"Hey, buddy - you might want to think about that first. You don't want to tiger your knee, do you?"
Tiger played for a year on an injured, unstable knee; a knee that with each powerful swing, chipped away at the protective lining of his joint - the articular cartilage. And a lot of people are left scratching their heads wondering, "Why?"
Maybe it's because no one sat down with him and had "the talk": eye to eye, close up, intense, in-your-face honesty about what was coming if he chose to play without reconstructing his knee. Or, maybe someone had the talk but Tiger chose not to listen. We don't know but I suspect it was a blend of both.
I understand the power of emotion behind the drive to prove your self, to be the best, to never let up. Those are the character traits of winners. And, ironically, they are the same traits that can put you on the sidelines for a very long time when faced with an injury like Tiger's.
I would hate to see Tiger's choice to play on an injured knee, to play wrapped in denial, become a verb in everyday life; to become a word that describes a misguided personal choice rather than a word the describes a masterful golfing choice. He can make a come back but only if he can channel his competitiveness into behaviors that help him rather than hurt him.
Make today count.
Doug Kelsey
P.S. - so I goofed on my last post. I had started it and saved it and sent it without it being completed. Sorry you got this one twice.
