Goodbye Friend

Well, it's official. Rich Braham is hanging up his helmet and saying goodbye.

I think Coach Lewis and Carson Palmer are worth quoting:
Lewis: “Richie has not missed a Saturday night at the hotel this season. That tells you right there
what kind of pro he is. He’s been there for his teammates. He’s been on the road with us. I had to
tell him to quit answering the questions in the meetings. It’s because of habit, and that’s what he
means.”

Palmer: “I told Richie last week when he told me he was retiring that I wish he was born eight years
later and I was born eight years earlier because we would have had a heck of a run together. I've
always thought that Richie's as good as it gets at his position. He's a great person, a great guy, an
unbelievable teammate, and a very unselfish teammate. But athletically and physically, he's as
good as it gets at that position.”

Paul Daugherty also gave a fitting tribute to Braham:
Asked how he'd like to be remembered, Braham offered what for anyone who knows him is about as
perfect a quote as you're going to get. "Just someone that came to work every day, played hard and
went home," he said.
So be it, then. Braham played 13 years after being cut by the Arizona Cardinals in his 10th game as
a rookie. He played through hurts that would slow an elephant. He has no regrets. He'll be going now.
There's a lesson there, somewhere.

I am not happy about this, but I understand and respect Braham for his choice.
It will be hard not seeing Braham at center when the Bengals are in the Superbowl in the next few years.

Namaste.

"You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours." - Colin Powell