By Paul Gessing
Whether you are a sports fan or not, you have probably heard about Tiki Barber, the all-pro running back of the New York Giants. He has caused quite a stir this year by announcing that he plans to retire at the end of this year at the relatively young age of 31.
Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown is just one of the most well-known NFL players to retire at the top of his game, but Jim Brown retired a long time ago and he played in Cleveland, a long way from the 24/7 New York media market. Barber has created quite a stir in New York and among football commentators, some of whom like Michael Irvin have called him a “quitter” and worse for his decision to leave the game before his body or skills deteriorated. Andrew Kluger of The Badger Herald went so far as to write that “Tiki needs to pull his head out of his confused rear end and recapture the competitive drive that got him this far.”
As a die-hard Steelers fan, I certainly sympathize with those who wish Barber would stick around for a few more seasons and help the Giants to an NFL title or two, but as a libertarian I’ve got to say that Giants fans and other critics need to back off. NFL players, despite their being members of high-profile teams, are still individuals and Barber has career options beyond football that don’t involve being hit repeatedly by 320 lb linemen.
Football is a great sport and while those of us who have never stepped onto the field may wonder how someone who has reached the fame and success of a superstar NFL running back can leave so readily, we also have no idea how much work it takes to perform at that level. I find it quite offensive that people – whether they are former players or fans – feel entitled to tell another person what to do with their career.
Barber is an intelligent, photogenic guy and he wants to be able to play with his kids and get around without experiencing physical pain. Can you really blame him for that? So many former players have been beaten up so bad that they can’t climb stairs or bend down without suffering immense pain. With the brains and looks to parlay his NFL success into a job in the announcer’s booth, it is hard to blame someone for taking the opportunity.
The rest of us can certainly say that we’d do things differently were we given the chance and all of us can feel free to dream about having that kind of talent and those opportunities, but when a person makes their career decision, it only makes sense to cut them some slack. After all, you don’t really want people second-guessing your own career options, do you?
Paul J. Gessing is a Senior Editor of The Free Liberal.