- Jan 8, 2009
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- #31
I will certainly give him credit for sticking with it and making a comeback. He was born with an instinct... an ingrained sense that he would be the best as what he does. He won a full field tournament reft with the top players in the game. His "unfolding" began with 'Skanksgiving' and, later, physical breakdowns of a body stressed by thousands of 100+ mph swings of a golf club. The emotional/physical combination would have had some retire and leave the Game. He could not and worked tirelessly to make a comeback.
I do take issue, however, with a headline this morning. "The Greatest Comeback In Sports History". Ben Hogan... Body torn apart in a vicious head-on crash with a bus, early in 1949. Lucky to even survive, let along play golf again. Not only did he make a comeback, but in 1953 won three majors in one season. Monica Seles... The youngest to make #1 in ladies tennis when a disgruntled fan plunged a knife in her back. Many surgeries and a lengthy comeback saw her win two more professional tournaments. Rocky Blier… Drafted from the football field to the jungles of Viet Nam. Grenade takes off parts of his foot. Didn't know if he'd walk again, let alone run. Came back to the Steelers and won a number of "Rings". Story after story of people who would not let tragedies beyond their control snuff out the light of living the life they were committed to.
Yesterday's victory was a significant accomplishment for Woods and a 'shot in the arm' for golf. We will hear more and more sports commentators write about the greatness of this accomplishment. They really need to spend just a short time looking at history before tagging it as the "greatest" in sports history.
Two points from me:
(1) I haven't seen surging galleries like that for a decade or two. Maybe longer. It was a fantastic sight.
(2) Calling it the greatest comeback ever is a knucklehead sports journalist claim. All of your examples are valid. I'll throw in Harry Vardon who overcame tuberculosis which had left him with trembles that impacted on his putting.