Call me cynical, but when I hear a politician or chief executive officer of a major corporation announce his or her resignation to “spend more time with my family,” I can’t help but think “Whom are they kidding?”

Apparently I am not alone in my cynicism. We need look no further than outstanding football coach Urban Meyer, who claimed when he resigned his job at the University of Florida that he wanted to clear his schedule for more family time. It was just a year later that he took the $4 million-a-year coaching job at Ohio State.

I have to wonder: “Gee, Urban, did something better come along than spending more time with your family?” What an insult to the family!

I am baffled by why people rely on the “more time for family” excuse, or here’s another one: “I’m leaving to pursue other opportunities,” when, in fact, at the moment there are no opportunities on the horizon.

I am not saying that everyone who uses these declarations is lying. In fact, there may be even a little truth to these reasons, because most of us cherish our time with our spouse, children and, if we have them, grandchildren, but, come on, it’s not the main reason for packing it in and giving up a career that still has some mileage on it.

These sound like fishy clichés, even if they are, on occasion, real. I have great admiration for people who give it to us straight. Take Campbell Brown, for example, who was co-anchor of the NBC program “Weekend Today” from 2003-2007 and host of “Campbell Brown on CNN” from 2008-2010.

The truth is that CNN axed her for low ratings but gave Brown the opportunity to resign gracefully. Here is what Brown said: “I could have said I am stepping down to spend more time with my children (which I truly want to do). Or that I am leaving to pursue other opportunities (which I also truly want to do), but the simple fact is that not enough people wanted to watch my program.”

Lots of people heaped praise on Brown for her frankness. It seems to me that those who find themselves in similar positions could take a page from Brown’s playbook. By the way, Brown, 54, landed on her feet and now serves as the head of global news partnerships at Facebook.

In 2010, Pennsylvania House Speaker Keith R. McCall, D-Carbon, announced that he would not seek another term. McCall, then only 50, told The Associated Press that his decision to retire was largely driven by a desire to spend more time with his wife and school-aged children.

McCall’s term ended on Nov. 30, 2010. In early February 2011, it was announced that McCall had been appointed to the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission, a cushy patronage job controlled by then-House Democratic leader Frank Dermody. The Associated Press reported McCall’s annual salary with the appointment that did not require Senate approval at $145,000, significantly more than he was making as House Speaker.

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., announced last October that he would not seek another two-year term this year because his district had been changed by the decennial redistricting process. Doyle’s stated reason, however, was that he had discussions with his wife about “how we want to spend our retirement together now that our family is grown.” The truth is that Doyle is now in a district that is not favorable to Democrats.

Rep. John Katko, R-New York, also announced that he would not seek re-election this year so he ``can enjoy my family and life in a fuller and more present way.” You can bet, however, that the real reason is that Katko would not have been able to retain the seat after being one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com