[Mick]

Lots of transcendant stars end up leaving at the ends of their careers. Joe Montana. Babe Ruth. Duke Snider. Willie Mays. Chris Mullin. Michael Jordan. Ronnie Lott. Jackie Robinson was actually traded to the Giants, and he retired instead. You make it sound as if it's axiomatic that they should be able to select when and where and from whom they retire.

Geez Mick, you forgot Johnny U, Kenny Stabler, Jerry Rice, and even Tommy Brady. . . .

It's interesting that not many of those names are in the NBA and so many are in the NFL where physical decline is so precipitous.  Personally, I want Curry to go out like Magic, Bird, Kobe, Olajuwon and Dirk.  Not like Montana and Lott both of whom were disgruntled and, when scratched, are still bitter.  Here's a quote I never want to hear from Steph Curry.

"I should have never had to leave. Why wasn't I allowed to compete for the job? I just had one of the best years I'd ever had. I could understand if I wasn't playing well. We had just won two Super Bowls and I had one of my best years and we were winning in the championship game when I got hurt," Montana lamented. "How do I not get an opportunity? That's the hardest part." 

Why am I not allowed in the facility? What did I do to not be allowed in the facility? They wouldn't even let me dress."  

(Joe Montana, 2023 ESPN article so almost 30 years after his retirement.)

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/3560...super-bowl

Sorry, Joe. You were allowed to compete. Steve Young was better. When an opposing coach tells his team "make sure you don't injure Montana, we don't want Steve Young in the game," that's saying something, whether Joe recognizes it or not. Jerry Glanville, coach of the Falcons said something very similar.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/we-...ck-debate/

This doesn't even take into account that Young played the bulk of his career with a salary cap, while Eddie D. could buy players at will when Joe was QB.

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Lots of transcendant stars end up leaving at the ends of their careers. Joe Montana. Babe Ruth. Duke Snider. Willie Mays. Chris Mullin. Michael Jordan. Ronnie Lott. Jackie Robinson was actually traded to the Giants, and he retired instead. You make it sound as if it's axiomatic that they should be able to select when and where and from whom they retire.

My wife grew up a Giants fan and often went to Candlestick to watch Willie Mays.  She didn't really care about the Giants.  But Willie....

Then, at the impressionable age of 13, Mays was traded to the Mets.

My wife has not watched a single baseball game since May 11, 1972.  It was as if someone murdered a family member.  Major League Baseball lost a committed fan for next  50 years and counting.

My dad was a Mays fan, and I think he's the greatest player ever. When he was traded, all of my friends were Giants fans and McCovey fans in order. It made us sad to watch Mays batting .184 as a 41 year old for a 7-16 Giants team.

[Mick]

Lots of transcendant stars end up leaving at the ends of their careers. Joe Montana. Babe Ruth. Duke Snider. Willie Mays. Chris Mullin. Michael Jordan. Ronnie Lott. Jackie Robinson was actually traded to the Giants, and he retired instead. You make it sound as if it's axiomatic that they should be able to select when and where and from whom they retire.

Geez Mick, you forgot Johnny U, Kenny Stabler, Jerry Rice, and even Tommy Brady. . . .

It's interesting that not many of those names are in the NBA and so many are in the NFL where physical decline is so precipitous.  Personally, I want Curry to go out like Magic, Bird, Kobe, Olajuwon and Dirk.  Not like Montana and Lott both of whom were disgruntled and, when scratched, are still bitter.  Here's a quote I never want to hear from Steph Curry.

"I should have never had to leave. Why wasn't I allowed to compete for the job? I just had one of the best years I'd ever had. I could understand if I wasn't playing well. We had just won two Super Bowls and I had one of my best years and we were winning in the championship game when I got hurt," Montana lamented. "How do I not get an opportunity? That's the hardest part." 

Why am I not allowed in the facility? What did I do to not be allowed in the facility? They wouldn't even let me dress."  

(Joe Montana, 2023 ESPN article so almost 30 years after his retirement.)

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/3560...super-bowl

Sorry, Joe. You were allowed to compete. Steve Young was better. When an opposing coach tells his team "make sure you don't injure Montana, we don't want Steve Young in the game," that's saying something, whether Joe recognizes it or not. Jerry Glanville, coach of the Falcons said something very similar.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/we-...ck-debate/

This doesn't even take into account that Young played the bulk of his career with a salary cap, while Eddie D. could buy players at will when Joe was QB.

---

Lots of transcendant stars end up leaving at the ends of their careers. Joe Montana. Babe Ruth. Duke Snider. Willie Mays. Chris Mullin. Michael Jordan. Ronnie Lott. Jackie Robinson was actually traded to the Giants, and he retired instead. You make it sound as if it's axiomatic that they should be able to select when and where and from whom they retire.

My wife grew up a Giants fan and often went to Candlestick to watch Willie Mays.  She didn't really care about the Giants.  But Willie....

Then, at the impressionable age of 13, Mays was traded to the Mets.

My wife has not watched a single baseball game since May 11, 1972.  It was as if someone murdered a family member.  Major League Baseball lost a committed fan for next  50 years and counting.

My dad was a Mays fan, and I think he's the greatest player ever. When he was traded, all of my friends were Giants fans and McCovey fans in order. It made us sad to watch Mays batting .184 as a 41 year old for a 7-16 Giants team.