October 14, 2003

In sports, it seems like all the great ones ego's override their sense of judgement. When the body's reflexes start to slow down and not react as fast as they did in their prime. Not to mention every young buck, with faster legs and crisper reflexes want to make a name off you. Your ego is telling you, that you can still perform on the highest level, and your body is telling you ,"no you can't". In most non contact sports, there is minimal risk of significant long term health hazards, but in football and especially boxing it can present some long term damage.

Michael Jordan, Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith, argueably the greatest basketball and football players, of all time. Did they hang around too long? Yes probably, but fortunately for MJ the only damage he suffered was to his ego, where he couldn't keep up with AI, Kobe, and T-Mac. But who is to say he could have kept with them in his prime. They are great ball players. I know they couldn't have kept with him. Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are still stories in progress, they are still playing the game.

Most athletes who continue to play well past their prime, that are not in financial hardship, claim it's for the love of the game. Which I can't knock that, and who are we to say, "you need to give it up", because they're not the same player you we're at the pennacle of their careers. In what other profession, other than sports, do we ask people to walk away from, when they approach their late 30's. None that I can think of. In most cases, what can any of these athletes do, and make the same kind of money, when they walk away. Maybe some can have successful careers in sports commentary and some like Magic Johnson who have invested their money wisely over the years can excell in business. But all of those who have been successful outside of their arenas, still miss what they do best.

Too many times great athletes don't know when to call it quits.

Holyfield treated us to some of the greatest wars in the history of the fight game, fighting all the great fighters of his era, Dwight Qawi, Riddick Bowe, Michael Moorer, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis. What else does he have to prove. He has defied the odd's on many of occassions, when everyone said he should have retired after the 3rd Bowe fight, when he was diagnosed with a irregular heart condition. He overcame that, and went on fight the best fight of his life against Tyson. If he had retired then, he would been considered one of the top 5 Heavyweights of all-time.

Contining to fight on at his advanced age, has not only somewhat tarnished his legacy, but he risks permanent damage to he health, like Muhammad Ali and Medrick Taylor who has slurred speech now, that is attributed to all the punishment that they taken in the ring. As a Holyfield fan I think it's time as Fred Sanford said, for Evander to...."Throw 'em in Joe".