Toulon
I try not to attack people simply because I might not agree with them, especially on something as trivial as football.
Tiki Barber.. I've not thought about that name in a long, long time. Here's a little snippet from Wiki.
In October 2006, Barber revealed his intention to retire at the end of the 2006 NFL season. Barber had previously indicated his desire to retire at some point and pursue a broadcasting career. When questioned why a player at the peak of his game would retire, Barber cited the toll the physical nature of football takes on a person's body and that he “simply couldn’t take it anymore”. Tiki was highly critiqued for his decision to retire at his prime. He declined a reported $50M/2-year contract with the New York Giants.
Further reading states that he set 22 Giants franchise records in just the 9 years he was active. I'd say that made him one of the better players in the league at that time at his position.
Sure, I was surprised that Luck decided to retire. But I'll once again reiterate my point from above, and add another.
1) - he was not good enough to command the long-term sensationalism you feel his early retirement will lead to.
2) - despite everything the league is trying to do to make the game safer, it's still incredibly dangerous. CTE, degenerative arthritis, quality of life, etc. He has a history of getting hurt. He was playing in a league of human missiles being launched at his every limb.
More players are reconsidering the span of their careers. Gronk still had a few good years left in him, but he left. Why? Because he didn't want to continue dealing with the pain and constant stress on his body. Gronk has had a much more impactful career than Luck has by comparison, even considering that they played entirely different positions. Nobody is screaming about Gronk.
And the only reason the hoopla is happening with Luck is because of the timing. BFD. If he'd taken a hit midway through the season that officially ended his career, is that somehow more respectable?
Screw that noise. And screw the fans. And screw the media for fanning the flames that will be extinguished this time next month. Dak Prescott held out for $30 million/year. That's what Andrew Luck walked away from, a contract worth hundreds of millions.
That tells me everything I need to know. You don't turn that kind of money down unless you physically can no longer play.
And why this should be a story a year from now, let alone for decades to come, is just nonsensical.
But you'll disagree and that's fine. You're still not changing my opinion.