Diego Maradona dead at 60
November 25th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
The OP provided a link so that someone like you can find out who he is.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:02 PM ^
Dammit, Coral, the OP didn't say OT, so I figured he was someone I should know.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:15 PM ^
He is. I mean, if you consider yourself a sports fan, then you know who Diego Maradona is, regardless of whether you like soccer, or not.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:20 PM ^
This is correct. Biggest sport in the world and a legendary figure in it.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:39 PM ^
Lived fast. Died young.
Did not leave a good looking corpse.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:48 PM ^
found the 61-year old
November 25th, 2020 at 7:13 PM ^
He was Argentina’s Marlon Brando. The dude took SaltBae gold steaks to the dome. Absolute legend. RIP to a Real One!
November 25th, 2020 at 12:58 PM ^
It’s like not knowing who Magic Johnson is. Even if someone doesn’t follow basketball they know who Magic is.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:57 PM ^
And, even if you don't care at all about soccer, it's helpful to know the names of some of the best players if you find yourself making small talk with people from almost any other country in the world.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
Who is this Magic about whom you speak?
November 25th, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
I’m not a soccer fan - except for every four years I pay little attention. Being 60 myself, I was around when Diego was in his prime. Sad to see a young guy leave.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:16 PM ^
Very famous Badminton player in the 80s. Retired before his prime, then became a force in the Croquet sporting world. He holds many all time records in both sports. He will be missed
November 25th, 2020 at 12:26 PM ^
Also famous in certain snow sports.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:58 PM ^
Is that a cocaine joke?
November 25th, 2020 at 1:34 PM ^
Yup, irritated people with his "holier than thou" insistence on clean living, going vegan, yoga, meditation. Best friends with Dalai Lama.
November 25th, 2020 at 3:45 PM ^
People won’t even be interested enough to ask this question at your funeral
November 25th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
Wow. A true legend. Widely regarded as one of the three greatest soccer players of all time. Really sad that he passed away so young.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:18 PM ^
Interested to hear who you think are the other two.
I'd put the top 10 players (in no particular order) as:
Pele - Maradona - Beckenbauer - Cruyff - Messi - Ronaldo (Portuguese) - Puskas - Di Stefano - Zidane - Ronaldo (Brazilian)
November 25th, 2020 at 12:23 PM ^
Good list but I'd put Platini over Fat Ronaldo.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
Ah, yes, good one. I guess I'd put Platini equal to Cyborg Ronaldo instead of above Fat Ronaldo, because of the 2002 World Cup. But at such a great level of performance, it's really hard to separate them all.
So, a top 11?
November 25th, 2020 at 12:53 PM ^
Brazilian Ronaldo at his peak was a monster, but his peak was shorter than these others. I think greatness is also about staying power over a long time.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:01 PM ^
Fat Ronaldo was a force of nature! Never seen a forward like him since.
November 25th, 2020 at 3:35 PM ^
Fat Elvis comes to mind; he died early, too.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:36 PM ^
I definitely can't argue with your list. Based on what I've heard and read of the history of the sport, I feel like general sentiment has it that the best player of all time is Pele, with Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona making up the rest of an arguable top 3, though I have also seen Beckenbauer mentioned with that group several times.
Pele at the top is really very consistent in most rankings, more consistency than you get with debates in other sports about the greatest. Cruyff and Maradona are each often listed just after Pele as the 2nd greatest ever. I would say that I agree with that general sentiment, though I would not argue much if someone wanted to include Beckenbauer or even Messi in their top 3.
November 25th, 2020 at 3:49 PM ^
I think Messi is almost universally acknowledged as the best of all time
November 25th, 2020 at 4:11 PM ^
Not in Argentina : ).
It's not his fault, but not winning a World Cup keeps him on the Cruyff level, just behind Pele and Maradona to most fans.
I agree Messi is the best of all time - nobody has been better in a more difficult era, for a longer period of time. But many people disagree with that opinion.
November 25th, 2020 at 6:04 PM ^
A good list. Probably need to find room for Zico. And maybe George Best. But I'm picking nits over the fine list you compiled.
November 25th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
His "goal of the century" is for sure one of, if not the best, goals I've ever seen. People should watch it on YouTube if they haven't seen it. RIP
November 25th, 2020 at 12:12 PM ^
Amazing how much that goal and Messi's great goal against Malaga, I believe, (granted, one of 50 great Messi goals) are so similar.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:02 PM ^
Just checked it out. The guy basically dribbled through the entire defense then shot while being tackled.
The announcer was, in the finest tradition of South American futbol, completely unhinged. We should bring one of those guys in to do play by play of Michigan football. Would make up some for the passionless product on the field.
November 25th, 2020 at 1:29 PM ^
I would argue his "the hand of god" is more famous, though not in a good way. I knew it before the "goal of the century". Anyone interested should google it up, it's in the same game.
November 25th, 2020 at 2:51 PM ^
And it never should've counted since Batista should've been red-carded for his tackle on Glenn Hoddle right before Diego took possession.
November 25th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
Crazy. He struggled a lot with a lot of different substance abuse issues over the year and has had a lot of health problems in recent years, which I am sure did not help him. He just had brain surgery in the last month I think and never recovered.
Really sad to see him go so young.
November 25th, 2020 at 11:59 AM ^
He was a legend. Top 5 all time, argument for top 2.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^
He had a long history of substance abuse, so it shouldn't be that shocking, but he was only 60 and one of the best ever, so it is.
I just explained the England-Argentina rivalry to my son, based in large part on the Falkland Islands dust up. What a horrible military dictatorship will do for a football fanbase....
And then there was the Hand of God. I didn't realize how incredibly offside he was...
November 25th, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
Is it offsides if the other team is the one that "passes" it to you in an offsides position?
November 25th, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^
No, it's not. See: Haaland's second goal yesterday for Dortmund. If the defender intentionally plays the ball to an offsides player, the player's onside.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:05 PM ^
the 4 to 0 blowout loss as coach against Germany in the world cup 2010 probably didn't help his life much
November 25th, 2020 at 5:41 PM ^
That was my wife’s 30th birthday. She is Argentine, and we had a big party planned at our place in Buenos Aires. People showed up out of politeness, but the vibe was like bingo night at an old folks’ home.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
Fuck 2020
November 25th, 2020 at 12:18 PM ^
Transcendent player. One of my earliest memories of anything soccer-related was him weaving through the English defense for that goal in Mexico City's '86 World Cup. That, and the "Hand of God" goal, which pretty much sums up the two sides of his genius.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:18 PM ^
More suck today - 2020 can just 2020 right the 2020 off.
I'm not a big fan of soccer, but the few times I saw this guy play it was readily apparent to me - a novice - that he was better than 'good'. So young...
November 25th, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
skip to 0:17
November 25th, 2020 at 12:25 PM ^
That's incredible...
November 25th, 2020 at 4:39 PM ^
" . . . he left a trail of England players."
November 25th, 2020 at 12:23 PM ^
My first true memory of Maradona was World Cup 1994. Argentina should have won that World Cup but he got thrown out for drug use (and firing an air gun at a reporter, WTH?).
Batistuta, Caniggia, Maradona was an unreal forward / midfield line, so terrible it went to waste. They probably could have beaten Romania (with Hagi, the Maradona of the Carpathians) in an all-timer of a Round of 16 match. A semi-final against Brazil with Maradona v. Romario would have been amazing.
But, drugs. Oh well.
November 25th, 2020 at 12:25 PM ^
Now he can really explain the “Hand of God!” Also, a bit sobering that we are the same age...RIP
November 25th, 2020 at 12:25 PM ^
A legend. Unfortunately he had his personal demons with substance abuse so it's not completely shocking in a sense, but sad nonetheless.