But then you see Montana back in the playoffs one more time, with the magic of his passes and the mystery of his stoic detachment, and you start to think something else. You start to think there is every reason in the world for him to continue playing.
Whether it is one more season or four more seasons, as long as Montana continues to display the talents that have made him the greatest quarterback in National Football League history, there is no reason to think he has had enough.
Remember now, despite being 38 years old, Montana has not become the pathetic figure that neither he nor anyone else wants to see. He is not Tommy Hearns continuing to fight because he does not know when to give it up. He is not Joe Namath playing on wounded knees in Los Angeles after a brilliant career with the New York Jets. He is not Johnny Unitas hanging on for a year in San Diego.
Montana is still better than 90 percent of the quarterbacks playing today, maybe more. Perhaps he can't run as fast as he used to, and maybe the arm is not as strong as it once was. But by no means is Montana at the point where continuing to play would cause him embarrassment and place a black mark on his career.
"I'm still having fun," Montana said after the Kansas City Chiefs' wild-card playoff loss to the Miami Dolphins. Watching Montana is still fun, too. Which is why there is no reason for him to pay attention to those who say he should go out while his skills are still intact. He still loves the game, and the game is still better off for his presence.
"I've always said that once you end your career, you can never go back," Montana says. Precisely the point. Like all great athletes nearing the end of their careers, Montana doesn't want to overstay his welcome. If there's one thing you don't want to do, it is to play until people feel sorry for you. But Montana is still not at the point where he is just another athlete hanging around a year too long. There simply hasn't been enough proof of that.
If you want to call his second-half interception against the Dolphins a sign that it's time to go, then fine. But if you're truly convinced he's at the end, then how do you explain his wondrous first half, when he looked like the Montana we have come to know through these 16 glorious seasons?
Go ahead and chase Montana out of the game if you like. But I'm not buying any of it. It's simply not his time to go.
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Remind me later.