The Morning According to Us

What the Cardinals can learn from a courageous surfer.

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With just one arm, Hamilton keeps her balance.

We tend to be practical around here. Look out for what's best for old number one. For instance, had we lost an arm to a 15-foot Tiger shark at a surfing competition, we'd say, "This surfing stuff is no longer for us." But that's not how Bethany Hamilton sees it. The 18-year-old is not only back in the water, she finished second last week at the under-20 World Championships in Australia. Arizona Cardinals: There's a lesson in here for you going into next week's game.

The attack happened off the shore of Kauai when Hamilton was 13. The shark took a 16-inch bite out of the board and nearly killed her. But she jumped back in the water three weeks later, and soon after was competing again. Our brethren in Bristol gave her an ESPY in 2005, as the Comeback Athlete of the Year. But the reality was, against tougher competition in the biggest waves, Hamilton didn't have it anymore. It took years for her asymmetrical frame to relearn surfing's symmetry. Her off-water workout still consists of a re-balancing of sources of strength. She attributes her loss in the finals last week to nerves and not her peculiar fate. But the truth is no one has faced a greater challenge in the sport.

Most of that is mental. Sure, she was back in the water three weeks after, but for years more she struggled with what might, at any point, be just beneath the water's surface. This is the part that would freak us the [flip] out. Imagine it: You're 13 (13!) when you learn a very scary lesson about the precariousness of what you love to do. Hamilton has tried everything to cope: refusing to surf early in the morning or at dusk, when sharks feed; using a board her brother designed, the pattern of which resembles a poisonous foe of sharks and works as a repellent. Each little step has helps, but perhaps none more than just, you know, heading out day after day, tamping down the fear wave by wave. Hamilton doesn't really think about it much any more. That's part of the reason why she'll probably place well enough this year to turn pro next.

As for how all this relates to the Cardinals, it's kind of obvious isn't it? They lost by 28 to the Eagles in late November at home. If the Eagles are sharks and the Cardinals a courageous Hamilton, it's important to remember to…not let Kurt Warner anywhere near the big surf of Hawaii this week, because if anything happens to him, you don't want Leinart calling this game.

Elsewhere…

Australian Open bans skimpy tennis skirts, see-through tops. At least for Dick Enberg.

Surfer punches a shark and saves girl in Australia surf.

Skipper Golding questions safety of Vendee Globe yachts.

New Zealand man surfs with killer whales.

Girls take male wrestlers to the mat.

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