Before I get to my last list, let me say that I completely understand it is a player or coach's right to retire when he wants to.  He should not be arrested for not retiring when he should.  Who am I to tell a great athlete or a coach when he should retire?  Who are you to tell me that if I'm ever on "Soul Train" I shouldn't unleash the Macarena?  Whether or not someone has the "right" to tell someone something does not speak at all to the statement's truth.  Ok, just wanted to address that in case it comes up.  The list...

10.  Doug Flutie

I talked about Doug in a post a long time ago and a fellow blogger let me know he was still in incredible shape.  That I believe.  What I don't believe is that he should still take up an active roster spot on an NFL team.  The most memorable thing Flutie has done since his days with the Bills is come on in the 4th quarter to drop-kick an extra-point.  That was kind of neat but served absolutely no purpose.   If the Broncos game is out of reach one way or the other, are we going to see Flutie back receiving a kickoff as the rest of his team crowds around him in a big circle and they all move down the field.  Then they'll all split up really quickly so no one knows who has the ball?  Again, I'm sure Flutie is in great shape for his age.   So is Jack Lalanne. He shouldn't be in the NFL either.  If Flutie wanted to end his career in New England, he should have taken a page out of Lalanne's book and served juice on the sidelines.

9.  Randall Cunningham

Oh, Randall.  I was so happy for you when you finally got a chance to make a real run at things with the Vikings.  And then you went to the Cowboys for a year.  And then you went to the Ravens for a year.  Did you go to a UNLV homecoming and blow all of your money at the MGM Grand?  It didn't have to end this way, Randall.  It didn't.

8.  Gary Anderson

Gary, you own the league scoring record.  You've played with every NFL team.  You were around when they still wore leather helmets.  I know that you're still solid from 35 and in, but when leg strength starts to become an issue for attempts from the low 40s and out, it's time.  Ok, you wanted to make amends for that kick you missed in the Championship Game when you were with the Vikings.  I understand.  But the Titans weren't going to make a Super Bowl run last year.  When you were with the Vikes, did you and Randall both share the same financial planner?

7.  Bob Griese and Don Shula

I hear you.  I also thought they had retired a long time ago until I saw their press conference after Week 15.  Listen, guys.  If you want to sit at home and cheer against the Colts (or root for them--you really didn't make a whole lot of sense), that's fine.  I see no problem with that either way.  Don't hold a press conference and feed me a load of bull about how much you respect the Colts and Tony Dungy.  If you really respect them, I would have suggested responding to media requests for quotes with something similar to the following:  "While we are extremely proud of our accomplishment of achieving a perfect season in 1972, we respect the Colts' and Chargers' players and do not want to take the spotlight off either the Chargers win today or the Colts' tremendous season.  Therefore, we will have no further comment until the end of the season."  Spare me your act, Don Shula.  You were clearly giddy to have someone put a microphone in front of your face again.  As always, actions speak louder than words.

6.  Chris Chandler

I'm not sure if you have kids or not (couldn't find out with a quick google search) but if you do, I'm sure they'd like to play catch with their Dad one day as opposed to throwing a football through a tire for all of their childhood.  At what point do you put your health and family above a couple of extra seasons?  The man had so many concussions by the end of his career that he stuck a smelling salt up one of his nostrils at the beginning of each game and wore it like the other players wore a mouthpiece.

5.  Bill Parcells

Two championships with the Giants?  I thought you were a winner.  Return to the Pats?  Ok, that's cool.  Over to the Jets?  You're starting to get on my nerves.  Contract extension with the Cowboys?  You are now officially the coach I hate most in the NFL.  Bill Parcells is coaching's version of Steve Howe without the bad press.  The man gets away with everything.  He is self-righteous and self-absorbed, he is ignorant, and he is a horrible role model.  Did anyone see the montage on him before the last Sunday night game?  What a quintessential example of how the media seemingly chooses to vilify or glorify a sports figure depending on the flip of a coin.  It was sickening.  He knows how to "handle the media"?  Say "f this" and "f that" and "I'm not answering your (expletive) dumb questions" is handling the media?  Here's another way.  Say "no comment," then get up and leave whenever you get tired of answering the same questions.  He demands respect from his team?  Grown men (especially at work and in front of a national audience) do not throw punches at other grown men because they try to interject in a conversation they should have stayed out of.  I don't care if every sportscaster in America laughs at the highlight or says that it's just your way of doing things.  You were wrong.  Very wrong.  Whipping your child with a belt, while probably very effective, does not mean that you are simply demanding respect.  Your comment about "Jap plays"?  That was really reflective of your high level of intelligence.  Repeatedly filling your team with aging veterans because they buy into your bully mentality?  Apparently that's great coaching.  Also, I saw you on 60 minutes where you talked about how miserable you are to be around come football season.  Guess what?  That's not a good thing.  See my self-righteous and self-absorbed comment from above.  Dr. Phil would have a field-day with you (no, I am not a fan of Dr. Phil and while I'm at, I don't think spanking your child is inappropriate in case anyone asks.).

4.  Michael Jordan

He obviously doesn't belong on this list.  But I had to put him on.  Alright, alright, even in his last years, he probably still made the Wizards a better team.  But I will always remember him in that follow-through pose after he brought Karl Malone and Jazz fans to tears.  I wish he wouldn't have clouded the memory.

3.  Emmit Smith

Apparently Emmit didn't get the memo from Troy and Michael that they had nothing left to prove.  When he went to the Cardinals, Emmit said he still loved to play the game.  I can see that.  But I love to have a few beers and go to the club.  When the club closes at 4 a.m. (depending on what city you're in), the fun's over for that night.  It means it's time to go home.  It doesn't mean it's time to find the techno after-hours club that closes at 7:30 a.m.  There's no way the Cardinals were going to contend for anything in Emmit's last years.  You can call me a cynic, but I wonder how much Emmit loved to play the game as compared to how much he loved to pad his career stats.  Considering he kept all of the footballs he scored a touchdown with, things like that seem to mean a lot to him.

2.  Jerry Rice

Again, a great player who nobody ever called out simply because he is a great player who doesn't run his mouth every second.  I'm sure you have a great work ethic, Jerry.  By the end of your career, however, you didn't make the teams you were playing for any better.  Your year with the Seahawks should have told you something.  If you couldn't contribute significantly to that receiving corps, Canton should have been your next stop, not Denver.  By the way, remember what I said about Rice not being called out?  Rice asking a hall-of-fame player like Largent if he could wear his number even though it has been retired has to be one of the most classless moves of all-time.  Especially considering Rice's role on that team.  We barely heard a peep about it.  It's like asking someone for his last cigarette (I used to smoke a long time ago, I don't anymore)-it doesn't matter what the person's response is; you never should have put him on the spot to begin with. I also will love to hear Rice's response if someone asks him to allow the same thing someday.

1.  Dan Marino

Proving that if you're a famous figure, you're never going to be able to please everyone, I'd feel remiss here if I didn't mention that Dan Marino is my all-time least favorite NFL player.  What's the difference between Marino and the rest of the guys on this list?  While they may not have helped their team, they didn't hurt them that much either.  By the time Marino retired, he was so immobile that he had to use the handicap entrance to the stadium.  We all feel horrible that you have to live with the fact you were probably the greatest quarterback in the game who never won a Super Bowl.  I can't imagine the anguish.  But in your last years, your selfishness ruined your team's chances of making a real run.  If you recall, the Dolphins were not a bunch of schleps.  They had an awesome defense.  If you don't believe me, go back and check out the studs on there.  Zach Thomas, Patrick Surtain, Jason Taylor, Trace Armstrong, Larry Izzo, etc.  The offense didn't have a lot of playmakers, but Marino wasn't doing them any favors by sticking around.  If you repeatedly got bent out of shape when a reporter asked you how you felt knowing you would most likely be remembered as the best QB who never won a Super Bowl, you could have just responded "how do you feel knowing you most likely won't be remembered for anything."  A little harsh?  Sure.  But it probably would have helped your complex and shutting people up might have made you realize that you had nothing to prove and it was time to retire for the good of the team.