Brain Fertilizer

Which qualifies as the "WTF?" headline of the month for me. If not the year.

But the real story behind it is: Derrick Alexander retires as a Chief.

Which still qualifies as "WTF?", just not quite as much. My first thought when I read the headline was: "Derrick Alexander was in the league last year?"

Jason Whitlock's article provides some clue as to why this happened: he wants to promote his KC-based business. And yeah: he's apparently been out of the NFL for two seasons. Or at least hasn't made anyone's regular season roster in that time.

I thought retirement should be something that big-name people do. Players who have been to multiple pro-bowls, or got some MVPs for the Super Bowl or something. You don't see a Linebacker Coach's retirement announcement making any news, and they don't try to "retire with a specific team" or anything.

There's a reason for that. It's not that they don't matter...it's just that the activities of role players aren't really that worthy of note. As much as I love Jason Dunn as a Chief, I don't expect him to "announce" his retirement. I don't know if I care that much, and I'm certain most other people don't.

Let me put it another way: Retirement announcements should be news only when it is still within the players' choice to keep playing. Barry Sanders retirement was worthy of an announcement. As strange as it may sound, Jerry Rice is pushing it. It would be tragic if the greatester receiver to ever play the game ends his career because he gets cut by 3 successive teams. And if that happens, I don't think he really deserves a "retirement" press conference, yanno? I'm sure that's probably controversial, but that's the way I feel.

Which brings us to Derrick Alexander. I can understand why he wants to have a retirement announcement, and I can even understand why he wants to retire as a Chief.

...but why would Carl Peterson agree to this? I can't think of any reason, really. Maybe loyalty? What did Alexander do to deserve that? I guess it doesn't hurt anyone for this to happen, so why not? But still...