Why Do Fans Wait Until Great Athletes Retire to Openly Appreciate Their Greatness?

great athletes kobe lebron brady not appreciated

Avid football fans tuned in to watch the NFL’s most exciting event, Super Bowl LIII. The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in a “defensive showdown”. It was the Patriots third consecutive Super Bowl appearance. It was also the franchises ninth Super Bowl appearance with head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady at the helm. Given that Brady was successful in his ninth Super Bowl appearance, the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate has been embedded in almost every conversation. The ultimate question is – does this Super Bowl win solidify Tom Brady’s position as the GOAT?

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While the GOAT debate can be fun, it can also be pretty contentious. The contentious nature of the debate can deflect from the true greatness that sports fans are witnessing at the moment. The debate can cause sports fans to completely miss what it is happening because fans are focused on finding flaws in great players’ performances to justify who they think should be regarded as the GOAT. Accordingly, fans have a tendency to snub athletes during their careers who are later regarded as greats. Why do sports fans wait until the end of an athlete’s career to show their true appreciation?

The Black Mamba – An NBA Legend

One of the best examples of fans failing to show true appreciation until the athlete retires can be seen in former Los Angeles Laker, Kobe Bryant. Bryant is without question one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Bryant’s greatness cannot be disputed. After all, he scored 81 points in one game in his prime. Bryant then showed everyone how to retire when he scored 60 points in his final game. However, Bryant did not receive all of his deserved accolades until he retired. For years Kobe Bryant was one of the most hated athletes in sports. People thought he was arrogant, not a team player, and completely self-interested.

However, when he announced his retirement those sentiments changed. Instead, people said he was confident, made his teammates better, and led his teammates to several victories and NBA Championships. Everyone was ready to embrace the “Mamba Mentality.” Why did fans wait until Bryant’s retirement to show true appreciation for his performance in the NBA?

Maybe it is the old adage of not truly being able to appreciate something until it is gone. Once an athlete retires, fans are left wishing they could re-live the athlete’s greatest moments. The failure to truly appreciate Bryant while he was playing robbed the sports world of the opportunity to truly bask in his greatness. It seems that the sports world may be on the same track in regards to LeBron James and Tom Brady.

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Fans are Failing to Acknowledge LeBron James’ and Tom Brady’s Greatness While They are Playing

LeBron James is undisputedly one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball. However, when he is talked about that fact seems to get lost. Fans often focus on the fact that he is 3-9 in the NBA Finals. However, when he retires the story will likely be re-framed to reflect the fact that James appeared in 8 consecutive NBA finals. Most recently, everyone talks of the fact that the Cavaliers were swept in the 2018 NBA Finals. Again when James retires the story will most likely reflect the fact that James took what was probably the most unlikely team ever to the NBA Finals.

Similarly, Tom Brady is and has been one of the most hated players in the NFL. Tom Brady’s ability to get his team to multiple playoffs, AFC Championships, and Super Bowls is truly remarkable. However, some sports critics find ways to poke holes in his performances. To be fair, in light of Spygate and Deflategate some of his criticism is earned. Critics use those instances to take away from his greatness. In spite of how some sports fans feel about those controversies, Brady’s innate ability to constantly have his team in a position to advance to the Super Bowl is nothing short of amazing. When Brady retires the talk will not be of Spygate and Deflategate, it will be about how Brady managed to advance to 9 Super Bowls.

If Fans Are Not Careful Other Great Moments are Going to Pass Them By

Sports fans should learn to appreciate James, Brady, and other greats while they are still playing. Fans should learn to stop looking at every player’s performance for what it is not and start to appreciate it for it is. In most cases, the players are doing something that has not been before and will probably never be done again. Just simply witnessing the longevity of James’ and Brady’s careers is remarkable.

The fact that James and Brady have been able to stay at the top of their games this late in their careers is remarkable as well. Their greatness should be admired now, not after they retire. If fans do not learn to stop being so critical, other great moments are going to pass them by. If fans are not careful, they will be left to wish they could re-live James’ and Brady’s and other players’ greatest moments.

Leave a comment with who do you believe are the most under appreciated athletes of all time?


Julian Edelman is Not a Hall of Fame NFL Player: Stop the Nonsense

Julian Edelman Patriots Super Bowl MVP

We all have to acknowledge that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is a really good wide receiver. He is clutch and a great playoff performer. However, all this talk about him being a Hall of Fame wide receiver is insanity. He has never been to a Pro Bowl or been selected to an All-Pro team. Edelman has 499 career receptions for 5,390 yards and 30 touchdowns. Those numbers barely put him within the top 300 receivers of all-time. Edelman’s stats put him closer to the Brandon LaFell’s and Deion Branch’s of the world than Hall of Fame receivers.

Do these look like the stats of a Hall of Fame player? Yet, NFL analyst continued to make the irrational case for Edelman.

Sidenote: No one is mentioning that Edelman was suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season for PEDs. Shouldn’t that matter?

Issac Bruce, Hines Ward, and Chad Johnson are just a few players who were head and shoulders better receivers than Julian Edelman is and none of them are in the Hall of Fame. All have nearly doubled his career stats in every statistical category. So why this became a topic of discussion is beyond me.

Edelman Won the Super Bowl MVP

Edelman will join Dexter Jackson, Desmond Howard, Mark Rypien, Phil Sims, and Jim Plunkett on the long list of Super Bowl MVP’s who didn’t make the Hall of Fame. There is a reason players aren’t eligible to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame until after they have been out of the game for five years. It allows voters to have an objective view of the players without recent history influencing the votes.

Tom Brady and the Patriots have won four Super Bowls without Edelman. Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and James White all looked like Hall of Fame players with Brady as well.

Leave a comment with your opinion on Julian Edelman and the Hall of fame.

Super Bowl VIII: Best Prop Bets

The Super Bowl is not only the championship game in the NFL, but it’s the championship game for gambling. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest gambling days of the year. In 1991, $40 million was bet on the Super Bowl. In 2018, the total was over $158 million and 2019 is expected to be higher than that.

One of the reasons why the total has grown exponentially is the rise of the prop bet. Prop bets are bets that can be made that don’t necessarily impact the final outcome of the game. Instead of betting who will win the game, gamblers can bet things like score at the end of the first quarter, the coin toss, and the color of the gatorade that will be poured on the winning coach. Prop bets entice and allow non-gamblers to bet during the Super Bowl without knowing anything about football.

Prop bets elevate the Super Bowl viewing experience. What prop bets should you invest in? There are hundreds of prop bets that can be made, but I’m going to break down a few of my favorite ones.

*Odds were taken on 2/2 from Bovada unless otherwise noted*

Gladys Knight Over/Under 1:49 To Sing The National Anthem

The time of the National Anthem is my personal favorite prop bet. There is no better rush than pulling out your stopwatch and timing the national anthem. Type in “Gladys Knight National Anthem” and you will find dozens of articles that evaluate her singing ability and how it will translate to the National Anthem. FiveThirtyEight did on study on covers sung by Gladys Knight and learned that her versions were 7% longer than the originals, which is good for a bonus of 12.7 seconds. Plus, men tend to sing the anthem more quickly than women. I expect Knight to sing a powerful rendition of the anthem that is full of soul and high notes. Bet the over.

Over 1:49

Tom Brady Over/Under 37.5 Passing Attempts

During the regular season, Tom Brady threw over 37.5 passing attempts in only 5 games. However, Brady shattered that number in both playoff games with totals of 44 and 46. In his last three Super Bowls, Brady’s passing attempts average is approximately 53. With Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh in the middle of the Rams’ defense, expect Tom Brady to get the ball out of his hands quickly as the Pats should elect to throw a lot of short passes instead of runs. Bet the over.

Over 37.5

What Will Be The First Song Performed By Maroon 5?

  • Makes Me Wonder         +EVEN
  • One More Night              +550
  • Moves Like Jagger         +600
  • Animals                           +700
  • Sugar                              +900
  • Girls Like You                 +900

*Lines taken from OddsShark*

Who is ready for some Maroon 5 at halftime? Want to make their performance more interesting? To do that, bet on the first song they will sing! To break down this list, I’m using process of elimination. “Sugar” and “Animals” get the ax because they were not number one hits. I’m eliminating “Girls Like You” because Cardi B is not scheduled to perform. Even if Cardi B surprisingly shows up and performs the song, Maroon 5 would never open with a song that featured another artist. It’s the band’s time to shine, not Cardi’s time. I’m also eliminating “Moves Like Jagger” for the same reason I eliminated “Girls Like You.” Even if Christina Aguilera shows up to perform, it would not be for the first song. That leaves us with two choices, “Makes Me Wonder” and “One More Night.” My pick is “Makes Me Wonder” because it was Maroon 5’s first number one hit and it’s a more upbeat song.

Makes Me Wonder +EVEN

Enjoy the Super Bowl!