TaTa Tim

"With our third child on the way, there's an even bigger incentive to [retire]," said 33-year-old Tim Henman as the four-time Wimbledon semifinalist announced he would make himself eligible for the dole beginning this fall.

With two already here I know just how he feels. If only I could have cashed the same $11 million plus of tournament winnings checks (currently No. 22 on the all time on-court earnings list).

Henman, who despite a more-than-respectable career, is synonymous in his native Britain with the person you root for even though they'll always disappoint (think Chicago Cubs, baseball fans). As the Guardian's tennis obit reads: "Over the course of [his career], he repeatedly became a vessel for the nation's hopes, and then the object of its ire. Eventually, the idea that Tim couldn't win because Tim was Tim took hold."

So it's good training for staying home with the kids. After all, isn't every dad a goat in hero's clothing, undressed as his children ages? In "Tiger Tim's" case, he is retiring while he can still bask in the adulation at home. His two daughters are 2 and 4 and for at least a few more years he is still the big guy to be loved and feared in his castle.

** The joke on Henman, of course, is that despite all the prize and endorsement money, he'll probably have to unretire when No. 4 pops into the world.**