by Paul Erland

Created on: April 21, 2008

When Brandt Snedeker broke down and cried at the Masters it might have embarrassed some people - he was somewhat shamefaced and apologetic about it himself - but personally, we think it's perfectly all right for grown men to cry. After all, as the book of John tells us, even Jesus wept.

There are plenty of things that can bring a tear to our eye - a nicely-turned line in a poem, the death of Gregor in "The Metamorphosis," the last scene of "Shane," even some blatantly manipulative moment in some stupid TV show. But we're OK with showing our soft or sappy side, especially as whole slews of scientists have said that crying can be a healthy form of release.

Some athletes have figured this out, apparently. Brett Favre wept at the press conference announcing his retirement. Basketball player Adam Morrison became a puddle of tears after his team, Gonzaga, lost in the NCAA Tournament. Tiger Woods wept once when his father was there after a tournament, and once again when he was not. Michael Jordan also wept at the memory of his departed dad. Jack Nicklaus and Roger Federer are other giants who have broken down like little boys.

"There's no crying in baseball," Tom Hanks' character said in "A League of Their Own," but that hasn't deterred dozens of Major Leaguers from blubbering like babies, and not only over something big like a Hall of Fame induction but also over a thing like the hard-heartedness of their club's front office, for instance, in offering them a paltry $28 million instead of the $35 million they've asked for.

In fact, the incidence of crying in sports has become so high that Snedeker needed not feel sorry for his emotional meltdown. With a Masters win in his sights and visions of sugarplums and the Green Jacket dancing in his head the night before, having it all slip away on the last day had to be overwhelming. ("I didn't want anybody to think that I was crying over spilt milk or something like that," he said. "When I finished the round Sunday and saw my family, I let everything out, because I came close to living out one of my dreams and I wasn't able to do it.")

Even Jesus might have wept again.

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