Catharsis Definition. A Catharsis is an emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and stress. Catharsis is a Greek word and it means cleansing. In literature it is used for the cleansing of emotions of the characters.
Anyway, it's his personal account as well as his work one, he doesn't have to abide by some people's definitions of professional standards. He can speak as 'Pete Hines the Vice President' or 'Pete Hines the human being with emotions' and it's clear when one is a professional announcement and others aren't.
If the likes of Roger Federer had not come along, Pete Sampras would certainly be the number one player of all-time. When Pete retired in 2002, he was considered to be the best player of all-time. He was number one in the world rankings for six consecutive years and his 14 Grand Slam titles was a record at the time.