Corey Dillon Retiring? Favre Should Too?
First it was Tiki Barber, now Corey Dillon. The debate now becomes should there be a limit on a max number of years RB’s can play? I still think no, but I commend these guys for leaving the game before it’s too late. I also like the idea that Dillon says he is going to shop his value before making a decision, however not many teams are in need of a goal line RB.(Dillon still under the belief that he can handle majority of the carries)However potential teams who could be interested in Dillon’s services are the Bucs, Steelers, Broncos all places where he could get 10 carries a game and be productive on a legit contender. OK, maybe that’s a stretch for the Bucs..
This is more than I can say for Brett Favre who should have laced them up at the end of LAST season or atleast gone to a legit contender. I’m starting to believe he’s hurting his legacy more than helping it, and if Peyton Manning doesn’t eclipse every single passing record will people still view Favre as one of the greatest? Or as a guy who played too long to capture some of the top QB records from Marino and Friends.
Favre should retire, but not yet.
As a football fan, I hate to see successful players that hang on to the hope of rediscovering the glory long since realized. No player is bigger than his team. No player’s aspirations should be put above that of the team that he plays for.
In a couple of days, Packer fans from all over will flock to Green Bay to attend Fanfest. Attendance is expected to exceed all previous Fanfests for two BIG reasons. First, in the last week of the season the Packers smacked Da’ Bears on national TV which gave Packer fans the hope of rediscovering the glory long since realized. And then, despite all the hugs and tears, Brett Favre decided not to retire after all.
Can this guy still play? Packer fans think so. Can all these fans in Packer-dom (or is it dumb) be right? Yes, but for the wrong reason.
These fans know that it will be a long time before they see the next great QB in green and gold. They don’t want this one to get away just yet. Think back to how long it took to replace Bart Starr (who will also be available for autographs and photos at Fanfest). Packer fans can’t let go.
However, this guy can still play… at least better than anyone else the Packers have as a replacement. The fans bought into the mirage that was the victory over Da’ Bears, and so did Favre.
Outside of Packer-dom, the rest of us experts are saying rebuild.
This football fan, that hates to see guys hang on at the expense of the team thinks Favre made the right decision. He gives his team, and his fans something that no one out there right now can give them.
Hope of glory long since realized.
pmryder
February 27, 2007
Favre is my all-time favorite player, so I am just excited to get a chance to watch him play, potentially for a playoff team, for one more season!
As for the Running Backs retiring early, I say Amen! Look, if they want to be able to walk when they are 50, then God Bless ‘em. Many of already made their millions, had their 15,000 minutes of fame, and are prepared to move on. And look at guys like The Bus and Tiki and how they were able to land solid jobs, still football related, off of the playing field. In the gladiator-type world of the NFL, Running Back is probably the position that takes the most abuse, so I say congratulations to any guy who can cap off a nice 10-year career and WALK away from the game. If Jim Brown and Barry Sanders ended their careers their way, then there is no reason why the likes of Corey Dillon and Tiki Barber can’t do the same.
Raible
February 27, 2007
With Favre, I think it’s interesting that he’s unlike so many other all-time greats. Among so many others, Emmitt Smith and Joe Montana are superstars that come to mind that finished their careers elsewhere. You really get the feeling Favre could get the QB in Green Bay till he’s 50. But instead of dwelling on that, I’m gonna turn the focus towards drafting a QB of the future. It’s one thing to draft Jay Cutler with Jake Plummer in fold, because you could tell the Broncos were more than ready to let Plummer go. But the Packers? Sure, maybe Favre was going to retire. But if there’s no chance of replacing the QB you have while he’s alive, you probably shouldn’t take a QB of the future. How much nicer would Luis Castillo or Marlin Jackson or Heath Miller or Reggie Brown or Lofa Tatupu look in green and yellow, on the same field with Favre, helping him try to win before (if) he retires? So the next time a team drafts a QB of the future, they better be sure they’re serious about using him.
Thinking back with the running backs, didn’t it seem like we were robbed of Barry Sanders’s career but Tiki Barber seems seems kind of old? I don’t know if this is a sign of the times, just what a freak Sanders was, or maybe even simply being young and not knowing, but to me, I don’t recall Sanders seeming old at all. I know Tiki is coming off yet another outstanding season, but I really don’t mind one bit that he is retiring.
Haver
February 28, 2007