Hanging it up

One of my many downfalls of being a professional sports fan is that I watch the aging process of an athlete right in front of my eyes and watch as his body breaks down, is skills deteriorate and his attitude changes. Some athletes go off into the sunset riding high with a small decline but going out on their own accord rather than a string off injuries force him out or the unfortunate situation of not being signed as a free agency. Mariano Riveiera comes to mind, his last year was almost as impressive as all the previous years.  I dont remember or have any memories of Birds, Magics, Barkleys, etc last days playing, but I remember Jordans. Going to play in washington was so depressing to watch. I went to a kings game and watched Jordan in his last year but 15 points up in the 1st quarter, than watched as he went 2-17 the final 3 quarters, 2 missed lay ups, a dunk that he could barely put down, 1-7 from the free throw line and he finished the game with 22 points as he fouled out half way through the 4th quarter to a standing ovation from the crowd of innocent bystanders to that performance. I think the decline is much more visible in basketball because of the massive egos and the players are easily recognizable. Kobe comes to mind right now. I've nevvvvvvvvvvvvvver liked the guy, but despite the disdain for him, i've always said he's a top 5 player of all time. Not even Jordan could match the horror that I felt every time he launched a game tying/winning shot. His motion was flawless, his hustle is unquestionable, his desire to win is unmatched. Now, he's a former shell of himself...for the better part of 3 years he's had injury after injury and is no longer the player he once was. This got me wondering what other athletes, have basically nothing to prove should retire or walk away, though they might still be able to compete somewhat over the course of an entire season that's where the problems arise. Manning, you aren't going to win another super bowl, you own like 50 passing records, and despite the fact that you didn't win multiple super bowls you are still one of the greatest of all time, walk away my man. Baseball is unique from the other 2 major sports in that it has multiple positions that can help prolong a players career that is on the back end. DH, relief pitchers, spot starters, minors, etc, right field (<-----Just kidding). For the most part many athletes quietly leave the game without much noise and most casual fans a year after they retire or are forced to will randomly go..."what happened to Jermaine Dye, Eric Chavez, "insert name here" but for those that don't, I wish you a good retirement.