Finally hung up the gloves in 2005 after quitting in a loss to Ken McBride. Said that he no longer had "the guts or the heart anymore."
Was the subject of a sympathetic documentary, appeared as a caricature of himself in a recent movie. He's broke. It's sad.
Can we mix in a happy comeback story? Kim Clijsters comes back after 2 1/2 years of retirement, 18 months after the birth of her daughter, to win the U.S. Open this month.
Unseeded, unranked, she thumps Serena Williams in the semifinal, which winds up being remembered for Serena's foul-mouthed tirade against a line judge. Beats Caroline Wozniacki for the championship.
That balances out the gloomy memories of Bjorn Borg's comeback attempt in 1991 after 8 years. He came back with a wooden racket. It wasn't long before the racket and Borg's dreams were splintered.
Want a shorter comeback? Jim Palmer tried coming back as a big-league pitcher in 1991 after 7 years away. Lasted 21 pitches in spring training.
Green Bay's Paul Hornung was banned for a year in 1963 for betting on football games. Came back and played briefly and ineffectively.
Which brings us to Mayweather and his lopsided victory over a gallant gnome named Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday night. Marquez was moving up from 130 to fight as a welterweight. Mayweather weighed in at 146 and had to pay Marquez $600,000 as a penalty.
Maybe that eased the pain of absorbing 290 shots from the bigger, stronger Mayweather, who said afterward, "I've been off for 2 years, so I felt like it took me a couple of rounds to really know I was back in the ring again. I know I'll get better."
So, what's the outlook for Vick? How could 18 months in prison help erratic passing skills? Is the rust gone? Will his legs keep him safe from harm? It shouldn't take long to find out.
Send e-mail to stanrhoch@comcast.net
