Great Players Need to Know When to Hang it Up to Cement Their Place in History

 The time comes in every athlete’s career, when they must consider retirement.  To maintain their place in history, it would seem it’s best to leave a chosen sport before skills decline significantly.  Hanging it up is especially difficult for some of the greatest players in sports.  Players like Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Miguel Cabrera have to grapple with the desire to continue play, and the grave realization that they are unable to perform as they once did.  I believe it’s imperative that such players need to retire sooner rather than later, so history will surely reflect on their performances in a positive light.  However, Favre, Brady, and Cabrera may have waited a bit too late.

Though he struggled at the beginning of his career with interceptions and consistent play, Brett Favre became one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL.  Because of this success, however, he probably played a year or two longer than he should have.  Therefore, it’s quite possible he could have done some damage to his overall legacy.  In his final season with the Minnesota Vikings, he accrued a 5-8 record and threw for 2,509 passing yards, the fewest in his career.  Along with this, his final season in 2010 saw him throw only 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.  Why do players of this caliber allow themselves to play well past their prime?  For one, they know the talent they had, and they feel if they just work a little harder, they can regain the magic they once had.  Furthermore, pride and ego will not allow them to give up the ghost on their career.  As a result, the legacy may not be remembered as fondly as it would have, had they retired. 

Perhaps, one of the most well known players who quite possibly damaged his legacy by postponing retirement is quarterback Tom Brady.  Despite having a hall of fame career, in his final two seasons, he retired, changed his mind, and played one more year that was less than stellar.  In that final campaign, he battled consistency, and only averaged 276 passing yards per game.  In addition, Brady was dealing with personal issues off the field, which undoubtedly could have affected performance.  Had Brady called it quits a year earlier as planned, the perception of his legacy could have gone unaffected.

Without question, one player’s legacy that could be diminished due to not retiring at the proper time is Detroit Tigers’ player Miguel Cabrera.  Years ago at the height of his career, he signed a huge multi year contract, based on his previous success and anticipated future success.  Unfortunately, however, he could only adequately produce for half of that contract.  In fact, for the past 5 years, Cabrera has been woefully unproductive.  His power and run production numbers have been less than acceptable for years now.  Yes, some of this was due to injury, but much of the problem stemmed from his lack of physical conditioning, and age.  Undoubtedly, had he retired at the start of his decline, his legacy would not be marred by multiple unsuccessful years.  Furthermore, he would have never been viewed as a hindrance to his team’s success.

Deciding to retire is one of the most difficult decisions a professional athlete has to make.  Facing the fact that they are unable to perform as they once did, is a daunting task.  Therefore, many times, players continue to play despite declining skill.  In an effort to continue to do what they love despite lack of ability, they risk how they are viewed by history. If they want to eliminate such a predicament, it’s imperative they know when to quit.