San Paolo said:
Everytime a player graces the field they feel a great desire to continue on playing. When they decide their body cant take it or they lose passion then they will choose to retire, for Paolo he is one of a kind... never seen a player that can play at that level for 20+ seasons
So true. I can imagine how hard it is for any player - especially one of Maldini's stature - to retire from a sport they love so much, because they feel that they're losing a crucial part of their lifestyle. Here in the States, we have Jerry Rice, who signed with Denver last week in hopes of returning for an unheard-of 21st season in the NFL, where the average career lasts seven years.
What blows me away is that Maldini has spent his entire career with just one team, and for 20 years at that. I appreciate "throwback" athletes like him in any sport who arrived on the scene long before today's era of huge entourages, excessive bling-bling and the desire to record third-class rap albums. Players establishing long, distinguished careers with one team are fast becoming an endangered species. (Look at the mockery Michael Jordan made of his last playing days.) Reggie Miller, one of the greatest shooters to ever play the game, just retired from the NBA after an 18-year long career spent entirely with the Indiana Pacers.
We as fans feel sadness when our favorite player(s) call it quits, as they had almost become a part of our lives, so to speak. But for the players themselves that feeling must be tenfold. From my observation, it seems that those who play for the love of the game, as cliche as that term is, manage to find a way to stick it out and extend their careers longer than those just looking to squeeze out another year of paychecks in order to add another Bentley to their collection.
Regarding the subject at hand: I see Maldini contributing one more full season in 05-06, and then contemplating a diminished role - or the R-word, retirement - afterwards.
