It was a study in contrasts. Peyton Manning, fresh off a Super Bowl victory that came almost in spite of him rather than because of him, held a televised news conference to make the retirement announcement everyone knew was coming. A day later, Calvin Johnson, still seemingly in the prime of his career and one of the best receivers in football, issued a simple statement through the Detroit Lions to confirm the shocking news that he was walking away from the game after just nine seasons.
“While I truly respect the significance of this, those who know me best will understand and not be surprised that I choose not to have a press conference for this announcement,” his statement said in part.