How a Hero says Goodbye

What strikes me most powerfully about Andre Agassi's farewell tour at the US open is not his flamboyant demeanor nor his shifts in style: from 80s kitsch to Zenlike parity. Nor will it be his undeniable legacy to the technical world of tennis: the return of serve. Commentator and former Grand Slam champ Jim Courier best captured the shot when he said, Nobody had ever used the return of serve as a weapon. Andre showed us how. Altho these are fine and fun attributes, what will linger as a sweet surprise is his journey from Boy to Hero.

We all remember his juvenile proclaimations in the 80s when he claimed "Image is everything". Sure it was - to him as it is to any kid with shitloads of money, that gets followed and emulated worldwide. When you're 20 something these are the things that consume you: hair, fashion, attracting the opposite sex. So he lived the life of a rockstar. And sported the attitude to boot. Then came arch rival Pete Sampras who thwarted Andre's pursuit of the best. Perhaps he learned from this for instead of futilely hunting # 1 he honed other skills. He learned to rise above his competition, to reach profound depths of self when all else was failing. He learned to be an honorable player, which is better than best since #1 is a fleeting position anyway easily chiseled away by injury or a loss.

As Agassi sat through the 8 minute standing ovation after his defeat Sunday, tears pouring down his face you got the chance to see a hero. A man unashamed to display his emotion for the ferociously supportive crowd. He wept, but I think more out of amazement for the love and respect the crowd bathed upon him. And like a real man he accepted it by feeling the gift through the eloquent words he gave back: I have found you. His eloquence carried on into the locker room during the tribute his fellow players gave him and later in the press conference with the media. He could have let disappointment embitter and destroy his career, his life. Instead he chose a sympathetic partner - one of the best female players of all time. He fathered adorable kids that are already capitalizing on their fame via the vehicle of commercials. And he became the most important player in the past 20 years as Lindsey Davenport generously attributed. And now a new door opens as he considers the position of Commissioner of Tennis, as he continues to raise millions for children's charities.

Who knows what this hero has up his sleeve next? Andy Roddick put it best when he said: We have yet to see his greatest contribution.