Have you ever heard the saying “all good things come to an end?” Recently, two professional sports franchises had that happen to them.
The Minnesota Vikings have recently parted ways with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater was the Vikings first round draft pick back in 2014, and most people thought he would be the franchise quarterback for years to come.
Bridgewater had a standout rookie season in 2014, winning the Rookie of the Year award, and throwing for 2,919 yards and 14 touchdowns. 
In 2015, expectations were high for Bridgewater and the Vikings, and they ended up winning their first NFC North division title since 2009. Bridgewater was beloved by the Vikings faithful for bringing their team back to the postseason.
However, in the 2016 preseason, Bridgewater suffered a gruesome knee injury that left him sidelined for the entire 2016 season and essentially all of the 2017 season as well. It was a HUGE blow for a young quarterback.
This past year the Vikings went all the way to the NFC Championship game with Bridgewater on the sidelines, before letting him walk in free agency signing with the New York Jets.
It was a move many Vikings fans saw coming, but many fans still showed their appreciation for what Bridgewater had done for the franchise.
My beloved New York Mets have had a similar situation unfold over the last few seasons as well. The captain, and longtime fan favorite, David Wright has very obviously been going through many injuries since 2015. 
Wright has been the third baseman of the Mets since the middle of the 2004 season, and has been the backbone of the team during their 2006 playoff run, and all the subsequent terrible years since.
Wright is a 7-time All-Star, a 2-time Gold Glove award winner, a 2-time Silver Slugger award winner, and the Captain of the Mets since 2013. He has been with the team through ups and downs, and is easily one of the most popular Mets of all time.
However, in 2015, Wright was diagnosed with spinal stenosis causing him to miss much of the season. Wright returned just in time for the Mets’ run to the World Series, but it was clear he would never be the same again.
While it pains many Mets fans to see their captain go through these unfortunate circumstances, it became clear that it’s time to move on.
This off season, the Mets signed third baseman Todd Frazier, essentially signaling the end of Wright’s playing days at third base. While he might not have been ‘cut’ from the team, the Mets have clearly decided to move on without him on the field.
What does this have to do with investing?
Consider your portfolio. Do you have a Teddy Bridgewater, or a David Wright in there?
Investing, like sports, can become a very emotional game if you let it. It’s very easy to become attached to a stock that has performed well in the past.
It’s very easy to rationalize holding a position with an emotional anecdote, when in reality it has no place remaining in your portfolio.
It’s easier said than done, but removing emotions from your investing process is a key to success. It might hurt to cut the “fan favorite” from your portfolio, but you will ultimately benefit from it in the end.
It will only benefit you from time to time to objectively evaluate the positions in your portfolio. The phrase “past performance is not indicative of future results” is heard so many times in this profession, but sometimes is overlooked.
Holding on to a position because it did well for you during tough years, or outperformed years ago, is not reason enough to hold something.
Having an emotional connection to a stock is not reason enough to hold something.
When evaluating positions in your portfolio, it’s important to remain focused on what’s ahead of you, not behind.
While it’s necessary to glance out your rear-view mirror from time to time, ultimately the main focus is on the road ahead.
Keep David Wright and Teddy Bridgewater in your mind the next time you’re reviewing positions in your portfolio. All good things do come to an end, and it’s okay to cut the fan-favorite from time to time.
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