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Sep 3, 2009 - 10:56:31 AM
By Frank Hyden, MMATorch Contributor

Randy Couture [artist Cory Gould (c) MMATorch]

Satchel Paige made his Major League debut when he was 42 years old. He was a phenomenal pitcher, playing much better than men half his age. Jamie Moyer continues to impress to this day. Phil Niekro, Nolan Ryan, Warren Spahn, the list goes on and on of great pitchers in baseball who have had a lot of success after the age of 40. The sheer number of pitchers who played well after 40 diminishes the feat somewhat, despite it still being impressive.

Gordie Howe played hockey until he was 52 years old. He accomplished so many things and set so many records that I couldn't list them all here. Perhaps his most impressive feat was being in the top 5 in NHL scoring for an astounding 20 straight seasons. That's a record that will surely never be broken. Most professional sports careers don't even last 20 seasons, let alone that many years in the top 5. Even non-hockey fans have to appreciate just how difficult Howe's top 5 scoring streak was. Hockey is a physical game, and there's no hiding on the ice.

George Blanda played 26 seasons of professional football before retiring at the age of 48. Blanda played both quarterback and kicker. He still holds the record (tied with 4 others) for the most passing touchdowns in a game, with 7. Blanda threw for 26,920 yards and 236 touchdowns in his career. He's also the oldest player in history to play in a NFL game.

Julio Franco holds the record for oldest regularly-playing non-pitcher in MLB history, at 48. He played for another year, before retiring at 49, though he only had spot duty at that time. Franco is the oldest player to hit a home run, and also the oldest player to hit a grand slam. Franco played 95 games as a 48 year old, that's amazing, baseball or not.

Before George Foreman became more well-known for selling grills, he was the Heavyweight champion of the world in boxing. He first won the title in 1973 at The Sunshine Showdown, against Joe Frazier. Foreman was a powerful puncher, though he lacked the endurance to go the distance in his fights. What's most impressive about Foreman's career, however, happened after he made his return to boxing at the age of 38. Foreman fought for several more years, earning the respect of all boxing fans as he won 24 fights in about 3.5 years. A couple of years later, in 1994, Foreman got a title shot against Micheal Moorer. Foreman knocked out Moorer in the 10th round to become the oldest man to ever win the Heavyweight title. Foreman was 45 years old at the time. To win a title at the age is remarkable. Foreman was 17-3 after turning 40 years old. What works against calling George Foreman the greatest old athlete ever is the weakness of the fighters he was going against. Most of the guys he beat were journeyman fighters. It's still impressive to be fighting, let alone winning, at his age, though.

Archie Moore is another boxer who achieved great things after turning 40. Moore won the Light Heavyweight title at 39, but went on to defend the belt for almost 9 years. Moore compiled a staggering number of victories, and still holds the record for most knockouts in a career, with 131. That's another record that will never be broken. There's plenty more examples of athletes who have flourished into their 40's, some well-known, others not.

What Randy Couture has accomplished is amazing. You could make the case that he's the greatest old athlete of all-time. Right now, I would say that Gordie Howe is the greatest in that category, but there's an X-factor to consider. Couture is still fighting, and he's still trying to turn back the clock. Couture continues to amaze and astound, and he's not done yet. He just signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC that would take him into age 48 or more. I reserve the right to change my pick from Howe to Couture, depending on what happens in the future. Mr. Hockey just might be passed up by Mr. MMA.

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