What’s your opinion on players who choose to retire early from professional sports?

[killamch89]

Some athletes choose to retire earlier than expected, whether it's due to injuries, personal reasons, or wanting to pursue other interests. What’s your take on this? Do you think it’s a sign of weakness, or is it a smart decision to prioritize health and well-being over a career that can often burn out quickly? Are there any players who come to mind where early retirement made sense or seemed out of nowhere?

[The Blackangel]

Seeing as how we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes in their personal lives, it’s unacceptable for someone to call them weak or daemonize them in any way for taking an early retirement. If they do, it’s their choice. Not yours and not mine.

I actually have a lot of respect for the ones that retire early. They worked their whole life to be able to play at the professional level. A quick bowing out of the game has to have a good reason. Otherwise they would stay in the league for (on average) a decade or more.

[killamch89]

On 12/16/2024 at 2:01 PM, The Blackangel said:

Seeing as how we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes in their personal lives, it’s unacceptable for someone to call them weak or daemonize them in any way for taking an early retirement. If they do, it’s their choice. Not yours and not mine.

I actually have a lot of respect for the ones that retire early. They worked their whole life to be able to play at the professional level. A quick bowing out of the game has to have a good reason. Otherwise they would stay in the league for (on average) a decade or more.

Facts. Or maybe their priorities change. Sometimes you may be so invested in something in one point in your life but at a certain point, the athlete may feel to change careers. There's nothing wrong with that.