The Tampa Bay Lightning waived captain Dave Andreychuk yesterday, less than two years after he helped to lead the Bolts to a Stanley Cup Championship.
Andreychuk, 42, is one of the most prolific scores among left wingers in NHL history, and has been known as an especially good power play scorer throughout his career.
When the Lightning defeated the Calgary Flames for the title in 2004, some suspected that Andreychuck, then 40, would retire as a champion. The NHL lockout of 2004-2005, which brought the end to many long-time NHL careers, would surely also end the career of the 40-something Andreychuk. It did not, and he returned to Tampa this season and struggled. His placement on waivers yesterday is a sad way for a player to be told “you don’t have it anymore.”
This brings up the subject of retirement among professional athletes. When to go and not to go always seems to be a question that athletes struggle with. For most all sports, the age of 40 seems to be the barrier where performance, even among the most gifted players, seems to drop off. There are, of course, a few notable exceptions, such as the superhuman Roger Clemens.
And then there are those some feel retired too early. Great running backs Barry Sanders and Jim Brown both called it quits when many felt they had a lot left in the tank. Michael Jordan left the Bulls to play baseball following the death of his father, but soon returned to the sport that made him an icon.
So here is my list, in no particular order, of athletes who got it right (for whatever reason) and retired on top, and my list of those who held on just a bit too long.
Going out on Top
Boxer Rocky Marciano is the only man to ever retire as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. “The Brockton Blockbuster” piled up a 49-0 record from 1947 to 1955, with 43 knockouts. He defeated Jersey Joe Walcott for the title in 1953 and defended it six times before he retired in 1955.
Denver Broncos Quarterback John Elway had several shots at a Super Bowl title during the prime of his career, but Denver’s lack of a running game cost him several times. Enter Terrell Davis and the Broncos won back-to-back titles in the late 90s. Elway was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, the second of the two titles, and retired.
Ray Bourque is possibly the greatest defensemen to ever lace up the skates in the NHL. The long-time Boston Bruin holds the NHL record for career goals by a defenseman and won a record five Norris Trophies as the league’s top defenseman. Unable to win a coveted Stanley Cup in Boston, Bourque was traded to the Colorado Avalanche and won his Cup in 2001.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong may go down as one of the greatest athletes who ever lived. Who can argue? Armstrong merely won the grueling Tour de France an unprecedented seven straight years. Before winning his seventh 2005, Armstrong announced that he would retire at the end of the Tour. Armstrong went out in style, cycling through the Champs Elysees in Paris one final time.
New York Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio was a part of the most storied franchise in baseball. “The Yankee Clipper” had the prime of his career cut out by World War II, but still put up some amazing numbers, including a career .325 batting average and the legendary 56-game hitting streak. DiMaggio, slowed by injuries, retired after the Yankees won the 1951 World Series.
Hung Around Too Long
Rickey Henderson is still beating around the minor league, looking for someone to take a chance on a 47-year-old outfielder. Henderson, Major League Baseball’s all time stolen base leader, played on five different teams in his final four season in the majors. He last played in the bigs in 2003.
Muhammad Ali is the greatest boxer who ever lived. Ali held the heavyweight title numerous times and had legendary wars with Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Ken Norton. That being said, nothing is more depressing than watching a slow, deteriorated Ali lose fights to Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick. The Holmes loss was especially brutal, as Ali was stopped inside the distance for the only time in his career. Some feel the beating he took in that fight contributed to his fragile health today.
Mark Messier is known as one of the best leaders in NHL history, winning multiple Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, but was often overshadowed by some guy named Gretzky. When The Great One was traded away, he led the Oilers to a Stanley Cup victory in 1990. Messier was soon traded to the New York Rangers, where he led that team to their first title in over 50 years in 1940. In 1997, Messier joined the Vancouver Canucks and struggled with injuries for two of his three seasons there. He returned to the Rangers, where his production trailed off dramatically. He finally hung the skates up prior to this season.
Mike Tyson could be one of the one of saddest, most bizarre personalities in all of sports. Once he was the most feared boxer in the world, dominating the best heavyweights of the time. Personal demons and bad decisions started his downfall. The first crack in the armor was his shocking loss to Buster Douglas. His personal relationships with Robin Givens and former manager Tony Atlas. Then there was his prison time. Biting off Evander Holifield’s ear. It appears that Tyson has finally hung up his gloves after losing to journeyman Kevin McBride.
Karl Malone is considered by many to be the finest power forward in NBA history. Playing for years with partner John Stockton, the Utah Jazz were perennial favorites for the NBA title. They could never get over the hump. After Stockton retired, Malone joined with Gary Payton to sign with the Kobe and Shaq-led Los Angeles Lakers. On paper, the team looked unstoppable. But Malone, who only played 42 games during the season, and Payton had run out of gas and the Lakers internal problems began to surface. Malone retired after one season in L.A.