Which Cat is Tougher?
The Pink Panther or a Tiger? Which one is the meaner cat?
On the face of it, no contest. Sure, the Pink Panther is cute, funny, and occasionally wicked. But Tiger is tough, fearless, lethal; the king of all he surveys.
In pro golf, however, the line became blurred this week. Paula Creamer, the so-called “Pink Panther” for her love of all things rose colored, sucked it up to play four solid rounds at the ADT Championship. She didn’t win, but she made it through two separate cuts and finished all 72 holes – in third place, no less. She had what is described as “an inflamed abdominal wall” with concerns that she had appendicitis. Not bad after having significant abdominal pain since the day before the tournament, not being able to warm up properly on any day, bending over and kneeling on the ground through her rounds to relieve her pain, not eating or drinking appropriately, and spending the night at a local hospital Saturday night, enduring 3 CT scans and getting IV fluids to re-hydrate her. She finally was discharged at 7:15 AM on Sunday, in time to get to the course to try to play.
Now, the cynic would say, “Sure, she was just doing it for the money.” And 1 million smackers is indeed a big incentive. But she has plenty of cash. She had to know she would have a hard time winning without being closer to 100% than she was. And she obviously felt horrible. I say, bravo! I hope she didn’t cause a real problem for her health, but isn’t this what we applaud in sports? Willis Reed emerging onto the court after a severe injury, that Japanese male gymnast sticking a landing on a broken leg, Kari Strug gimping through her routine after an injury to her ankle. We eat this stuff up. We admire these athletes.
Witness the hoopla around Tiger at the Open. Some didn’t believe him (Retief – I bet you wish you could have your words back), but what he did, to play 90 holes on a stress fractured leg, was amazing. The winning is even cooler.
I’ve had a stress fracture, as well as a bad knee, and I have a pretty good idea of what the Striped One went through during the Open. But I’ve never had an “inflamed abdominal wall” nor do I want one. But with the gut aches I have had, I look at what Ms. Creamer did, and I am amazed. All she wanted to do, I’m sure, is lay down and rest. But she hung tough and finished the tournament in great fashion.
So which cat is tougher?
