By Tom Rock
I suppose I’ve hit the snooze button on this NFL season enough. It’s time to get back to bloggin’! Let's see if I remember how to make these posts.
It’s too bad that at a time when the sports world is focused on dog-fighting quarterbacks and gang-linked hoop refs, one of the classiest acts in sports (or any walk of life) is apparently calling it quits. I speak of the report in today’s NY Post that says Curtis Martin will formalize his retirement in the next few days. While there’s nothing particularly new about the end of Martin’s career – “Curtis Tops Jets Depth Chart” would have been the real shocker – the timing is of interest. I’m still trying to get a confirmation on the announcement, but even if it doesn’t come in the next few days before training camp, it’s coming.
During Jets minicamp last month, Curtis casually walked onto the field and watched a few reps standing next to Coach Mangini. That will probably be the last time he takes the field for the team. Of course, he should soon be standing at midfield during a halftime ceremony that retires his No. 28. Make it happen, Jets!
It’s hard to believe that it was a year ago when many figured Martin would be coming back for the 2006 season. Then he was placed on the PUP list at the beginning of training camp, and we waited. Then he remained on the PUP list for the first half of the season, and we waited. Then it was announced that he would remain on the PUP list for the rest of the year, and the waiting was pretty much over. It just became a matter of when Curtis would make the formal announcement. The waiting appears to be over.
I wasn’t around covering the Jets for any of Curtis’ active tenure with the Jets. I’ll be forever grateful to him for increasing my understanding of the mysterious PUP list. I’ve said here before that I’m sad I never had the opportunity to not only watch him play, but deal with him on a daily basis. The first time I met him was during a press conference in the courtyard at Weeb Ewbank Hall last August. He was a bit evasive and danced around a few questions, and I remember thinking that he was just another pro athlete. But after he finished and the recorders and cameras were turned off, Curtis returned and apologized. “I’m not trying to be an a-hole” he said, and I remember he used the abbreviation not the full anatomical term. Then he said he wanted to be more straight-forward but he couldn’t at the time. A few months later, when he announced that he wouldn’t be playing at all in 2006, he was remarkably open and honest. And he gave a heartfelt thanks to the press who covered him throughout his career. It was quite emotional.
Curtis Martin was a different kind of player and a different kind of person. He doesn’t have to formally announce his retirement to be missed.