Is it really news anymore that the once great quarterback Brett Favre was considering retirement and issued the customary ‘Actually maybe not’?
When his first retirement was announced in 2008, he went out as a hero, a great player who sensed his time was up. Unfortunately like many champions, he just couldn’t stay away and promptly announced he was returning to the field.
This was, perhaps, understandable. because when you have been associated with something that has dominated your life, it’s fair to say it’s probably not that easy to just up and leave.
However, since then it’s been far too much of ‘will he, won’t he’ and it’s a sad sight to see someone of former glory continually trying to represent times of old. And this is not just the case of Brett Favre. Muhammad Ali’s last fights were the equivalent of watching someone go at a punch bag, even though Ali believed he had the speed and agility he once possessed. Michael Jordan went a step too far with the Wizards and Michael Schumacher’s recent return to Formula 1 racing has been less than fruitful, culminating in the 7 time champion risking a rival’s life on the track to battle for ninth place.
Frankly, it’s a sad sight to see but overall probably not that surprising. These great sportsmen have all achieved great things and did so by believing in themselves without any shadow of a doubt with the ability and talent to back it up.
The problem arises when, with age and injury, comes diminished ability, and combined with the same champion’s hunger and spirit leads to a delusional state of mind. They believe in themselves when everyone outside looking in and can they simply are no longer good enough and, as with Schumacher, at times reaching dangerous situations.
Perhaps when great sportsmen retire they need therapy or some sort of sporting rehab, because when they make a return, in almost every case, it leaves fans wishing they were left with the memories.
