"Sticky stuff, this talk of greatness. Of genius. Of immortality. It's almost sanctimonious. But it's what sport is made of, when sport is more than just a word you use to describe your hobby, when it matters so much that you still search for a living, breathing touchstone to embody why this still matters so much.

That's what Mariano Rivera means for many people, whether they root for the Yankees or root for their failure.

To suggest that his consistency defines an era is self-evident, and to suggest that he is the best at what he does is just a mathematical equation. It's only a part of what defines him."