Open Mic: Why Pro Athletes Often Don't Know When to Say When

Each situation is unique, of course. Every athlete will give you a different reason why he or she has decided to carry on or to retire. Some truly understand what going out on top means, and others...well, let's just say they need a bit more prodding.

In the world of football, one more play could mean the end of your walking days. You are this close to being a cripple every time you step foot on that field.

Yet guys continue to hang on, hoping for that one last moment of adulation. 

Take Joe Montana, for instance. He was washed up, but you couldn't tell him that, as he spent his final days in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform.

Jerry Rice, too, left San Francisco, even though he was fading.

And we remember an embarrassing Willie Mays trying to patrol center field for the New York Mets at the end of his brilliant career.

And now we have the saga of Brett Favre. He proved in 2007 that he still has something left in the tank. He had arguably one of his best seasons last year. Now he wants to come back, yet isn't being given a warm and fuzzy reception by his former employers.

For Favre, it makes sense to keep playing. He is still good, and can get a shot at another ring if he plays in the right place. Hey, Green Bay would make a nice destination, now wouldn't it?

Michael Jordan didn't know when to retire but, like Favre, he could still play when he came back. He knew he still had something left to give.

But for the rest of the aforementioned athletes, who are virtually washed up, they are unnecessarily risking life and limb, even though they simply can't play anywhere near the level that they used to. And if they are not playing a sport like football, they are still risking their legacy and their reputation.

So why do they do it?

There are likely several reasons for this. One is that for their entire life they have been told, "You can do it," with nothing but positive reinforcement at every turn. And they achieved lofty heights in their pro careers. So, naturally, why should they think they can't climb that mountain one last time?

Another reason is that fame and adulation are like drugs. After a while, you crave it. You need it. And you really can't get that "high" anywhere else.

And, of course, what goes better with fame than fortune? I know a lot of these guys can make good money hawking products on TV and selling their autographs. But do they ever really make what they made in their top earning years as pro athletes?

While you may think they're set for life, a person can get used to a certain lifestyle, and that demands mucho dinero.

I feel there is no better way to retire than by going out on top. MJ should have quit as a champion. His legacy, larger than life already, would have been even bigger. But his competitive nature brought him back for a forgettable swan song with the Wizards.

Having a very competitive nature can be a blessing on the ball field, but in life it can cause trouble. Guys like Jordan and Charles Barkley burn off some of their competitive fire by gambling. In some cases, they end up in hot water over it.

Being a professional athlete is like the greatest of teases. It teases you by building you up, giving you fame, fortune, and an incredible sense of self worth. Then, suddenly, it's all over before you know what hit you, creating a void the size of the Grand Canyon.

What can fill that void?

That's the question pro athletes ask themselves. And the answer is what probably scares them the most: nothing.