Whether the arena involves sports, politics, film or any other circumstance where the limelight is concerned, there are those who shock the world by retiring perhaps even before we have seen their best days. In this instance, it matters not whether the retirement is brought about by personal decision, personal injury, personal scandal or simply a lack of continuing motivation.
Bill Clinton fought through the Monica Lewinsky Scandal. Gary Hart, who may have been one of the greatest Presidents in history, elected to end his political career in what was otherwise the prime of his political life. Kirby Puckett was taken from the game of baseball with still many quality years to play, while a medical condition served as the motivation for Magic Johnson to stand down at a time when many of his loyal fans wanted more. Injury shortened the career of Gayle Sayers, while Jim Brown simply tired of the game. If we think long enough, spend more time Googling than we should, or talk to the oldest and wisest among us us, we can generate pages of names of those who excited us in some highly public way, and who left us wanting more from them when they left public life.
We are also treated to those who honor themselves, their profession and their supporters by knowing exactly when it is time to step aside. These individuals, through grace, gift and dedication to excellence, rise to the top of their craft, ride the crest of a wave of greatness, and the moment they recognize the onset of their personal ebb, they reveal an extraordinary understanding of just how much they mean to those who have enjoyed bearing witness to their talent, by leaving the profession, rather than tarnish the memories which the have been etched into our active consciousness.
George Mitchell, Larry Bird, Tony Gwynn, Roger Staubach, Rod Carew...like so many others who again, serve as just the beginning of a list of noteworthy professionals who bowed out gracefully at the top of their game, demonstrated personal character, integrity and class on their exit from the world stage, exciting captains of other industry to hand over their own charges, to the care, custody and control of these great men.
Sadly, in a pitiful sort of way, there are also those, who, while outwardly appearing to have it all, and who have lived the kind of life that most of the rest of us only enjoy during REM sleep, simply have no idea when to gracefully remove themselves from the public eye. They not only cling to their own time warped notions of their former greatness, but also fail to recognize that while outwardly we are clearly laughing at and not with them...privately, we honestly do pity them.
There are few things more anxiety provoking events (taken in context, of course), than witnessing someone we may have once greatly admired, cheered, supported or been willing to make some personal sacrifice for...fail to recognize that their time has long past, as they embarrass themselves, discredit their profession and dishonor your our of them, each and every time they present themselves for public review.
Strom Thurmond, Robert Byrd, Steve Carlton, every National Leaguer who became a Designated hitter just to put one more home run in the record books, every aging star who should never have left The Actors’ Home...are clear examples of public figures who needed to be taken into a private room and told to...just go away.
None of these lists are designed or intended to be all inclusive. However, no list of those who simply need to go away, would be complete without the inclusion of the name Rudolph Giuliani.
Once the man who cleaned up Times Square, brought business back to New York City, defeated prostate cancer and became America’s Mayor after the tragedy of terrorist attacks, Giuliani has since punked out of a head-to-head competition with Hillary Clinton, went from first-to-worst in the 2008 Republican Presidential Primary field, mocked only himself at the Republican National Convention, and would have no hope of being competitive even in a Republican Mayoral Primary in the city which originally launched his political career.
Rather than go away, however...rather than do the honorable thing, and take the scandals of multiple adulterous affairs, questionable ties to homosexual priests, no-bid government contracts handed out to his private consulting firm, professed arrogance and contempt for the truth, and the tens of millions of dollars scammed from governmental access enjoyed over the last three decades...Rudy announces that he will soon be a candidate for Governor of New York.
Forget for the moment, that Rudy had no interest in serving as Governor of New York in a one-on-one with Governor Call Girl. A case of too much in the way of "Professional Respect," perhaps? However...the minute that a blind, black guy who has acknowledged his former cocaine use moves into the big house, and you know Rudy is thinking, "Well, I couldn’t beat eight old white guys who could actually see that I was a dildo...and hey, you know that Bloomberg ain’t goin’ anywhere anytime soon...YEAH...I can DO this! Crank out a Press release, somebody...Rudy got a little lead left in the old pencil. I might just find me wife number...what am I up to now...in the process."
What could Giuliani possibly tell the residents of New York during a campaign for Governor?
Would he remind them that the New York City Firemen would not endorse his Presidential effort?
Would he reveal the average cost per delegate won during that same campaign...or the fact that his campaign was marred with more scandals, than the number of weeks which that campaign lasted?
Would he note that he could not even secure the endorsement of his hometown newspaper, the amount of money his security firm collected for doing no work...or perhaps the fact that he refused a position on the 911 Commission because the meeting schedule interfered with his earning millions of dollars as a speaker on the rubber chicken circuit?
Perhaps he would remind voters of his extraordinary judgment in placing the New York City Emergency Command Center in the exact location which had been bombed once, and was the single most sought after target at the top of every terrorist hit list?
If none of that worked, he could spout claims regarding lowering taxes and creating jobs as Mayor of New York...claims which each of the major Republican Presidential Candidates totally debunked during the last campaign.
BUT HEY, WAIT...Rudy Giuliani put John Gotti away...FOR LIFE!
Note to Rudolph Giuliani...
John Gotti is dead...and no none alive today even knows that you also put Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky in the penitentiary. You have been shown to be a failed Mayor. You had NO HEART to tangle with Hillary Clinton in a run for Senate. You used you cancer as a tool to get out of that race...and then the moment Clinton won the election, you were moving the Command Center into harm’s way, denying critical equipment to police and firefighters, using a tragedy to set yourself up as a hero, globetrotting on behalf of your security consulting firm and already plotting and scheming, thinking you had the Presidency in the bag. You couldn’t convince nursing home residents in Florida that you had a single idea that was younger than they were...and all of a sudden, you reached in your pocket and have located the Secret to Sugar Frosted Flakes, a cure for the common cold, and a quick fix for the New York State Budget Deficit.
No one who sat in the Court Room at the Gotti Verdict can still remember it, Rudy.
And...those that do, collectively wish that you had hung up your political talons when you ran out on the City of New York in 2001.
You want a little friendly curbside advice, Rudy?
Put your dress back on, sign up for open mike night some Monday at The World Famous Comic Strip, up on 2nd Ave, near 82nd Street...and live out your remaining days as the clown that is now your only life. Trust me...even the blind, African-American former coke user can see that you are a dildo, too.
