Walk it Out

As an avid sports fan I love seeing certain athletes dominate their respective sports in ways that seem unreal. This has been the case in Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Earlier tonight he dominated yet another quality opponent Ricky Hatton in keeping his undefeated boxing record in tact. Athletes, especially ones that have dominated their sports have always had an extremely hard time in identifying when it was best to stop everything and walk away. This was the case with athletes such as Michael Jordan who had a few forgettable years in Washington and Jerry Rice who just would not call it quits.

It is easy to see why athletes stay in their sports longer than they should. Professional athletes are some of the most stubborn and competitive people, it is these qualities that help them get to where they are in their sports. The lure of money and fame also is blinding for many athletes who have grown to love all that comes with being a celebrity in American society. Who in their right minds would walk away from multi million dollar contracts, all the perks in the world, and the fame that comes with being a professional athlete. Unfortunately sometimes this stubbornness causes athletes to jeopardize their health as can be seen by Muhammad Ali, Barry Bonds, and Priest Holmes to name a few.

The athletes that do decide to walk away while still in their prime are often questioned and portrayed as foolish by the media. Jim Brown played only nine professional seasons in the NFL and when he decided to walk away from all of that many were very critical of his decision. However his legacy is still as strong as ever as many still regard him as the greatest running back in NFL history. He has also gone on to find success as an actor, and more importantly a black rights leader.