Pirate Galaxy » They greeted Williams far more loudly and warml

During the chaotic celebration just moments after the United States clinched victory against Europe at the Ryder Cup last month, Zach Johnson was looking for somebody to hug. He was walking down the 18th hole at Hazeltine when he saw Tiger Woods -- make that vice captain Tiger Woods -- barreling toward him. T sees me out of the corner of his eye and starts running at me, Johnson recalled. We had a big old hug. I was emotional; he was emotional.Then, Woods took off.He was the assistant responsible for a quartet of team members that included Matt Kuchar, who was still playing in the last match on the course. As Woods quickly explained to Johnson following that tearful embrace, even though the overall result was decided, he still needed to oversee his mans match to fruition.Thats just one story about Woods first venture in a captaincy role, but there are plenty of others. Like the one about him calling captain Davis Love III with some ideas about potential Saturday pairings -- before the roster was even finalized. Or the one about him teaming up with Jack Nicklaus during the week to poke fun at Love for a poor shot from years earlier. Or the one about Woods good-naturedly getting ribbed by team members in the aftermath for failing to play in each of the two U.S. victories this century.I told him, All I know is that the last two Ryder Cups we won, you werent a part of, man, Brandt Snedeker recalled with a laugh. Maybe weve got a trend going on.All of these stories about Woods time as an assistant are preceded and followed by connective tissue that tells more about his dedication to the role than any anecdote. He worked at it. He strategized. He formulated plans. And most importantly, despite what so many have often insisted in regard to his attitude toward this biennial competition, he cared -- a lot.He doesnt do anything halfway -- lift weights, ride bikes, whatever. He jumps in, Love explained. He was so focused and driven. I can just flip through his text messages and show you pictures of pairings, plan A, plan B, cold weather pairings versus hot weather, wet versus dry. No wonder the guy is so successful.If Love was the teams general manager, then Woods was like the head coach calling the plays. Or maybe if Love was the head coach, then Woods was the offensive coordinator figuring out the Xs and Os. There might not be a perfect analogy, but its clear that Woods role with the team was hardly ceremonial or lackadaisical.Tiger as an assistant, I think that raised a few eyebrows. I think folks were concerned about his level of involvement, but it was just the opposite. He was really a part of it, said fellow vice captain Jim Furyk. He was on top of pairings and ideas and lineups and orders, way, way, way ahead of time. He fully bought in.He had situational options already on paper -- practice rounds, formats, weather, Friday through Sunday, Johnson added. He was all-in. He was all-in with this team from Day 1.Woods impact extended beyond the details, too.Its no coincidence that he was assigned to the pod that included Patrick Reed -- and perhaps no coincidence that Reed turned in one of the most impressive performances in Ryder Cup history with his childhood idol watching. It was a big part of what Patrick Reed did that Tiger Woods was his guy, Love explained. Everybody had their role .... That was for a reason.You look at some of those young guys on the team, Furyk said. They grew up idolizing Tiger Woods. He was the most dominant player in the history of golf at one time. Now hes a captain. One of them said, Wow, hes actually our captain and hes talking to us. They just looked up to him so much. They had him on this pedestal. They got to see him in the team room and be one of the guys pumping them up.For everything Woods meant to the team, the team -- from all accounts -- meant just as much to him. He wasnt involved in the last U.S. victory in 2008, which means it had been 17 years since hed been part of a winning Ryder Cup side.I think it really meant a lot to Tiger to be a part of something like that, Furyk said. All of us have done stuff on our own and accomplished different feats individually, but its special to do something as a group and I think it meant a lot to every one of us to win, and I think it meant a lot to Tiger to have those guys embrace him like they did.All of which leads to one more story about Woods from that week. It was hours after the team had clinched the win, after the champagne spraying and the closing ceremonies and the media interviews. In the midst of the afterparty, Woods pulled a few players together and recalled an old memory. This one was from 1999, when the U.S. had won at Brookline in come-from-behind fashion. Woods went to sleep before most of his teammates that night, only to be awoken by Payne Stewart, who implored him to return to the party.Stewart told him to remember that night, because it was so special. Woods recalled this story as he huddled with those players Sunday night after the win. He echoed those words that Stewart had told him so many years ago.Remember this night, he told them. This is a special night. Wholesale Blue Jays Jerseys .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. Custom Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/ .C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. Toronto Blue Jays Store . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Blue Jays Jerseys 2019 . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. RIO DE JANEIRO -- When Venus Williams pushed one last forehand long to lose in the first round for the first time in her record five Olympic singles tournaments, her opponent celebrated as if having claimed a gold medal, dropping down on the green hard court to plant a kiss on the white five-ring logo.This was clearly a very big deal to Kirsten Flipkens, a Belgian ranked 62nd and only once as far as the semifinals at a Grand Slam event.Just two points away from winning on four occasions while portions of the crowd turned hostile toward her, the 36-year-old Williams faded as Saturday nights match stretched past 3 hours and she was stunned 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) by Flipkens on Day 1 of tennis at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.Afterward, Williams did not speak to reporters. Instead, U.S. womens tennis coach Mary Joe Fernandez did, saying that Williams was sick before arriving in Brazil. Fernandez added that Williams had cramping, dehydration and an upset stomach after her loss, but still hoped to play doubles Sunday with younger sister Serena.I would be highly surprised if she didnt play, because this has been her goal for the last four years -- to come back to the Olympics, Fernandez said. She wants to win a medal so badly in anything. Knowing Venus, she will be out there, no matter how badly shes feeling.Williams owns four gold medals: one in singles and three in doubles. She owns 21 Grand Slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in doubles. But she labored at times Saturday and even showed frustration by shouting Ridiculous! after dropping one point.With U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry watching from a second-row seat behind a baseline, the fifth-seeded Williams wasted a 4-1 lead in the final set and was broken while serving for the victory at 5-3.Williams was coming off a run to the semifinals at Wimbledon last month, her best showing at a major since 2010. That also made her the oldest woman since 1994 to reach a Grand Slam tournaments final four. And it helped her attain her best ranking since revealing in 2011 that she had been diagnosed with Sjongrens syndrome, which can cause joint pain and fatigue.Shes used to not feeling 100 percent with her Sjongrens, and I think thats why we saw her compete and fight to the end, Fernandez said. Crediit to Flipkens, who hung around and defended so well and made her play extra shots.ddddddddddddWilliams is the first tennis player to participate in singles at five Olympics, and never had failed to reach at least the third round before, claiming a gold at the 2000 Sydney Games. She also won doubles golds in 2000, 2008 and 2012.But against Flipkens, who was making her Olympic debut, Williams failed to find the right measure on most of her strokes and wound up with 13 fewer winners on courts that competitors agree are playing slowly. Williams, once possessor of one of the best serves in womens tennis, hit one ace, five fewer than Flipkens.This is just one of the most epic matches in my life, Flipkens said.The fans couldnt seem to settle on which woman they wanted to win. They greeted Williams far more loudly and warmly during prematch introductions, although perhaps that was because of her far-greater name recognition.Later, though, they roared when Williams made mistakes. They clapped when she double-faulted. They even gave her grief for the common and innocuous practice of catching a ball toss that wasnt good.When one group of spectators bellowed a USA! USA! chant late in the third set, others responded by booing (Kerry had left by then).They just enjoyed my game because, I think, Im a little girl trying to do some special stuff to get a chance to beat a champion like that, Flipkens said.Williams loss was part of a rough day for the United States tennis team. Seven of the countrys eight singles players were in action, and they went 2-5.Steve Johnson and Madison Keys won, but there were losses for Jack Sock (who said afterward he had walking pneumonia, then got into a Twitter spat with former pro player and coach Brad Gilbert), Denis Kudla, Brian Baker and Sloane Stephens.In all, three of the top six women already are gone, with No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and No. 6 Roberta Vinci of Italy -- who ended Serena Williams bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam at the U.S. Open last September -- joining Venus Williams on the way out.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ' ' '