Oh Tiger

I, like many people have to work today instead of going to watch Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate play their 18 hole playoff. It's being played at Torrey Pines, which is a couple miles down the road from where I live now, and Tiger and Rocco are currently tied through 14 holes after Rocco has come back from being two strokes down. I'll be happy of the outcome regardless of who emerges as the winner. I love Tiger, just like 95% of all American Non-Racists (ANR's), but Rocco gives very entertaining interviews and he seems like a really decent guy. Plus there's always the soft spot I have for the underdog.

What does bug me a little bit is how much people are making out of Tiger's injured knee. I mean he had a minor knee surgery and now people are acting like he's playing with several bullet wounds and one of his legs cut off. Not to take anything away from Tiger, it's very hard to perform like he has after knee surgery, and he is by far the world's greatest golfer in my opinion. Greatest of all time, he has to beat out more golfers from more places then Jack Nicklaus or any of the other greats did. But golf isn't a terribly physically demanding sport (paging John Daly). Most professional athletes that have had this same operation done are normally back in 6 weeks or less, most of them play sports like football, soccer, or basketball. All of which are sports which are much more demanding one the knee joint than golf.

I wish Tiger luck, he deserves everything he has worked so hard to get. The man is apparently a workout machine, some kind of monster in the gym. Who knows he might even win another major today (although he's now losing by one stroke through 15). Is Tiger playing well for having had a minor knee surgery two months ago? Yes, he's playing like he's the best golfer in the world (which he is). But he's not blocking, or pushing, or jumping over 300 lbs. men who's only job in the world is to beat your ass. He's not jumping in the air to try and stop one of the best athletes in the world from dunking on him, or breaking his ankles trying to stop a crossover dribble. He's also not running as hard as he can for 90+ minutes while cutting and kicking constantly.