Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
- 31,703
- 4,157
Honestly, so I got thinking about it the other day. We don't have a lot of great sports comebacks in history where a player retired only to come back and play well afterwards. I am talking at least a season, even multiple ones. Not something like Brett Favre or Tom Brady who retired for two minutes before deciding they were coming back. I mean a player whose career was finished and it didn't seem like he would ever come back, only to come back and do very well.
Mario's comeback in 2000 was pretty good. He was among the best in the game immediately. He put up a three point night on his return after three and a half years out of the game. He won an Olympic gold and a 2004 World Cup. He had good years of 2001 and 2003 when he wasn't injured.
I am not sure what to make of Muhammad Ali. He was stripped of his boxing titles and didn't fight for almost 4 years in his prime and he barely stayed out of prison, all for just not going to Vietnam. If his case counts, then he is #1 here. But I am looking more for a guy who retired on his own. Not a guy treated unfairly in his prime.
If that is the case then Michael Jordan applies here. Not the 2nd retirement, because his somewhat sloppy comeback from 2001-'03 was just needless. I am talking about his ill-fated Baseball career in between his two three peats. To retire in 1993 after his father was murdered (and let's face it, it did not look like he was coming back after that) and then returning only to orchestrate another three peat is pretty special. Jordan was younger of course but it still counts. Also in boxing George Foreman had a pretty good comeback.
In baseball there really isn't anyone who did anything significant. Lots of guys had a season or two, but nothing special or noteworthy.
In the NFL you've got Gronk playing a couple of seasons and winning a Super Bowl after his retirement the first time. Randall Cunningham carved out a couple of really good years in Minnesota (the 1998 Vikings who can forget?).
Other guys in the NHL that come to mind are Jacques Plante who had a nice string of seasons from 1968 onwards. Actually leading the NHL in GAA in 1971. And of course the obvious one is Gordie Howe. Two years out of the game and he returned for the 1973-'74 season in the WHA and cracked 100 points and then played until 1980.
Who am I missing here? Or is Mario right there among the top two or three?
Mario's comeback in 2000 was pretty good. He was among the best in the game immediately. He put up a three point night on his return after three and a half years out of the game. He won an Olympic gold and a 2004 World Cup. He had good years of 2001 and 2003 when he wasn't injured.
I am not sure what to make of Muhammad Ali. He was stripped of his boxing titles and didn't fight for almost 4 years in his prime and he barely stayed out of prison, all for just not going to Vietnam. If his case counts, then he is #1 here. But I am looking more for a guy who retired on his own. Not a guy treated unfairly in his prime.
If that is the case then Michael Jordan applies here. Not the 2nd retirement, because his somewhat sloppy comeback from 2001-'03 was just needless. I am talking about his ill-fated Baseball career in between his two three peats. To retire in 1993 after his father was murdered (and let's face it, it did not look like he was coming back after that) and then returning only to orchestrate another three peat is pretty special. Jordan was younger of course but it still counts. Also in boxing George Foreman had a pretty good comeback.
In baseball there really isn't anyone who did anything significant. Lots of guys had a season or two, but nothing special or noteworthy.
In the NFL you've got Gronk playing a couple of seasons and winning a Super Bowl after his retirement the first time. Randall Cunningham carved out a couple of really good years in Minnesota (the 1998 Vikings who can forget?).
Other guys in the NHL that come to mind are Jacques Plante who had a nice string of seasons from 1968 onwards. Actually leading the NHL in GAA in 1971. And of course the obvious one is Gordie Howe. Two years out of the game and he returned for the 1973-'74 season in the WHA and cracked 100 points and then played until 1980.
Who am I missing here? Or is Mario right there among the top two or three?
