Vacchiano: Strahan should remain retired

Michael Strahan spent the last week sunning himself on a beach in Greece, probably sleeping at a five-star hotel, and eating in the most expensive restaurants he could find. When he returns to the States — either by private jet or in a First Class seat — he’ll be able to sleep in on most days, except on the few days he has to report to work.
 
And when he does report to work his job is simple: Sit in a comfy chair, smile at the TV cameras and talk about what he knows best — football. He won’t have to lift any weights, run several miles, drive his body into a blocking sled or 320-pound offensive linemen. Except for the residual pain from his 15 NFL seasons, his new life is likely to be pain free, unless of courses he bumps his head on Jimmy Johnson’s hair.
 
In other words, life for the 37-year-old Strahan is good. And oh, by the way, six months ago he cemented his legend and Hall of Fame career by riding off into the sunset with a Super Bowl championship. It’s the “on top” ending that all athletes dream of, but only a fraction of a percentage ever get to achieve.
 
So why in the name of Brett Favre would Strahan want to return to the NFL?
 
It makes no sense, but yet here we are, just a few days before the defending champion Giants kickoff the NFL season and Strahan is interrupting his Grecian vacation to ponder a return for a 16th NFL season. His old team is suddenly depleted, thanks to the season-ending loss of defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a knee injury. And Strahan undoubtedly envisions riding in on a white horse and coming to the Giants’ rescue with a triumphant return.
 
In his mind, it appears, it could be the perfect ending. He’ll return as the savior. He’ll get a victory lap in front of the fans. And, as a condition for his return, he’d get somewhere between $8-10 million. He’d be the hero to the masses, who tossed out his cushy life all for the good of his beloved team.
 
How could it go wrong?
 
Of course, reality says otherwise, which is why Strahan should stay where he is — on a beach between what will be infrequent trips to the television studio. He’s one of the greatest defensive ends of all time. One of the greatest Giants of all time. He can’t make his legend better.
 
It can only get worse.
 
He is 37 years old and, in the words of Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, “He’s turned it off.” In other words, when he retired on June 9, he began acting retired. He mentally distanced himself from the game. He changed the way he works out. He lost, by the estimate of his friends, between 10-15 pounds.
 
“He moved on his career already,” Pierce said. “He’s planning for his future. It ain’t like Brett Favre. These are two different scenarios. Brett Favre didn’t even try to find another job. He was out there throwing to high school kids. Strahan hasn’t. He’s been doing his Fox thing.”
 
This isn’t 2007, when Strahan returned six days before the Giants’ regular-season opener. Back then, he was still spending his days doing football workouts. His mind was still on a possible return. This time he embraced retirement and all its glory, and until Umenyiora’s injury a comeback was the furthest thing from his mind.
 
“If there is somebody that can do it, he can probably do it,” Pierce said. “But I don’t know if it’s in his best interests.”
 
From talking to Strahan’s friends, it appears his desire for a return is fueled by the chance to cash in with the financial splash he felt he was never able to make during his first career. For a man who recently lost a $15.3 million divorce judgment to his ex-wife, the idea of a $10 million payday could be a huge motivating factor.
 
But the risks just aren’t worth it, especially when he’s making $2 million plus from Fox, plus untold other millions in endorsements and appearance fees. One of his friends suggests Strahan was going to make at least $8 million in 2008 without football, which is why the bidding for his football services will start there. For not much more in financial incentives, he’d be risking ending his career on a down note, with a losing season, a season of poor play, or worse — maybe riding off into the sunset on the back of a cart.
 
In the end, of course, it will be Strahan’s decision and it must be hard for man of only 37 years old to give up something he loves and something he’s done his entire life. But that’s the realty of athletics. It always ends early. The best anyone can ever hope for is for some sort of a happy ending.
 
Strahan already had the happiest ending of all. It’s just not worth coming back and trying for more.

Ralph Vacchiano is the author of Eli Manning: The Making of a Quarterback, which is available for purchase here.

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