CHASKA, Minn. -- Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin were a big part of the Ryder Cups opening ceremony on Thursday, each of them serving as a reminder that while this competition may be fierce, it should be conducted with both honor and integrity. There are some things, they pointed out, that are bigger than golf. Nicklaus conceding a 2-foot putt to Jacklin at Royal Birkdale in 1969 -- ending the match in a tie when a miss would have given the United States the Ryder Cup outright -- is now considered one of the most important moments in the history of the event.While this is a nice reminder, and perhaps an important lesson we should always keep in the back of our minds, let us now offer a few words in praise of Ryder Cup trash talk.Just because the two teams agree to be friends afterward does not mean they cant exchange some friendly barbs in the buildup to the event. It has become increasingly absurd when people try to shame the players into acting like boring robots. The Ryder Cup is one of the best events in sports specifically because it can get a little heated, specifically because its not just a clash of personalities but also a clash of cultures.Englands Danny Willett found himself on the business end of some of that shaming this week after his brother, Peter, penned an article for National Club Golfer that mocked American fans as fat, stupid, greedy, classless bastards. Willett and European captain Darren Clarke repeatedly mentioned how disappointed they were with the column and that it did not represent the views of Team Europe. They didnt want to give American fans the wrong idea and apologized repeatedly. The controversy, silly as it was, even appeared to play a role in Clarkes decision to sit Willett for the Friday morning session of foursomes.Frankly, I wish Willett hadnt apologized. I wish hed fully embraced the role of Ryder Cup villain. Ian Poulter wouldnt have apologized. Patrick Reed wouldnt have apologized. I dont think, for a second, that Seve Ballesteros would have apologized either. They would have soaked up the negative energy and produced some amazing golf. Willett certainly wasnt shy about taking a little dig at Jordan Spieth in April, retweeting a photo of Spieth looking shell-shocked during the green jacket ceremony in Butler Cabin after the Masters, so I wish hed just own it.Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson have learned to own it over the years. Mickelson got in a clever dig at McIlroy and Graham McDowell in 2014 when he mentioned before the start of competition that one of Team USAs strengths was we dont litigate against one another, an obvious reference to a legal dispute between McIlroy and McDowell after their management company dissolved. And McIlroy couldnt resist throwing a barb at Team USA this time around after he was asked about captain Davis Love IIIs comment this was the best American team ever assembled. Definitely assembled the best task force ever, thats for sure, he said.No one blinks an eye in football or basketball when teams goad one another or try to get under one anothers skin. It has become part of the buildup to every NBA Finals and every Super Bowl, but when it comes to golf, its often seen as an ungentlemanly act, an affront to the gracious spirit of the game.Thats nonsense. The Ryder Cup has always been at its best when the competition has gotten a little heated, the celebrations a little too rowdy, like when the United States went bonkers and ran on the green after Justin Leonards putt in 1999, or when the Europeans were dancing in a conga line around the 18th green after they won the Ryder Cup on U.S. soil for the first time in 1987 at Muirfield Village.Weve talked a lot this week about how gracious Arnold Palmer was, how he made everyone feel loved when in his presence, but there is another side to Palmer that was an important part of his legacy too: He was a relentless competitor who wasnt afraid of anyone in his prime. In 1963, Palmer was both the captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team and a participant, and he was so confident in his squad, he told the press before the tournament: This team would beat the rest of the world combined. He was probably right. The United States went on and won 23-9.So bring on the trash talk. Dial up the intensity. 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United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft.DOHA, Qatar -- Los Angeles sought to allay concerns over Donald Trumps election, Paris played up its glamorous venues and Budapest set itself apart as a mid-sized alternative as the three cities made their first public pitches Tuesday in the race to host the 2024 Olympics.With 10 months before the vote, the three candidates had a chance to deliver their message in 20-minute presentations to the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees, a gathering of more than 1,000 delegates from around the world.The meeting occurred exactly after a week after Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton in the American presidential election, a result that could have an impact on Los Angeles hopes of bringing the Summer Olympics back to the U.S. for the first time since Atlanta hosted in 1996.Trumps comments during the divisive campaign about Muslims and Mexicans and some of his foreign policy views may not help the California citys chances with some of the IOCs 98 members, who represent a range of nationalities, cultures and religions.It was American sprinter Allyson Felix, a Los Angeles-born African-American sprinter and six-time Olympic gold medalist, who addressed those concerns during the presentation. Without mentioning Trump by name, her message was clear.We just finished our presidential election, and some of you may question Americas commitment to its founding principles, Felix said. I have one message for you: Please dont doubt us. Americas diversity is our greatest strength.Felix said America needs the games to help make our nation better, now more than ever.She raised the issue of race and slavery in explaining the history and diversity of the country.Were also a nation with individuals like me, descendants of people who came to America, not of their own free will but against it, Felix said. But were not a nation that clings to our past, no matter how glorious -- or how painful. Americans rush toward the future.I believe L.A. is a perfect choice for the 2024 Games, because the face of our city reflects the face of the Olympic Movement itself, she said.IOC vice president John Coates, of Australia, was among the delegates in the audience and said Felixs words hit the mark.I did think Allyson addressed the Trump issue very well, he told The Associated Press. I think the question was hanging. I thought it was very, very well-crafted.Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat who was a prominent Clinton supporter, also took up the theme of diversity and openness, saying his city can deliver transformative games.I see an America that remains actively engaged in the world, he said. I see an America that is outward-looking, ready to play its role alongside the community of nations to address our worlds most pressing challenges.Speaking afterward, Garcetti said an Olympic bid stands on a citys own merits and does not depend on who is the president of the country.ddddddddddddToday we just reminded people that any nation is made of its people, not one person, he said. We think that is something that, whether its Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, transcends all of us as Americans. I dont think that the Hungarians or the French or the Americans are making their bid plans based on what the national leader says.Los Angeles hosted the games in 1932 and 1984. New York and Chicago failed in bids for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, respectively.This is our third attempt to host the Olympic Games in the past 10 years and for many reasons ... I must say this is the most remarkable U.S. bid I have ever seen, U.S. Olympic Committee President Larry Probst said. We have learned many lessons from our previous bids, and failure can be a great teacher.Paris, which hosted the games in 1900 and 1924, has been considered in a tight race with Los Angeles. The French team stressed the bids compact nature, with 85 percent of athletes housed within 30 minutes of their venues.In Paris in 2024, we will swim in the River Seine, Mayor Anne Hidalgo told the delegates. We will travel in driverless vehicles. We will celebrate the games on the Champs Elysees, with the Eiffel Tower and all along the Seine from the Grand Palais to Saint Denis.The Spanish-born Hidalgo cited her own background as an example of what Paris offers.To be an immigrant, to be a woman, to have dual nationality and to be able to be mayor of Paris, this city has brought me opportunity and freedom, she said. Paris has an incredible force.Budapest, which has never hosted the Olympics and is making its seventh bid, has been seen as the outsider in the race. The Hungarians said they only need to build three new venues and will harness the city center for the games.Most of all, they said Budapest offers something different.A Games for one mid-sized global city is a Games for all mid-sized global cities, across the world, bid chairman Balazs Furjes said. A Games in Budapest sends the message that the Olympic Games are not simply for the mega-city, but for mid-size cities, too.The Doha audience included officials from 205 national Olympic committees, dozens of international sports federations and, most importantly, dozens of members of the International Olympic Committee, which will vote on the host city next September in Lima, Peru.Under tighter IOC rules, these are the first of only three presentations during the two-year bid race. The second will be at a private technical briefing for IOC members in Switzerland in July, and the third will be the final presentations on the day of the vote in Lima. ' ' '