Mario Lemieux - 2000Super Marios comeback is arguably the most improbable return in sports history.After playing 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning two Stanley Cups in the process, Lemieux decided to retire after the 1996-1997 season at the ripe age of 32. Years of injuries alongside a scary diagnosis of Hodgkins lymphoma back in 1993 wore Lemieuxs body down to a point where he had to hang them up.After Mario left, the Penguins found themselves in deep financial trouble and declared bankruptcy in Nov. 1998. Lemieux put together an ownership group to buy the team in Sept. 1999, keeping them in Pittsburgh.Then to everyones surprise, he returned to the ice as a member of the Penguins two days after Christmas in the year 2000. The return was especially improbable because he announced his "attempt" to comeback just two weeks prior.So Mario had already won a pair of Cups in Pittsburgh, defeated cancer, saved the team from relocation and then did this in his first game back in three years against the hated Toronto Maple Leafs.Lemieux scored 35 goals and 41 assists for 76 points in just 43 games the rest of that season, a truly remarkable feat. Mario played four more injury plagued seasons – winning Olympic gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City – before officially retiring in 2006.He may have never hoisted Lord Stanleys mug in his second NHL go-around, but the way Lemieux saved the team financially and persevered through his own personal health problems to get back to the top, makes his comeback the most memorable in sports history.Guy Lafleur - 1989Guy Lafleur is one of the greatest Montreal Canadiens to ever play the game.In his 14 seasons with the Habs he won five Stanley Cups and is the all-time leading scorer in Canadiens history, recording 1, 246 points (518 goals and 728 assists).However, during the 1984-1985 season Lafleurs production drastically decreased and he wasnt seeing eye-to-eye with head coach Jacques Lemaire. On Nov. 26, 1984, Lafleur announced his retirement to the shock and dismay of many.Three and a half seasons later, Guys itch to play the game returned and joined the New York Rangers on a one-year deal. In February 1989, Lafleur made his return to the Montreal Forum.He never came close to dominating in New York or later with the Quebec Nordiques like he did in Montreal, but his return to the Forum was closure for the two sides that left on uneasy terms.Michael Jordan – 1995Michael Jordans return is undoubtedly the king of sports comebacks in terms of success and domination.Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won back-to-back-to-back NBA championships from 1991-1993 as the undisputed best player in the world. Then, shockingly, Jordan announced his retirement on Oct. 6, 1993 citing personal reasons. He followed that bomb with his attempt at playing professional baseball with the Chicago White Sox.And we all know how that turned out.The Bulls still made the playoffs in the 1993-1994 season, but werent the same team without Jordan. The following year, Chicago struggled even further until Jordan decided to trade his cleats for sneakers and returned to the NBA.M.J. didnt miss a beat. This video is of his first game back on March 19, 1995 against the Indiana Pacers.The Bulls went on to win a second set of three consecutive championships from 1995-1998 with Jordan taking the Finals MVP honours each time. He also won the NBAs Most Valuable Player in 1996 and 1998.Jordans comeback was the ultimate, simply due to the fact that he was the best when he left and was still the best when he returned.Theres really no need to mention Jordans second comeback with the Washington Wizards in 2001. Lets try to stay as positive as possible here.Lance Armstrong – 2009This comeback was not as warm and happy as the others.After winning the Tour de France seven years in a row from 1999 to 2005, Armstrong decided to retire after the 2005 season when the first drug accusations began to surface.In 2009, Armstrong got back on the bike and finished third in the Tour de France. He retired once again in 2011 with more allegations of performance-enhancing drug use.Then it really began to unravel for Armstrong.In the following year, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency charged Armstrong with performance-enhancing drug use and proceeded to strip him of his seven Tour de France titles. In 2013, after years of denial, Armstrong confessed to Oprah in a nationally televised interview that he in fact cheated.The return of Armstrong was negative for so many reasons, but mostly because it ruined the image of a person that was so beloved and inspired so many during his heyday. The cancer surviving elite athlete was long gone. Instead, he was considered a lying cheater.However, its fair to say that all of this would have still happened if he stayed retired after the 2005 season.Honourable Mention:Brett Favre (2008) – Technically Favre never truly retired. In 2007, Favre said he was done with football, but then proceeded to join the New York Jets the following year. He did something similar with the Minnesota Vikings in 2009. Sorry Brett, but being wishy-washy isnt the same thing as coming out of retirement.Roger Clemens (2007) – This return was cool because it happened on the bigger-than-life stage of New York City. Clemens had come out of short stints of retirement before to join the Houston Astros, but nothing compared to making his return to Yankee Stadium.Muhammad Ali (1970) – Ali never retired, but rather was exiled from boxing because he refused to fight in the Vietnam War. When he finally got back in the ring in Oct. 1970, Ali was as dominate as ever. Wholesale Paul George Shoes .com) - James Harden needed just seven made field goals to drop 35 points on the Philadelphia 76ers, leading the Houston Rockets to a 104-93 win on Monday. Paul George Shoes Outlet . 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The proposal is to be voted on by the owners in November. "Im proud of them," Selig said about the replay committee. "Its worked out remarkably well. Its historic. Theres no question about it." A 75 per cent vote by the owners is needed for approval, and the players association and umpires would have to agree to any changes to the current system. But the announcement was met with mostly praise at ballparks across the country. "This is the time. Its time to make the right decision," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "It was not available several years ago. So, just live with it, understand it. It makes things better. It makes things more accurate, so whats wrong with that." MLB executive vice-president Joe Torre gave the replay presentation to representatives from all 30 teams Wednesday and it was discussed Thursday morning. Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz, a member of the replay committee along with Torre and former manager Tony La Russa, said the umpires were receptive to the change. Schuerholz said 89 per cent of incorrect calls made in the past will be reviewable, but he did not provide a list. Umpires have come under increased scrutiny following several missed calls this season. "We believe this will be very impactful and very, very meaningful and useful for all sides," Schuerholz said. "Managers will have a new tool that theyll have to learn how to use." Managers will be allowed one challenge over the first six innings of a game and two from the seventh inning until the completion of the game. Calls that are challenged will be reviewed by a crew in MLB headquarters in New York City, which will make a final ruling. A manager who sees a call he feels is incorrect can file a challenge with the crew chief or home plate umpire. Only reviewable plays can be challenged. Non-reviewable plays can still be argued by managers, who can request that the umpires discuss it to see if another member of the crew saw the play differently. Reviewable plays cannot be argued by the manager. Challenges not used in the first six innings will not carry over, and a manager who wins a challenge will retain it. The home run replay rules currently in use will be grandfathered in to the new system, Schuerholz said. MLB expects to use the new system in the 2014 playoffs, and the system could be enhanced in the post-season. Training sessions for umpires will start in the Arizona Fall League this winter and continue into spring training. "We know we have to prepare people for this," Schuerhollz said.dddddddddddd "Everyone is embracing it. We believe managers will in time." Schuerholz said after the first year MLB will look at what worked and what didnt and make adjustments for 2015. "Its going to take some time," he said. One of Seligs major concerns was the possible slowing of games. Schuerholz said with a direct line of communication between the central office and the ballparks the expectation is that replays under the new system will take 1 minute, 15 seconds. Current replays average just over 3 minutes. "We want to prevent stalling," Schuerholz said. "If its a reviewable play, he (the manager) has to tell the umpires hes going to review it." In other matters, Selig said baseballs investigation of Biogenesis, the now-closed Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs, has been completed. Alex Rodriguez was suspended through 2014 and All-Stars Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta and Everth Cabrera were banned 50 games apiece on Aug. 5 when Major League Baseball disciplined 13 players for their relationship to Biogenesis. Rodriguez has appealed his suspension. Selig also called the Tampa Bay Rays stadium situation "very, very discouraging." "Baseball needs a resolution to this problem," Selig said with Stuart Sternberg, principal owner of the Rays, in the room listening. "I find it a very, very troubling situation. We were optimistic this was moving in a very positive direction. Unfortunately, its stalled." Selig said the situation was serious enough that he was giving "very strong consideration to assigning someone from MLB to intervene in this process, find out exactly what the hell is going on." "Theyve been a model organization, extraordinarily capable," Selig said. "Theyve done everything in their power to make their ballpark situation work. Years have ticked by now with no tangible progress." The team is obligated to play at outdated Tropicana Field through 2027 and is averaging just over 13,000 fans a game this season. The low attendance figures have led to the Rays receiving millions of dollars in revenue sharing. "Without that, we wouldnt be able to compete," Sternberg said. "The other owners are looking at it. How many years is this going to be? How much money is it going to be? We should be able to get to the point where the revenue sharing dollars we would receive dont need to be so significant year in and year out." Relocating is not on the table, Sternberg said. "Frankly, I havent been able to get this (new stadium deal) done," Sternberg said. "Something needs to be done and nothings happening. Weve got an enormous following, but something is clearly stopping people from coming through our doors. This isnt a one- or two-year thing. Even the economy has picked up a bit and our attendance has gone down." ' ' '