Athletes who lose their luster after they retire

Steve Garvey

Steve Carlton

 

From the NHL: Brian Spencer, Steve Durbano, John Kordic and Bryan Fogarty.

 

Really?

I'm just the opposite...

Emmitt Smith.. I can't believe he's not mentioned. He just couldn't stay away from the spotlight and everything he tries - ESPN, those Just for Men commercials and Dancing with the Stars ... he sucks at. He SUCKS.
Michael Irvin .,.. another one who displayed his awesome intellect.
Joe Namath, Jim Kelly, Terry Bradshaw, Shannon Sharpe... pick on any one.



No Barry Sanders is the kind of guy I respect. A legend who walked away from the game and seldom - if ever - looks back.

EDit: Also add The greatest NFL linebacker ever, Jack Lambert to the mix.

What's the old saying: It's better to be quiet and let people think you are dumb than to speak and confimr it.
Those are the smart ones. The ones who will occassionaly grant an interview and provided a glimpse of insight, but won't turn into a full-blown attention whore.
They are content to move on - to me, that allows the legend to grow.

 

My mom and my wife LOVE Emmitt Smith, and DWTS is the only reason.

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Some more and all kid (or kids) related

Calvin Murphy

Dr. J

Karl Malone

 

O. J. SIMPSON

END. OF. THREAD.

 

93Devil mentioned Mike Webster. I'm sure it is the Steelers fanboy in me, but that was the first name that popped into my head. He absolutely ruined his body, lost all his money and seemed to lose his mind as well. This was a guy who was in so much constant pain that he would sometimes stun himself unconscious with a taser. He was living in his car for a while, mostly because he refused to let anybody help him.

That was a hell of a fall for an NFL Hall of Famer. He was 50 when he died in 2002.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1972285

 

And I'm sure drugs that helped him to perform on Sundays had a hand in his downfall. Either steroids or painkillers that masked the damage done to his brian or helped feed some other problems.

 

No doubt it was a combination of those things and the beating his body took during his playing career.

 

Beat me to Joe Namath.

Deion Sanders?

What about Wayne Gretzky? Does his lack of coaching success dull his shine?

Bobby Clark

Joe Carter -- shoulda stayed out of the broadcast booth.

Patrick Roy -- way to send your kid out to mug another goalie. Douchenozzle.

Pete Rose, of course his was more of a forced retirement.

Theo Fleury -- mind you he was never high in my books, but he managed to plummet even further during his hockey exile.

And I don't want to dance on anyone's grave, but depending on how well a job Gene Uphaw did as union head

 

Oh, also not sure how we missed it, but there's the Mike Tyson feller.
I'm sure there're countless boxers who would fit in this topic.

 

Somebody already did mention Tyson.

I just wonder if guys who struggled as team executives, coaches or broadcasters belong in the same discussion as guys whose entire lives fell apart.

 

I think failure as a GM or a coach or a broadcaster should not be considered.