Open Mic- Athletes and Retirement: Hang Up the Jersey, Or No?

As we all know, Brett Favre is still contemplating whether or not to keep truckin' into his 17th NFL season.  So I thought I would take a look at other aspects of professional athletes and their retirement such as:

• Who are some athletes who need to give it up who are still hanging on by a thread today?
• What athletes have benefited from sticking around for another year?
  
• Do you look at players with more respect for leaving the game on top?
• When should an athlete retire? What criteria of accomplishments should lead to leaving a sport at the right time?
• Why do you think some athletes refuse to give up the game? Is it their competitive nature? Fear of taking the next step in life? Wanting to make as much money as possible?

1. Simply put, Vinny Testaverde. I know, he has already announced his retirement earlier this year, and its about time. He didn't exactly leave the game on top, but at least he left it before he got a serious injury. Come on, he was going on 45 years old for cryin' out loud!

2. John Elway. Coming back for one last hoorah, and ended up takin his team to the big sha-bang for the second consecutive time. He will go down as one of the best for how he played, and how he went out.

3. No, I don't, I mean, look at Marino, he didn't go out on top! He didn't even take his team all the way and he will still be remembered as one of the greatest. You don't have to have a fancy ring or two to be respected.

4. I say when they think its time to go I guess... I mean, you don't wanna leave when your in the prime of your career, and you don't want to wait and see if you can do better and slowly decline as you get older. Retiring after taking your team to the big dance to me, is the best way you could do it.

5. I think most of it, if you look at Brett Favre, is they just don't want to leave it. They are having too much fun, making a bunch of money, and playing a sport they love (well, most players do).  I think some just don't want to leave because they are afraid to take the next step. They have never really known how to take their life into a new direction. Its only gone one way for them for the past 10-15 years or so.

Retirement from the NFL, can go both ways:

You can go on to do the other things you want to do in life, or... You get the itch to come back and request to get released by the only team you have really played with.