Are You Dating a Brian Westbrook?

After news broke over the past week that one of the NFL’s best playmaking running backs were being cut loose by the team he had an incredible career with (Brian Westbrook), I sat down and tried to correlate the decision making of NFL management to stars past their prime with brothas who need to make that tough decision to break up with a girl they have been with forever. The similarities are shocking.

You may be in a relationship right now, where your girl has shown signs of greatness in your eyes, like Brian Westbrook to the Eagles. Westbrook, for those that aren’t familiar, is a 2 time former Pro Bowler, who led the league in total yards from scrimmage just 2 seasons ago. Hobbled by injuries and concussions, Westbrook only played in 8 games this past season, though in the time he was on the field, he was productive. Realizing the future investment the team had in Westbrook(he was due $7.25 million next year), the gamble of potentially not getting him in his 2007 form, yet paying premium money was not one Philadelphia could afford to take.

Now, going back to relationships, how does this relate? Try to remember when you first hooked up with your girl. For this example, lets say it was 2007. You were full of optimism and excitement as the relationship went through the honeymoon stages. The time and money invested into the relationship early on may vary depending on who you are, but for some of you, you may now be living with your girl, have a kid, house, or be married with your franchise player. Some years have passed, and the “potential” that you once saw as a great long term investment doesn’t seem as much. Now past her prime, the relationship’s sparks that once lit so strong have dimmed considerably, and it may be best for both parties to move on.

Unfortunately for many men, this type of decision making is not easy, and in some cases, don’t happen even whey they KNOW it should. Sometimes the excuse is given of “we can work it out”, yet the longer time goes, the worse things get. The emotional toll of a detonating relationship is much longer than one may realize, which is why it is best for BOTH of you to know when to say when.

There are many ways to break up(we will cover that in the future), but the first step is to realize, and accept, that it is time to go your separate ways. That way, much like Brian Westbrook and the Eagles, life can begin to go on for all involved.

Tagged as: break ups, Dating Tips, Relationships