LA JOLLA, Calif. (June 16, 2008) - There’s no doubt that sportswriters and TV talking heads have played up Tiger Woods’ knee injury to an incredible degree in a sometimes desperate attempt to make it into a Ben Hogan moment. Anyone with even a shred of common sense knows that’s ridiculous. Getting a routine knee operation does not compare to putting your entire body back together after being smashed head on by a Greyhound Bus.

With that said, the backlash the other way - charging that Tiger Woods is pain acting - is almost just as moronic. It’s the same ballpark of dumb, though not quite as bad.

Yeah, Tiger is such a drama queen. He really tries to play things up. Please. This is one of the most private mega stars you’ve ever seen. One who absolutely hates to show any shred of weakness to his peers. That’s part of what makes him Tiger.

When he’s wincing, he’s hurting. It’s just not hurt that’s any real danger to his future or in the same universe as Hogan’s hurt. What Tiger Woods is doing to the other top golfers in the world on a surgically repaired left knee is still impressive. It’s just not heroic.

He’s hurt and the reason you didn’t see as much grimacing today and Sunday as Saturday is because he admitted he took something. Woods wouldn’t reveal what exactly that pain medication was. But here’s betting it’s a little more powerful than Motrin. Players in all types of other sports get shot up to play regularly though and few are fawning over them.

As for TravelGolf.com’s own Tim McDonald jumping into the Tiger’s an exaggerator’s fray, see my earlier post on golf writers who yearn to be considered edgy by going contrarian despite all logic.

You’d have to be as dumb as RonMon (our version of Star Jones) to really believe that Tiger either is not hurt or is as pulling off some type of Ben Hogan. Old Mac’s not that dumb.

And you have to go back to Isiah Thomas scoring 25 points in the third quarter of Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals on a completely busted up ankle for the last truly incredible injury performance in sports.

Meanwhile, the Open playoff’s better than expected so far with two holes that produced two-shot swings already and Tiger and Rocco Mediate tied at plus one through five.

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