It was actually over about ten days ago when Lance Armstrong fell negotiating a roundabout at 55kmh just before a killer climb. But officially it ended Sunday on the Champs Elyse in Paris, when he crossed the finish line in the Tour de France for the final time in an unfamiliar position – 23^rd overall.

“Inglorious” is not a word that has ever been associated with Armstrong, one of the most amazing and inspirational athletes in history, yet sadly just like so many others of his elite ilk, that’s what he’s been saddled with.

Just like Michael Jordan. The greatest basketball player most of us have ever seen came out of retirement one too many times and joined perennial doormats, the Washington Wizards. How bad were they? Jordan ended up leading the team in scoring his first year despite being injured for a ¼ of the season. In both of his Wizardly years the team finished 37-45 and missed the post-season.

Then there was Johnny Unitas. A guy who could barely walk, never mind run and whose fingers were so twisted up he could hardly throw tried a comeback years after retirement, joining San Diego in 1973. He started four games, and won just one. In total, he threw three TDs and seven interceptions.

At the top of all “inglorious athletic endings,” it’s a tie.

Babe Ruth tried to go home again in 1935 playing for the Boston Braves. It was short and not very sweet as he appeared in just 28 games. Although he could still hit, swatting six home runs, he couldn’t do anything else like play defence, or even run. In the end, three of the Braves’ pitchers threatened not to take the mound if Ruth was in the lineup.

Muhammad Ali retired as heavyweight champion of the world in 1979, after earning the title for a record third time. Less than a year later he was in training again and tried to win it for a fourth from Larry Holmes, but he couldn’t answer the bell in the 11^th, Ali’s only loss by anything but a decision. A year later he was back, this time against unheralded Trevor Berbick who beat him to a pulp.

All the greatest there were in their sports, yet after all they did they get saddled with that legacy.

Yet for every one of those, it seems there is an equal number of those who did just the opposite: They went out on top and never looked back.

Annika Sorenstam was by far the best female golfer on the planet, yet in 2008, at the young age of 37, she quit to take up cooking (seriously) and have kids. As much as the LPGA wants and needs her back, thus far there hasn’t been a sniff from her about even picking up a club.

Dodgers legend Sandy Koufax quit the game at 30, reportedly because of arm trouble, but his numbers don’t exactly back that up: in his final two seasons, he went 26-8 and 27-9. In his first year of eligibility in 1972, Koufax was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, just weeks after his 36th birthday, still the youngest ever inductee.

Detroit’s Barry Sanders, out of nowhere, quit at age 31 despite rushing for 1,491 yards in his final season and being just shy of the NFL’s all-time rushing record. Two years later he finally admitted that the culture of losing in the Lions’ organization was the real reason for his leaving saying it was “too much to deal with.”

Heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano was only 32 years old and had a perfect 49-0 with 43 knockouts when he retired. In his final fight, in 1955 he was actually knocked down by Archie Moore in the fourth, but he got back up and eventually knocked Moore out in the ninth.

The top of the list, however, goes to Jim Brown. The legendary Cleveland running back only played nine seasons and made the Pro Bowl in every one. He still holds the record for career yards per carry (5.2) and remains the Browns all-time leading rusher, and is still 8^th overall in the league. In his entire career he never once fumbled the football. At age 30 he just quit becoming an actor in the Dirty Dozen (and thank God for that!).

Choices lead to different results essentially every time. Some choose to hang on too long – others choose to leave way too early.

The answer is, of course, somewhere in between.

As for me, frankly, I’d love to see Lance come back and try to with the Tour again next year.

It’s the only way I’d watch.

Cheers – Gavin McDougald – AKA Couch