Tiger Woods handles knee injury manlier than Celtics' Paul Pierce and NBA wimps

I’m not sure if Tiger Woods is the fittest athlete like some magazines suggest, but at least he’s not an attention-milking drama queen like the Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce and most other NBA players.

As much as the NBA got its Celtics-Lakers “dream series", it’s becoming apparent the league is less of a sport and more of a sideshow, full of crybaby players and coaches. Tonight at game three, I suggest playing the “Rasheed Wallace” drinking game: take a drink every time a player makes an outburst after a foul is called (and reserve a bed in detox tonight in advance).

Bless his heart, even Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is putting an end to the “Feel good story of Kobe Bryant” that ABC is shoving down our throats this post season. His blog after game two exposing just how much of a brat Kobe is to his teammates is the story, not the “turnaround team player” we’re continually told.

And now former ref Tim Donaghy’s admission that the NBA fixed the Sacramento-Los Angeles series in 2002 is revealing the league might not be the honest, transparent organization David Stern insists. And when even horse racing has steroids allegations, it’s nice to know golf is one of the few sports where honor means something, and the low-key way Tiger has handled his knee surgery only bolsters golf as a gentleman’s sport.

Basketball on the other hand, is the only sport where if a player sprains their pinky going up for a layup, they can’t run back on defense. I think Michelle Wie has played through more pain than most of these days’ NBA players.

Sure, Woods may not be crazy about ice hockey, but even when a hockey player’s jugular is severed, he still tries to get off the ice under his own power, spewing blood in every direction in the process. But Richard Zednik got off the ice.

Paul Pierce tweaks his knee and is carried off the floor like he was Kerri Strug. He returned five minutes later 100% and hits two threes with nary a limp. But I don’t blame Pierce so much as the fawning media and fans, trying to call the comeback “Willis Reed 2.0″. It’s game three tonight and they’re still milking the story.

Tiger, like a champ, didn’t say anything was bothering him at the Masters, even though intrepid eyes like Kiel Christianson noted ’something’s not right with Tiger’. No one knew about his surgery the following week until he’d already had it, so neither he nor the media could find excuses for coming up short.

This week at Torrey Pines, Woods is asked about the knee repeatedly, and he simply says he’s ready go to and he’s excited for the week. He isn’t going the Phil Mickelson wrist injury road either. Last year at Oakmont, Mickelson was making excuses about his game before he missed the cut. He teed off on the rough, called the set-up a USGA “wet dream”, then went home Friday afternoon after Angel Cabrera birdied the final hole, eliminating over ten players.

If Tiger comes up short this week, don’t expect any excuses on his behalf, the media will do that for him, just as they’ve pimped Pierce’s comeback as gutsy.

I’d put Tiger’s toughness up against Paul Pierce and 90% of NBA players any day. KG though? I’m not so sure…

And be sure to check out WorldGolf.com for all the latest at Torrey Pines from Chris Baldwin, who will be on location and probably not spending much time in the press tent.