Your can 'Unretire' 3 athletes

[EasyGoer89]

Pick out 3 living athletes (or 5) and you get to wave a wand and Unretire them and they come back as they were in their prime (for arguments sake they're still as great competitive as they were) and go back into their sport of choice.

I'd say MJ is an obvious pick for NBA, I'll go w Nicklaus in golf, I'd bring back Bo in the NFL to finish on his own terms and give me 1 and 1a of Connors/McEnroe in tennis.

[no breathalyzer]

Canseco .. ped's or not guy was so much fun to watch.. my favorite player growing up

[_______]

I think if you brought any athlete from the past into the present, you'd be disappointed at their level of play.

Everyone now is is better conditioned, better trained. In football they are all bigger and faster.

Bo Jackson retired 2 years before Lawrence Taylor's first NFL game. Taylor broke the mold. Take a look at the average size of a linebacker in 1990 and what one is today.

And they're faster.

[proximity]

american pharoah, frank shamrock, and bob sanders.

[lamboguy]

mickie mantle

sandy koufax

john havlicek and wilt chaimberlan tied for third

[Delta Cone]

Originally Posted by _______

Bo Jackson retired 2 years before Lawrence Taylor's first NFL game. Taylor broke the mold. Take a look at the average size of a linebacker in 1990 and what one is today.

And they're faster.

You must have been thinking of someone else:

Lawrence Taylor played in the NFL from 1981-1993.

Bo Jackson played in the NFL from 1987-1990.

[EasyGoer89]

Originally Posted by _______

I think if you brought any athlete from the past into the present, you'd be disappointed at their level of play.

Everyone now is is better conditioned, better trained. In football they are all bigger and faster.

Bo Jackson retired 2 years before Lawrence Taylor's first NFL game. Taylor broke the mold. Take a look at the average size of a linebacker in 1990 and what one is today.

And they're faster.

That's why I put a caveat (for arguments sake they are as good as they were)

[Robert Fischer]

gimmie Musberger, Romo, and Tiger Woods




serious list:

ted williams

secretariat

magic johnson


No era-adjustment necessary. Just stick 'em in the time machine.

Williams - I think he'd be right up at the top in onbase% batting avg. Etc.
Would be a shock of seeing the physicality and speed that a league full of olympic level athletes and specialists brings, but his mental/technical mastery would make that a matter of adapting, rather than losing out to brute force. While his numbers and style would be more like Mike Trout than Ichiro, I think that his technical skills would stand out in a similar fashion to Ichiro.

Secretariat- We'd all like to see him in the modern game, and Arrogate is a worthy foe.

Magic - Prime Magic was a joy to watch. Selfish pick here. I think the speed and strength of the game would hurt him slightly. He may have to get on the stuff they give LeBron, and move to point-forward. He'd have to extend his range, and shoot more 3's (was able to do so later in career, probably could do so competently). Great sense of timing. Was a great entertainer.

[ElKabong]

The OP mentioned Living athletes, so.....

Jim Brown
Tommy John, post surgery (not sure he could survive today's hitters)
Luis Aparichio
Gale Sayers
Yvan Cournoyer

Also... A healthy tiger woods..... The current Group of golfers aren't intimidated by anybody, it would be fun to see a 30 yo tiger on the current day tour

[woodbinepmi]

Roger Staubach, Maurice Richard and Lure.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by _______

I think if you brought any athlete from the past into the present, you'd be disappointed at their level of play.

Everyone now is is better conditioned, better trained. In football they are all bigger and faster.

Bo Jackson retired 2 years before Lawrence Taylor's first NFL game. Taylor broke the mold. Take a look at the average size of a linebacker in 1990 and what one is today.

And they're faster.

Better trained, nonsense if you only go back 40 years when I played football in High School and College. There wasn't a muscle worked now you could not work then. Go to any high end football equipment website that includes training equipment, the same stuff existed in one way or another in 1975. The body building supplements that are common today were around then, now they just have fancier names. The big difference is medicine legal and illegal the cheaters staying ahead of the testers. The legal advances are through surgery and rehab. Follow the history of any NFL player that has suspicious looking muscles you will find the period where he gained a different look overnight. I was just a lowly D-3 linebacker because of lack of a football I.Q. The numbers I put up clean in the 70's would rank pretty well at the combine today for that position although small at 6' 220. If you gave the guys from the 70's the same drugs they would be right with the guys today.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Scott Stevens, Yastrzemski, Left Bank (I know this is a violation).

[cj]

Any of the best tennis players from any other era than this one wouldn't win more than a few games against today's players.

[whodoyoulike]

MJ - basketball

Randy Jones - baseball

Lance Alworth - football

Never saw MJ live.

[Secondbest]

Babe Ruth

Wilt Chamberlain

Laurence Taylor

Bobby Orr

Secretariat