Changing of the Guard
Was hoping to get a new post out earlier than this but the interns went on strike so we’ve struggled here to find good help… cheap.
In this the greatest time on the sports calendar, the options are endless. Football as we discussed in a previous post is certainly available from the NFL seemingly every day and college football I think is now playing Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoons but I digress… I got ready for hockey to start up as well last week and realized while watching that another era has passed and with it the start of a new one.
The first pick in the NHL draft, Conor Bedard, played his first game at the age of 18 and faced “Sid the kid” Crosby who just turned 38. I’m not sure how 20 years went by that fast but they did. Bergeron and a slew of old timers made a Garden appearance to celebrate the centennial year of the Bruins. In the locker room, young Matthew Poitris laced up his skates for the Bs to play his first game, he just turned 19. This changing of the guard certainly isn’t restricted to hockey. In all sports, aging (from a sports standpoint at least) veterans winds down their careers and call it a day. A first ballot hall of famer; Miguel Cabrera says goodbye at 40 years old and players like Ronald Acuna get to the top of the mountain at 24, thanks for the memories and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Brady, Manning & Brees head out stage left and Trevor Lawrence, Pat Mahomes and Josh Allen step in.
We attach ourselves to players sometimes as fans. We revel in their successes and applaud their performances until it’s over, then we move on. Now don’t get me wrong, we never forget some of these players; Orr, Espo, Brady, Bird, Ortiz etc… but they are no longer part of daily thoughts. As always, it’s about the next game and whomever is the flavor of the generation. Griffey Jr. and Jeter retire; along comes Trout and Harper. It’s why we are always fans no matter who is on the field, court and ice.
Unlike non athletes like most of us, we view this demise as a well deserved retirement. For most people it can take 60 or more years to get to that point. Athletes careers are fleeting however, the average career as an NFL player is 7 years. Though the other sports have longer ones, they are still short sprints in the race of life.
I of course miss watching certain players but I also enjoy getting familiar with new ones, I guess it’s sports version of the changing of the guard…
