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It must
be difficult for sports-radio junkies to understand that
not every professional athlete finds fulfillment in fame
and fortune.
Justine
Henin, for instance, walked away from professional
tennis as the No. 1 player in the world, saying she no
longer derived even a hint of happiness from roaring
crowds and backhand winners. She’s 25 going on 50.
“I have
the impression I’ve already lived three lives,” she
said.
Simply
put, Henin was spent. Worn out, mentally and physically.
Another suitcase. Another city. Another trophy. None of
it mattered anymore.
Barry
Bonds says he hasn’t played baseball since college. Back
then it was a game. Then it became work. And golfer
Sergio Garcia told Sports Illustrated he feels like an
old man. He’s 28.
Fans are
allowed glimpses into the lives of athletes. Three-hour
glamour shots. Of that, fans don’t see the off-season
sweat. Or practice. They don’t see the painkillers, ice
packs or postgame struggles just to slip on a pair of
pants.
Nor are
fans privy to the relationship strain that comes from
not being there. They don’t see the kids crying, begging
mom or dad to stay home a little longer.
Fans see
perfect lives and fat paychecks.
Barry
Sanders quit football at 31, and on the verge of
breaking Walter Payton’s career rushing record. Sanders
knew what other athletes seem to be learning these
days—a person’s self-worth needn’t be linked to wins and
losses, records and championship rings.
Passing
time
Annika
Sorenstam, age 37, last week said this would be her
final season as a professional golfer. Body clock. Tick
tock.
“I have
other priorities in my life,” said Sorenstam, who is
getting married in January, noting that babies trump
birdies.
Get used
to it folks.
More and
more athletes are recognizing that their athletic
endeavors are a vehicle to other worlds, whether
television or fashion or whatever. For years, the tennis
establishment whined that Venus and Serena Williams were
part-timers. And yet, they’re still chugging along while
others like Henin can’t smile anymore.
Venus
Williams has so many outside interests that she even
changes her attire for interviews. Sweat suit for ESPN.
Business suit for CNBC.
Tennis
alone isn’t enough to satisfy the creative appetite of
the Williams women. So both created fashion lines.
Perhaps Henin could have used a hobby that took her away
from tennis. So what if her ranking suffered.
Life’s
work
Roger
Federer is 26. He has one eye on Pete Sampras’s
Grand-Slam record and the other on what’s next. Federer
has said he’d play through the 2012 Olympics. But he’s
also spoken with Andre Agassi, whose only regret is not
focusing more attention on his charitable foundation
sooner.
It might
surprise you to know that Danica Patrick, 26, is already
pondering life after auto racing.
“Let’s
face it, I’m going to be done racing one day and I’m
going to need to do something else,” she said.
Tiki
Barber could have kept carrying a football for the New
York Giants. He chose another path. After all, one’s
body doesn’t get bruised and battered while
broadcasting.
Sometimes we, as well as team owners and executives,
forget that athletes are people, too, that they come
with problems and emotions.
Dance
revolution
As the
story goes, Miami Dolphins boss Bill Parcells wouldn’t
even look at Jason Taylor, who missed off-season
workouts because he was expanding his fan base on ABC’s
Dancing With the Stars. It worked for IndyCar’s
Helio Castroneves, who these days fields almost as many
questions about his rumba as his racing.
To fully
understand why Henin walked away it helped to chat with
Lisa Leslie, who phoned Saturday morning, a few hours
before embarking on her 11th Women’s National Basketball
Association season.
Leslie,
35, talked about missing her high-school graduation
because of basketball. She recalled with regret
attending only one party in high school.
“It was
either homework or basketball,” she said.
There
weren’t many friends in college. Only teammates. She
wanted to join a sorority, but didn’t have time. Plenty
of missed family functions, too. Summer barbeques. The
Fourth of July. There was an off-season spent playing in
Russia. And another in Italy.
Unlike
Henin and Sorenstam, though, Leslie is a mother. She
skipped last season after giving birth to her daughter,
Lauren.
“How
much longer I play will be determined by Lauren and my
body,” Leslie said. “But, right now, I’m happy.”
Hard for
the sports-radio set to understand, I know, but not
every rich-and-famous athlete can say that. |
