Barry Sanders: Did Anyone Ever Retire MORE at the top of their game?

Chi_archie · 07-03-10, 06:24 PM

Originally posted by hoopster42

he was on the downside of his career and he knew it, so was he at his peak? no. marciano was clearly on the downside when he walked away

hmmm, i'm confused why are we talking about Hagler then?

pavyracer · 07-03-10, 06:27 PM

John Elway retired at the top of his game.

hoopster42 · 07-03-10, 06:27 PM

Originally posted by Chi_archie

hmmm, i'm confused why are we talking about Hagler then?

because he was at a peak, he lost a controversial decision to sugar ray leonard that most boxing experts including myself believe that hagler actually won, so yeah, he left at the top of his game, he was 62-3-2 with 52 ko's, he walked away at age 33 with many possible fights still left in him, he beat sugar's ray ass that night but the judges were corrupt

Marvelous Marvin Hagler - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvelous_Marvin_Hagler

Chi_archie · 07-03-10, 06:28 PM

Nah too old too many fights... left with a lose, he is off the list

Pavy give us a soccer player that retired at the top

JohnGalt2341 · 07-03-10, 06:29 PM

Just thought of another one... I think this is my top pick but I'm biased because MMA is my favorite sport by a mile. BAS RUTTEN. Finished his career with 21 straight wins. I think that's the 2nd most straight wins in the history of televised MMA.

Chi_archie · 07-03-10, 06:31 PM

I'm a big Bas, fan....... interesting selection JohnnyGalt!!!!!

pavyracer · 07-03-10, 06:33 PM

Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. When these 3 played for AC Milan and Netherlands they were unstoppable. You had the best defender the best midfield player and the best striker playing for the same team and they all retired at the top of their games.

hoopster42 · 07-03-10, 06:35 PM

Originally posted by pavyracer

John Elway retired at the top of his game.

thats a very good one pavy

Chi_archie · 07-03-10, 06:35 PM

how bout a Hockey player?

JohnGalt2341 · 07-03-10, 06:36 PM

One more pick I like. Ricardo Lopez. Probably the most underrated Boxer of all time. Finished his career with a record of 52-0-1. With 38 KO's which is absolutely insane for a guy that weighs 108lbs.

hoopster42 · 07-03-10, 06:36 PM

in no part. order,

jim brown
barry sanders
elway
koufax
marciano

great list right here

INVEGA MAN · 07-03-10, 06:59 PM

Jim brown because he didnt have to retire. Koufax had health problems.

Chi_archie · 07-03-10, 08:41 PM

again, the question isNOT>>> WHY they retired..... for all we know Jim Brown was on his last legs and thats why he did that movie overseas during training camp....

we can't be speculative here

who had the best last season?

seaborneq · 07-03-10, 08:49 PM

Robert Smith had his best season his last season, and was a game from the Super Bowl. No doubt he was at the top of his game after all those injury plagued season early in his career.

dice · 07-03-10, 09:07 PM

Bo Jackson for health issues... but Barry Sanders still had it and could have played several more years.

Chi_archie · 07-03-10, 09:11 PM

Bo was one of the most over-rated football players and over rated baseball players of all time....

if he had just focused on football, he could have been one of the greatest....

too bad he liked baseball better

gryfyn1 · 07-03-10, 09:16 PM

While not better than Sander;

Ted Williams 1960: 316/451/645 29HR 190 OPS+ in 113games - and he homered in his final ever at bat.

stevek173 · 07-04-10, 12:29 AM

It's gotta be Kent Steffes, hands down.

He CRUSHES this ball

Look how far that ******* thing bounces that is ridiculous. He quit when the tour didn't pay him his winning checks and punched the president of the AVP in the face, true story.

Herrington · 07-04-10, 12:31 AM

stevek173 · 07-04-10, 12:37 AM

That guy could have been the ******* best in the history of the sport if they just paid him his money on time. The best.

Team Ramrod · 07-04-10, 12:42 AM

Austin Croshere

hoopster42 · 07-04-10, 01:22 AM

christian laettner

Cookie Monster · 07-04-10, 01:44 AM

Garry Kasparov was clearly #1 of the world when he retired. Maybe he was slightly on the decline after losing the World Championship, but still won most of the tournaments he played after that. Politics did not allow him to play again for the world title, but he was still dominating Anand (the current champion) by wide margin.

By the way, he retired from chess to get into Russian politics.

If you want a more dramatic retirement, Bobby Fischer beats them all. He was top-10 in the early 60s, but after a period with few appearances, he returned playing the best chess that has been ever played. Qualified to the 8 candidates in 1st place, and there, he destroyed his opposition by amazing margins. Beat Taimanov 6-0-0 (at that level, most of the games end in draws, so winning 6 consecutive games was unprecedented). In the semifinals he faced Bent Larsen, then the #4 player of the world. And Fisher won 6-0-0!! The final candidates match vs. former champ Petrosian, a defense master who seldom lost a game. After a level 5-games, Fisher crushed Petrosian in 4 consecutive games. The world championship match vs. Spassky was somewhat more difficult, but he won clearly 12.5-8.5, and that includes a forfeit loss (Fischer had a disagreement about TV rights, and simply did not showed for the 2nd game of the match).

After such incredible run, Fischer retired and did not play a tournament game in 20 years. He reappeared in 1991 in a friendly match vs. Spassky, and won again, but by then both were well past their prime (Spassky was not even in top 100 of the world). And after that, not a single tournament game until his death in 2008.

So, he was not only the #1 when he retired, he was playing the best chess ever seen. I doubt you can find a better case in any sport.

hoopster42 · 07-04-10, 02:33 AM

oh my, we're getting a little crazy here

rm18 · 07-04-10, 03:55 AM

I am changing my answer to Robert Smith, this is actually the only guy in team sports who walked away after the best year of his whole career.

rm18 · 07-04-10, 04:02 AM

Pat Tillman?, though his ability to cover the pass might of slipped a little

rm18 · 07-04-10, 04:08 AM

Cynthia Cooper?

Chi_archie · 07-04-10, 08:42 AM

Originally posted by rm18

I am changing my answer to Robert Smith, this is actually the only guy in team sports who walked away after the best year of his whole career.

again being a broken record here... but Sandy Koufax left after his best year ever....

GonzosDirtyTrail · 07-04-10, 09:01 AM

Michael Jordan certainly comes to mind when I think of an athlete that retired when they were still kicking ass.

Chi_archie · 07-04-10, 10:25 AM

problem with Michael is, that he came back too many times... and when he finally left, he was a pathetic shadow of his former greatness... it was kinda sad

DrunkHorseplayer · 07-04-10, 10:40 AM

Jim Brown played in an ancient era and had a fairly good team behind him; Barry Sanders sometimes carried his team. Give me Sanders any day.

urge2kill · 07-04-10, 02:03 PM

41 year old Bas Rutten was not at the top of his game when he fought Warpath. He had like a 7 year layoff before that fight.

Chi_archie · 07-04-10, 03:59 PM

good points urger.... I forgot about the long layoff

blackbox · 07-04-10, 07:57 PM

Like the JIM BROWN answer, I remember as a kid Bobby Richardson of the Yankees.

rm18 · 07-04-10, 08:05 PM

Originally posted by Chi_archie

problem with Michael is, that he came back too many times... and when he finally left, he was a pathetic shadow of his former greatness... it was kinda sad

Jordan was the best 40 year old player of all time, maybe sucks a little that he did not go out a champion, but I think it was impressive how good he was at that age.