The Last Post

One of the hardest questions a general manager of any sport ever has to ask themselves is what to do with an aging veteran whose production has steadily dropped. The average veteran will be cut as soon as they stop producing but I'm talking about the guys who have had great careers and have given so much to the organization. It become very difficult because to what extent do you compromise winning just to pay thanks for sometimes a decade or more of success.


In sports like hockey and baseball it is easier to keep an aging veteran. Since there are so many position players you can reduce the play of an older player but still keep them on the roster. Football though is different. Because the shelf life of an NFL players is only 5 to 10 years, teams will quickly abandon their veterans for unproven younger prospects. The most recent case of this was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. They dumped pro bowl runner Fred Taylor just because he is getting old. It will prove to be a huge mistake in the long run.

Although it is tough for teams to drop these types of players we must remember that in the end it is a business and teams have to do what is in their best interest. This is all I have to say on this topic, but before I go I just want to let all my viewers know that this will possibly be my final blog. I want to thank you all for your input and feedback and I hope you guys learned a little bit about sports. I sure know that I have. I would like to thank ESPN for the inspiration for so many of my postings and thanks to Nelly who inspired the whole theme or Heart of a Champion. Most importantly thank you Mrs. Stoklosa for giving this assignment. It helped me to come in touch with a form of communication that is becoming very popular and I have greatly improved my writing skills through all my postings.