Despite not being active anymore, plenty of retired athletes close out 2017 as among the most talked about people in the sports world.
In some cases, our sports legends made the biggest splash just by retiring. Our top retiree, Tony Romo, retired early in the year and stayed relevant throughout 2017. Our final legend, boxer Paulie Malignaggi, also retired in 2017 and then became a big part of one of the year’s biggest sports events. In other cases, it was the achievements of current athletes that put our legends in the headlines.
These are our top 25 sports legends of 2017, and what made them such hot topics.
1. Tony Romo
The former Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback has persistently stayed in the news in 2017. Early in the year, it was his potential free agency that generated a lot of buzz. Later, it became his decision to retire and join the CBS crew as its lead NFL color commentator.
Much like he was as a quarterback, Romo has been a hot topic as an announcer. His style is much different than what we usually hear out of color commentators. By and large, he’s been received well. There have, however, been exceptions.
While his playing days are done, Romo has remained relevant in the sports world throughout 2017. The smart money says that that will continue into 2018.
2. Floyd Mayweather
Not all of the buzz was positive. In fact, a good amount of the buzz was overwhelmingly negative. But Mayweather’s August bout with Conor McGregor certainly kept his name in the news for most of the year.
The fight was signed in March. Almost immediately, both men began hurling insults (at times, quite controversial insults) at each other. Frankly, when it boiled down to it, it seemed unlikely that an MMA fighter would be much of a match in the boxing ring against one of the greatest boxers of all-time. So, all of the banter served its purpose to draw people away from thinking about that.
The fight did end up being better than generally expected. While he didn’t land any big punches, McGregor controlled the early rounds. Eventually, Mayweather took over and ended the fight with a 10th round TKO, moving his record to an unprecedented 50-0. Following the fight, Mayweather announced his retirement, though this isn’t the first time we’ve been down this road.
3. Kobe Bryant
Unlike both Romo and Mayweather, Bryant didn’t retire in 2017. He’s been out of the game for more than a year. But Kobe has stayed relevant for the whole year.
His former agent was hired as general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers. Michael Jordan ranked Bryant as a better all-time player than LeBron James. Most recently, he had his numbers retired with the Lakers. Even that was unique compared to most other players.
Since Bryant changed numbers from No. 8 to No. 24 during his career, Los Angeles decided it was appropriate to retire both numbers. No other player in any sport has two different numbers retired for the same franchise. Bryant hasn’t played a game since April, 2016. But he’s still finding ways to make history.
4. Phil Jackson
The year was not great for the old Zen Master. From the 2017 NBA trade deadline through the draft, it seemed like the now former president of the New York Knicks was hit with one negative story after the other.
His issues with Carmelo Anthony were seemingly endless. Jackson was both bashed and defended by former players. It also became public that he was sleeping during NBA Draft workouts, and disorganized during meetings with free agents.
Ultimately, Jackson was relieved of his duties as team president only days after the draft. From a professional perspective, it’s hard to imagine that Jackson has had a worse year than 2017. But he sure did cash in.
5. Peyton Manning
Like Kobe, Manning retired in 2016. But he finds a way to stay in the news. Of course, Manning is always front and center in commercials. A new string of them, featuring Manning and country star Brad Paisley came out in 2017.
Manning also had his number retired by the Indianapolis Colts, who unveiled a statue of the legendary signal caller, as well. A round of golf with President Donald Trump also stirred the attention of people. That even prompted a prediction that Manning will one day be in politics. Additionally, Manning cracked at the expense of Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant while hosting the ESPYs.
It’s been nearly two years since Manning played in his last NFL game. But he hasn’t gone away. We wouldn’t bet on the future being any different.
6. Derek Jeter
Early in the 2017 season, the New York Yankees honored their legendary shortstop by retiring his number. Given the high profile of Jeter and his team, that gained a great deal of attention.
Shortly thereafter, Jeter began the process of buying the Miami Marlins. While some of Jeter’s partners changed, ultimately, his group purchased the franchise from Jeffrey Loria. Since that’s happened, the Marlins have traded the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Dee Gordon, which has earned criticism from famous fans and people within baseball, alike.
For Jeter’s sake, we only hope that the future years running the Marlins go better than 2017 has.
7. Brett Favre
When Aaron Rodgers was hurt in October, it actually prompted a former teammate to suggest that the Green Bay Packers should call upon Favre. While he still has a big arm, the Hall of Fame quarterback shot that idea down quickly. Favre did indicate, however, that he’d be interested in a coaching or front office job.
Favre also had a prominent record fall. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady equaled and later surpassed a record shared by Favre and Manning for career regular season wins.
Favre certainly made a big impact on the stat sheet during his career. So, while he hasn’t played since 2010, it’s not hard to see why people are still interested in what’s happening with Favre.
8. Babe Ruth
August of 2018 will mark the 70-year anniversary of Ruth’s death. But despite that, the Great Bambino remains relevant in baseball circles.
As far as 2017 goes, that can really be attributed to three men. The home runs that Yankees right field Aaron Judge hit all year were often called “Ruthian.” Given that like Judge, Ruth also played right field for New York, it’s only natural that comparisons would be drawn. As the year progressed, Giancarlo Stanton — then of the Marlins — approached 60 home runs, a number Ruth reached 90 years earlier. Ultimately, Stanton fell one short.
Finally, the emergence of Japanese star Shohei Ohtani — called the Japanese Babe Ruth — made Ruth a discussed player. Like the Sultan of Swat, Ohtani has a strong reputation as both a hitter and pitcher. As Ohtani’s career with the Los Angeles Angels gets going, the Ruth comparisons will only grow.
9. Paul Pierce
Pierce played his final NBA game in 2017, ending a Hall of Fame career. In his career, he played predominately for the Boston Celtics (who will retire his number) before finishing with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. But Pierce made headlines in 2017 in different incidents involving a team he never played for, the Warriors.
In October of 2016, Pierce bashed Durant’s decision to join Golden State. That seem to stick with one Golden State player, as Draymond Green ripped Pierce following a video tribute played in Oakland. Finally, during June’s NBA Finals, Pierce said that Durant had passed LeBron as the league’s best player.
Now that Pierce is a full-time commentator for ESPN, we should expect his opinion to be news a lot in the future.
10. Muhammad Ali
Ali passed away in 2016. In 2017, his name has been brought up in comparison with free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Like Ali, Kaepernick has been outspoken in political issues. Also, regardless of whether you think it’s fair, the political stances have certainly played a role in Kaepernick not being signed with an NFL team.
It’s not identical to Ali being banned from boxing from 1967-1970, as there’s no official rule keeping Kaepernick from the league. But nevertheless, the comparisons are only natural.
Also, aside from Kaepernick, more athletes have spoken out on political issues than ever before. When that happens, the comparisons to Ali will certainly occur.
Finally, Ali was talked about when a study showed just how much boxing impacted his health. Parkinson’s disease clearly took its toll on Ali after his career. There was never a doubt that boxing played a role, but seeing how much of a role it played was eye opening.
11. Billie Jean King
The year was a big one to remember King’s famed 1973 Battle of the Sexes victory over Bobby Riggs.
After a victory in August’s US Open, CoCo Vandeweghe — niece of former NBA player and current league executive Kiki Vandeweghe — challenged Kobe Bryant to a tennis match. While that drew some comparisons, even that paled in comparison to a movie that was made about the match.
“Battle of the Sexes,” starring Emma Stone as King and Steve Carrell as Riggs, was released in 2017. More than 40 years after the famed match (which itself was late in King’s prime and decades after Riggs’), it’s still has a prominent place in the sporting landscape. It’s also important to note here that King threw support behind Harvey Weinstein’s accusers during the fall of 2017. Someone that has remained out of the press recently, this put her on the map once again.
12. Tim Duncan
Hurricane season was all too strong in 2017. Hurricane Harvey hit Houston hard, while Hurricanes Irma and Jose devastated islands like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The latter of which is Duncan’s home.
While Duncan was an understated player during his career, he worked hard at rebuilding efforts for the Virgin Islands. He started with significant donations and eventually, those efforts helped the rebuilding process on the island of his birth.
Stories like these are bittersweet. We’d rather they never be necessary. But the sad reality is that they are. When disasters like these do occur, though, it’s nice to see people like Duncan and Houston Texans’ star J.J. Watt working to help rebuild the devastated areas.
13. Alex Rodriguez
While his playing days are over, Alex Rodriguez is still a prominent person in the lives of baseball fans. He’s not only one of the main studio analysts for FOX, but has been quite critically acclaimed.
For non baseball fans, Rodriguez’s relationship with Jennifer Lopez keeps him in the spotlight. J LO even suggested that her man be hired to manage the Yankees. That job eventually went to another former New York third baseman, Aaron Boone.
But while he won’t be the Yankees’ skipper, A-Rod’s job with FOX will keep him relevant for years to come, especially in October.
14. Shaquille O’Neal
Much like A-Rod, Shaq’s role with TNT ensures that he’ll be a fixture in the lives of basketball fans. O’Neal is a fixture on “Inside the NBA,” along with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.
In addition to his role as an NBA analyst, O’Neal also had some apparent fun at the expense of viewers everywhere. In March, Shaq made the rather bold statement that “the earth is flat.” He did later note that it wasn’t a serious claim.
But Shaq has rarely been bashful about making brash, funny statements. So, especially if you’re an NBA fan, expect him to remain prominent in 2018 and beyond.
15. Johnny Manziel
For a long time, stories about Manziel were almost guaranteed to be negative. But he seems to have turned a corner in 2017. While a return to football has yet to come to fruition, Manziel has generated at least some interest from Canadian League teams, as well as reportedly NFL teams.
Obviously, until he signs somewhere, that’s all speculation. But Manziel has also made immense progress in his personal life, getting sober and impressing people that matter in regards to his legal issues.
Manziel was an incredibly fun player to watch in college and even had his moments in the NFL. But regardless of whether his football career is over, it’s encouraging to see him in a better place. We only hope he stays that way. If he does, Manziel could be a great role model going forward for people who are struggling with addiction issues.
16. Mike Tyson
The news around Tyson was both good and bad in 2016. On a less positive note, Brian Ourand a former advisor to Tyson who stole from athletes like Tyson and former NBA star Glen Rice, was sentenced to 33 months in prison in September.
In more upbeat news, Tyson announced Undisputed Truth Round 2, the relaunch of his popular Las Vegas show from 2013. In May, Tyson released his second book, Iron Ambition.
Much like Manziel, Tyson is an athlete has who has come a long way in changing his image. That’s made him a far less controversial figure than he was for much of his career.
17. Ray Lewis
Days after President Trump slammed NFL players who protest the National Anthem, there were protests across the league. Lewis was with his old team, the Baltimore Ravens, in London. He dropped to both knees during the anthem, later saying he was praying. That drew controversy, with a fan even suggesting that his statue outside of M&T Bank Stadium should be removed.
Additionally, in a related matter, Lewis also stated that Baltimore did not sign Colin Kaepernick because of a controversial tweet from Kaepernick’s girlfriend.
So, in a nutshell, there are people on both sides of the Kaepernick debate. It’s not easy to get them to agree on anything. But in 2017, Lewis found a way to really annoy people on two polar opposite sides of a debate. If he keeps that up, he can replace Roger Goodell as commissioner without missing a beat.
18. David Ortiz
Big Papi kept himself in the news in his first year as a non-active MLB player. He released Papi, a memoir in which he took shots at former managers Tom Kelly and Bobby Valentine.
Ortiz was also in the news for controversial comments made about him. While the comments were made completely in jest, fellow Boston athlete Rob Gronkowski made controversial comments about Ortiz at a roast that were ultimately deemed too hot for TV.
Finally, much like A-Rod, Big Papi was prominent in the lives of baseball fans in the postseason when he starred on “MLB on Fox.”
19. Kevin Garnett
The Big Ticket retired after the 2015-16 season and in his first year away from the NBA, joined “Inside the NBA” in his own segment, Area 21.
Recently, Garnett has made it known that he wants to own a part of his old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. But it’s also worth noting that he doesn’t want to be in a group with current owner, Glen Taylor.
A former player like Garnett owning a team will always make headlines. But even if that doesn’t happen, Garnett was an outspoken player during his career. When people like that become members of the media, they’re always worth monitoring.
20. Charles Barkley
When the day comes when Barkley isn’t one of the most talked about former athletes in the world, it will be time to be very concerned. Barkley has always been outspoken on issues related to basketball and pretty much everything else. This last year was no different.
During Alabama’s recent senate race, Barkley was vocal in his support of Doug Jones, who ended up defeating controversial candidate Roy Moore.
In the sports world, Barkley generated a lot of buzz when he was critical of the predictable nature of the NBA Playoffs. Like always, Barkley spent much of 2017 giving strong opinions on all kinds of matters, both related to sports and otherwise. Don’t expect that to change any time.
21. Wladimir Klitschko
In April, Klitschko took his first fight in more than a year. He fought Anthony Joseph for the WBA super heavyweight, as well as the IBF and IBO heavyweight titles. Jose defeated Klitschko via an 11th round TKO.
Klitschko subsequently announced his retirement. If Klitschko does fight again, he would certainly not be the first fighter to come out of retirement. But if Klitschko’s retirement does stick, then 2017 will mark the end of the career of one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in history.
22. Jack Nicklaus
As the greatest player in the history of a sport that consistently honors its past better than any other, Nicklaus will always be a prominent fixture in the world of golf. Additionally, he plays the role of host in two regular tour stops.
Recently, Nicklaus made news when he said that he wasn’t interested in the return of Tiger Woods. Additionally, with Woods four away, his comeback did restart the discussion about whether he can The Golden Bear’s career major record.
Finally, Arnold Palmer’s death in late 2016 put Nicklaus and fellow honorary starter Gary Player in an even greater spotlight than normal at The Masters. Moments before Nicklaus and Player hit their ceremonial tee shots, Palmer was memorialized in a small, yet quite moving ceremony.
23. Joe Montana
To some degree, Montana was back in the news in 2017 for things that he did. He stars in an entertaining MasterCard commercial with actress Kat Dennings.
As the greatest quarterback in franchise history, Montana has also given his opinion Kaepernick, another former San Francisco 49ers signal caller.
Finally, Montana was also in the news in February when the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl. That was the fifth win for Tom Brady, breaking a tie that he had with Montana (Brady’s idol) and Terry Bradshaw for the most Super Bowls won by a quarterback. Brady also won his fourth Super Bowl MVP, surpassing Montana’s total of three.
24. Randy Moss
As is the case with so many former players, Moss has gone on to a successful career in the media. He’s a prominent part of ESPN’s coverage for “Monday Night Football.”
Also, 2017 marked the first year of Moss’ Hall of eligibility. He’s a semifinalist and will likely be voted in during Super Bowl Weekend in February.
Given his immense production and similar off field issues, the failure of Terrell Owens to get voted into the Hall of Fame also made Moss a natural comparison, making him oft talked about during the year.
25. Paulie Malignaggi
Malignaggi was a decorated fighter in his own right. In March, he fought Sam Eggington and was knocked out in the eighth round. Shortly thereafter, he retired with a career record of 36-8.
Malignaggi also had a prominent role in a much more publicized fight later in the year. He was a member of Conor McGregor’s team in his bout against Floyd Mayweather. Malignaggi srved as McGregor’s primary sparring partner.