Chapter 957 Season Centenary
Retirement happens every year. It is not surprising. The replacement of old and new is a normal process, and it is also an inevitable part of the continuous progress of competitive sports——
No need What a fuss.
However, this year is slightly different. Heavyweight players have announced their retirement one after another.
Julius-Peppers, defensive tackle, nine-time Pro Bowl, three-time All-American first-team, three-time All-American second-team legend, respectively for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears After playing for the Green Bay Packers, he announced the end of his seventeen-year career.
NaVorro-Bowman, linebacker, three Pro Bowlers, four All-Americans, had a brilliant career with the San Francisco 49ers, but decided to hang up his boots after just eight seasons.
Jamal Charles, running back, this player who once made waves in the Kansas City Chiefs has been outstanding enough in his career, but what makes him truly impressive is the serious injury he suffered in the 2016 season. This not only led to his transfer to the Denver Broncos, but also directly led to Veach selecting Levi with the third overall pick in the following year's draft -
The rest is history.
Unexpectedly, Charles sadly turned around and left the professional arena due to serious injuries just two seasons after Levi entered the league.
Also, there is Rob Gronkowski.
The New England Patriots tight end can be regarded as an important contributor to changing the tactical status of tight ends in the league. He has five Pro Bowls, four All-American first teams, and two Super Bowl championship rings. All nine years of his career have been in Foxborough. There is no doubt that he is the most iconic tight end in the league.
I think back then, two tight ends, Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski, came out one after another, giving the position of tight end a new vitality. But I didn’t expect that now Things have changed.
Graham was lost to everyone due to injuries and had long since lost his peak form, bouncing between different teams; while Gronkowski retreated from his peak form and chose to turn around and leave. alliance.
The entire alliance was shocked.
Last season, Gronkowski's condition declined significantly, and he was indeed not as good as he was at his peak, but there is no doubt that he is still Brady's most trusted passing target at critical moments. It can turn decay into magic every time.
But I didn't expect that I would retire this year?
Gronkowski only turns thirty in two months!
Involuntarily, the league has speculated that Gronkowski, like Barry Sanders, may choose to retire in glory before things get worse.
In this regard, Gronkowski said that it was mainly due to injuries.
During his career, he has suffered from back, knee, arm and concussion problems. Last season was also affected by injuries that affected his performance. These injuries made him physically and mentally exhausted. He needs time to recover. .
However, rumors within the league suggest otherwise.
The real reason is that the conflict between Brady and Belichick is intensifying.
Obviously, losing to the Kansas Chiefs in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons is an important reason, but the underlying reason is not because of the Kansas Chiefs, but because Brady and Belichick are competing within the team. The right to speak.
One mountain cannot tolerate two tigers.
Now Brady is no longer the unknown seventh-round pick twenty years ago. When facing his mentor Belichick, Brady also began to resist and even prepared to snatch Billy away. Cheek's power.
The game is always going on.
The overt and covert fight between the two big guys has made the New England Patriots' locker room a mess, and even the team owner has to deal with it carefully. From the farce of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the offseason last year to the further outbreak of the power game in the locker room this offseason, the team atmosphere in Foxborough has become increasingly worse in recent years——
By the way, Belichick still has no plans to retire, and McDaniels will continue to stay as the offensive coordinator.
In this regard, Gronkowski is really exhausted physically and mentally. He supports Brady unconditionally. He is willing to stand by Brady no matter what the situation; but this kind of internal power struggle is not Gronkowski's strong suit, he's tired of distractions off the court.
Then, there are the causes of injuries.
After all, Gronkowski chose to retire.
The reasons and truth are confusing, and all kinds of rumors are flying everywhere; but there is no doubt that Gronkowski's sudden retirement is a big deal.
For a while, the entire alliance was in an uproar.
Moreover, the above-mentioned players are only a small part. There are many Pro Bowl-level players in other positions who have retired. Although the impact is slightly less, it still arouses widespread discussion.
Everyone knows that retirement is normal. It is part of the law of nature. When age and injuries become obstacles to continuing to fight, whether you are willing to admit it or not, the time to turn around and leave will eventually come.
Despite this, every time I see retirement news, there are still endless sounds of sighs, sighs, and regrets. A very important part of the reason is:
These players often represent their own memories. , their retirement not only represents the dust of those memories, but also represents that their age has begun to grow and even grow old. The figures who once ran all the way on the field have finally reached the time of retirement, and they are sitting in front of the TV watching the game. They are also getting older, and those young fans cheer for younger and more youthful players.
Not only the players have passed away, but also their own youth.
Because of this, the news of retirement always brings mixed feelings.
In terms of pure personal performance, Gronkowski may not be as good as the two legends Bowman and Peppers; but Gronkowski's retirement and Graham's fall represent two new era of tight ends. The decline of the leader, coupled with the complete disbandment of the "Legion of Boom" this offseason, has made the most representative image of the league in the past ten years a memory.
Looking at it this way, it is not surprising why Gronkowski's retirement has caused so much discussion.
With the busy free market, the shock of retirement news, the warm-up of the draft, and the sudden emergence of Levi, the "revolve king" in offseason training, this year's NFL is indeed a hustle and bustle.
Although the offseason is like this every year, this year seems to be particularly lively -
Don’t forget that the 2019 season is the centenary season of the NFL. The league has begun gearing up early for the centenary season. Plan a series of activities during the season.
Celebrations will run throughout the season, starting with the 100-year All-Time Team; all teams will choose to wear their own retro jerseys for a week's games - not only commemorating the history of the league, but also leading fans to review the team's history; to on-field painting , schedule arrangements; and finally, special events for international events, and so on.
Goodell is ready to seize the opportunity and use the centennial event as a celebration to push the NFL's influence to a new peak.
Everything is waiting for the carnival party to kick off.
Amidst the steaming heat wave, the annual event is still taking place step by step, and it is slightly special because of the centenary anniversary -
The list of the league's top 100 players.
(End of this chapter)