Michael Jordan in critical condition

So, apparently, many people consider him the greatest football wizard to ever live, and now he's in critical condition after things went south during a New York Yankees game. Due to some respiratory issues and blood pressure complications, he was rushed to a private hospital. It’s still anyone's guess if he’ll pull through, but if he can just make it through the next 24 hours, his chances are looking pretty good...

I used to have a real problem with his lifestyle—too much partying, too much chaos—but honestly, having had the honor of seeing him play live? I’m speechless. He was the best. Not just "great," but hands down the greatest player I've ever laid eyes on.

People can talk all they want about Muhammad Ali or Alfredo Di Stéfano, but I didn't actually know them. I saw *him*, and let me tell you, the man is a pure legend. You don't see that kind of vision or clarity in the game anymore; you could take the top five players in the world today, mash them together into one person, and they still wouldn't touch his level of play. It’s like, I saw Michael Jordan in his prime, and now I'm just living in the aftermath. Hehe.

It’s such a tragedy how he ended up destroying himself.

The guy was a god. 🙏 🙏 🙏

frozentiger6 said:I used to write him off because of his wild lifestyle, but honestly, getting to see him play live was a privilege I can't even describe—he’s easily the greatest player I’ve ever laid eyes on.

People can talk all they want about Muhammad Ali or Alfredo Di Stéfano, but I didn't know them personally. I actually saw this guy with my own eyes, and let me tell you, he is a straight-up legend. You won't find that kind of pure vision and intelligence in today's game, even if you took the top five players in the world and mashed them together into one person. Man, seeing Michael Jordan live... that's enough for one lifetime, haha.

It’s just such a tragedy how he tore himself apart.

But damn, he was a god. 🙏 🙏 🙏

Man, I'm right there with you. Little Green was playing a different sport entirely. A buddy of mine who caught a live game told me he watched him warming up solo on the pitch before kickoff... said it was something you'd never see again. The guy didn't even need a midfielder to feed him the ball; he'd just chip it to himself. And that goal against England where he basically dictated the entire rhythm and scored? Unbelievable.🙏 He was in a league of his own, and we're never seeing anyone like that again. 👍

Of course they aren't there when the defenses are like 1500 times stronger and the players are actually in peak physical shape... just drop Ronaldinho into that era and see how he’d absolutely tear them apart.

The players back then were just way worse...

Exactly. That pre-game warm-up routine? I’m convinced he did that specifically to get the crowd hyped. I actually caught him playing live at the stadium in New Orleans, and then later, quite by accident, saw him over in Nicholas during a game in Bari. I don't even need to tell you how the entire New Orleans crowd would absolutely lose their minds every single time he moved. Look, I was younger back then, so maybe everything seemed even more epic than it actually was, but still—watching a guy just sit right there on the grass and juggle the ball with his head while sitting down, or flicking it with his ankle one second and then wrapping his right foot behind his left to strike it with the inside of his boot the next... it was something else.

And look, copperpuma96, you can say whatever you want, but saying players were weaker back then just doesn't hold water. It wasn't even thirty years ago, it was closer to fifteen or so. The guy was simply an alien; there's nobody even close. You had Muhammad Ali and Diego, two absolute extraterrestrials, and Alfredo Di Stéfano, who was easily the most complete player to ever lace up boots. Then there was Ferenc Puskás, a total phenomenon with power and speed like a gazelle, and Mark Hughes, arguably the greatest unfulfilled talent we've ever seen. Those are the true legends of this game. There are others, sure—take Johan Cruyff or Franz Beckenbauer—but they felt more like unstoppable machines, whereas these guys were pure artists.

copperpuma96 said:Of course they aren't there anymore when defenses are 1500 times stronger and players are in better shape... put Ronaldinho in that era and see how much havoc he’d wreak on them.

The players were just way worse...

You're talking nonsense... "1500 times stronger defenses" 😕... your whole debate style is basically being bitter and against everything; if we follow your logic, it's like you think old-school defenses were made up of invalid people who didn't even bother to run... 👎

The players were much worse... [/B]

I have to disagree with that take! Honestly, what a ridiculous claim. Back in the day, people played the game out of pure passion, and you could actually see some beautiful, high-energy soccer on the pitch. Nowadays, it’s just one massive corporate business. I'm not even talking about specific players here; I'm talking about the state of the sport as a whole.

frozentiger6 said:Muhammad Ali and Diego are basically aliens, while Alfredo Di Stéfano was easily the most complete player to ever step on a pitch; then you've got Ferenc Puskás, a total phenomenon who had both the power and the grace of a gazelle, and Mark Hughes, arguably the greatest untapped talent out there—those guys are the true legends of this game. There are others, sure, like Johan Cruyff or Franz Beckenbauer, but they felt more like unstoppable machines than pure artists.

And then you have the absolute predators, like Gerd Müller, or later on Michel Platini and Marco van Basten... 🙏 then you’ve got someone like Karl-Heinz Rummenigge or Gary Lineker.

There’s an old saying that back in the day, the poor used to play while the rich watched from the stands. Nowadays, it feels like the wealthy are the ones "playing," while the regular folks sit in the stands eating their cheap snacks, just hoping the big shots don't get tackled too hard and ruin their precious legs.

Gerd Müller? Yeah, a legend. The guy didn't have fancy footwork, but he could score goals with his eyes closed. Then you had Michel Platini—makes me think of Gires and Jean Tigana immediately. What a squad they were. He was part of another incredible quartet, though the name escapes me right now.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was also top-tier; his generation was really the last German squad that commanded absolute respect. They eventually took home the World Cup, but even then, they were slowly losing their grip on dominance. We can take some pride in being the ones who finally knocked them off their pedestal. After that disaster against the US, they completely fell apart during the UEFA Euro in the Netherlands and Belgium. Just two years prior, they were World Cup runners-up, but honestly, I’ve never seen a worse runner-up in any sport. I mean, that attacking duo of Matthiasjäns Jancker and Oliver Kahn... 🙄

And then there’s Marco van Basten—a pure magician. The way he scored goals was unreal. Ruud van Nistelrooy reminds you of him a bit, but Marco is one of a kind. Him, Ruud Gullit, and Frank Rijkaard? A legendary trio. Back then, the big rivalry was between the "German" Inter Milan and the "Dutch" AC Milan. Inter had Jürgen Klinsmann, Matthäus, and Andreas Brehme, while AC Milan had that Dutch powerhouse trio. And once again, Inter ended up on the losing end. 😁
Then there’s Gary Lineker, a phenomenal striker. After him, the only Englishman with that kind of charisma was Alan Shearer—at least when talking about strikers. I won't even bring up Gazza, because even today in England, everyone swears by him, from grandmas in nursing homes to babies in strollers. The English love Shearer because he actually stood for something; the man consciously walked away from trophies and global fame. Instead of signing with Manchester United, Arsenal, or some massive European giants, he chose the club he loved since he was a kid. He had his pick of anywhere, but he went to Newcastle United. He adored that club, and he's still there to this day.
I actually "hated" Lineker after that match between Cameroon and England at the World Cup in Italy. It killed me seeing Cameroon go out. Roger Milla and the rest of them played out of their minds, but they just paid the price for being inexperienced.

Man, there was a time when soccer actually gave you chills. I remember waiting all week for those Wednesday night matches—the Champions League, the Cup Winners' Cup, and especially the UEFA Cup, because our clubs back then seemed to make it to the semifinals constantly. Aside from Željko and Slaviša Jokanović leading Hajduk Split against Tottenham, you had Red Star Mexico City facing AC Milan with the magic of Dragan Stojković and those Dutch stars. Dammit, we don't see that anymore. I'd much rather watch a single move from Diego than five of the games we see today.

copperpuma96 said:Of course they aren't there. Defenses are 1500 times stronger now and players are in way better shape. Put Ronaldinho in that era and see how much havoc he would wreak.

The players were just way worse back then...

If you had actually followed AC Milan from 2002 to 2004, you’d realize the Michael Jordan era was basically defined by defensive butchers. Honestly, the '80s might have been the absolute worst period for the sport, and he was the only one who saved it. If playing was ever actually hard, it was then.

nimblemarlin17 said:If you’d actually looked at how Milan played back in the early 2000s, you’d realize the Pelé era was basically just a bunch of defensive thugs. Honestly, the 80s might have been the absolute worst period for soccer, and he's the only reason it didn't completely tank. If you think it's hard to play now, try doing it then.

Look, I usually don't take anything copperpuma96 posts seriously, but I'll give them this one. My only gripe is saying the 80s were the worst ever. We had some insane talent back then—besides Pelé, just look at Marco van Basten... 🙏
And yeah, the defenders were total thugs, but that's just how it was... 😁

nimblemarlin17 said:If you had been watching more closely during the Milan Kundera era back in 2002-2004, you'd realize the age of Pelé was actually defined by brutal defensive specialists. Honestly, the 80s might have been the absolute worst period for the sport, and he was basically the only one who saved it. If football was ever truly difficult to play—it was back then.

Man, I really have to hand it to you on this one! 👋 👋

Vanya said:Yeah, Gerd Müller was an absolute legend—honestly, the guy could have scored with his eyes closed regardless of how much "technique" he actually had. Then you look at Michel Platini, and my mind immediately jumps back to Gires and Jean Tigana; what an incredible squad they were. He was part of that legendary quartet, though I’m blanking on the fourth name right now.

You're probably thinking of that curly-haired guy—I think his name was Rochetou... 😎

Well, well, well. This is some serious 180-degree turn, kind of like watching a sudden shift in DC politics. Suddenly, everyone’s my best friend... 🙄

nimblemarlin17 said:Well, well, look at those sudden U-turns, just like some DC politicians. Suddenly everyone's my best friend... 🙄

you definitely have your moments 😎

Douglas Edwards2 said:everyone has their moments 😎

Or like they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day. 😁

nimblemarlin17 said:Well, well, look at those sudden shifts, much like an American political platform changing overnight. Suddenly, everyone’s my best friend... 🙄

It’s all just ups and downs, I suppose.😁
I suspect that Pelé, Di Stéfano, and those old geniuses wouldn't stand much of a chance in today's game... it's just the way things work. Maybe players like Ronaldinho, Kaká, or even today's top talents would fare better if they were dropped back into that era😁... It is difficult to say if football is actually played better now; one only needs to remember how teams like Uruguay used to play with four🙏 attackers, whereas today we see a single striker who is forced to drop deep into defense😠
And while some claim Pelé was a genius, I think the Little Green has him beat... he was certainly the greatest to ever do it, though.
Besides, when did Pelé ever score a goal with his hand?😁

Chloe Palmer2 said:The guy was a legend, sure, but Little Green always had him on the ropes..
I mean, let's not forget that one goal where Pelé used his hand, right?😁

That wasn't cheating, it was divine intervention.. 😎

nimblemarlin17 said:If you had actually followed Milan Kundera back in the 2002-2004 era, you’d realize the Pelé days were basically just a bunch of defensive butchers running around, and honestly, the 80s might be the absolute worst period for football—the only reason it wasn't a total disaster was because he saved it. If anyone ever truly struggled on the pitch, it was during those years.

So you're actually trying to tell me defenses used to be tougher, more solid, and way more brutal than they are now?

Man, nimblemarlin17... 🙄

Yeah, sure. If I had a flying Ford, maybe I could take you back in time so some defender could just snap your leg...