#1 ·
I was scrolling through some old sports archives earlier today and it really hit me how rare it is to see a player stay with a single franchise for their entire career anymore. Nowadays, it feels like players move teams every couple of seasons like they're just picking up a paycheck and moving on to the next thing.
There was something special about those old-school guys who were synonymous with a single city. You didn't just root for the team; you rooted for that specific person as a representative of your community. When they retired, it felt like a genuine loss for the whole fanbase, not just a roster change. It felt more personal, like a piece of the city's identity was leaving.
Do you think the modern era of free agency and massive contracts has completely killed the concept of the "franchise icon," or are we just looking at it through a nostalgic lens?
There was something special about those old-school guys who were synonymous with a single city. You didn't just root for the team; you rooted for that specific person as a representative of your community. When they retired, it felt like a genuine loss for the whole fanbase, not just a roster change. It felt more personal, like a piece of the city's identity was leaving.
Do you think the modern era of free agency and massive contracts has completely killed the concept of the "franchise icon," or are we just looking at it through a nostalgic lens?