When I read Patrick Hurley’s most recent article, Useless Knowledge: At The Crossroads, I found myself agreeing with much of what he said.  Patrick took time to articulate some hard truths about these friendly confines and the tough road that lies ahead.  And in reading Patrick’s words, it made me realize that it is now time to share with all of you something that I have shared with only three other people.

 

It is time for me to step away from Useless Knowledge.

 

I’ve been mulling my departure for some time.  My reasons have nothing to do with the present company writing on the site or the state of the site itself. But I realize that there are other things that I enjoy doing with my time.  Doing op-ed, as fun as it is, isn’t exactly as simple as speaking your piece.  As readers have reminded me, verisimilitude is just as important as vision.  And unlike our inept -- er, intrepid -- President Bush, I do have a full-blown exit strategy in hand.

 

I’m committed to delivering analysis of the final week of the NFL season and the entire post-season, including Super Bowl XLI and the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.  I’m also committed to sharing with you my choices for induction this coming August into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as well as anything else that might come to mind between now and the end of January.  That means that you’re stuck with me at least a little while longer.

 

This is my 142nd column for Useless Knowledge.  I have been showered with praise for some of my columns and treated like a pariah for some others.  Sure, there are a number of writers more prolific, more engaging and more controversial than I am.  And though I’ve tackled numerous issues over the course of the nearly three years I’ve been contributing here, I’m proudest of the very first article I ever wrote,  How to Get Married on $1000 (or less).  That article is not just one of my favorites; it also introduced me to a whole world of people that I would have otherwise never met.  I’m grateful for the invitation that our original Editor extended to me so long ago, and for the experience of writing online.

 

For any of you wondering, this is as close to sappy as things get.  There won’t be any DVD of my finale the day after it’s published.  There won’t be any “Greatest-Of-Graham” CD coming out during the summer.  I’d think a few of you were ready to see me go a long time ago.  So you can go ahead, break out the bubbly, and know that at the end of January, I’ll write my last piece and be gone. 

 

For the rest of you, thank you for taking the time and effort to read my work and provide me feedback.  It has been an honor and a joy.