We are days away from beginning a new calendar year, so it’s time to take stock in what has been an interesting 2009 in sports. However, the biggest sports-related story of 2009 has nothing to do with actual sports. But while Tiger Woods’ transgressions are all the rage, we seem to have forgotten that 2009 was also a year where we said goodbye to many great athletes.

Here are the athletes who retired in 2009 that we will miss playing with in video games.

Rodney Harrison

I will remember Rodney Harrison for letting David Tyree catch a ball off his helmet in Super Bowl XXII. Many people will also remember him for his "dirty" play or his knack for catching the ball and getting to the quarterback. After all, Harrison is the only defensive back with over 30 interceptions and 30 sacks for his career. Now he does a nice job on Football Night in America on NBC.

I remember avoiding Harrison’s side of the field when he played for the Chargers and Patriots. He could nail the quarterback and could pick one off for the score. Though you’re finally free from his hard hits in Madden 10, the animation for David Tyree’s catch will be there forever.

Barry Bonds

He has not played since 2007, but it looks like his career is officially over. Though he never tested positive for steroids, his numbers will always be looked at suspiciously. Before the Mitchell Report, Barry Bonds was a threat to take you out of the park at any time. His days began in Pittsburgh but most of his time was spent in San Francisco. During his "prime" season in 2001, Bonds hit 73 home runs. The following year every baseball video game made Bonds' alter egos nearly invincible at the plate. Luckily, you could follow the lead of every MLB manager by walking the man.

A dispute with the MLB Players Association left him without representation in video games. We had impostors like Joe Young and Reggie Stocker, but they were not the same. Barry Bonds was hated by many and loved by some, but his career numbers are undeniable. Pop in Triple Play 2002 and see what it was like to face Barry Bonds at his most dangerous.

Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling spends a lot of time playing EverQuest 2 and World of Warcraft (he even founded a company that makes video games), but he has also appeared in dozens of MLB games over the years. His last season was 2008, but he officially retired this year. He appeared on the cover of the beloved High Heat series in 2001 and 2002. His most memorable real-life moment was in 2004 with the Red Sox. His bloody sock could not be replicated on the virtual diamond, but it had an innumerable effect on Red Sox fans and the history of baseball.

Schilling was great with the Phillies, but did not get over the hump until he and Randy Johnson led Arizona to a World Series in 2001. He also won championships in 2004 (partly due to the aforementioned bloody sock game) and in 2007, both with Boston. Curt Schilling was a big-game pitcher in every domain. His guts and confidence will be missed on the mound.

Sam Cassell

Sam Cassell is not a Hall of Famer, but he will be imprinted in our minds forever since he has one of the ugliest mugs to ever grace the court in real life or video games. He was also a winner that was not afraid to take the game-winning shot and made you pay if you let him. He hung around late in his career as a makeshift coach that tutored the younger players. Thankfully, his likeness will likely be seen in the NBA games of the future. He’s an assistant coach with the Wizards and should get in the big chair with somebody within the next two summers. He may not be one of the best ever on the court, but he was pretty darn good, and you would be hard pressed to forget Sam Cassell.

Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo is rightfully regarded as one of the best defensive centers in NBA history. His 7-foot-2 frame and unusually long arms made him a tough shot blocker that made you think twice about driving into the lane. His best days were in the mid- to late-nineties with Denver, Atlanta and Philadelphia. While he may have been in each of the NBA games during the past couple of years, he was a shell of his former self by then. Mutombo in his prime would have been devastating in today’s video games -- the more intuitive blocking systems and the attention given to defense lately would have made him a monster.

Brett Favre

Brett Favre is one of the all-time great QBs and will be remembered accordingly. He’s amassed a few MVP trophies, a Super Bowl and he holds many of the most important passing records. He could throw it down the field with ease and was featured on the cover of the NFL Quarterback Club series and most recently Madden 09. It’s a shame his career ended the way it did, with an ugly divorce from Green Bay and a collapse with the Jets in New York.

Wait, what? He plays behind center of the division-leading Vikings? He has got 27 touchdowns and only six interceptions? He is one of the top candidates for MVP at the age of 40? It’s shocking that he has been able to accomplish this much. Looks like the Favre Farewell Tour will have to wait at least another year.


So who did I miss? Who should have retired this year but did not? Will you be dreaming of Sam Cassell abducting you tonight? Sound off with your thoughts below!