(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
With the recent Brett Favre retirement saga still ongoing, I started to think about the some of the most annoying retirement non-retirements in recent sports memory.
As opposed to some retirements that were just ill-advised, like Mark Spitz trying out for the 1992 Olympics, these retirements or so-called retirements just get on your nerves after awhile.
While players and coaches of this stature deserve to go out on their own terms, sometimes enough is enough, and they just end up hurting their own legacies.
Want a couple good ways to retire? Try John Elway, who retired after winning the Super Bowl in 1999, or "Dr. J" Julius Erving, who retired in 1986, and spent the season receiving standing ovations, gifts, and accolades from every NBA city he visited.
1) Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens's retirement saga became such a joke they made a cell phone commercial about it. Remember the one where Clemens phone signal dies as he's talking to his wife about coming back to baseball?
Clemens's retired in 2003 from the New York Yankees, only to unretire in 2004 to play for the Houston Astros. 2005 and 2006 were more years of retirement speculation.
In 2007, Clemens waited until May to make his return to the Yankees, and pitched until hurting his hamstring in October of that year. In the middle of all this was the speculation about the steroid use and adultery, which has further tarnished his image.
2) Brett Favre
If Favre signs up to play this season, I'm moving him to the number one slot. As early as 2006, rumors began circulating of Favre's retirement. That's fine, that often happens with veteran players. It was in the spring of 2008 the real fun began.
On March 4 of that year, Favre announced his official retirement from the NFL. By the summer time, he wanted back in the NFL, and said the Packers had pressured him to retire before he wanted to.
The Packers had already committed to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and weren't backing off that stance. Finally released, Favre signed and played for the New York Jets in 2008. In February 2008, Favre retired officially from the NFL.
Then in the last months, the rumors started again about playing for the Minnesota Vikings. That would be the ultimate insult to Packers if Favre went to a division rival. I hope he doesn't do it, because the last four years of Favre retirement rumors are enough.
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