Volume CXXXIII, Number 4 September 28, 2001 f

Early retirement: today's newest pro sports fad
J.P. BOX
Assistant Sports Editor

What is up with sports stars retiring while they are still in their prime? Why are sports heroes and icons hanging up their skates, cleats, or sneakers after a year of performing at an elite level?

Peter Forsberg, who is generally considered the best two-way center in the National Hockey League and a cog in the Colorado Avalanche lineup, held a press conference recently announcing his indefinite retirement from the league. He cited a rash of injuries over the years, including a ruptured spleen and shoulder injuries, that have deterred his will and his ability to play at an optimum level.

Last season, Forsberg was the most dynamic player in hockey by combing an elegance and nimbleness with brute strength and muscle. No other player in the NHL was more difficult to contain or unnerve.

Nonetheless, after his 27-goal, 62-assist season, this Swede walked away from the hockey world - temporarily at least - at the top of his game. Even more disheartening is the fact that "Peter The Great" only began to realize his full potential as a goal-scoring, pretty-passing, hard-checking player.

Forsberg's sudden and unexpected retirement is not an anomaly in the sports world, however. Instead, it is increasingly becoming common-fare to watch a great athlete walk away while on top.

Other future hall-of-famers that prematurely chose to end their careers include running back Barry Sanders, center Mario Lemieux, and shooting-guard Michael Jordan.

After rushing for 2,053 yards in 1997 and 1,491 yards in 1998, Sanders opted for retirement and Coors Original commercials instead of chasing Walter Paytons all-time rushing record. Even though he was in supreme condition, Sanders made the sharpest cut of his career in 1999 when he told the football world that he would not be back.

He cited his gripes with the Detroit Lions organization as a principle reason for his actions, but he still was arguably the best back in the league. Why did he bolt?

And then there are the athletes who retire early and comeback for the love of the game or to prove that they are still one of the best.

Mario Lemieux, the most skilled hockey player in the world next to Wayne Gretzky, scored 50 goals and totaled 72 assists in the 1997 season. To celebrate his success, he too retired.

The hockey god explained to fans that the chronic problems with his back simply were too painful to fight. Walking away was the only option.

During this past season, Mario decided that his back was in good enough shape to resume his career, and he responded by playing as if he had never missed a beat. Once again he was routinely skating around led-footed defenders and making goalies look silly while making teammates look great.

The ultimate example of an athlete leaving on top is Michael Jordan - who did it twice! Essentially, Jordan took a year and a half in the middle of his six NBA Championships. Then, in 1998 after number six, MJ declared that he was retiring and was 99.9% certain that he would never return.

And now, Jordan figures to help the 19-63 Washington Wizards return to respectability (or get there for the first time) after a three-year lay off. If he can still play at an elite level, Jordan will have taken a combined four and a half years off from the game that he loves. But, why?

I have several theories, or "strains in the old duder's head," that may shed some light into this phenomenon.

First of all, now that players are making more money than ever, players do not depend on their salaries like they once did. After taking in a 10 million dollar signing bonus or signing a mega-million advertising deal, it is no longer necessary to play for money.

Because athletes are not pushed by any economic necessity, they don t feel the same desire to continue to subject themselves to the wear and tear of a long season. They have already proved their unparalleled athletic prowess and can walk away conscience-free.

Or maybe, this economic theory is not getting at the heart of matters (because its the heart that matters most). With players stronger and better conditioned than ever before, playing a sport at the professional level is a more grueling act than in days of yore.

Players simply can no longer or are not willing to absorb the same punishment for as long as they once did.

Or maybe, it's the fear of holding on too long and tarnishing a legacy. Muhammad Ali was a human punching bag later in his career - all it earned him was major headaches and exposed him as merely human.

While these three theories seem plausible-enough, I do not believe that they explain the current situation in sports.

Instead, the definition of success has evolved - for the good or the bad. No longer do players, fans, or analysts judge a player's effectiveness in terms on longevity. Walter Payton, for example, is regarded as the best running back in NFL history because he played at a high level for so many years and rushed for an unprecedented 16,000 yards total.

However, players like Eric Dickerson and Bo Jackson were better pure runners than Payton, but old age and injuries cut their careers short. As a result, they are not remembered in NFL lore as the best ever.

In the modern era, however, longevity is deemphasized. Instead of quantity being equally as important as quality, todays sports world values quality more than quantity.

Because of this fundamental change, players, like Forsberg, don t feel the need to play through injuries to prove themselves as great. Why risk further injury and continue to sacrifice?

We already accept them as heroes.