Athletes who hung on too long.

[brody]

culturecrossfire.com/sports/football/jim-brown-80s-comeback/



I recently wrote a piece on Jim Brown's feud with Franco Harris. Harris was on the verge of besting Brown's NFL career rushing record, and Brown was not pleased by Harris' meek running style. Brown went so far as to lobby to be allowed to play for the Raiders. Eventually, he and Harris ended up competing in a four event competition which aired in syndication on Super Bowl weekend of 1985.



Other notables:

Reggie White - I'll never forget the image of White as a Panther, being passed up during running drills by the massive Sean Gilbert.

Lyle Alonzo - A comeback attempt at 40 went badly.

Johnny Unitas as a Charger.

Joe Namath trotting out as a Ram for 4 games.

Brett Favre's final year in Minnesota, where he ended his ironman career by being pummeled into a mass of rubble, never to take another snap.



Who do you have to add?

Several boxers and MMA fighters definitely belong in this category.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Willie Mays - with the Mets is always the first to come to mind

Jerry Rice - who was on the damn Seahawks as like a 4th string WR

Muhummahed Ali/Joe Louis - Both sort of held on for money reasons with Joe being the saddest

Chuck Liddell - Dana essentially forced him to retire because his chin was completely gone

As a New Yorker for a personal pick i'll go with Patrick Ewing. Was sad to see him limp around with Seattle and Orlando

[brody]

Even better -- Rice last played for the Broncos. After he made the team, he chose to retire as he wanted to prove to himself he was still good enough to play.

[Deleted]

Chris Chelios last played for the Atlanta Thrashers.

[Cyno]

I was sad to see Martin Brodeur in a Blues uniform, but at least his "way past his prime" phase lasted just for those 6 games and arguably his last season with the Devils.

And I know he won a Super Bowl his last season, but Peyton Manning was dreadful his final year. If anything the Broncos won the Super Bowl in spite of him, not because of him.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Nov 2, 2017 12:37:57 GMT -5 Cyno said:

I was sad to see Martin Brodeur in a Blues uniform, but at least his "way past his prime" phase lasted just for those 6 games and arguably his last season with the Devils.

And I know he won a Super Bowl his last season, but Peyton Manning was dreadful his final year. If anything the Broncos won the Super Bowl in spite of him, not because of him.

I started to put Peyton but left him along because of the Superbowl but there's no doubt they won that in spite of him

Derek Jeter gets an honorable mention because lord knows he was washed his last year and Girardi was too scared to move him out the 2 hole and push him down the line up

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

So many pro wrestlers that we can be here all day naming them. I will also add Michael Jordan to the list, him coming out of retirement in Orlando and he was nothing like he was before.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Nov 2, 2017 13:18:38 GMT -5 Can you afford to pay me, Gah said:

So many pro wrestlers that we can be here all day naming them. I will also add Michael Jordan to the list, him coming out of retirement in Orlando and he was nothing like he was before.

I mean he wasn't Jordan but he still averaged over 20 a game in those 2 seasons with the Wizards

Dirk Nowitzki will soon be on this list tho

[sfvega]

Nov 2, 2017 12:16:09 GMT -5 brody said:

Even better -- Rice last played for the Broncos. After he made the team, he chose to retire as he wanted to prove to himself he was still good enough to play.

Which, if true, is a total egomaciac move by Rice. Not only do you dick around the team who may want you for other reasons (mentoring, jerseys) with no intentions of playing, you also take away a roster spot from another guy who is there to play and get a paycheck. Proving you're still good enough to play one would think, would be actually playing out the year. Not some silly stunt to yourself that you're friggin awesome. That really brings Rice down a notch to me, because I've always been a fan.

[karl100589]

Richard Petty. He should've ridden into the sunset after the 200th win instead of becoming a tail-end joke figure.

[Deleted]

Nov 2, 2017 12:19:57 GMT -5 @freshprince1 said:

Chris Chelios last played for the Atlanta Thrashers.

Worse. The Chicago Wolves. At least he got to play in 4 different decades

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

If he didn't win the Superbowl, Manning in his last year as a Bronco would be on this list, because he was pretty terrible.

[OGBoardPoster2005]

Nov 2, 2017 12:51:37 GMT -5 Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) said:

Nov 2, 2017 12:37:57 GMT -5 Cyno said:

I was sad to see Martin Brodeur in a Blues uniform, but at least his "way past his prime" phase lasted just for those 6 games and arguably his last season with the Devils.

And I know he won a Super Bowl his last season, but Peyton Manning was dreadful his final year. If anything the Broncos won the Super Bowl in spite of him, not because of him.

I started to put Peyton but left him along because of the Superbowl but there's no doubt they won that in spite of him

Derek Jeter gets an honorable mention because lord knows he was washed his last year and Girardi was too scared to move him out the 2 hole and push him down the line up

Yet I could argue if Denver goes Osweiler, they don't come back in that Chargers game in Week 17, surrendering home field to New England and likely get bounced out of the playoffs by Kansas City. Manning may not have been in pretty but I'd trust him to lead the team moreso than Brock.

[brody]

Is anyone here old enough to have watched the Brown/Harris stuff live in 1985? I am surprised that I couldn't find footage of it anywhere.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Nov 3, 2017 8:30:01 GMT -5 OGBoardPoster2005 said:

Nov 2, 2017 12:51:37 GMT -5 Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) said:

I started to put Peyton but left him along because of the Superbowl but there's no doubt they won that in spite of him

Derek Jeter gets an honorable mention because lord knows he was washed his last year and Girardi was too scared to move him out the 2 hole and push him down the line up

Yet I could argue if Denver goes Osweiler, they don't come back in that Chargers game in Week 17, surrendering home field to New England and likely get bounced out of the playoffs by Kansas City. Manning may not have been in pretty but I'd trust him to lead the team moreso than Brock.

Yea, Manning abilities may have been completely zapped but his on field knowledge can't be surpassed so you knew he wouldn't lost the game for you which is most important

That's what I assume the Pats are hoping for with Brady assuming he falls off a cliff in the next 3-4 years

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Currently Dirk Nowitsky is painful to watch.

[Fundertaker]

Ronaldinho Gaucho. He was probably the awesomest player ever for 3 seasons and it was all downhill from there and his last few seasons were painful. And I mean, his age after 31 years of age. He really peaked way too early.

[nm]

Ichiro


dude has sucked since like 2012

[Fundertaker]

Nov 4, 2017 23:17:15 GMT -5 nm said:

Ichiro


dude has sucked since like 2012

I wish I sucked hitting .283, .262, .284, .229, .291 and .255.

I mean, yeah he's no longer Ichiro "The best not slugging hitter the MLB has seen in the millenium" Suzuki, but I'd like to suck being an average or above hitter in all but one of my suck years.

[Allie Kitsune]

Morgan Shepherd, still trying to race well into his 70s.