By Patrice M. Lomax

"Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be." (a quote from poet Robert Browning)

Browning's quote seems to hold true in today's sports world. More often than not, older, more "seasoned veterans" are performing at higher levels than their younger counterparts. A prime example is Michael Jordan and his return to the NBA at 38 years of age. In a league in which high school seniors and college underclassmen are often chosen over older, more experienced players, Jordan's comeback caused quite a commotion.

Many young NBA stars grew up idolizing Jordan. Players such as Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers), Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers), Tracy McGrady (Orlando Magic) and Ray Allen (Milwaukee Bucks) all entered the NBA during an era in which Jordan was the most dominant player and the Chicago Bulls were the model team. Everyone wanted to be "Jordan" for his or her team; the player that took the last shot, came up with a crucial steal or sunk the winning free-throw. Jordan was a winner and he had 6 championship rings to prove it. But the question on everyone's mind was "could Jordan regain his dominant form at an age where most players are already retired"?

In an ESPN article, sports journalist Ric Bucher wrote, "I'm not looking forward to seeing Michael Jordan play again. Not with the Wizards. Not at 38. Not after what my source, a former NBA player who's been watching him work out, relayed to me on Thursday. And not with any number of young players laying in wait".

If Bucher was referring to the aforementioned young NBA talent, he must have been left speechless after the games in which Jordan's performances were reminiscent of games he played in the late 80's and the 90's.

On February 12, 2002, five days before his 39th birthday, Jordan scored twenty-two points against Bryant who scored twenty-three. Moreover, Jordan posted an average of thirty in games against Iverson and the 76ers and thirty-one, twenty-two, and thirty-four consecutive points per game against Allen's Bucks. Jordan also scored 51 points in the December 29, 2001 game against the Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn led Charlotte Hornets and scored twenty or more points in thirty-seven games during the 2001-02 season.

Sure, Jordan missed 22 games due to injury in the regular season but what about the other players who missed a lot of the season due to injury. The Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal missed 15 games, the Bucks' Allen missed 13 games, point guard Jason Williams of the Memphis Grizzlies missed 17 games last season and Iverson missed twenty-two games. There were many more instances of players missing games due to "wear-and-tear" injuries. Why were Jordan's injuries always reported as being "age-related".

I chose to use Jordan as an example because he is a very well-know figure all over the world. But athletes such as Nolan Ryan, a former pitcher who had his number retired with the Texas Rangers, the former California Angels and the Houston Astros is a great example as well. When most analysts thought he was finished, Ryan came back to pitch the 7th no-hitter of his twenty-seven-year career at age 44.

36-year-old center Mario Lemieux of the NHL, center Hakeem Olajuwon of the NBA's Toronto Raptors and wide receiver Jerry Rice of the NFL's Oakland Raiders are all past the "usual" retirement ages in their respective sports and they have all been hampered by injuries during the last couple of years causing them to have less than stellar performances.

This has led many sports analysts and the media to speculate these athletes have reached the end of their careers. How do these same critics explain the continued dominance of current U.S. Open champ Pete Sampras and the current runner-up to Sampras' title, Andre Agassi, 39 year old NBA player Karl Malone, or Arizona Diamondback pitchers Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling who are 39 and 35 years old respectively? Maybe their success is just an aberration.