Endgame
Issue   |   Tue, 03/11/2014 - 23:21

It’s February 3, 2013. The clock of Super Bowl XLVII reads triple zeroes, and Ray Lewis in the last year of his storied career is an NFL champion for the second time. The championship did not come without a price. Against all odds, 38-year-old Lewis came back from a torn tricep to play during the Ravens’ playoff push. His toughness and motivation inspired others Ravens’ players to raise their level of play, as they drew strength from their leader. It is warriors like Lewis who capture the attention of sports fans who marvel at the freakish athleticism they witness through their televisions.

As much as athletes prove otherwise, they are just as human as the rest of us. Players like Lewis, who play for 10 years-plus are even rarer. The miles that someone like Lewis puts on his body from 17 years of football go far beyond just those 17 years, and he knows that.

As fans, we only watch the performance not the preparation. We see the games but not the stretching, rehab and surgeries. The cruelty of sports is that not everyone can win even though everyone puts a tremendous amount of work in towards staying healthy and continuing to perform at a high level. Lewis was lucky enough to go out on top, but some players are left with an aching body for life and no ring on their finger.

Take Steve Nash, the Lakers’ 40-year-old point guard. Nash is a surefire Hall of Famer who has been the league’s MVP and one of the top point guards in the NBA during his career. He is only missing a championship ring and knows his time is running out. Nash is documenting the uphill battle he faces in trying to stay healthy and relevant for the Lakers at the end of his career with a video diary. He describes how early in his career he could play four games a week without a problem. Nowadays, he puts himself through a barrage of rehabilitation treatments every day to alleviate the pain in his back that he faces from years of jumping and cutting on the court. Even with treatment, it is difficult for Nash to play at the level he once did.

Great players don’t lose their passion for success, but they do lose their ability to achieve success when their bodies fail them.

One of basketball’s greats Kobe Bryant is dealing with a similar situation. Unlike Nash, Kobe has five championship rings, but now the injuries are piling up, and Kobe cannot seem to stay on the court. Like Nash, Kobe can’t comprehend the fact that the pace of the game is catching up to him. He can’t let go of the player he once was. As rational fans, when we see someone like Brett Favre come out of retirement, just to get pummeled by bigger, stronger and faster players half his age, we can’t help but wonder, why? Why not listen to your body telling you that it’s time to quit?

Professional athletes spend their whole lives devoted to their respective sports, so it’s very difficult for them to accept that there is a time to give it up. In that respect, athletes don’t think rationally.

In Brett Favre’s mind, if he has the will to compete, then he should keep playing, regardless of the toll it may take on his body. It’s not something that the ordinary person can understand, and it’s also not something that all athletes think about.
To play more than 10 years by itself is an accomplishment. Most athletes’ bodies get the better of them a few years into their careers. It may be a career ending injury from the wear and tear of the game or just general fatigue that leads to a loss of talent. Veterans of the game are an elite brotherhood. They have managed to outplay their age and stay relevant even with younger competition.

Derek Jeter is another player who has survived the test of time. From his rookie year in 1996 to now, he has hauled in accolades and collected five World Series rings. Jeter is one of the most iconic Yankees of the modern era, and his legacy will live on long after he retires. Because he is such a mainstay in the Yankees lineup, it is hard to believe that 2014 will be Jeter’s last season.

Like Kobe, Lewis, Nash and Favre, Jeter is slowly being forced to accept the fact that he cannot play forever. Limited by an ankle injury last season, the Yankees captain played just 14 games and was forced to watch helplessly as his team failed to qualify for the playoffs. Like every great athlete, Jeter wants to go out on top. He wants to be like Lewis and leave the game with another ring.

When Jeter announced his pending retirement, Yankee ticket prices for late season games skyrocketed. When Lewis announced his retirement, we witnessed an inspired team play at a new level to win the Super Bowl. Athletes that play for a decade become more than players, they become icons. However, whether the end of an iconic athlete's career is bitter or sweet, it is something that sports fans remember their whole lives.

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Comments
Anonymous (not verified) says:
Wed, 03/19/2014 - 20:34

Interesting to focus on the later segment of athletes' careers. Thoughtfully written