FOR the next three days I will temporarily question my sanity in remaining a member of the Great Undished. Not being able to watch the Ryder Cup live on Sky will be sheer purgatory, but I will console myself with the knowledge that the BBC's screening of the next Audley Harrison fight cannot be far away.

The Ryder Cup is superb for television, even at the Belfry, which should by now have outlived its usefulness in igniting the explosion of interest in the event which coincided with the Great Britain team being supplanted by Europe.

Things have moved on to the extent where there are now more Swedes in the team than Englishmen, and Christy O'Connor's fabled three-iron to the last surely belongs in the era of hickory shafts.

As the venues are organised about a decade ahead these days, I've long forgotten why the Belfry is being used again. Probably for nostalgic reasons and because it has a nice hotel for the American wives.

For television purposes the course has two excellent holes, the tenth and the 18th. Measuring 311 yards, with a pond in front of the green, the tenth offers the choice of going for the green or playing safe, and in the fourballs the first partner always used to go for it.

But apparently even Tiger Woods is saying he'll be laying up, and is blaming home captain Sam Torrance for deciding that the hole must be played from the back tee, which makes it too risky to have a go.

The trouble is these guys are such accurate pitchers that they can play short of the water and still get a birdie about eight times out of ten.

So that takes the excitement out of the tenth, leaving the 18th to hog all the drama. That means unless plenty of matches actually go to the 18th, there'll be few highlights worth watching on BBC2 and the temptation to become dished will be easily resisted.

PERHAPS it's my age, or my cynicism, but I increasingly find myself reading the comments of sports personalities and thinking: "Well, he would say that wouldn't he?"

You would expect Sir Bobby Robson to say that he hasn't given up hope of reaching the next stage of the Champions League, despite two defeats out of two, and you would expect Alec Stewart to stand up for Graham Thorpe.

In Sir Bobby's case it's acceptable journalism to quote him assuring the fans that all is not lost following an enthralling game which would have whetted the appetite for regular football at this level.

But in Stewart's case I'm not so sure. It's obvious he's going to stand up for his Surrey teammate, so why bother asking his opinion, especially when he rarely has anything interesting to say anyway?

Personally I find it pathetic the way Thorpe keeps changing his mind from one week to the next, and now we'll probably have to put up with another Surrey batsman who lacks mental toughness taking his place.

Mark Ramprakash is the favourite to step into the Ashes vacancy, although Nick Knight is more deserving after his superb season. At least, no-one has mentioned Graeme Hick.

LESS predictable was that Peter Reid would round on his players for their lack of fight in the 2-0 defeat at St James' Park. He normally stands up for them, but if the players want him to stay in his job they have a funny way of showing it.

Perhaps they felt their shock win at Leeds, and the battling draw at home to Manchester United, had bought Reid some breathing space. But it disappeared with this performance, especially after the similar effort at Middlesbrough.

Unless Reid's harsh words help to provoke an instant transformation he surely knows he will have to go. A £15m training ground and a stadium worthy of staging internationals will count for nothing if Premiership status is lost.

Investment in facilities is pointless if the investment in players is ill-judged or unambitious, as seems to have been the case. Arsenal apart, the players have a relatively easy run against Aston Villa, West Ham, Bolton and Charlton, so if they want to save their manager it's time to deliver.

Published: 27/09/2002