Comeback kidding

Rarely can aging stars recapture the form of their preretirement days | Mark Bergin

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On Sept. 7, two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Brett Favre donned a New York Jets uniform and completed a pair of touchdown passes in a 20-14 victory, proving that his comeback from a short-lived retirement is no joke.

In 10 months, American cyclist Lance Armstrong hopes to produce a similar result when he dons the spandex for another ride in the Tour de France, a race he won seven times before retiring in 2005.

Such returns to competition from great athletes make for compelling theater. But rarely can aging stars recapture the form of their preretirement days. Often, such attempts serve only to tarnish memories of past glory, diminishing the high acclaim of going out a winner.

That reality helps retirement stick for some athletes like former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, who recently spurned pleas that he rejoin his teammates for another run at a Super Bowl crown. Strahan did not believe he could play again at his top level but still agonized over the offer, calling his moment of decision "one of the toughest nights of my life."