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Impeccable timing Jordan has always known how to meet a moment
Updated: Tuesday September 25, 2001 9:00 PM
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Love him or hate him, you've got to admit: Michael Jordan has always had impeccable timing. From his arrival in 1984, when the NBA and Nike were about to embark on a revolutionary marketing partnership, to his stripping the ball from Karl Malone in the closing seconds of the '98 Finals, the man has always known how to meet the moment. Only this time he's done it for an entire nation. With his announcement Tuesday that he would come out of retirement to play for the Wizards (and donate his $1 million salary to the relief efforts under way from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks), Jordan has done more than boost the spirits of Washington fans. He has, in a small way, helped a grieving nation take its mind off the past two weeks. If ever we needed a good sports story, it is now. And make no mistake about it, Jordan's return is a good story. It has all the dramatic elements: a huge star (His Airness), a man-against-nature challenge (proving he can still play at age 38), a monumental risk (his sterling legacy), and the prospect of nightly conflict (with Kobe, Vince and Allen, to name a few). Somewhere Shakespeare must be finger-rolling in his grave. Jordan didn't plan it this way. Three weeks ago, he was just a bored retiree who wanted to get back on the basketball court. He isn't donning the uniform out of any sense of patriotism. But at least he was smart enough to read the nation's mood. Within hours after the terrorist bombings, Jordan shelved his plans for a press conference to herald his announcement. Instead, he low-keyed it with a fax at a more appropriate time. With America trying to get back to some sense of normalcy, Jordan has picked up the ball. The next few months figure to bring enough sobering news, apprehension and fear into our public consciousness. Jordan's against-all-odds comeback should provide some much-needed escape. Will he still be able to work his magic and lift the Wizards to respectability? Or will he be another Willie Mays, dropping fly balls in center field? Either way, it's going to be must-see TV. Some people no doubt wish Jordan would have followed Joltin' Joe's lead and just "left and gone away." But let's not kid ourselves. Old sports heroes almost never go away. They just do commercials for Mr. Coffee. Maybe Jordan should have stayed retired. But it's his life, and his right to give up that perfect ending in '98. A nation will be watching to see what happens next. Simon & Garfunkel couldn't have said it better.
Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
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