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By Tyler Erzberger
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On what should be a day celebrating sports greatness, once again, drama has to be at the forefront.
Sunday, Rory McIlroy put his name in the record books by becoming only the fourth player in history to win back-to-back Masters tournaments.
Jack Nicklaus. Nick Faldo. Tiger Woods. Rory McIlroy.
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That's the list. That's the legendary quartet that McIlroy worked himself into on Sunday by staving off half a dozen competitors to keep hold of his crown in Augusta.
Instead of praise, though, social media turned to find what they could to poke holes in the massive achievement.
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McIlroy openly admitted in interviews that while the rest of his peers were traveling around Texas and other parts of the world competing in other golf tournaments, he had been endlessly practicing in Augusta, sharpening his senses to every possibility before the biggest tournament of the year.
It annoyed people. Frustrated others. Even made some pundits so angry that they said he was bending the rules, turning what is supposed to be a competition of gentlemen into a farce.
But isn't what McIlroy did what we love about sports?
The players who will take every little advantage given to them and push themselves to the limit to squeeze as much out of it?
There are reasons why the likes of Michael Jordan, Lionel Messi, Roger Federer, Venus Williams, and others are held in such high regard.
If Tiger Woods had done the same thing, it would have been lauded as "Tiger being Tiger" and as him pushing the limits of what it means to be a competitor.
McIlroy said that he had practiced so much at Augusta that he felt like it was his "home course" this past weekend.
If you want to vilify him, that's one thing. Every competition needs a mountain to overcome. A Goliath for a David to slay.
But to say he broke any rules is ridiculous.
Next year, Roy McIlroy will tee off for history when he tries to go down as the only player to three-peat at the Masters.
I hope that he spends two months camping on the 13th hole, studying every edge of grass.
If you want to create your own fairytale ending, he's the final boss you have to overcome.
Champions push themselves to their limit.
Legends find ways to push that limit beyond, just as McIlroy did at this year's Masters.
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