Father Time is unrelenting in his pursuit of professional athletes. The concept isn’t new, but 2015 has underlined this fact with heightened ferocity.
Peyton Manning and Kobe Bryant are the victims. Call it what you will – farewell tour, victory lap, changing of the guard – the end is near for both superstars. Even if only one has self-proclaimed their impending exit, Father Time’s scythe has sliced away any hope of continuation, and he has done it rapidly.
It’s rare, isn’t it, to have two of the best to ever play their sport stumbling so obviously at the same time? It’s portrayed like a bad reality show. You should look away, but national media wouldn’t dare let you miss a second of their demise.
Manning’s Clash with 2015
From hilarious appearances on Saturday Night Live to witty commercial sensation to being a five-time NFL MVP, Manning has played through a storybook 18-year career. Sure, only one Super Bowl often haunts him in the conversation of all-time greats, but based solely on personal accolades, he is the greatest to ever lace up a pair of cleats.
But 2015 has been disastrous. Even with the league’s top defense, Peyton can’t get out of his own way. In just nine games, the future hall-of-famer has the lowest passer rating of his career (which happens to also be the lowest in the NFL), his highest number of interceptions since 2001, lowest completion percentage since 1998, and is on pace to throw less than 20 touchdowns for the first time in his career. That’s a mouthful.
Even the good has been, well, forgettable. A November 15 matchup with Kansas City is the best example. To this point, it’s the last time that Manning sported a Broncos uniform. In quarter one, he broke the record for all-time passing yards. In quarter three, his record-breaking rear end was warming the pine thanks to 35 yards on 20 attempts and four interceptions – the worst game of a 265-game career.
A handful of weeks later and the metaphorical salt continues to be sprinkled on the wound. He is one win away from becoming the all-time leader in that category, but injuries have him sidelined indefinitely. To make matters worse, his media-proclaimed rival Tom Brady, is having one of the best seasons of his career, even at age 38, and Manning’s backup, Brock Osweiler, has commanded attention with three victories – including one over Brady, in what surely would have been the final titanic Manning-Brady clash.
Bitter Retirement Sendoff for Bryant
Further west, along the coast, Bryant feels the pain of Manning. The only difference is that Peyton plays for a first place team that will surely be in championship contention upon his return. There might be light at the end of the tunnel. Kobe, on the other hand, plays for the traveling Los Angeles Circus.
It’s strange because history tells us that Kobe’s Lakers are unbeatable. Similar to the Celtics of the mid-1900’s, and the Bulls of the ‘90s, Bryant led Los Angeles to five NBA titles and countless winning seasons in the 21st century. He truly is one of the last high school-to-NBA success stories, accumulating more than 30,000 points in 19 seasons.
Trends are built to be broken, I suppose. The 2015 version of the Lakers is out of playoff contention in early December. The defending champions from up the road have built a 20-game division lead over Bryant and his gang – and they have only played 24 games! Overall, Los Angeles hasn’t had a winning season since 2012-13, and hasn’t won a playoff game since the year before that.
Along the way, Kobe has spent more time in the operating room than Caitlyn Jenner. He has played in just 61 games over the last three seasons, and the withering of his 37-year-old frame has become obvious. His field goal percentage, three-point shooting, rebounding, assisting and scoring are at the lowest point of his career. He has drifted so far from the championship discussion, which was highlighted in an early meeting with Golden State that featured 1-for-14 shooting and a 34-point loss.
Few athletes are fortunate enough to depart at the height of their craft, like John Elway in Denver, or more recently, Tim Duncan in his last hoorah in San Antonio. But none should be kicked to the curb at the pace of Manning and Bryant.
Only the Good (Retire) Young?
Fan boards poke fun at the duo, and media conglomerates repeatedly force-feed the collapse narrative. It’s enough to make me wonder if we’ve too easily forgotten their greatness. It wasn’t that long ago that Peyton was erasing double-digit deficits in a matter of minutes, including a 24-point second half comeback in 2012. And Kobe was scoring 81 against Toronto or dropping 55 in a final matchup with Michael Jordan.
Despite the shortcomings of 2015, Manning and Bryant will long be celebrated for their contributions to the sport. Let’s not remove the rose-tinted glasses without remembering that hall of fame careers are built as the sum of parts. The rough ending is only a piece of a historic ride.
About Ryan Boyd
By day, Ryan is a professional in higher education, paving the way to college access. Concealed by the shirt, tie and neatly combed hair, though, is a crazed sports fan. By night, he currently serves as a broadcast voice for high school and college athletics in Ohio and has contributed to numerous sports publications.
About Ryan Boyd