Amazon's Barry Sanders Documentary Is One Of The Best Sports Documentaries Ever Made
"Bye Bye Barry" is a must-watch for fans of Barry Sanders and football.
Sanders infamously stepped away from the Detroit Lions and retired from the NFL shortly before the 1999 season was set to begin.
Arguably the greatest RB to ever play hung up his cleats without much of an explanation, and the decision has been debated and discussed ever since. Even nearly a quarter century later, Sanders' shocking decision is still a hot topic among Lions fans.
The Amazon documentary takes a deep dive into Sanders' rise to being an unstoppable RB and his eventual decision to walk away from the league while still in his prime. The rushing record was in spitting distance, and he still packed his packs and left. He couldn't have cared less.
For the first time, Lions fans can take a deep dive into the mind of the most famous player to wear Honolulu blue, silver and white.
Amazon's Barry Sanders documentary is outstanding.
The documentary features Barry Sanders telling his side of the story, his former coaches weighing in and former teammates explaining what it was like to play with the unstoppable runner.
I had a handful of people text me that I had to watch it. After all, I'm a massive Lions fan. There's a Lions helmet sitting less than 18 inches from my desk.
I was absolutely blown away by "Bye Bye Barry." It's impossible to pause once it starts rolling. It's truly that captivating as Barry Sanders explains why he walked away with several years of great football left in him.
In the end, the decision boiled down to one very simple thing: He no longer loved football.
"Bye Bye Barry" tells the story of Barry Sanders retiring. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images)
It was truly that simple. The Lions were changing, his favorite teammates had all left the team, the franchise wasn't winning and Barry Sanders had lost the will to compete.
The Detroit Lions mismanaged the roster so bad that Sanders just couldn't do it anymore. In the closing moments of the documentary, Sanders is surrounded by his sons in London being questioned about his shocking retirement decision.
In this moment, Sanders reveals he never told his father - a man who was very vocal about his entire career - he was retiring. He just told his mom and his dad found out later. It's a pretty impactful moment.
Amazon's documentary about Barry Sanders is outstanding. (Photo by Damian Strohmeyer/Allsport/Getty Images)
For nearly 25 years, NFL fans have wondered why Barry Sanders left the league and the Lions. Everyone assumed it was because he was worn out and couldn't take the direction the team was heading in. Now, for the first time, there's a deep dive into how everything played out. I truly can't recommend it enough. As a Lions fan, I loved every second of it. Even if you're just a casual football fan, I can guarantee you'll love it too. For those of you who have seen it, let me know your thoughts on Sanders and the documentary at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.