Mj comeback, Again?

[habsfannova]

Jackie Robinson certainly did for Baseball. 

I think you could arge Jordan or Wilt could desearve this.  Jordan globalized the NBA, and alot of todays rules are in effect specifically because of Wilt.

Gretsky completely changed the Landscape of hockey.  He distroyed records.  Anyone who changes the game completly could be considered for this honor I feel. 

As for Jordan, why does everyone hate his comebacks so much?  How many of you that played sports completely let go without playing in some form.  Yeah he sells seats, but its a business.  As long as he's not hurting his team I don't see anything wrong.  If he contributes on the court, let him play. 

As for Colorado, I never understood why teams completely detatch themselves from their former identities.  Its a spit in the face of the players that played for those teams and had their numbers retired. 

Why did they retire Ray Bouque's number??? He played for them for what, a season?  Roy ok.  Sakic and Forsberg once they retire, fine.  But Bouque?  Forever a Bruin.

How did Gretzky change the sport? How? His play certainly didn't, he was amazing, don't get me wrong, but except for his behind the net antics, nothing revolutionary.

If you're looking for revolutionary, look no further then Bob Orr(The offensive defenseman), Stan Mikita(Stick Curves), or Jacques Plante(Goalie playing the puck AND masks). Those are the only guys from the last 50 years to really revolutionize the way the game is played.

Touché on Robinson.

[CC97]

You could say Gretzky changed the way the game is played.

The trap was created to prevent his style of play, so to say.

[pcgd]

I said he changed the landscape of hockey. I should have elaborated more. Had he not gone to the kings would there have been a team in Tampa to win the last stanley cup? He's not the reason I started to like hockey, but the southern expansion was. Unfortunatly it came at the expense of some of the great hockey cities in Canada.

All those players you mentioned revolutionized the game as well. You could say the same about Babe Ruth in baseball. I'm not saying they don't desearve the honor as well, but I think Wanye Gretsky was a hell of a player, and he certainly played a large part in the way the Hockey map looks today.

[See Red]

BS: You was talking about how stupid it is for the Heat to retire #23 and I think it's stupid for LeBron to wear #23 because he ain't half the player MJ was.

Yes -- but don't forget that Michael Jordan is a very good friend of Lebron James and he helped him a lot with his basketball skills. Hell, James was in contact with Jordan as early as his Sophomore year in High School.

I think it's a good tribute towards Jordan, personally.

Jackie Robinson is the ONLY person that should have his number retired throughout a league because his contribution was, by far, the biggest. Gretzky's skills and what he did for the game don't even begin to compare to Jackie Robinson's contributions in not just baseball, or the other sports, but in life in general.

[the_cynic]

BS: You was talking about how stupid it is for the Heat to retire #23 and I think it's stupid for LeBron to wear #23 because he ain't half the player MJ was.

Big freakin' deal.........Jordan doesn't own the rights to #23 on the Cavaliers or any other team besides the Bulls. If someone wants to wear #23 and they're allowed to do so then they should.

[yh]

If the rumors are true, will Miami sports fans refer to MJ as "The Elder Harold Miner?"

[Magus]

Gretzky popularized the sport of hockey especially here in the south.

i didn't even know about the sport or any of the players until i watched gretzky play. i didn't know about the howes, orrs, etc.

i know many anti-southerners/anti-americans won't ever forgive gretzky for popularizing the sport in america and in particular the south.

as for MJ, why won't he simply retire? im all for comebacks ie Mario Lemieux but MJ is no where near the player he was. He really doesn't need to come back. He has achieved everything he set out to achieve.

[STL FANATIC]

It's one thing for a league to retire a number (something I don't like anyway)...it's worse when they make the teams retire the number.

What Jackie Robinson did was so incredibly important to baseball and society, so don't dump on me here...BUT...

I think it cheapens the \Cardinals retired numbers (1 Ozzie, 2 Red, 6 Stan The Man, etc.) to see a 42 and Jackie on the flag right with them in the same style. He wasn't a Cardinal...his number shouldn't be with the others.

[Phil]

Jackie Robinson certainly did for Baseball.

I think you could arge Jordan or Wilt could desearve this. Jordan globalized the NBA, and alot of todays rules are in effect specifically because of Wilt.

Gretsky completely changed the Landscape of hockey. He distroyed records. Anyone who changes the game completly could be considered for this honor I feel.

For the topic at hand, I don't want to see another Jordan comeback... let us remember you for your greatness, not your repeated comeback attempts. Two retirements is enough. 'Course, MJ's denying it all, and Shaq doesn't want him (don't get me started on that fool), so it isn't going to happen.

I think some players deserve league-wide number retirement. Jordan, Wilt, Jackie Robinson, Gretzky... especially when they had numbers that will forever be associated with them as are the cases with most of the above mentioned players (with the exception perhaps of the Stilt, who may be remembered more for the number of women he claimed to have slept with).

Right now, the only deserving player I can think of who could have his number retired league-wide is Jerry Rice. While it's hard to retire one of the more popular numbers in the league, especially if there's only so many numbers a WR can wear, TMQ did a thing about how dominant Jerry has been, and I'd have to agree.

[STL FANATIC]

Sy, as dominant as Jerry has been...I almost feel like his records are more suseptible to be broken in the next 10-20 years than most of Gretzky's or Jordan's.