Does Age Matter?

[RBH]

Does it really? We all watch sports and see players who start their careers usually in their early 20s (sometimes teen age years) and are fresh and energetic and then probably reach their full potential by the age of 27-28. But by the late 30s, they are seen often times as invaluable to the teams that they are on and not taken too seriously. So what do you think? Does age really matter in sports? Can Randy Johnson still be feared even at the age of 45 (I think) as much as Johan Santana is in baseball? Does Issac Bruce still prove to be a threat when playing against him compared to younger guns like Ted Ginn Jr in football? Does Mike Modano impact a game as much as a younger guy like Sidney crosby? I think that they can in some different ways. I believe as players get olders, they tend to stray away from being the stars themselves and turn more into playmakers setting up better play for their younger teammates...whats your take on this?

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

I guess it depends on what sport or position you play, it is a fact that almost everybody gets slower and doesnt jump as high with age so if you're an NBA player that hurts you the most. But the great players find other ways to be useful when that happens. Take Michael Jordan for example, in the 80s he beat you with his high flying dunks and overall explosiveness, but in the mid 90s he could still jump but not to the extent he could in the 80s so he developed a devastating fadaway jumper and overall craftiness which allowed him to still be the best in the game in his mid 30s. Same thing with Karl Malone he won the MVP as a 35 year old because he developed a mid range jumper, and shooting is one thing that doesnt go away with age. As far as baseball goes Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens(steroids?) are three rare examples of power pitchers that still seem to dominate(RJ isnt as dominating as he once was) with age. Almost any other power pitcher loses it with age because you simply cant throw as hard as you could when you are in your late 20s early 30s but some compensate by developing other pitches. Randy Johnson cant throw it 99mph right by you like he could in the mid to late 90s but he developed his devastating slider and uses that even more. Which is why you see alot of finesse pitchers like Maddux, Glavine, Kenny Rogers, Jamie Moyer pitch into their 40s because you dont really lose that curveball or accuracy with age. So yeah age does matter to an extent because its been proven time and time again that generally you get slower and cant jump as high the older you get and because many sports really on overall athleticism that hurts you. You'll always find exceptions to the rule but that's generally how it goes but the great ones find other ways to be effective.