In sports, goodbye is not forever

By Cecile Nguyen

I'm retiring.

After a year as sports editor of The Santa Clara, it is time for me to move on, and what I have learned from the sports is that it's best to retire on top.

But this is more of an "open" retirement.

If I feel like I miss the pressure of being the sports editor, I might follow in the footsteps of one of these athletes and unretire.

First up, Brett Favre.

The quarterback announced his retirement from football in March 2008 because he was "mentally tired" and ended a Hall of Fame-worthy 17-year career. Months later, he changed his mind and wanted back in. The Green Bay Packers, who already declared Aaron Rodgers as their future, told Favre no.

The Packers then threw millions of dollars at him to stay retired, but Favre didn't bite. Green Bay then traded the 39-year-old quarterback the three-time MVP to the New York Jets.

Favre announced his retirement a second time after a 9-7 season in New York -- for real this time he said -- and the Jets officially released Favre from their reserve-retired list last Tuesday.

But low and behold a week later Favre plans on meeting with Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress this week to discuss coming out of retirement once more. Rumor has it Favre wants to come back to enact revenge on Green Bay by playing with their most hated rival.

Six-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek, who announced his retirement last June after winning his second Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings, came out of retirement in late April to play with to his hometown team, HC Moeller Pardubice, in the top Czech Republic league.

Floyd Mayweather Jr., Michael Jordan, Roger Clemens and former world No. 1 women's tennis star Kim Clijsters are just some of star athletes who retired only to come back to their respective game.

Instead of straight up retiring and then coming back, there's also the option of semi-retiring or taking a really long break to think about retiring like Anaheim Ducks Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer. Both players contemplated retirement in 2007 and missed 20-plus games before finally deciding to come back to hockey.

I wish they stayed retired.

So, again, I'm going "retire." But thanks for reading and following along. Who knows, you might see me back here next week, month or perhaps next year when I make a surprise comeback.

Stay tune...

Cecile Nguyen is the sports editor. This is her final issue. Or is it?