I read recently that both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have decided to skip the U.S. Open and are effectively shutting down their 2021 seasons. Soon enough, they will fade from the scene and a new generation of greats will slip into their place. I’ll miss them, but not individually so much as I will miss them as rivals who defined each other’s greatness over so many years.

If you’ve scanned the news and even if you’re not a sports fan, you’ve seen the headlines announcing Coach Bobby Bowden’s death at age 91. The eulogies are pouring in, as they should, to honor somebody who made such a positive impact on so many people. I knew Coach Bowden quite well from dozens of interviews over the years and our mutual support of several organizations. He must be looking down from heaven right now and smiling that so many of the tributes he’s received are about what he did off the field rather than on it.