Steve Benson
Who are the greatest athletes of all time? This question would get many different responses. Most would reply Michael Jordan, Brett Favre, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Babe Ruth, or another athlete depending on sport preference. I am prepared to offer that to be a great athlete one must have staying power. What I mean by staying power is the ability for the player to stay on one team and make that team great.
There are many examples of players who have fractured there career by leaving the team they should have stayed with. These players in many eyes weren’t the true greats because they couldn’t lead that franchise through adverse times. Being from Wisconsin I can’t help but think about how Brett Favre hurt his near perfect career by leaving the Packers. He had everything in Green Bay and should have retired a Packer. He has now become the drama queen of the NFL and many fans have seen enough of Brett Favre.
Lebron James summer decision captivated basketball fans and had an ESPN special to announce which organization he would “take his talents too”. After months of rumors and speculation, Lebron decided that he would go play for Miami. To The Cavaliers and their fans this was a dramatic blow. Fans burned Lebron jerseys and saw their dreams of a championship in Cleveland shattered. Was this decision good for Lebron? The answer will play itself out for him. But as for his legacy, it is marred. He proved he isn’t one of the greats. If he was going to be the best ever, he should have made the players in Cleveland better and guided them to a championship. He shouldn’t need to be on a team with three all-star players to make a championship run. Not that the Heat are anywhere near being ready for a championship run.
There are several athletes that are respected because they were loyal to one franchise. These players left behind a legacy of one who could persevere even though they may never have won a championship. A few NBA players that come to mind are: Reggie Miller, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan. Jordan did play for the Wizards at the end of his career, but he was more of a player coach at that time.
NFL players that come to mind are Steve Young, Jerry Rice, and John Elway. John Elway is a great example of someone who stayed and finished his career right. Not only did Elway win a championship, he built that team into a contender and willed it to victory. These were all players, though not all champions, that stayed primarily with one team throughout their careers. They loved their cities, fans, and franchises that they played for.
There are different opinions when it comes to how a player should spend his career. Not in all cases are the players being selfish or should be thought of as a villain. Many times there were problems with GM’s or presidents of teams that caused players and teams to part ways. Only two sports were mentioned, but it applies to all sports. Overall people have a much higher opinion of a player that will stay with one team throughout his career. This is what the great players do. In the past, it was a greater honor to have your jersey hung from the rafters of an arena than to be the highest paid player. Typically the highest paid players are the ones that leave their team for a “better deal”. These are not the ones that will be remembered most. These players are soon forgotten because they had no staying power.
