. We love and hate from one day to the next. We go to extremes. People go back and forth. But Im truly happy to be a Brazilian.Saturday nights victory was not only Neymars redemp

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Its only mid-November, but Davis Love III already knows what he wants for Christmas this year.Some quiet time.Its tough to blame him. In the past month and a half alone, Love has successfully captained the United States Ryder Cup team to its first victory in eight years, was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame and returned from hip surgery to begin competing again on the PGA Tour.Flanked by the Ryder Cup trophy at his side, Love spoke with ESPN.com from the clubhouse patio at Sea Island Golf Club, site of this weeks PGA Tour event, the RSM Classic. As if he wasnt already busy enough, he will serve as tournament host once again.Q: Winning Ryder Cup captain, elected to the Hall of Fame, playing golf again. Its been a pretty nice little six-week stretch for you.A: Yeah, its been an incredible year, really. I could talk for hours just about Bubba Watson or hours just about Tiger Woods or hours just about Brandt Snedeker. Even Brandt was saying, Hey, we lost the momentum on our text messages. I said, I know, weve all got to get together somehow and talk about it.Like, 99 was incredible to be on a winning team, but there wasnt this six years of angst building up to it and all this pressure on the guys. There were a few guys like Brandt that had Medinah [and the 2012 Ryder Cup loss] in their head all the time. Honestly, it was not a part of this. This was a new era; this is a new deal. Ive got to get these guys support, so they can win. I was like, This is your team. This team has never played together before. It has no history. Twelve strong is going to mean more to you guys than it did to [Tom] Watsons team [two years ago]. You guys take this and take ownership of it.There was just so much to it this time. It just seemed like it was more pressure and a bigger relief after they won. It was a long journey to a win, and obviously, I was part of both sides, as a loser and a winner.Q: What was the difference between this U.S. team compared with previous versions? Why did this one succeed, where others didnt?A: Mike Cowan, Fluff, he came up and congratulated me. I said, They played great; they really deserved it. He said, Youre always going to give somebody else the credit, but they sure as hell gave you credit for losing, didnt they? Why dont you take some credit for winning?These guys took what all of us wanted them to do -- just be prepared, just play your game, and go out and prove that you are the best team. So Im really proud of the way they played. I dont think that we had an impact on them, but we freed them up a little bit, I think, this time.I think one of the main reasons they picked me out of this task-force group to do it was because everybody, from media to staff to players, would be comfortable. It wouldnt be, What are we going to do? Whos the new captain? How do we approach him? Ive done it before. Obviously, were going to have a lot of guys on the team that played for me before and could be really comfortable.But Im proud of the way that they took ownership of it. They came in for practice rounds, prepared, did everything they could. Guys were calling me and texting me from the Tour Championship at dinner: We think we ought to play this guy with this guy. They took responsibility and ownership. We really all came together.I watched [Bill] Belichick and [Tom] Brady at their charity dinner one night, and then watched them get on the bus and leave for a trip. They made us some videos, so I saw behind the scenes a really, really successful team. You think its going to be all business and rules and regulations and structure, but it was more like a family. They were all pulling together. They were all hugging each other and glad to see each other, whether it was the locker room or at dinner. And I said, Thats what we need more of; we need more trust.I think Bubba at the last minute kind of brought us all even closer. Arnold Palmer, obviously, was an emotional thing. (Editors note: Palmer died days before the Ryder Cup.) We were all together. I think a lot of things added up that bonded this team better than any team Ive been on in the past.Q: You talk about that family atmosphere. I know you mentioned earlier today that you havent watched the whole thing on TV yet. Maybe you need a big viewing party for the whole team to get together.A: It would be great. Were trying right now to get the whole team together to go to the White House, and I dont even know if we can do that. We need to, whether its in small groups or a big group, we all need to sit down and celebrate. We had a pretty good celebration Sunday night, but maybe celebrate without quite as much partying. We need to break it down and say, All right, Brandt, that was great. You played unbelievable. Tell us how we did. What are your memories of it? What can we do better?I know five, six things already that I want to do better to help whoever the next captain is, and we dropped the ball several places. We certainly werent perfect, but getting guys together and continuing this momentum is really, really crucial. Then adding in Justin Thomas and Smylie Kaufman, and we had Daniel Berger come play a practice round; he thought that was the greatest thing ever, that he got to see inside the ropes [with] a Ryder Cup team. Theyre telling everybody, theyre telling the story, so getting them involved and getting our guys involved in talking about Paris [for the 2018 Ryder Cup]. Instead of a year out, lets talk about it two years out. Lets start getting ready.Q: You mentioned the White House trip. When might this happen?A: Well, were working on a day.Q: In the next 60 days or after that?A: I asked that question, yes. The sitting president invited us, and we won during his presidency, so thats what were going to do. But its like herding cats. Im not very good at this. I told the PGA of America, You try to herd them to this thing. Guys are going all over the world in December, playing in different tournaments, so I dont know how many well get. But they told me the last time, when [Paul] Azingers team won [in 2008], that they didnt get all 12 guys to go.Q: Four years ago, when you captained for the first time, Europe came from behind on the final day to win. Two years ago, there was a lot of turmoil within the U.S. team afterward. How much pressure did you personally feel to win this time around?A: You know, I felt a lot of pressure to take care of the plan that we came up with in the task-force meeting. I didnt feel any pressure to win. Phil [Mickelson] kept saying, Look, as long as we do this for the next 10 Ryder Cups, were going to win seven out of the 10. Were not going to win them all. We even said, We might not win this one, but we have to trust this is the right direction that were going.I was feeling a lot of pressure that the players were feeling. You know me a little bit; its not about my record, its about their record. I would have given anything to go back and have a win in 12 just for Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker to quit apologizing to me. And I know Tom Kite would love to have a win, so I would quit apologizing to him, and Justin Leonard would quit apologizing to him for screwing up 97.Tom Kite did a fabulous job, and he gets criticized for running a bad Ryder Cup, and Tiger Woods and Justin Leonard and Davis Love won majors that year and didnt get him a point. Its not Tom Kites fault. We screwed up, and we screwed up because we were trying too hard to win for Tom Kite, because we loved Tom Kite and we wanted him to get a win.I didnt do a great job in 12, but I did a better job in 16. Its not about me. Its not about Tiger Woods or Jim Furyk. This is your team, and thats why in the closing speech, I made a point of saying, 12 Strong, because thats what they did. Rickie [Fowler] was a big part of that with onesies and T-shirts. Zach [Johnson] was a big part of that. Matt Kuchar got up Saturday night with a whiteboard; hed told us, Tonight, bring two things to dinner that youre thankful for, and it cant be your family, faith or friends.It started out, Heres my two, and then the next thing you know Bubba is crying and Steve Stricker is crying. But Matt stood there for an hour and a half holding that board. He never sat down, and he wrote things down, and then [in the] end, he said, Tomorrow, lets just be thankful for these things and take the pressure off.Everybody took a role and played a part in it, so I was proud of all those guys for handling the pressure and pulling the team together in their own way. They did. They took ownership of it. And they understood that they had to bond as 12, because they were the ones out there on the golf course.Q: Every player sat out at least one session at Medinah; every player sat out at least one session at Hazeltine, except for Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth. Ive heard that Patrick walked into the team room at some point and said, Im not sitting at all. True or false?A: No, not in the team room. Well, he told me and Tiger, How could you sit out your best player? Why would you sit him out? We love you, Patrick, but everybody is going to sit out. I get it. I was that guy in 1993. I go, Why would you sit me out? Im smashing it. Put me with Tom Kite, and well never lose. Well, we played Seve [Ballesteros] and José [Maria Olazabal] and lost two in a row, and Watson goes, Youre out.Werent going to play him, but Patrick had such a great attitude. He was so confident. He was so confident in his partner that we ran his partner into the ground. I apologized to Jordan. I said, Look, Im sorry. I wore you out. But your man was rolling.It was all about singles, really, and we wanted everybody to be ready. Nothing works out perfect, but the only real consequence of how well Patrick was playing was we ran Jordan a little ragged. But he loved it. I mean, he knew the deal going in. Jordan is an ultimate team guy, because he gets it. He said, I will do whatever you want me to do. Ill play with Patrick until the cows come home. And he did.Q: How do you explain Patrick basically jumping in the phone booth, and instead of Superman, Captain America comes out?A: When he came out on tour, the tour guys came to me and said, Hey, heres a young kid that you ought to talk to. You ought to go put your arm around Patrick Reed and get to know him. I tried several ways. Im not real aggressive. Then hes winning tournaments. I go, He seems to be doing fine.Hes a misunderstood guy. He and J.B. [Holmes] were my two guys that I could put up against anybody, and they just wanted to punch them in the face. They wanted to fight. Thats the main reason we picked J.B. Same thing with Ryan Moore, but in a different way. One on one, you want Patrick Reed or J.B. Holmes or Ryan Moore, who is just quiet -- confident I dont need any help, Ive got this.Patrick, I saw it in 14. This guy in the right role is unbeatable as a teammate. And I think Jordan saw that, too. Patrick asked for Jordan and Dustin [Johnson]. Patrick is no dummy. Put me with Jordan or Dustin. OK, great idea. But Patrick was a big part of our emotion and our confidence. Phil Mickelson is the same way. Why would you sit me out? Im going to win. Thats the attitude you want.Q: How did Tiger Woods the assistant captain differ from Tiger Woods the player?A: Early career, Tiger was like me. My job is to win five points, and I dont have to talk to anybody. If I win five points, everything takes care of itself. He learned that being a good teammate is important. He learned, really, a lot from watching Phil lose every point at some Presidents Cup and still be a good team guy. So he became a good teammate.Then he realized that his contribution to this team was probably not going to be with his clubs, and he was going to make a contribution. Out of friendship and respect that we have for each other, he said, Look, I will do whatever it takes to make this successful. For him to commit to the task force is one thing. Then to commit a year out that hes going to be an assistant captain, that was a big thing.He doesnt do anything halfway -- lift weights, ride bikes, whatever. He jumps in. We almost had to back him off, like, Calm down, you cant make the Saturday pairings yet. Hes like, Well, were picking this guy, this guy and this guy. Were like, They havent even played the BMW Championship yet!But 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.Half the team said, Were in his head. This is unbelievable. Hes telling us things that he used against us in the past. Why? Because he wanted to win. He was on a mission. He said twice to the team, I watched Davis do this twice. I dont know if I really want to do this. This is a lot of work. But what did he do right after the Ryder Cup? He committed to the Presidents Cup as assistant captain. He didnt want to say, I want to play. He said, I want to be Steves assistant. So hes become a leader.Now, is he going to ever be the Arnold Palmer role? I dont know. Would he ever have that kind of respect from the rest of the world? But I can tell you, in our team room, he earned an incredible amount of respect from the players that were there and from me.Q: Are you ready to do this again?A: I will not do it again unless they twist my arm.Q: They twisted your arm last time, and it worked.A: Well, Tiger and Phil and Jim [Furyk] made me do it.Q: Couldnt they make you do it again?A: I was honored that [former PGA of America president] Allen Wronowski asked me. I was humbled and blown away when [PGA of America president] Derek Sprague and my peers asked me to do it the second time. That meant more to me, because they said, Youre the right guy to do it. That gave me a lot of confidence the second time around.I argued -- and theyll tell you -- Im taking somebodys turn if I do it in 16. Somebody is getting skipped over, whoever it is, and they said, No, this is the right thing to do. We lost Payne [Stewart]. This is Paynes spot that you filled in somewhere.But we have a plan leading out, and Im not in the discussion. I get one of six votes to vote against me, so at least I can start the ball rolling.Q: During the past six weeks, with the Ryder Cup win, the Hall of Fame election, how much have you thought about your father? (Editors note: Loves father was a club professional who died in a plane crash in 1988.)A: A lot. Its a part of everything we do. Jack Lumpkin just gave me a 20-, 30-minute lesson, and he cant give me a quick lesson without saying, Well, your dad would have said to do this, or Your dad would have been proud of that. So its part of everything we do, part of our legacy.Everywhere I go around here, everything I do in golf is connected to him. Watching my grandbaby with her putter, I just wish great-grandpa could teach her, not me. But yeah, hes part of everything we do, and theres great memories.The only thing, really, that will be sad about the Hall of Fame induction is that my dad wont be there. Custom White Sox Jersey China . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Authentic Custom White Sox Jersey . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. http://www.customwhitesoxjersey.com/ . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Nellie Fox Jersey Large . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Custom Nellie Fox Jersey . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Just two weeks ago Neymars commitment to the Olympic team was questioned by Brazils fans.Now hes a national hero -- and an Olympic champion.Neymar buried the winning kick of a penalty shootout against Germany on Saturday night at Maracana Stadium, sending all of Brazil into a boisterous celebration. The cheering could be heard down Rios famed Copacabana Beach, where fans yelled out Campeoes! Champions!Neymar sunk to the field on his knees as his teammates engulfed him. He lay on the ground for several long moments while they celebrated, sobbing.This is one of the happiest things that have happened to me, he said moments later.It was Brazils first gold medal and it came on home soil. For Neymar, it was a seminal moment.Some were already asking whether Neymars name should be added to the list of Brazils greats, joining the Pele, Zico and the phenomenon Ronaldo.Brazil coach Rogerio Micale essentially said it was too soon to put Neymar in that realm, suggesting his next step is a World Cup title.But he nonetheless had great praise for the charismatic 24-year-old striker who plays for Barcelona and is considered among the best current players in the world. Neymar has been an integral part in Barcelonas recent success, along with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.Hes a leader on the national team. Dedicated, Micale said through a translator. Now that weve finished this tournament, I have the best possible impression of Neymar. The whole team does.The mens soccer tournament attracted most of the attention of Brazilian fans at the Olympics. The countrys football federation took the Olympic tournament very seriously, bringing Neymar and many talented youngsters who are expected to be in the main squad in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.Neymar eschewed the Copa America to focus on the Rio Games. The mens Olympic tournament is contested among under-23 teams, but they can each bring three players from the senior national team.Still, the Olympics started disastrously for the hosts. Brazil struggled with scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq was even in danger of missing out on the knockout round.Neymar was heavily criticized by soccer-crazy Brazilians who saw the womens natioonal team, and particularly star Marta, off to a fast start in contrast.ddddddddddddThere were fans who crossed off Neymars name on their No. 10 jerseys and wrote in Marta instead. Neymar was taunted with fans shouting Martas name at his matches, while Marta was honored with fans chanting Better Than Neymar! at hers.With Neymar at captain, Brazil turned its tournament around. First came a decisive 4-0 victory over Denmark to close out the group, followed by a 2-0 victory over Colombia in the quarterfinals.Neymar really made it known that Brazil was back with a 6-0 victory over Honduras in the semis. He had two goals -- including one only 15 seconds into the match for the fastest goal in Olympic history.We needed to respond to the Brazilian people. Say something to the people and to the football community, by doing something different, Micale said. We did that. We won. Were skilled and competent. We responded as necessary and we did this in the short time that was available to us.As for the comparison with Marta, that was unfair. Marta is considered one of her sports greatest players ever: She is a five-time FIFA World Player of the Year.Thats just a part of the Brazilian culture, Micale said. Thats the way we are. We love and hate from one day to the next. We go to extremes. People go back and forth. But Im truly happy to be a Brazilian.Saturday nights victory was not only Neymars redemption, it was a nations.It came two years after an embarrassing 7-1 home loss to Germanys senior team in the World Cup semifinals at home. Brazil was also coming off a demoralizing elimination in the group stage of this years Copa America.Neymar was on the World Cup team but didnt play against Germany because of a back injury sustained in the quarterfinals against Colombia.With his penalty kick in the Olympic final, Neymar helped ease some of that lingering bitterness. He also countered the doubters who dogged him early in the games.We went through difficult moments in the beginning of the competition, we were criticized, he said, and we answered on the field, with soccer. ' ' '