The Desire to Retire - Adam

I know what my faithful female fans are thinking right know "Adam you better not be writing a blog about sports because sports are boring" and to this I'll say yes it is about sports but its about emotion and love for the game (two things I know all girls can't hear enough of: emotion and love).

Maybe its because I was spoiled at a young age with Micheal Jordan having the perfect retirement shot to go allong perfectly with his 6th title. Or perhaps during my senior year of high school witnessing Jerome Bettis end his amazing career not just with a super bowl win but in his home town Detroit. Whatever the reason I am a hopeless sportmantic. Professional athletes all want the same thing, a championship to retire with, but not everyone gets one. Slowly watching and realizing that cold hard fact can be the hardest thing for an athlete to do and a spectator to see.

I wasn't going to say anything about this secret passion I have to see every story end happily ever after, but once LT was let go and watching his press conference on ESPN tore me up inside. (ofcourse its not on youtube fuck me right?). It reminded me of about a month ago watching Brett Farve, who in my opinion is the most heart breaking example of an athlete that just wants a title to go out on, get closer and closer to the goal only to see it slip away when he was so close to reaching the championship game. Ken Griffey Jr. has been playing since when? 1989 that's before some of you were even born. What do you think he is desperately holding out for?

Not everyone likes sports I understand that. But when people make the claim that they are dumb and stupid that's just uncalled for. That is like me looking at an artist's lifes work, their soul poured out onto a canvas, and saying "That's dumb." Watching an athlete age could be one of lifes most depressing things. All the time and heart put into the game only to have their body not continue to perform like they want it to and like it once was able to do. I've heard people say retirement is the number one cause of death, after seeing Jordan put on a wizards jersey the statement probably isn't too far off.