Paul "David Simms" Azinger

Can't anyone shut this guy up ?  

Once again, Paul Azinger has been quoted in an English newspaper insulting European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo.  HE claims he was "misquoted."  In this day of digital recorders, it is harder and harder to be "misquoted".  He then said that he talked with Faldo on the phone for 20 minutes and weasled...errr...explained his way out of the situation.

(GREAT line by Faldo after the phone call..."I guess I have to invite him to my daughter's wedding now.")

The USA has a Ryder Cup captain in Azinger who thinks he is witty and "diplomatic" (his word, not mine) - but he keeps getting quoted insulting European captain, Nick Faldo.

I was never a fan of Azinger when he was in the broadcast booth - Faldo always got the better of him and had more insight to just about every situation during a tournament.  Let's face it, there was no reason for Azinger to be in the booth.

At one point, early in my golfing days, I was a fan of Azinger for his competitiveness...then I had the misfortune of meeting him.  He was rude and insulting - couldn't be bothered by the little people. (no - I'm not a midget)  In a word - the guy was a first rate jerk, and not just to me.

The David Simms character in "Tin Cup" was pretty much a depiction of Azinger.  This guy has gotten a pass because he recovered from cancer.  Unfortunately, it didn't fix his personality at the same time.

For the team's sake, I hope he's a better captain on the course than he is off - but my money will remaing on the European team.

Here is a part of Mike Aitken's article:

When the conversation was over, Faldo accepted Azinger's explanation that his remarks had been taken out of context. As the damage limitation process over Azinger's comments began in earnest, the American himself also attempted to pour cold water on a story in which he described Faldo as a "p** and everyone hates you".

The gist of the article was that the Englishman had sought to sweeten his image since becoming a television commentator but that Faldo's peers didn't buy the transformation from his self-obsessed playing days.

As a player, Faldo preferred to remain aloof and build a sense of mystique around his performances. Many of his contemporaries, though, were appalled by what they interpreted as rude and conceited behaviour.

"The bottom line is that the players from his generation and mine don't really want to have anything to do with him," Azinger told the Mail on Sunday. "He did what he did as a player and there are relational consequences."

Once the controversy was picked up by the wire services here in America and the flak started to fly, Azinger attempted to use wit yesterday to laugh off the remarks. In a rebuttal which was remarkable not for disputing the perspicacity of the comments but the wisdom of making them in public, Azinger was largely unrepentant in a conversation with Sports Illustrated.

Azinger told the magazine he'd left a humorous message on Faldo's mobile. "I said, 'Nick, this is Zinger'," said Azinger. "I said, 'Well, it's already started. I don't know if you've seen it, but one of those papers said I called you a p** and that everyone from your generation hates you. Even though you pretty much are and everyone pretty much does, I have more diplomacy than to say that.' He called back and said, 'Zinger, I read this whole article and, you don't like Monty more than me, do you?'"

The reference to Colin Montgomerie arose after Azinger claimed the Scot had no chance of receiving a captain's pick from the Englishman. "He and Faldo don't seem to get along and there's no way Faldo will award him one of his wildcards," said Azinger.