Friday night, eight of the greatest tennis players of all time joined forces to raise money for a great cause. Unfortunately the more than $1,000,000 they helped to raise hasn’t been the prevailing theme since the match ended, all anyone wants to talk about is the dynamic between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.
There is no denying things got awkward when the barbs got a little too personal, but I would be remiss if I didn’t try to point out how tough it is to entertain 16,000 people in the stadium and millions on TV in a spontaneous manner and play quality tennis at the same time.
Andre Agassi is the greatest entertainer and most philanthropic tennis player the sport has ever seen. Pete Sampras is a class act and one of the all-time legends of the sport. They both gave up their valuable time for free to help raise money for the devastated country of Haiti. That should be the overwhelming theme.
It should also be acknowledged that for the first 7 games, Andre was as charming and funny as any act that sells out in Vegas, pure entertainment gold. However, Andre went too far pounding home the tipping/generosity comment and then Pete responded with a brush back serve that zoomed by Andre’s head.
Now, if there is anyone in the history of tennis that I would feel confident serving at MY BIG HEAD with the intent to shock but not hit, it would be Pete, who notoriously can put his serve on a dime. Regardless, at that point the tension was high, the mood was awkward and the rest of the match was played under a cloud of hostility.
These two guys have been competing against each other for decades and with that comes the normal baggage, especially when they have such contrasting personalities. A couple of uncomfortable games shouldn’t mar that, and I guarantee you it won’t with them.
Since the match ended and the necessary cooling off period ensued, the appropriate overtures and acknowledgements have been made. Any illusion to any type of significant rift is misleading and irresponsible. Furthermore, any rumors of lockerroom conflict or post-match arguing are ridiculous, it simply did not happen. All of the players involved said their good byes then went their separate ways with their families and guests when the night was over.
Tennis has benefited so much from Pete and Andre, perhaps we can give these guys a mulligan for a few minutes that we all wish didn’t happen.
~ Justin
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Roger Federer
It is a significant challenge to find worthy superlatives for Roger Federer’s never ending litany of accomplishments.
Roger started off 2010 with his 16th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Amazingly, after dominating the sport for most of the past 6 years, he has raised the bar once again for his peers.
One of the most astonishing revelations while watching him as often as I have the privilege of doing, is how he manages so many equal and opposite forces simultaneously. He is so powerful and dynamic while being incredibly graceful and poised. Federer also has a deft respect and appreciation of the sport, and continues to work to not only maintain his skills but also improve them. No one in professional tennis, and possibly all of sports, does a better job of managing their schedules than Federer, peaking at the most important times while still balancing the responsibilities of being a worldwide sporting icon with a healthy family life.
This week Roger has been in Ethiopia with the Roger Federer Foundation working to better the lives of children through health and education. In an era where so many of our heroes seem to find new ways to disappoint their fan base, Federer stands out as a genuine role model for the way he carries himself on and off the sporting field.
The 2010 tennis season will pose some interesting challenges for Federer as players continue to improve. Andy Murray learned some valuable lessons in his Australian Open final loss, mainly that he will need to continue to add offensive skills to his superb defensive capabilities. Marin Cilic has gotten off to a hot start this year winning titles in Chennai and Zagreb while reaching his 1st Grand Slam semi-final. Robin Soderling has huge weapons and continues to gain belief at the highest level with a win at the ATP WORLD TOUR 500 event in Rotterdam last week. Del Potro and Nadal have experienced some injury woes early in the season, but as they heal they will certainly be in the mix. I fully expect Nadal to rebound as soon as he feels the slippery red clay underneath his feet and Del Potro is a threat on every surface with an ability to hurt his opponents with every swing of the racket.
The reality is at some point the Federer dynasty will end, but the good news for everyone, except his opponents, is that time is nowhere close.
~ Justin
Roger started off 2010 with his 16th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Amazingly, after dominating the sport for most of the past 6 years, he has raised the bar once again for his peers.
One of the most astonishing revelations while watching him as often as I have the privilege of doing, is how he manages so many equal and opposite forces simultaneously. He is so powerful and dynamic while being incredibly graceful and poised. Federer also has a deft respect and appreciation of the sport, and continues to work to not only maintain his skills but also improve them. No one in professional tennis, and possibly all of sports, does a better job of managing their schedules than Federer, peaking at the most important times while still balancing the responsibilities of being a worldwide sporting icon with a healthy family life.
This week Roger has been in Ethiopia with the Roger Federer Foundation working to better the lives of children through health and education. In an era where so many of our heroes seem to find new ways to disappoint their fan base, Federer stands out as a genuine role model for the way he carries himself on and off the sporting field.
The 2010 tennis season will pose some interesting challenges for Federer as players continue to improve. Andy Murray learned some valuable lessons in his Australian Open final loss, mainly that he will need to continue to add offensive skills to his superb defensive capabilities. Marin Cilic has gotten off to a hot start this year winning titles in Chennai and Zagreb while reaching his 1st Grand Slam semi-final. Robin Soderling has huge weapons and continues to gain belief at the highest level with a win at the ATP WORLD TOUR 500 event in Rotterdam last week. Del Potro and Nadal have experienced some injury woes early in the season, but as they heal they will certainly be in the mix. I fully expect Nadal to rebound as soon as he feels the slippery red clay underneath his feet and Del Potro is a threat on every surface with an ability to hurt his opponents with every swing of the racket.
The reality is at some point the Federer dynasty will end, but the good news for everyone, except his opponents, is that time is nowhere close.
~ Justin
Sunday, November 22, 2009
ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS
It’s been a long year on the ATP World Tour, but there is one last event to be played and there are some tremendous story lines unfolding for the first edition of the Barclay’s World Tour Finals. Dubbed as the year’s 5th Grand Slam, there are 1500 ATP points up for grabs and players will be competing in the fabulous O2 Arena. The demand for the greatest tennis players in the world has never been higher with over 250,000 tickets sold, undoubtedly a testament to the diverse talent and personalities of the participants. The overwhelming theme of the event will be the quest to secure the #1 ranking. Roger Federer has a significant lead but a dominant performance from Rafael Nadal could catapult him into the premiere spot.
The round robin competition is divided into 2 groups. Group A has Federer, Murray, Del Potro, and Verdasco. Group B has Nadal, Djokovic, Davydenko, and Soderling. Group A starts things off Sunday with Group B beginning action Monday. The opening match today fittingly pits the pride of Great Britain, Andy Murray, against the US Open champion, Juan Martin Del Potro. Both of these young stars represent a new breed of tennis players. They are both big, strong guys that have the ability to combine offensive and defensive skills effectively. They have met 5 times with Murray winning 4 out of 5, including all 3 encounters on hard courts. Del Potro has struggled with motivation after his huge win at the USO while Murray has had some issues with a wrist injury. Regardless, this should be an exciting match of two of the games most talented and complete players (Update: Murray won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2).
The first evening session of the Barclay’s World Tour Finals gives us #1 ranked Roger Federer against a rookie to this competition, Fernando Verdasco. Federer has won all 3 of their matches to date, but an interesting development this week has Darren Cahill in London coaching Verdasco. Earlier in the year Cahill had a brief stint coaching Federer before they amicably decided it wasn’t the ideal fit. No one will know the Federer game as well as Cahill and it will be captivating to see if that familiarity yields dividends for the popular Spanish left-hander.
In the opening match for Group B on Monday, Nadal will seek revenge over Soderling who ended his supremacy at the French Open earlier this year. Nadal will need to keep the ball deep, mixing up spins and paces in order to keep Soderling off balance. Soderling excels on indoor surfaces, void of variables like the wind and sun. He is capable of hitting through any opponent with his uncanny power and accuracy. Djokovic and Davydenko close out the first round of matches on Monday night. They recently played in the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai with Davydenko winning in a 3rd set tiebreak. However Djokovic has had success against the Russian including his final round victory over Davydenko at last year’s World Tour Finals. They have similar styles of play, hard-hitting ground strokes and nimble movement, but the variety of Djokovic should be the determining factor.
All and all the event should prove to be a combination of great tennis and exhilarating entertainment, exactly what tennis needs right now. I'll have more updates as the week unfolds. Tune into Tennis Channel to enjoy all of the coverage in the US.
~ Justin
Tour Finals website: http://www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com/
International broadcast schedule: http://tinyurl.com/ykgsyuc
The round robin competition is divided into 2 groups. Group A has Federer, Murray, Del Potro, and Verdasco. Group B has Nadal, Djokovic, Davydenko, and Soderling. Group A starts things off Sunday with Group B beginning action Monday. The opening match today fittingly pits the pride of Great Britain, Andy Murray, against the US Open champion, Juan Martin Del Potro. Both of these young stars represent a new breed of tennis players. They are both big, strong guys that have the ability to combine offensive and defensive skills effectively. They have met 5 times with Murray winning 4 out of 5, including all 3 encounters on hard courts. Del Potro has struggled with motivation after his huge win at the USO while Murray has had some issues with a wrist injury. Regardless, this should be an exciting match of two of the games most talented and complete players (Update: Murray won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2).
The first evening session of the Barclay’s World Tour Finals gives us #1 ranked Roger Federer against a rookie to this competition, Fernando Verdasco. Federer has won all 3 of their matches to date, but an interesting development this week has Darren Cahill in London coaching Verdasco. Earlier in the year Cahill had a brief stint coaching Federer before they amicably decided it wasn’t the ideal fit. No one will know the Federer game as well as Cahill and it will be captivating to see if that familiarity yields dividends for the popular Spanish left-hander.
In the opening match for Group B on Monday, Nadal will seek revenge over Soderling who ended his supremacy at the French Open earlier this year. Nadal will need to keep the ball deep, mixing up spins and paces in order to keep Soderling off balance. Soderling excels on indoor surfaces, void of variables like the wind and sun. He is capable of hitting through any opponent with his uncanny power and accuracy. Djokovic and Davydenko close out the first round of matches on Monday night. They recently played in the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai with Davydenko winning in a 3rd set tiebreak. However Djokovic has had success against the Russian including his final round victory over Davydenko at last year’s World Tour Finals. They have similar styles of play, hard-hitting ground strokes and nimble movement, but the variety of Djokovic should be the determining factor.
All and all the event should prove to be a combination of great tennis and exhilarating entertainment, exactly what tennis needs right now. I'll have more updates as the week unfolds. Tune into Tennis Channel to enjoy all of the coverage in the US.
~ Justin
Tour Finals website: http://www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com/
International broadcast schedule: http://tinyurl.com/ykgsyuc
Monday, November 16, 2009
AGASSI COMPLETELY "OPEN" IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
I just finished reading Andre Agassi’s book, and my first impression is simply, WOW!
Andre sent me the book last week and I have been reading it in segments, partially because of time constraints, but more so because there is so much thought-provoking information that it needs to be absorbed gradually. I applaud Andre for his dedication to the process of documenting the complicated life he has lived. Some people are surprised and a bit shocked at the level of detail Andre gave to the project. I am not. When he commits to something, there is no hedging. It is completely parallel to the way Andre leads his life. If he is going to do something, he is going to go all the way. After all he is from Vegas, the home of the “all-in” mentality.
There has been a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding the book. I can understand how startling it is for fans of tennis, sports, and Andre to read and see a side of Andre they never knew. That being said, I am still a bit shocked at how emotionally people have reacted to some of the salacious revelations in the book. It demonstrates how people tend to idealize the lives of people in the public eye. Getting caught up with the scandals does the book a tremendous disservice. The book is so far beyond sensational anecdotes. I am by no means condoning drug use, tanking matches, and other emotionally unstable behavior. I just see those revelations as symptoms of a much more complicated journey.
“OPEN” is a story that delves into a tortured sole, a gifted genius searching for the unconditional love he wasn’t given at an early age. Andre is an extremely talented person, bestowed with tremendous gifts, and the book describes his process in trying to come to grips with everything, good and bad, that those gifts created. Andre made mistakes in his life, as have we all, but the amount of good he has bestowed upon society outweighs the flaws and missteps by an astronomical margin.
“OPEN” is also very well written. Set in the present tense, it does an excellent job of making you feel connected to the ever-winding journey Andre is going through. Having lived through many of the scenes Andre depicted, it is interesting to observe his reality; and, it is also important to realize just that, these are “his realities.”
While it is painful to read about his relationship with his father, the unsettling revelations about his 1st marriage, and his internal angst with the sport of tennis, above all I feel compassion for a sensitive soul that is constantly searching for answers. I’ve been fortunate enough to know Andre for 15 years and his generosity and thoughtfulness is unmatched. No doubt “OPEN” reveals information that is disappointing but there is nothing that could be revealed that doesn’t further demonstrate that no matter what anyone has accomplished professionally or how great their life may seem from the outside, that life presents harsh challenges. We are all flawed and we all have demons, but Andre’s journey demonstrates the power of the human spirit. In “OPEN” Andre Agassi illustrates how with enough dedication you can learn about yourself and thus unleash your greatest abilities in a positive way.
Andre sent me the book last week and I have been reading it in segments, partially because of time constraints, but more so because there is so much thought-provoking information that it needs to be absorbed gradually. I applaud Andre for his dedication to the process of documenting the complicated life he has lived. Some people are surprised and a bit shocked at the level of detail Andre gave to the project. I am not. When he commits to something, there is no hedging. It is completely parallel to the way Andre leads his life. If he is going to do something, he is going to go all the way. After all he is from Vegas, the home of the “all-in” mentality.
There has been a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding the book. I can understand how startling it is for fans of tennis, sports, and Andre to read and see a side of Andre they never knew. That being said, I am still a bit shocked at how emotionally people have reacted to some of the salacious revelations in the book. It demonstrates how people tend to idealize the lives of people in the public eye. Getting caught up with the scandals does the book a tremendous disservice. The book is so far beyond sensational anecdotes. I am by no means condoning drug use, tanking matches, and other emotionally unstable behavior. I just see those revelations as symptoms of a much more complicated journey.
“OPEN” is a story that delves into a tortured sole, a gifted genius searching for the unconditional love he wasn’t given at an early age. Andre is an extremely talented person, bestowed with tremendous gifts, and the book describes his process in trying to come to grips with everything, good and bad, that those gifts created. Andre made mistakes in his life, as have we all, but the amount of good he has bestowed upon society outweighs the flaws and missteps by an astronomical margin.
“OPEN” is also very well written. Set in the present tense, it does an excellent job of making you feel connected to the ever-winding journey Andre is going through. Having lived through many of the scenes Andre depicted, it is interesting to observe his reality; and, it is also important to realize just that, these are “his realities.”
While it is painful to read about his relationship with his father, the unsettling revelations about his 1st marriage, and his internal angst with the sport of tennis, above all I feel compassion for a sensitive soul that is constantly searching for answers. I’ve been fortunate enough to know Andre for 15 years and his generosity and thoughtfulness is unmatched. No doubt “OPEN” reveals information that is disappointing but there is nothing that could be revealed that doesn’t further demonstrate that no matter what anyone has accomplished professionally or how great their life may seem from the outside, that life presents harsh challenges. We are all flawed and we all have demons, but Andre’s journey demonstrates the power of the human spirit. In “OPEN” Andre Agassi illustrates how with enough dedication you can learn about yourself and thus unleash your greatest abilities in a positive way.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Long Season
Professional tennis in the Fall has one recurring theme, the ongoing debate over the length of the tennis season. Players, the media, fans, everyone loves weighing in on this topic and invariably the constant theme is the tennis calendar is too long. However it does a disservice to simplify the debate without an objective and detailed understanding of all the opposing forces that have created this long-standing issue.
There are a few ways of looking at this. The most obvious is that if something should be a certain way, just get it done and make it happen. Unfortunately, much like in life, tennis is complicated, and sometimes what should happen on the surface has a zillion moving parts and if one is tweaked there is a ripple effect on many other parts of the system.
I'm sure we can all agree that tennis is an incredibly physical sport with the additional component of its international nature leading to excessive travel across multiple timezones. Players need ample time to regenerate both physically and mentally. How many times have you returned home from a two week road trip and felt you needed a few days to recover from living out of a suitcase? Now imagine 32 to 40 weeks on the road each year. Even if a player can carve out 6 weeks off at the end of the season, very little of that time can be used to completely detach from the sport because so much time is required to build a physical base for the upcoming season. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the main reason professional tennis is active 11 months a year is because of the demand for the product throughout the world. Tennis has prospered in regions like the Far East, South America, and Eastern Europe, creating more job opportunities for tennis players. The ATP WORLD TOUR has an obligation to all of its members, both players and tournaments alike, to create and foster job opportunities when possible. It is a difficult balance to moderate and one that obviously has a ways to go.
Fostering change in tennis is always a difficult proposition because of the many competing interests. Top players, who are carrying a disproportionate responsibility in the prosperity of the game, would certainly advocate a shorter schedule, thus creating more time to rest but also to allow more opportunity for lucrative “special events” like exhibitions where the work/reward ratio is tremendous. Lower ranked players will always push back against a shorter calendar, as they want the opportunity to play more and thus make more money.
We know one thing for sure, we want to encourage and foster an environment that enables and encourages our star players to stay active in the sport as long as possible. Hopefully we all can work together to find a balance that keeps both the players and sport healthy.
What do you think?
~ Justin
There are a few ways of looking at this. The most obvious is that if something should be a certain way, just get it done and make it happen. Unfortunately, much like in life, tennis is complicated, and sometimes what should happen on the surface has a zillion moving parts and if one is tweaked there is a ripple effect on many other parts of the system.
I'm sure we can all agree that tennis is an incredibly physical sport with the additional component of its international nature leading to excessive travel across multiple timezones. Players need ample time to regenerate both physically and mentally. How many times have you returned home from a two week road trip and felt you needed a few days to recover from living out of a suitcase? Now imagine 32 to 40 weeks on the road each year. Even if a player can carve out 6 weeks off at the end of the season, very little of that time can be used to completely detach from the sport because so much time is required to build a physical base for the upcoming season. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the main reason professional tennis is active 11 months a year is because of the demand for the product throughout the world. Tennis has prospered in regions like the Far East, South America, and Eastern Europe, creating more job opportunities for tennis players. The ATP WORLD TOUR has an obligation to all of its members, both players and tournaments alike, to create and foster job opportunities when possible. It is a difficult balance to moderate and one that obviously has a ways to go.
Fostering change in tennis is always a difficult proposition because of the many competing interests. Top players, who are carrying a disproportionate responsibility in the prosperity of the game, would certainly advocate a shorter schedule, thus creating more time to rest but also to allow more opportunity for lucrative “special events” like exhibitions where the work/reward ratio is tremendous. Lower ranked players will always push back against a shorter calendar, as they want the opportunity to play more and thus make more money.
We know one thing for sure, we want to encourage and foster an environment that enables and encourages our star players to stay active in the sport as long as possible. Hopefully we all can work together to find a balance that keeps both the players and sport healthy.
What do you think?
~ Justin
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Fall Tennis Season
For many the perception of professional tennis in the Fall is one of the players being on cruise control. That is hardly the case, quite the contrary actually.
The intensity and pressure reaches tremendous heights as players vie for 2 major goals. For the top echelon of players it is securing their place in the World Tour Finals, debuting in London this year, which promises to be an amazing event. The 2nd goal pertains to every professional tennis player, regardless of their ranking or stature in the sport, achieving the highest year-end ranking they possibly can.
The Fall schedule on the ATP World Tour calendar has a prestigious swing through Asia highlighted by 500 Series events in Beijing and Tokyo, followed by the inaugural Master’s 1000 event taking place at a mega facility in Shanghai. Following the Asian swing, players choose from numerous events in Europe, with the final Master’s 1000 event taking place in Paris before the top 8 players of the 2009 season participate in the 5th major, the World Tour Finals. So far Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal.
Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Juan Martin Del Potro have secured their places in London, but the final 3 spots are totally up for grabs. Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Robin Soderling, Giles Simon and Nikolay Davydenko are the players best positioned to compete for the remaining spots. In addition to the ATP World Tour events, the Davis Cup final between Spain and the Czech Republic will take place in the beginning of December in Spain, as Spain will try to repeat as champions.
There are many intriguing story lines that will be answered in the last few weeks of the 2009 tennis year. How will Juan Martin Del Potro respond to the hero’s welcome he received upon returning to his native Argentina after winning the US OPEN? Rafael Nadal left the US OPEN with questions regarding his health after an abdominal injury and he will be looking to get back to his winning ways. Andy Murray had an enigmatic loss at the US OPEN and will be facing tremendous pressure coming back home to London for the World Tour Finals. Roger Federer looks to finish off his monumental year on a positive note. Novak Djokovic will be defending last year’s win in the World Tour Finals, while Andy Roddick will be trying to find the form that put him within points of the Wimbledon crown. Fernando Verdasco and Robin Soderling are trying to punctuate their breakthrough years by gaining their 1st berths in the World Tour Finals.
All and all there will be some scintillating tennis down the stretch of this already enticing 2009 season, so check it out, and enjoy.
The intensity and pressure reaches tremendous heights as players vie for 2 major goals. For the top echelon of players it is securing their place in the World Tour Finals, debuting in London this year, which promises to be an amazing event. The 2nd goal pertains to every professional tennis player, regardless of their ranking or stature in the sport, achieving the highest year-end ranking they possibly can.
The Fall schedule on the ATP World Tour calendar has a prestigious swing through Asia highlighted by 500 Series events in Beijing and Tokyo, followed by the inaugural Master’s 1000 event taking place at a mega facility in Shanghai. Following the Asian swing, players choose from numerous events in Europe, with the final Master’s 1000 event taking place in Paris before the top 8 players of the 2009 season participate in the 5th major, the World Tour Finals. So far Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal.
Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Juan Martin Del Potro have secured their places in London, but the final 3 spots are totally up for grabs. Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Robin Soderling, Giles Simon and Nikolay Davydenko are the players best positioned to compete for the remaining spots. In addition to the ATP World Tour events, the Davis Cup final between Spain and the Czech Republic will take place in the beginning of December in Spain, as Spain will try to repeat as champions.
There are many intriguing story lines that will be answered in the last few weeks of the 2009 tennis year. How will Juan Martin Del Potro respond to the hero’s welcome he received upon returning to his native Argentina after winning the US OPEN? Rafael Nadal left the US OPEN with questions regarding his health after an abdominal injury and he will be looking to get back to his winning ways. Andy Murray had an enigmatic loss at the US OPEN and will be facing tremendous pressure coming back home to London for the World Tour Finals. Roger Federer looks to finish off his monumental year on a positive note. Novak Djokovic will be defending last year’s win in the World Tour Finals, while Andy Roddick will be trying to find the form that put him within points of the Wimbledon crown. Fernando Verdasco and Robin Soderling are trying to punctuate their breakthrough years by gaining their 1st berths in the World Tour Finals.
All and all there will be some scintillating tennis down the stretch of this already enticing 2009 season, so check it out, and enjoy.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Athletes don't retire, they just hibernate for a while
The news of Justine Henin’s possible comeback shouldn’t catch anyone by surprise. Athletes that prematurely retire quickly realize nothing they do in the next phase of their lives can replace the void left behind, it’s that simple. Thus they do the only thing they know, which is to come back in an attempt to recapture what they had tried and probably subconsciously hoped they could leave behind.
Elite athletes are almost programmed from a young age to achieve. Every minute of their day in some way is connected to them squeezing every ounce of potential out of their bodies, and once they decide that the work outweighs the rewards, they run toward normalcy. However it usually doesn’t take long for them to realize that what made them great in the first place was enjoying the effort and sacrifice aligned with high achievement. Factor in the adrenaline of competing, and the void of that no longer being a part of your life, then all roads point right back to the field or court that gives you the best chance to recapture the “fix” you have grown addicted to.
The sad reality is very little in the regular day life can compare to what goes on between the lines of elite competition and whatever normalcy is sacrificed is quickly deemed a worthy sacrifice once that normalcy becomes commonplace. Athletes have the cruelty of life’s greatest resource after their careers end, time. For most that is a luxury, but when you are struggling to find meaning in your life, as most do, it is torturous. It is the aberration, not the norm, for athletes to find peace in life after their playing careers, and those that do have most often been able to put their learned skill set and passion into another endeavor.
Look at two of the biggest symbols of not being able to let go. Brett Favre has tarnished his legacy with these emotionally charged retirement events that eventually segue into comical comebacks. Michael Jordan, perhaps the best basketball player in history, is so lost he spent most of his Hall of Fame induction speech mocking his former adversaries and dropping hints about a possible return at 50. It seems like some sort of undiagnosed disease afflicts certain athletes, “comebackitis” Even the most successful 2nd career athletes, i.e. Magic Johnson or Oscar De La Hoya, would most likely trade everything in just to be able to restart the cycle of competing.
I don’t know Justine Henin too well and it is fundamentally unfair to draw conclusions when you don’t have all the information, but hearing that she might come back, especially after her compatriot, Kim Clijsters just returned so triumphantly, is hardly surprising. It would be unique if she actually walked away from the game and never looked back.
Elite athletes are almost programmed from a young age to achieve. Every minute of their day in some way is connected to them squeezing every ounce of potential out of their bodies, and once they decide that the work outweighs the rewards, they run toward normalcy. However it usually doesn’t take long for them to realize that what made them great in the first place was enjoying the effort and sacrifice aligned with high achievement. Factor in the adrenaline of competing, and the void of that no longer being a part of your life, then all roads point right back to the field or court that gives you the best chance to recapture the “fix” you have grown addicted to.
The sad reality is very little in the regular day life can compare to what goes on between the lines of elite competition and whatever normalcy is sacrificed is quickly deemed a worthy sacrifice once that normalcy becomes commonplace. Athletes have the cruelty of life’s greatest resource after their careers end, time. For most that is a luxury, but when you are struggling to find meaning in your life, as most do, it is torturous. It is the aberration, not the norm, for athletes to find peace in life after their playing careers, and those that do have most often been able to put their learned skill set and passion into another endeavor.
Look at two of the biggest symbols of not being able to let go. Brett Favre has tarnished his legacy with these emotionally charged retirement events that eventually segue into comical comebacks. Michael Jordan, perhaps the best basketball player in history, is so lost he spent most of his Hall of Fame induction speech mocking his former adversaries and dropping hints about a possible return at 50. It seems like some sort of undiagnosed disease afflicts certain athletes, “comebackitis” Even the most successful 2nd career athletes, i.e. Magic Johnson or Oscar De La Hoya, would most likely trade everything in just to be able to restart the cycle of competing.
I don’t know Justine Henin too well and it is fundamentally unfair to draw conclusions when you don’t have all the information, but hearing that she might come back, especially after her compatriot, Kim Clijsters just returned so triumphantly, is hardly surprising. It would be unique if she actually walked away from the game and never looked back.
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