Masters of hype must convince masses

At this September’s Ryder Cup, the European and US players will emerge from a tunnel into the amphitheatre of the first tee. Before a ball is struck, it will make for great TV.

Europe captain Paul McGinley has had his part to play in it, the idea appealing to his GAA background, but it has just as much to do with Sky Sports.

When it comes to framing a competition, they are the masters. As they have shown in the negotiations for a new European competition in rugby, they have incredible and often scary levels of influence. The Premier League isn’t anything close to what it’s cracked up to be but eskimos and snow come to mind when thinking of Sky.