But McNair and Billick both went out the hard way, the cold, barely humane, bottom-line way, the way any player (and coach) with sense had better be prepared to go out. (Don't forget, in addition, how it ended between McNair and the team he led to the Super Bowl, the Tennessee Titans, who locked him out of their facility while deciding whether to release him for salary cap purposes.)
The players do think about it, even if only to make sure they're not conscious of it as they play. Mark Clayton acknowledged yesterday that it has been on his mind since the day in 2005 that the Ravens drafted him.
"A little after I got drafted, I was happy about it, then I wondered how it might end," he said. "Would it be injuries or would it be on my own terms? I mean, who knows then? I would like to play as long as I could, until the point where I can get up and go in and just say, `That's it.' Physically, I can still do it, but I can say, `I've done it.'
"Probably every one of us wants that," he continued, "but did anybody do it last year? It would be a tremendous blessing to be able to do that."
The closest from a year ago would be Tiki Barber, who, with all due respect, was no J.O. Again, so few ever have, the names come to mind almost instantly - John Elway, Barry Sanders, and if you want to go back far enough, Jim Brown.
This, however, has been a good offseason for future Hall of Famers departing on their own terms. Brett Favre did it - as far as we know right now. Michael Strahan joined him this week.
Now Ogden. Even though the shortsighted and coldhearted among the so-called faithful are already poking at the legend, one of the two greatest players to wear the purple and black, for not making up his mind earlier and more conveniently for the Ravens. He hurt the team, they say. He was selfish. He owes them more than that.
Wrong. Ogden owes no one in the NFL a thing. He owes himself a chance to say when he's leaving, not to let someone else tell him. He's doing it. Sad as it is to see him go, that makes this a happy ending.
david.steele@baltsun.com
Listen to David Steele on Wednesdays at 9 a.m. on WNST (1570 AM).
