewart played that year. All won majors. Seven are in the Hall of Fame.But the greatest team is considered to be in 1981 at Walton Heath: Jack Nicklaus, Watson, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin, Floyd, Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Larry Nelson, Jerry Pate, Bill Rogers all were or became major champions.Asked on Saturday if this U.S. team could match his 1981 team, Miller smiled and said, No. This is not at that level.Hes just saying that, like a boxing match. Youre throwing stuff out, Miller said of Love. Normally, you dont say that. Somebody must have said, `Ill bet you 100 bucks you wouldnt say that. Something like that. Its all part of the tat-a-tat.Miller still thinks this is a good U.S. team.But the ultimate measure starts with winning the Ryder Cup. The Americans havent done that in a while. Custom Panthers Jerseys . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. Custom Panthers Jersey China . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. http://www.customnhlpanthersjersey.com/custom-bill-torrey-jersey-large-72d.html . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. Cheap Panthers Jerseys . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Panthers Jerseys China . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Authorities have charged a New York City man in a New Jersey hit-and-run that killed the cousin of Ben Simmons, the No. 1 pick in this years NBA draft.Hoboken police said Friday that Mark Nicholas, of Brooklyn, was charged with striking 21-year-old Zachary Simmons with his SUV while he crossed a street June 25 in Hoboken.Video released by authorities shows the vehicle immediately speeding away.It wasnt immediately clear if Nicholass had an attorney to comment on his behalf.ddddddddddddThe victims mother told WCBS-TV that her son had gone with Simmons to watch him be drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers the week he was killed.After the crash, Ben Simmons tweeted: Hearing the news this morning is a reminder to never forget the important things in life. ' ' '
