smokehard

I’ve become a dedicated boxing fan over the past year, and it looks like there’s a good summer on tap.  (See: Margarito vs. Cotto)  Over at ESPN I came across a great article that criticizes, and rightly so I think, all of the sports writers who recently referred to Tiger Woods’ recent victory at The Open “courageous” or “brave.”  I had been snickering about this all along as I thought about Marquez vs. Vasquez III.  What a punishing fight.  Or, have a look at the picture below.

Al Bello/Getty Images

That’s Arturo Gatti suffering from a severely split upper lip.  I just can’t see, much like the author, how a golfer gets the words courageous attached to his name.  But, Juan Diaz offers the best insight.

“The word courage shouldn’t be used for us as athletes,” lightweight contender Juan Diaz humbly insisted, “but instead for the soldiers, or people who are battling cancer or any type of disease. If I would talk about courage, then a soldier could say that I don’t have any courage. They fight for our freedom. As athletes, we do it to better the lives of our family and ourselves.” ESPN