But he acknowledged his time may be short.
The era that ended was undoubtedly that of Juan Pablo Angel, the Colombian striker who gave them four productive years but pretty much acknowledged his time had now run out.
Modern historians tend to view Ferdinand's religious policy as determined by his time, to acknowledge his importance in molding Austria's provinces into an integral whole, and to see in his imperial policy an attempt at creating a Roman Catholic German state, however inconsistently carried out.
In doing so Mehlman becomes the most senior Republican figure to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality, at a time when the Republican party remains deeply opposed to same-sex marriage and the abolition of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars homosexuals from serving in the US military.
And, as he prepares for a cup final in only his fourth game in charge, the 37-year-old took time to acknowledge his predecessor's contribution.
But the only reason he faces execution in the first place is because Texas failed to acknowledge his mental incompetence at the time of the crime and subsequent trial.
He had a hard time acknowledging his condition and seeking help.
Towards the end of the set, he spends at least 20 minutes sitting on the stage with his legs stretched out in front of him, occasionally attempting to demonstrate a gymnastics move that he had mastered as a college student, while at the same time acknowledging his current physical limits.
And Major League Baseball has a particularly jaundiced view of Canseco, who has depicted himself as a truth-teller after linking baseball stars like Mark McGwire and Iván Rodríguez to performance-enhancing drugs in "Juiced," while at the same time acknowledging his own use of such drugs and endorsing them when used in a "proper" manner.
But he also acknowledged his concern at the time that perhaps the Bush camp was "making the biggest mistake anybody could make, having a defined plan of activity during the period of time when the opposition thinks nobody's paying attention," he said.
