Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
Wow, this was really good. Always loved Barry.
It's just ending now, but NFLN is showing it again at 1am.
It's just ending now, but NFLN is showing it again at 1am.
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"A Football Life" (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Raider Nation
- Start date
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
Speaking of great running backs, there is an awesome documentary on Earl Campbell on the NBC Sports Network. It premiered last night, but that is also on at 1am tonight.
kegger
Footballguy
As a lions fan, I have no love for Barry Sanders..
Sorry but you get 2000yds and in the prime of your career, then you quit.
As a Lions fan I was devastated when this happened, I will NEVER live it down.
There is nothing that can be said to make me understand and be alright with it.
Sorry but you get 2000yds and in the prime of your career, then you quit.
As a Lions fan I was devastated when this happened, I will NEVER live it down.
There is nothing that can be said to make me understand and be alright with it.
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
"Quitting" implies it was in-season.He retired in July. All of us are entitled to make the same choice.
Sweet Feet
Footballguy
I enjoyed the show. Bit concerning that Barry didnt smile much nor look like he really enjoyed himself while playing. Saw him smile more with those kids than at any other time during the show. Guess that tells you all you need to know about the guy.
I caught the end of the Earl Campbell show last night and am anxious to see the entire thing tonight. Looked good.
I caught the end of the Earl Campbell show last night and am anxious to see the entire thing tonight. Looked good.
Ace zero1
Footballguy
Maybe because he was on a horrible team?
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
kegger
Footballguy
There was no heads-up or any info to say he was "retiring", all seasonprior nothing said, nothing at the end of that season, but come aroundto getting "ready" for the coming season nothing, no info, then yah I amretiring with leaving the lions an there fans to say WHAT, are you kiddingme we had no clue this was coming an now do it just before getting readyfor the season and after an fantastic season in his prime, yah that does notsit well with many many Lions fans. Yah I call it Quiting on the team an fans.This is just how I feel and will never get over it.. (he had so much more left)
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
I think Barry should have kept playing to make you happy. How selfish of him.
Bankerguy
Footballguy
I don't think the impact that his father had on him can be understated. He was very strict and almost over the top in taking away a lot of Barry's self esteem....jmo.
Barry was my late Dad's fav player and will always hold a spot in my heart. The run in the 91 playoffs against Dallas was incredible.
Barry was my late Dad's fav player and will always hold a spot in my heart. The run in the 91 playoffs against Dallas was incredible.
kegger
Footballguy
He should have kept playing to back his fellow teammates, an the fans he played for.It would be 1 thing if at the beginning of the season he said this is my last season anI'm going to retire, or at least sometime during the season so "everyone" including theteam could prepare, but there was nothing, then rumors, then just before getting readyto get the season going some awkward "back handed" info that he wasn't going to playand then Even Later the retirement statements, it was all handled very very badly there..
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Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
He struggled with the decision the entire offseason. He didn't know prior to the draftthat he was definitely retiring. He only made up his mind once July rolled around. Itis what it is.Watch the program. Lomas Brown points out how ridiculous it is for people to be upsetat his retirement. If a teammate isn't offended, you probably shouldn't be offended.
Buffaloes
Footballguy
I don't get the whole playing for the fans thing. I don't think he owed it to anyone to keep playing.
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
The End.We all look out for ourselves. If any of us hated our jobs and
didn't NEED to be there, are we going to stay anyway? Get real.
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
but...but...but.... he's a fan!
ninerfanatic492000
Footballguy
Wrong, Barry implored the Lions to release or trade him that last season and into that fateful off season or he'd retire and they did not acquiesce. It was well covered and reported, just nobody expected him to stick to his guns with so many high profile babies using idle threats
Sweet Feet
Footballguy
Agree with Bankerguy on why he came off sad.Horrible team? Lions went to the playoffs 6 different times during Sanders career. Were the Lions elite? Nope but they werent the worst team in the league either during that span.I always wanted to know exactly why Barry left when he did but I guess somethings arent black/white. Was sad to see him retire but I respect that he didnt come back if he didnt want to be there.
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kegger
Footballguy
Thing is though that really hurts there team, to do it that late, and none of the fans new.It was a shock to most of us, an I will never understand it being done the way it was here.To me this was the worst way you could retire, in terms of fans and the team he played for.He had so much left that leaving the way he did was an giant shock as we had no clue to it.The whole thing was just handled vary badly.. (I think later he even said he didn't do it right)
Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
Fine. Let's explore Option B then. He comes back in 1999 even though his heart isn't in the game anymore, and goes through the motions and steals a paycheck every week. Is that preferable?
kegger
Footballguy
My main beef, and many Lions fans is the Way it happened, not "That it happened".Anywho I have said my peace, Barry has many fans and I don't mean to try an spoil itfor them, I just had to vent, it's bugged me ever since it happened an what went down.Cheers and sorry to stir things up, it's been a downer for me for a while.Take care,Keg
Hooper31
Footballguy
Pretty selfish of you IMO. He owed you nothing. I think you would be better off being greatfuul for what he did give you. If you feel that was nothing, well, you're even.
TwinTurbo
Footballguy
I would liken it to when LeBron left Cleveland, although they both took opposite approaches. However, does it really matter if your best player retires or goes to play for another team. The bottom line is your star franchise player left. He had every right to do it, but a lot of fans treated it as a rejection and nobody likes to be rejected. I also strongly suspect that Barry didn't actually intend to stay retired but rather be traded to a contender, ala Carson Palmer. But when the Lions refused to accommodate a trade scenario, he stayed retired. As a Lions fan, it sucked although I didn't have an issue with his decision to leave. But he did handle the PR aspects of situation very poorly. To whom much is given, much is required. He should have at least held a press conference and told his story in front of the cameras. But all he did was fax a letter to his hometown newspaper. For all the great efforts he gave in some amazing performances on the field, he sure didn't seem to give much of an effort in his exit strategy. Other than Stevie Yzerman, I can't think of another athlete in my lifetime that was so beloved by the city of Detroit. So understandably a lot of fans expected more given the way he was embraced by the city of Detroit. So you really can't say that some Lions fans shouldn't be offended, because Barry did owe the city at least a proper departure, as would anyone who is the face of the franchise. It was his professional obligation as the chosen one. But he chose to handle his retirement very abruptly and unprofessionally. He also refused to return the remaining portion of the signing bonus, which an arbitrator eventually ruled he did have to return with interest.
Hooper31
Footballguy
When I read this, it comes across as if you are calling him a liar. I don't get that. There are some pretty despicable players that have come through the NFL, but Barry Sanders seems to be as far away from a bad guy as can be found. Do we have evidence other than suspicions that he was ever a bad guy? I ask because I don't know. Does he have a few kids running around that he doesn't care for? Are there accounts of him displaying anything other than the highest levels of character?'TwinTurbo said:
voiceofunreason
Footballguy
Sorry but shut up. He was a great player and he didn't owe that horrible team anything whatsoever. He didn't have to play until he was a cripple to finish 9-7 and lose in the playoffs if he was lucky.'kegger said:
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
He went from over 6 yds per carry down close to 4 yds per carry in 1998. He had close to career low with 4 TDs. He was 31 entering the '99 season, most RBs are n steep decline at that point. He simply wanted to stop before he lived thru some of these seasons many RBs go thru where they realize they haven't got it any more. Maybe he could have hung on for another year or two but he wanted to leave while he could still walk OK and also could respect his level of play.
I remember Sanders fondly, he was an amazing RB, he was one of the best ever.
Jim Brown
Walter Payton
Eric Dickerson
LaDainian Tomlinson
Emmitt Smith
He is in this group somewhere.
I remember Sanders fondly, he was an amazing RB, he was one of the best ever.
Jim Brown
Walter Payton
Eric Dickerson
LaDainian Tomlinson
Emmitt Smith
He is in this group somewhere.
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spider321
Footballguy
The Lions management made promises to Barry to give him some help year, after year, after year......and year, after year, after year, they made no attempt to bring in quality free agents or keep the few they had.Management knew that Barry was enough to sell tickets. Wins be damned.The sorry Lions' ownership/management are the reasons Barry retired.They should've let him go if they weren't willing to give him a chance to win.'kegger said:
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BobbyLayne
Footballguy
He gave us 10 great seasons. That was plenty, owed us nothing.
Kaline was beloved. Yzerman almost as much, probably. Barry was actually kind of aloof. Much admired. If you lived in Rochester Hills - he owned a modest ranch home there - you could saunter over to shoot hoops in his driveway with him. Truly a nice man. But not embraced in the same other stars have been. That's OK, he was a humble and shy guy.
Kaline was beloved. Yzerman almost as much, probably. Barry was actually kind of aloof. Much admired. If you lived in Rochester Hills - he owned a modest ranch home there - you could saunter over to shoot hoops in his driveway with him. Truly a nice man. But not embraced in the same other stars have been. That's OK, he was a humble and shy guy.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
I always like the way he handed the ball to the ref after a TD. Acted like he'd been there before. Because he had.
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BobbyLayne
Footballguy
And he knew he would be there again soon.He is a very different individual. I remember around his third or fourth year he gave up his beater and bought a BMW. His teammates were giving him hell at TC because he treated nickels like manhole covers, so it was a bit out of character. Then they found out he had bought a two year old pre-owned.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
We know at least 2 things about Barry. He won't go broke like many ex-athletes, & he walked away when he could still walk.And he knew he would be there again soon.He is a very different individual. I remember around his third or fourth year he gave up his beater and bought a BMW. His teammates were giving him hell at TC because he treated nickels like manhole covers, so it was a bit out of character. Then they found out he had bought a two year old pre-owned.
MCguidance
Footballguy
As a kid I couldn't have been more disappointed in Barry any more than I was at the time. As an adult I probably couldn't respect him more than I do for his decision.
Sabertooth
Footballguy
Well, you really need to get a little perspective in your life then. You put way too much emphasis on the choice of other men.'kegger said:
I will never forget that run. I was at the game with a couple friends, upper bowl, corner of the end zone. The Lions were driving towards us that possession, and from our perspective, it looked like Barry was stopped initially. We actually started to sit back down, then sprung back up as we realized Barry had reversed field and was about to break free. What a great game that was for a Lions fan. I watch Barry's entire career, the guy was simply incredible, unlike any back I've ever seen. I remember being angry, disappointed, when he first retired, but through the years I have moved on to just admiration for how he played, and what he accomplished. I met him a couple times as well, he was always extrememely friendly, just seemed like a genuinely nice guy.'Bankerguy said:
I have the show DVR'd, can't wait to watch it.
Area51Inhabitant
Footballguy
I love the fact that you never saw Sanders do any kind of silly end zone dance or ever allowed the focus to be solely on him rather than the team. He was the perfect combination of throwback personality meshed with modern day pyrotechnics. He will always be my favorite player who didn't play on my favorite team.
Grigs Allmoon
Footballguy
'Raider Nation said:
What a jerk for not living his life for "fans".
I don't have a stance one way or the other but I thought that this was well said....and the last part about him refusing to return a portion of the signing bonus puts a little dent in the halo......'TwinTurbo said:
JamesTheScot
Footballguy
If his heart wasn't in it and he wanted to retire, how effective do you think he would have been? Think he would have played through minor or nagging injuries or fought for extra yards? It might not even be conscious. Sometimes you don't even realize you are slacking off.You say he should have backed his teammates? What does that even mean? As great as Barry was, what glory did he ever bring to the Lions other than for people outside of Detroit to say "Look at that Sanders guy that plays for the Lions, he's incredible!" You think that's better than nothing? Well, the rep now is that the team around him (your beloved Lions) sucked so bad that one of the great players of all time was never able to realize the potential HE deserved. Let that sink in for minute. I'm sure all his former teammates enjoy carrying the tag of being one of the 52 reasons Barry was never able to get to a Super Bowl. That's not a slam on Barry. He didn't complain. And it's not exactly accurate. But that's what everyone thinks.So how then does Barry being there really "back his teammates"? If they aren't going to enjoy something tangible like a championship, it's just one more nail in the "sorry-### Lions" coffin.What it boils down to is that some fan thinks that Barry somehow owed him something. Apparently Barry was supposed to keep doing his job that he didn't want to do so some fan can revel in the fact that the Lions won a few (more) games and still didn't make anything happen in the post-season. Oh, but there was the record. So then the fan wants Barry to keep running so the fan of a team can feel validation because a player broke an individual record. That's pretty damn selfish.You paid your ticket, concession and merchandise prices and Barry got paid. Quid pro quo. When he's willing to walk away from the check and no longer accept your pay to entertain you, that's his right. And that's how it should be.'kegger said:
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Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
It all starts at the top. Bad owner = bad team = players wanting out or quitting early if they can.
while I agree with a lot of what you said....I think the fact that football is more than just a one year thing to people plays a part....teams are structured and built taking participation of their players into account...meaning INDY probably won't be drafting a QB for the next 10 years....and if Luck decides to retire tomorrow, he kind of puts the franchise in a bad spot....Barry put in his time, but leaving when and more importantly HOW he did, kind of hurt the franchise and it's fan base...
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Sorry but your statements are filled with false information.he ran for 2000 yards in 1997 he quit going into the 1999 season.He was far from in the prime of his career he retired right around his 31st birthday, and while I think he was a freak of nature and would have been great for another couple years he knows his body better then we do, and Father Time is undefeated, he always wins.I remember watching the Lions and Cowboys play in 91, and the thing I remember from that game was Madden saying man the NFC is going to be boring the next 4 or 5 years watching the Lions and Cowboys playing for all the NFC Championships (he was half right) Barry got sick of all the wasted talent on that team he said so himself a few years after retiring.I think you came here trolling on the boards because if you were a Lions fan you would remember the glory days a little better than this. I seriously wonder if you have even seen a Lions game in your life that wasn't on Thanksgiving day, because I now hate the Lions after watching them for a few years and watch them shoot themselves in the foot and even I remember these things'kegger said:
JamesTheScot
Footballguy
Wow.You hire someone to do a job for certain pay.'TwinTurbo said:
You decide you love him because he's good at his job.
So then now he owes you more than just to do his job...because you decided you love him.
The key is that you all elected him as "the chosen one". Only he never asked for the position. And by all accounts he never took advantage of it even as it was thrust upon him. Yet he owes YOU because of the importance YOU put on him. Do you impose such ambiguous and unstated burdens on others in your life because of the importance YOU unilaterally decide to place on them?
The sense of entitlement is staggering when you really think about it.
JamesTheScot
Footballguy
So who should carry the burden of "doing the right thing" as far as roster decisions? The player who is no longer willing to risk life expectancy and limb or the franchise that milked the popularity of that player for years?When someone is ready to walk away from the game (and what it does to the body), I pretty much give them a pass. If there's one time where a player gets to be an individual and think 100% about himself, whether or not to play is that time. And he left them in no worse shape than they would have been had he blown out his knee in training camp.
there is a reason there is such a thing as "two weeks notice" for most jobs....some might say that gets enlarged in situations like this....the only choices you gave and the wording of those choices in your first question are not fair so no answer to thatwithout getting into the whole discussion about players honoring their contracts and teams can cut you anytime, blah, blah, blah....bottom line is, Barry kind of left DET hanging....and while even if he had a presser to explain his reasons it wasn't going to make anybody feel better about the timing of his decision (after the draft, still under contract, etc)....Barry had every right to do what he did.....the way it went down just kinda sucked for other people....and then to not feel like he needed to pay back a portion of his signing bonus probably didn't help matters any.....not a smooth exit
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attaché case
Footballguy
I feel bad for Barry because he never had a great team around him. As great as he was, one man alone can't win a championship. He did everything he could to help his team, and you can't ask for more than that. As a fan I was sad to see him go, but completely understand why he left when he did.
Thanks for the memories, Barry.
Thanks for the memories, Barry.
