Fairy-tale endings in pro sports are rare

Seeing Peyton Manning holding up his new No. 18 orange and white (with a hint of blue) Denver Broncos jersey during a recent press conference proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fairytale ending of a player, playing for one team his entire career, is for the most part a thing of the past.

If it can happen to THE Peyton Manning, then it can happen to anyone.

A piece of me has died inside as a fan of the NFL.

I don't feel Hines Ward's ending in Pittsburgh did him justice, either. He gave 14 years to the Steeler organization, and though I agree with them that his best days are behind him, he was still cut from their roster, though he never played for another team.

The days of a professional athlete playing for the same organization won't happen much in our lifetime anymore.

Right now, the only player I can see it truly happening with is Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, just for the simple fact he IS the Baltimore Ravens.

But if Peyton Manning can be released … then anyone can be released, right?

Even Tom Brady? 

Maybe … I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen in the next couple years. 

Think about it … the way his coach likes to move players like checker pieces (and for business purposes, I see nothing wrong with that), he could be moved to the wayside in a couple years (see: Drew Bledsoe) depending on the progress of backup and soon-to-be second-year quarterback Ryan Mallett.

That same scenario pretty much happened to Brett Favre … he was rushed into retirement with the Green Bay Packers, decided to come back, wasn't welcomed back with the emergence of Aaron Rodgers, went to the New York Jets (and got into a tad bit of trouble) for a season, went to the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons, almost made it to the Super Bowl ... then in that final year, everything caved in at once. Many young fans who weren't old enough to remember the "real" Brett Favre will remember him as the old guy who kept retiring and returning in the latter days of his career.

I don't want Manning to be remembered as the old guy who got hurt with the Broncos, as much as I don't want people to remember Favre as the guy who does Wrangler commercials. 

As a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, I feel for Indianapolis Colts fans, as I had to see this happen with Emmitt Smith when he was released by the only franchise he ever knew … only to see him play two injury-plagued seasons in the red-and-white of the Arizona Cardinals.

Is it important for us, as fans, to see our "heroes" play for one team their entire career? Will it change the way we look at them as athletes? Does it matter how they left the team … on good terms like Peyton Manning or not-so-good terms like Joe Montana did in the mid-'90s with the San Francisco 49ers, leaving after being replaced by Steve Young?

I mention Montana because it reminds me so much of the Manning situation. Manning was forced out because of injury, age and money, and his heir apparent is waiting in the wings as the soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in late April.

Montana was forced out after suffering an injury, only to land in Kansas City, leading them to the playoffs twice in his two years at Arrowhead Stadium, including a trip to the AFC Championship.

Will Manning be a success, replacing Tim Tebow in Denver? 

I'm going to say he'll be better than Tebow would have been in Denver this upcoming season. I'll even say the Broncos will make the playoffs … but in the next two or three years, will they win the Super Bowl?

My answer is two letters … N-O.

No matter how good he'll be, this won't be the storybook ending like his new boss John Elway had in his golden years as an NFL quarterback.

I hope he doesn't have to retire from the game due to injury like Young or even Troy Aikman, who retired due to concussions. 

I don't want to see Manning be a shell of his former playing self like Franco Harris was when he was no longer a Steeler and ended his playing days as a Seattle Seahawk, or a Tony Dorsett, who had great years with the Cowboys, only to see him limp away as a Bronco.

Not to his mention he will have his future Hall of Fame weekend “ruined” by fans walking around in a Broncos jersey, claiming whatever he accomplishes in Denver helped put him into the hallowed Hall, even though he already has the credentials to be in the Hall of Fame today. His bust in Canton will now read Indianapolis Colts 1998-2011 and underneath Denver Broncos 2012-?

It just doesn't seem right.

Manning has entered the realm of Montana, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath … great quarterbacks who were basically kicked to the curb for various reasons, only to be sent out to pasture for another team.

The million-dollar question remains: will Manning ride off into the sunset with great success like Montana, or will he land face-first into the ground, wondering what just happened, like Unitas and Namath?

I have a bad feeling it is the latter, but I hope I'm wrong.

I no longer believe in fairy-tale endings.

Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.

Seeing Peyton Manning holding up his new No. 18 orange and white (with a hint of blue) Denver Broncos jersey during a recent press conference proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fairytale ending of a player, playing for one team his entire career, is for the most part a thing of the past.

If it can happen to THE Peyton Manning, then it can happen to anyone.

A piece of me has died inside as a fan of the NFL.

I don't feel Hines Ward's ending in Pittsburgh did him justice, either. He gave 14 years to the Steeler organization, and though I agree with them that his best days are behind him, he was still cut from their roster, though he never played for another team.

The days of a professional athlete playing for the same organization won't happen much in our lifetime anymore.

Right now, the only player I can see it truly happening with is Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, just for the simple fact he IS the Baltimore Ravens.

But if Peyton Manning can be released … then anyone can be released, right?

Even Tom Brady? 

Maybe … I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen in the next couple years. 

Think about it … the way his coach likes to move players like checker pieces (and for business purposes, I see nothing wrong with that), he could be moved to the wayside in a couple years (see: Drew Bledsoe) depending on the progress of backup and soon-to-be second-year quarterback Ryan Mallett.

That same scenario pretty much happened to Brett Favre … he was rushed into retirement with the Green Bay Packers, decided to come back, wasn't welcomed back with the emergence of Aaron Rodgers, went to the New York Jets (and got into a tad bit of trouble) for a season, went to the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons, almost made it to the Super Bowl ... then in that final year, everything caved in at once. Many young fans who weren't old enough to remember the "real" Brett Favre will remember him as the old guy who kept retiring and returning in the latter days of his career.

I don't want Manning to be remembered as the old guy who got hurt with the Broncos, as much as I don't want people to remember Favre as the guy who does Wrangler commercials. 

As a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, I feel for Indianapolis Colts fans, as I had to see this happen with Emmitt Smith when he was released by the only franchise he ever knew … only to see him play two injury-plagued seasons in the red-and-white of the Arizona Cardinals.

Is it important for us, as fans, to see our "heroes" play for one team their entire career? Will it change the way we look at them as athletes? Does it matter how they left the team … on good terms like Peyton Manning or not-so-good terms like Joe Montana did in the mid-'90s with the San Francisco 49ers, leaving after being replaced by Steve Young?

I mention Montana because it reminds me so much of the Manning situation. Manning was forced out because of injury, age and money, and his heir apparent is waiting in the wings as the soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in late April.

Montana was forced out after suffering an injury, only to land in Kansas City, leading them to the playoffs twice in his two years at Arrowhead Stadium, including a trip to the AFC Championship.

Will Manning be a success, replacing Tim Tebow in Denver? 

I'm going to say he'll be better than Tebow would have been in Denver this upcoming season. I'll even say the Broncos will make the playoffs … but in the next two or three years, will they win the Super Bowl?

My answer is two letters … N-O.

No matter how good he'll be, this won't be the storybook ending like his new boss John Elway had in his golden years as an NFL quarterback.

I hope he doesn't have to retire from the game due to injury like Young or even Troy Aikman, who retired due to concussions. 

I don't want to see Manning be a shell of his former playing self like Franco Harris was when he was no longer a Steeler and ended his playing days as a Seattle Seahawk, or a Tony Dorsett, who had great years with the Cowboys, only to see him limp away as a Bronco.

Not to his mention he will have his future Hall of Fame weekend “ruined” by fans walking around in a Broncos jersey, claiming whatever he accomplishes in Denver helped put him into the hallowed Hall, even though he already has the credentials to be in the Hall of Fame today. His bust in Canton will now read Indianapolis Colts 1998-2011 and underneath Denver Broncos 2012-?

It just doesn't seem right.

Manning has entered the realm of Montana, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath … great quarterbacks who were basically kicked to the curb for various reasons, only to be sent out to pasture for another team.

The million-dollar question remains: will Manning ride off into the sunset with great success like Montana, or will he land face-first into the ground, wondering what just happened, like Unitas and Namath?

I have a bad feeling it is the latter, but I hope I'm wrong.

I no longer believe in fairy-tale endings.