Why do we feel sad when some one retires?
Picture: Fred Savage in The Wonder Years
Many years ago, I got my first cricket bat - a yellow plastic bat. As time went by, I got my cheap quality wood bat and then the Kashmir Willow which was every kid’s dream. However, I kept that plastic bat with me for a number of years. I still feel a rush of blood when I see a photograph of me holding that plastic cricket bat. Some how, I never felt the same with the cricket bats I got later although, without doubt, they were of a much higher quality.
The same goes for sports persons we idolise. We might see many over our life time – some of who will be unquestionably better. However, the newer sportspersons will never leave the same impression on our minds. You forge a bond with the player you see on the television set and the bond inspires you in many multifarious ways in those impressionable years. The sports person becomes a part of you sooner than you can realise.
It is obvious that we will feel sad when the group of sports persons we grew up idolising start retiring one after the other. Nanda Kishore, a sports blogger I love reading whenever he does write, after reading an interview of Sandip Patil says this:
The interview is a routine one, but it is so easy to forget people like Sandip Patil. One of my great regrets is not having watched him at his peak, when he famously took on the likes of Len Pascoe and Bob Willis. Like most Indians who grew up in the eighties, I have watched clips of the 1983 World Cup semis and finals over and over again, and Patil remains a dashing, enigmatic hero, a Jim Morrison kind of figure. Watching that disdainful hoick off Bob Willis that sails over deep square leg gives me the goosebumps everytime…
… So Sandy (Sandip Patil) is 50. Steve Waugh has retired. Boris Becker is in the commentary box or on the Laureus foundation panel. In a couple of weeks or so, Andre Agassi will be just another suburban Dad. I feel old. Actually, I feel fucking ancient.
Why does Nanda Kishore feel old, ancient and disgusted? One by one, he has seen the sports persons he grew up with hang up their boots. So, he is all familiar with this horrid feeling. With the realisation that with Agassi, the last of the pack would have gone, the feeling is painful. Agassi played a large part of his tennis when I grew up as well and with him, the last of the tennis players from my era is gone. I won’t see Sampras, Monica Seles or Andre Agassi play professional tennis live again. I might feel sadder even when Kumble, Lara and Tendulkar finally call it quits because I would have no one from my wonder years playing.
Why do feel so sad? A part of us dies with the retirement of these heroes. That’s why.
On a related note, my remembrances of Agassi and a take on Sampras and the greats can be read here and here respectively.
September 4th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Yes it is sad for the very reason you say Pratyush, a part of us dies. but a tree always sprouts another branch which was not there when the dead one was still bearing fruits. I never had Sehwag, Shoaib and Gilchrist during my wonder years - and that makes me feel that the wonder years are not yet over. And that’s great, isn’t it? It evens out at the end of the day.
September 5th, 2006 at 2:06 am
I disagree slightly here Angshu. For example, I love watching Federer play but I will never feel as fond of him as I felt for Sampras. But yes, it is great we can keep on forming new bonds with the newer sports persons.
September 6th, 2006 at 7:01 am
Never felt that strongly, perhaps because a lot of my interest in cricket is focused at the grassroots levels. It’s great following county/state/A-team cricket, having players really impose themselves upon your mind until you realise they *need* to be picked, and then seeing them succeed at the highest level. By the time they age, if you’re still following U19/etc cricket, then you’ll have found a few others who’ve captured your attention in similar fashion.
September 7th, 2006 at 4:40 pm
Interesting. Different people, different levels of feeling strongly I guess. I do follow FC cricket passionately and have felt what you are talking about regarding specific players. For example, I have always backed Jaffer, Raina and it is indeed a thrill to see some one who you have followed do well at the international level. :)
September 9th, 2006 at 11:02 am
Yep. I was a big backer of Dhoni, Jaffer and Powar earlier - right now I’m far more attached to the Indian team than I was during my ‘’wonder years'’ when I almost idolised Tendulkar and Azhar, simply because of the joy that comes from seeing them do so well.
I expect I’ll have an equally strong attachment to the Australian team once Phil Jaques (who IMO is good enough to be among the world’s top few batsmen if given a chance) gets a chance to show just how bloody amazing he is. The man’s a run machine, and it depresses me that the idiots won’t give him a fair chance to prove his worth.
September 11th, 2006 at 9:39 am
With Schumacher its now 3 in just about 2 months! sob :’(
September 11th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
I haven’t been a fan of the Australian selectors in the recent past. I am a firm believer in giving a player a run as well.
Siddhartha - I was always a Hakkinen backer but do feel a bit sad at Schumi going as well.