The End of an Era

In the world of sports, it is very rare for fans to be able to see something that is truly great. Today, at Flushing Meadows in New York, the career of one the greatest tennis players of all-time drew to an emotional close.

No one will remember the name of his final opponent, Benjamin Becker, nor the final score. What fans will remember is the outpouring of emotion on the court in the aftermath of the final match of Andre Agassi's esteemed 21-year career. The finest fans in tennis lavished upon Agassi ten minutes worth of applause leaving the 8-time grand slam champion in tears.

After his victorious opponent wished him well, Agassi somehow managed to overcome his emotions long enough to deliver a farewell address to his fans. It is one that I won't soon forget.

"The scoreboard said I lost today but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I have found," said the emotional superstar after grabbing the mic. "You've given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams. Dreams I could've never reached without you."

And he was right.

Andre Agassi is probably the most popular tennis player of all-time. When he first burst on to the scene he was all ego, all image. He was one of the most recognizable figures in the world of sports. For those of you who are my age you undoubtedly remember the Canon EOS commercials with Agassi and the tagline: "Image is everything." And for the young Andre, it certainly was.

But, the lasting image of Andre is going to be decidedly different.

It was Agassi's flare for the dramatic that made him the people's champion. It wasn't his crazy hair or his lavaburst Nike shoes that made him popular. To real tennis fans his image meant nothing. Agassi was a true champion who defeated his opponents not with brute strength but with energy to spare.

The energy was still there today, but the man I thought would stay young forever just didn't have the legs to stay with the young buck.

The Andre Agassi I saw close out his career on the first Sunday of September in 2006, the emotional gentleman, is the Agassi that I will remember. He came full circle as a player and as a man right before my eyes. In the past five years he has become a husband and a father of two children. All of the sudden, the game that he loved didn't define him as a person. He was a husband, a father and only then a tennis player.

As a child, Andre was my favorite tennis player and it wasn't even close. As I got older, however, I began to appreciate the humble champion and Andre's greatest rival, Pete Sampras. Everything that I loved and respected about Sampras way back when was evident today at Flushing Meadows.

The retirement of Andre Agassi signifies the end of a truly great era in tennis.

And do I ever feel old...