To the surprise of many, Pro Bowl Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Andrew Luck recently announced his retirement, at the young age of 29 (he'll be 30 in a week). Upon hearing this, Indianapolis Colts fans started booing him. Sports commentator Doug Gottlieb tweeted, "Retiring cause rehabbing is 'too hard' is the most millennial thing ever #AndrewLuck."
For only being 29 years old, Andrew Luck has sustained a number of awful injuries. It seems as though his love for the game was lost through this grueling cycle of injury and rehab. Not only has this been grueling for him physically, but also mentally.
I love football. I honestly wish I didn't at times, because these grown men constantly put themselves in harm's way and place their short- and long-term health on the line just for our entertainment. Sure, they make millions of dollars, but at the end of the day, is that worth memory loss at a young age, a shorter lifespan, and excruciating pain after you retire (at 30 or 35)? That's up for debate, but I'm leaning toward no.
While Andrew Luck signed a contract and is technically obliged to fill it out for his team and for his organization, he owes nothing to anyone else. Even with regard to the former, though, the guy has, in my opinion, done far more than was necessary for his team and organization. Not only did he take the Colts to the playoffs on multiple occasions, he led them to playoff victories. While I felt he was overrated at times (and underrated at others), the guy didn't have much help on either side of the ball, especially on the offensive line. If the Indianapolis Colts want to blame anyone for Luck's early retirement, they need to look no further than what they see in the mirror, because they consistently surrounded Luck with, for lack of a better word, crap. The defense was mediocre, at best. The offense was average at best (without him). The offensive line left Luck on his backside more times than a drunken high-heeled clown who attempts to ice skate. While we're all free to express our opinions on Luck's decision, when it all comes right down to it, this was about his health and well-being, both physical and mental, and especially in the long-term, I don't think any reasonable person could criticize him for that. Thanks for the highlights and memories, and best wishes with whatever you decide to do after this. Being a Stanford grad and all, I think he'll be fine, whichever direction he travels.
For only being 29 years old, Andrew Luck has sustained a number of awful injuries. It seems as though his love for the game was lost through this grueling cycle of injury and rehab. Not only has this been grueling for him physically, but also mentally.
I love football. I honestly wish I didn't at times, because these grown men constantly put themselves in harm's way and place their short- and long-term health on the line just for our entertainment. Sure, they make millions of dollars, but at the end of the day, is that worth memory loss at a young age, a shorter lifespan, and excruciating pain after you retire (at 30 or 35)? That's up for debate, but I'm leaning toward no.
While Andrew Luck signed a contract and is technically obliged to fill it out for his team and for his organization, he owes nothing to anyone else. Even with regard to the former, though, the guy has, in my opinion, done far more than was necessary for his team and organization. Not only did he take the Colts to the playoffs on multiple occasions, he led them to playoff victories. While I felt he was overrated at times (and underrated at others), the guy didn't have much help on either side of the ball, especially on the offensive line. If the Indianapolis Colts want to blame anyone for Luck's early retirement, they need to look no further than what they see in the mirror, because they consistently surrounded Luck with, for lack of a better word, crap. The defense was mediocre, at best. The offense was average at best (without him). The offensive line left Luck on his backside more times than a drunken high-heeled clown who attempts to ice skate. While we're all free to express our opinions on Luck's decision, when it all comes right down to it, this was about his health and well-being, both physical and mental, and especially in the long-term, I don't think any reasonable person could criticize him for that. Thanks for the highlights and memories, and best wishes with whatever you decide to do after this. Being a Stanford grad and all, I think he'll be fine, whichever direction he travels.
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