On Mar. 7, Peyton Manning, the 39-year old quarterback for the Super Bowl 50 champions the Denver Broncos, announced his retirement after 18 seasons. I wasn’t too surprised about this announcement, because at 39, he’s 11 years older than the average retirement age from this amazingly violent sport.

Watching him play this past season, I would cringe every time a 300-pound monster got to him before he could get rid of the ball. I never expected him to get back up. I expected all of his old bones—well, old by NFL standards—to implode, or his already injured neck would break and he’d be a vegetable for the rest of his life.

I wasn’t surprised when I listened to Manning’s speech on the radio, but I did feel a confusing mixture of sadness and joy. Not because he retired, oh no. The man had the right to retire whenever he wanted. I felt the way I did because I saw Manning’s retirement as an end of an era, but his speech also showed the positive side of football, something that's hardly showcased.

I’m a New England Patriots fan—proud of it, too—and for more than 10 years, Peyton Manning has made me rip my hair out, scream at televisions, and jubilantly dance like a fool. Whether it was when Manning was playing for the Indianapolis Colts or his few years playing for the Broncos, I knew I was about to put myself through hours of anxiety, and I would question what it means to be a football fan.

But as a fan to my core, those were the best games to watch. Even if the Patriots lost a game to the Colts or the Broncos, it didn’t sting as much, because they had to go against a quarterback that knew how to poke holes in any defense. Sure, I felt disappointment, but at a certain point in the games, I always felt a certain level of awe when I watched Peyton Manning play.

Now with Manning being retired, I doubt the Patriots will have a rival like that any time soon. Most games will still be exciting (I mean, I am talking about football), but I can’t think of another player or team that’ll get my blood pumping like a game against Peyton Manning.

During his announcement, Manning understandably started to tear up when he started to mention the things he was going to miss about the game. Anyone watching his speech could tell that he truly and deeply cared about football. I think Manning is a perfect example for those people out there who think football is just a game and don't understand what all the fuss is about.

Manning’s emotion shows the connections football creates, it shows the love and friendship football can create between people of different backgrounds that probably wouldn’t have met without the sport. Manning’s speech is proof that football is more than just a sport for both fans and the players. It’s something that brings happiness to millions of people, and in a world where bad things are constantly happening, we need more things that make us happy.

So thank you, Mr. Manning. Thank you for the years of great games and thanks for showing the United States what can happen when you love football with all of your heart.