Superstar Teams

If you have any interest in Golf (which you probably don't), you would know that the Ryder Cup was going on in Europe. The Biannual golfing tournament between USA and Europe. To me the Ryder Cup is a big puzzle I can't seem to solve. Why does a team of superstars gets its ass kicked every time? There were 28 games played in the Ryder Cup. The US team won 6.

Here is the background - Both the US and Europe get together a bunch of top golfers and let them at it in the Ryder Cup. While Golf is essentially perhaps the most individualistic sport (which other sport has you playing against the elements?), Ryder Cup is about team.

So really why can't the american golfing team, which man per man is ridiculously more talented than Europe, can't beat it? Afterall US has - Tiger, Furyk and Mickelson, the top three players in world golf by miles.

It seems putting together a bunch of super achievers won't get you a winning team.
Case in point:
Ryder Cup
Cricket World Series
US Basketball team

Doesn't it sound obvious and intuitive that if you bring top 3 guys in any field together they would be able to get the job done?

Here are my assumptions:
- The top players are not cut out to be team players. They think differently, they are selfish (not a bad thing), the only thing that brings out the best in them is when their life is on the line.

- The top players are not good followers: For a team to get a job done, every memeber has to think the same. Work on the same goal. And sometime let the other player to lead you. I cannot believe Tiger will ever let Mickelson or Furyk to lead him.
Of course, it does not explain why the US basketball team lost, where the players are used to teams.

It will be interesting to see if a second string US team can beat Europe. I think they might. A second string team will be perhaps as strong as Europe and they wouldn't bring too much ego in the team.

But that is not gonna happen. And US will keep struggling.