2019 NFL Season

[KU76erfan]

More shocking than Barry?

[Cascadia]

Sanders and Megatron are the two most surprising in my lifetime. They were both legitimately the best players at their positions. Maybe best of all time at their positions.

**not making any hardline cases that they ARE the best, but both are in the conversation. Luck, is not

[vmlb]

But Luck was supposed to be the most likely QB since Payton to be a HOFer. Here's hoping Patrick doesn't have the same "luck".

[CrimsonNBlue]

More shocking than Barry?

Barry was a 31-year-old running back. On top of the physicality of that position, Barry had long been annoyed with the organization for not building around him, including the offensive line.

Luck is 29 and plays a position where he's not getting hit and there are guys playing well into their late 30's and even early 40's. Had the obvious health issues, but, when healthy, there wasn't a better QB not named Mahomes under the age of 30. Luck was a can't miss prospect, and (again, when he played) really backed it up. His first 6 years in the league really stand up statistically to anyone in history.

Plus, the Colts outlook was really damn good until last night.


To keep it to one post: I was shocked with Megatron, too, but he was a 30 years old and in a position where players don't play as long as QB's. The Lions were also nowhere and IIRC that was in one of those couple of offseasons where several players were retiring young b/c of CTE fears.

[NewtonHawk11]

The response to Luck's announcement just piles onto me getting so sick of "hot take" sports journalism. Dakich, Gottlieb, etc. what a bunch of boring whores.


Luck retiring is something like top 3 stunning sports news of my lifetime. Not quite Jim Brown level, but probably most shocking retirement since then.

Barry was the most shocking in my eyes. He was healthy, relatively smart as a RB as in he didn’t take a lot of hard hits.

He FAXED his retirement to the Wichita Eagle. That’s how Detroit and NFL found out. Was 2 years in to a 6 year contract extension. Was the best RB by far in the league.

Luck had so many injuries, dropped hints here and there talking about how miserable he has been the last few years.

[Geezer]

I'm guessing that Luck has at least 30 million in his investment portfolio and just didn't see the point in getting beaten up for any more.

https://www.celebritynetworth.com/riche ... net-worth/

[Deleted User 266]

Sanders very well may have been the best running back I have ever seen and no doubt I too was "shocked" when he abruptly retired but come on guys - Barry Sanders was not the best Running Back in football in 98 - let alone "by far" the best. Now in 97? I feel he was definitely the best. Very well could/would have been the best in 99 too. 98? Not the best.

Getting back to Luck.
Right now I respect him and his decision 100% but...... I assume I'm in the minority when I say at first I thought it was an asshole move on his part. I say that because I figured to wait until August 24th to announce his retirement was selfish. He should have done it before training camp.
Then when I read how hard he tried to fight through his most recent injures and the set backs he had, I gained respect and understood. Enough is enough - and understandably he had too much.

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/n ... 995680001/

[Shirley]

The response to Luck's announcement just piles onto me getting so sick of "hot take" sports journalism. Dakich, Gottlieb, etc. what a bunch of boring whores.


Luck retiring is something like top 3 stunning sports news of my lifetime. Not quite Jim Brown level, but probably most shocking retirement since then.

[Deleted User 266]

Have you read the responses to Gottlieb's tweet? His "followers" are ripping him to shreds.
The guy basically tweeted a death wish - in terms of respect for himself.

T.Y......

[twocoach]

Sanders very well may have been the best running back I have ever seen and no doubt I too was "shocked" when he abruptly retired but come on guys - Barry Sanders was not the best Running Back in football in 98 - let alone "by far" the best. Now in 97? I feel he was definitely the best. Very well could/would have been the best in 99 too. 98? Not the best.

Getting back to Luck.
Right now I respect him and his decision 100% but...... I assume I'm in the minority when I say at first I thought it was an asshole move on his part. I say that because I figured to wait until August 24th to announce his retirement was selfish. He should have done it before training camp.
Then when I read how hard he tried to fight through his most recent injures and the set backs he had, I gained respect and understood. Enough is enough - and understandably he had too much.

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/n ... 995680001/

Well wouldn't it be nice if all your difficult life decisions worked themselves out in the calendar when it was the most convenient for everyone else involved.

[twocoach]

Have you read the responses to Gottlieb's tweet? His "followers" are ripping him to shreds.
The guy basically tweeted a death wish - in terms of respect for himself.

T.Y......

I have no idea why anyone who is a fan of Doug Gottleib would have respect for him. He is just another sport media personality whose shtick is to spew outlandish takes that involved no thought and to hold others to a different level of professionalism than he ever personally exhibited.

[Deleted User 266]

Sanders very well may have been the best running back I have ever seen and no doubt I too was "shocked" when he abruptly retired but come on guys - Barry Sanders was not the best Running Back in football in 98 - let alone "by far" the best. Now in 97? I feel he was definitely the best. Very well could/would have been the best in 99 too. 98? Not the best.

Getting back to Luck.
Right now I respect him and his decision 100% but...... I assume I'm in the minority when I say at first I thought it was an asshole move on his part. I say that because I figured to wait until August 24th to announce his retirement was selfish. He should have done it before training camp.
Then when I read how hard he tried to fight through his most recent injures and the set backs he had, I gained respect and understood. Enough is enough - and understandably he had too much.

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/n ... 995680001/

Well wouldn't it be nice if all your difficult life decisions worked themselves out in the calendar when it was the most convenient for everyone else involved.

I fully understand what you are saying and in hindsight (for me) your wisdom is 100% spot on but......
There is a big difference between me and my decisions and Andrew Luck and his.
I'm not a QB with a 122 million dollar contract that has 40+ teammates future's that I have a large bearing on. Let alone ownership/management/etc..
I also don't have millions of people who cheer for me and my team.
I'll say it again, I respect him and HIS decision. It's very unfortunate he was in a position where he felt the need to retire.

[Deleted User 266]

Have you read the responses to Gottlieb's tweet? His "followers" are ripping him to shreds.
The guy basically tweeted a death wish - in terms of respect for himself.

T.Y......

I have no idea why anyone who is a fan of Doug Gottleib would have respect for him. He is just another sport media personality whose shtick is to spew outlandish takes that involved no thought and to hold others to a different level of professionalism than he ever personally exhibited.

We are talking about Doug Gottlieb. I would hope he's not happy that we are discussing him in a negative light and that he realizes it's in a manner in which he has lost any/all respect from his "fans" and those who are not his "fans".
Too many talking heads feel the need to say something outlandish these days to gain attention.
Like on here, you go with the flow and no one really cares. You go against the flow - you get attention.

[twocoach]

Fans deserve to be factored into exactly 0% of decisions like this. You buy a ticket to a game with the understanding that not everyone on the roster now will be there when the game happens. Especially with football. Same with teammates.

If TY Hilton decided to retire tomorrow, I doubt if Andrew Luck would be thinking "hey, but what about ME?"

[twocoach]

Have you read the responses to Gottlieb's tweet? His "followers" are ripping him to shreds.
The guy basically tweeted a death wish - in terms of respect for himself.

T.Y......

I have no idea why anyone who is a fan of Doug Gottleib would have respect for him. He is just another sport media personality whose shtick is to spew outlandish takes that involved no thought and to hold others to a different level of professionalism than he ever personally exhibited.

We are talking about Doug Gottlieb. I would hope he's not happy that we are discussing him in a negative light and that he realizes it's in a manner in which he has lost any/all respect from his "fans" and those who are not his "fans".
Too many talking heads feel the need to say something outlandish these days to gain attention.
Like on here, you go with the flow and no one really cares. You go against the flow - you get attention.

Some people go against the flow all the time purely to get attention. Others go against the flow on occasion despite the attention. Gottleib is the first.

[twocoach]

As for the "fans", the fans that say "well I wish that I had known about Luck quitting before I bought my season tickets or I wouldn't have bought them"..... they just identified themselves as fairweather fans who would give up supporting the team at the first belief that they might not be great.

So tell me again why they need to be accounted for in the decision?!?

[CrimsonNBlue]

The response to Luck's announcement just piles onto me getting so sick of "hot take" sports journalism. Dakich, Gottlieb, etc. what a bunch of boring whores.


Luck retiring is something like top 3 stunning sports news of my lifetime. Not quite Jim Brown level, but probably most shocking retirement since then.

It's not so unlike the Kietzman situation with Gottlieb. No one has come to his defense. Also, even more surprising, several journalists and athletes have taken to twitter and have dropped anecdotes of their time spent with Doug to illustrate how much of an asshole in real life he is. It's brutal.

[holidaysmore]

Lets review the injury history for six seasons...
Torn cartilage in 2 ribs
» partially torn abdomen
» a lacerated kidney that left him peeing blood
» at least 1 concussion
» a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder
» and this mysterious calf/ankle issue that led to this

29 yrs old. Stanford educated. Comes from money and also has made a lot of money. I'm surprised it took him this long. Eventually all athletes reach the breaking point. Luck's just happened to be a lot earlier than expected.

[Deleted User 89]

don’t blame him or anyone for hanging it up early

with the physical and mental toll the game takes, it’s no surprise that some choose to secure a better quality of life than they likely would have had by staying in the game longer

[Deleted User 89]

and shorts-on-backwards is a clown