CFZ Father Time is Undefeated

[Reverend Conehead]

Roger Staubach retired after a season in which he led all QB's in passer rating. At the time of his retirement, he was the leading passer in NFL history.

I was disappointed at the time because I was selfish. I wanted more SB trophies for my team.

Today, I praise him because I know he loved the game but he didn't want to experience that phase of the career where they decline and can't be what they used to.

I'll never forget Troy Aikman being booed at the end of his career. I felt so bad for him. That would have been really tough to see if it happened to my hero, Roger Staubach.

Yeah, at the time, I was super bummed, but today I think he was smart to retire when he did. He was at the top of his game, but he had had some problems with concussions, and the helmets back then were junk compared to what they have today. It would be awful if today Staubach were struggling with brain injury problems.

 

[xwalker]

I always hate seeing any player get hurt regardless of the team. Especially when it’s a serious injury like Aaron Rodgers apparently tearing his achilles. It’s brutal.

But it has also always fascinated me that some of the all time greats in sports somehow don’t know when it’s time to retire. So many HOFers and all time greats don’t hear the gentle raps on the retirement door by Father Time. Just look at the list of guys who had reached great heights in their respective sports only to continue their athletic competition after they are probably too old.

Look at these all time greats who probably should have retired:

• Muhammad Ali- my favorite boxer. Despite approaching 40 and having taken some terrible shots over the years, he continued to box until it was sad to watch.
• Michael Jordan- IMO the greatest basketball player of all time ended his career looking very human while playing for the Washington Wizards. He was a shell of what he once was.
• Johnny Unitas- the former Colt HOFer insisted on playing at 40 for the Chargers when his body was broken. He looked pitiful.
• Joe Namath- after multiple knee injuries and his SB win in ‘68, Namath kept his career alive playing for the rams. It was embarrassing. He could hardly move.
• Tony Dorsett- after a HOF career in Dallas, TD played one year for the Denver Broncos in 1988 and looked like an old man. He should have retired a Cowboy.
• Brett Farve- how many times did he come out of retirement?

This list is incomplete. And Tom Brady was an exception because although he looked less effective, still won a SB at 42. But he was the extremely rare exception. Aaron Rodgers may have played his last game. IMO, he should have just retired.

Father Time is undefeated.

That injury could have happened to any QB regardless of age.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

Yep...hes done. With an extra 75 mil to go with retirement.

 

[Bobhaze]

That injury could have happened to any QB regardless of age.

True. But it doesn’t change the notion that time eventually catches up with even the great players.

 

[Captain-Crash]

The day you are born is the day you start dying.

 

[diamonddelts]

NFL turf is undefeated you mean.

It's pathetic that they continue to allow that "**"*** to hurt their players

THIS

 

[diamonddelts]

The day you are born is the day you start dying.

So true

 

[diamonddelts]

It is always sad to see a great go down to father time, few can hang on forever as much as we'd like them to, some quit way before time, and others die in the process - Dale Earnhardt, Apollo Creed and Lynyrd Skynyrd amoungst them.
Truthfully we feel attached to these greats and it's hard to let go.
In the mean time, we can worship the current greats while we can.

Throw the damn towel!

 

[diamonddelts]

Father Time is undefeated, I agree… however, Tom Brady took him into double overtime.

Classic

 

[VaqueroTD]

Roger Staubach retired after a season in which he led all QB's in passer rating. At the time of his retirement, he was the leading passer in NFL history.

I was disappointed at the time because I was selfish. I wanted more SB trophies for my team.

Today, I praise him because I know he loved the game but he didn't want to experience that phase of the career where they decline and can't be what they used to.

I'll never forget Troy Aikman being booed at the end of his career. I felt so bad for him. That would have been really tough to see if it happened to my hero, Roger Staubach.

I see people write in this forum how they hate Cowboys fans because they're homers, don't know football, etc..

But that Aikman story is what makes me hate fans. No appreciation for someone who basically gave their health for the team.

And in Aikman's defense, he was still pretty young, I don't think he realized it was over either.

 

[Rockport]

I always hate seeing any player get hurt regardless of the team. Especially when it’s a serious injury like Aaron Rodgers apparently tearing his achilles. It’s brutal.

But it has also always fascinated me that some of the all time greats in sports somehow don’t know when it’s time to retire. So many HOFers and all time greats don’t hear the gentle raps on the retirement door by Father Time. Just look at the list of guys who had reached great heights in their respective sports only to continue their athletic competition after they are probably too old.

Look at these all time greats who probably should have retired:

• Muhammad Ali- my favorite boxer. Despite approaching 40 and having taken some terrible shots over the years, he continued to box until it was sad to watch.
• Michael Jordan- IMO the greatest basketball player of all time ended his career looking very human while playing for the Washington Wizards. He was a shell of what he once was.
• Johnny Unitas- the former Colt HOFer insisted on playing at 40 for the Chargers when his body was broken. He looked pitiful.
• Joe Namath- after multiple knee injuries and his SB win in ‘68, Namath kept his career alive playing for the rams. It was embarrassing. He could hardly move.
• Tony Dorsett- after a HOF career in Dallas, TD played one year for the Denver Broncos in 1988 and looked like an old man. He should have retired a Cowboy.
• Brett Farve- how many times did he come out of retirement?

This list is incomplete. And Tom Brady was an exception because although he looked less effective, still won a SB at 42. But he was the extremely rare exception. Aaron Rodgers may have played his last game. IMO, he should have just retired.

Father Time is undefeated.

Not hard at all to understand. They love the game they played and they were all extremely competitive. And they know they’ll miss the locker room.

 

[gtb1943]

I see people write in this forum how they hate Cowboys fans because they're homers, don't know football, etc..

But that Aikman story is what makes me hate fans. No appreciation for someone who basically gave their health for the team.

And in Aikman's defense, he was still pretty young, I don't think he realized it was over either.

Troy was having more and more back problems and the O line was getting worse and basically he saw no reason to keep going on. It must have hit him even harder that it was what it was like at the beginning of his career when the boys were trash and he was getting worked each game. Whether he really was totally ready to retire or not. He really saw no hope that the Boys were going to be on the upswing any time in the near future.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Troy was having more and more back problems and the O line was getting worse and basically he saw no reason to keep going on. It must have hit him even harder that it was what it was like at the beginning of his career when the boys were trash and he was getting worked each game. Whether he really was totally ready to retire or not. He really saw no hope that the Boys were going to be on the upswing any time in the near future.

Don't disagree with the lack of talent. Those were rough years. I call them the "Jerry Learning Years." LOL

I know there are tons of stories on how he considered coming back, but I think anyone that still has some youth and gets to rest their back will start to feel like they can do it again.

I remember his retirement press conference, and you could tell he knew his body was shot.

I'm glad he didn't come back. He may have shined a game or two, but someone would have hit him and re-injured the concussions, back, etc..

 

[rambo2]

I always hate seeing any player get hurt regardless of the team. Especially when it’s a serious injury like Aaron Rodgers apparently tearing his achilles. It’s brutal.

But it has also always fascinated me that some of the all time greats in sports somehow don’t know when it’s time to retire. So many HOFers and all time greats don’t hear the gentle raps on the retirement door by Father Time. Just look at the list of guys who had reached great heights in their respective sports only to continue their athletic competition after they are probably too old.

Look at these all time greats who probably should have retired:

• Muhammad Ali- my favorite boxer. Despite approaching 40 and having taken some terrible shots over the years, he continued to box until it was sad to watch.
• Michael Jordan- IMO the greatest basketball player of all time ended his career looking very human while playing for the Washington Wizards. He was a shell of what he once was.
• Johnny Unitas- the former Colt HOFer insisted on playing at 40 for the Chargers when his body was broken. He looked pitiful.
• Joe Namath- after multiple knee injuries and his SB win in ‘68, Namath kept his career alive playing for the rams. It was embarrassing. He could hardly move.
• Tony Dorsett- after a HOF career in Dallas, TD played one year for the Denver Broncos in 1988 and looked like an old man. He should have retired a Cowboy.
• Brett Farve- how many times did he come out of retirement?

This list is incomplete. And Tom Brady was an exception because although he looked less effective, still won a SB at 42. But he was the extremely rare exception. Aaron Rodgers may have played his last game. IMO, he should have just retired.

Father Time is undefeated.

Rodgers did it for the money.

 

[Motorola]

Tom Brady winning a Superbowl at age 42, and was an integral part of their success (he wasn't simply a bus driver)...to me that means that Father Time is not quite undefeated. Brady defied the odds for sure.

And since your list includes some non-football examples, I think Julio Franco was 48 when he retired, and he had a lot of success in his 40's. That's old. Ancient in a major professional sport. "In some 637 games played after 40, Franco scored 181 runs while adding 409 hits. Of those, 72 were doubles, seven triples and 32 were home runs. Franco added 213 RBI and 21 stolen bases to his .245/.310/.354/.664 post-40 batting line." Impressive.

And Gordie Howe is not only the oldest player ever in NHL history, retiring at the age of 52, he was also one of the sport’s most prolific and greatest hockey players of all time. 52!

And there have been a few 43+-year-old basketball players that had success late in their careers.

So, I'd say Father Time is almost undefeated.

And throughout the history of major league baseball, there's been at least of a dozen or so pitchers that were still effective in their late 30's - early 40's.