Bye Bye Barry Plot Summary
Barry Sanders is a Hall of Fame NFL running back who played for the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1998. He abruptly retired prior to the 1999 season, leaving Lions fans lost as the soul of their franchise decided to hang up his cleats for good. The new documentary, Bye Bye Barry, is an examination of Sanders career and some insight into how and why he ended it.
Are the Detroit Lions a good football team?
Well, right now, in 2023, the Lions are having their best year in a long time. They are currently 8-2 and poised to make it to the playoffs. However, the Lions are not known for winning many games and championships. Their last title reign was in 1957, and that was before the idea of the final game of the season being the Super Bowl. Even during Sanders’ time as a Detroit Lions running back, they only made the playoffs a few times and never had a Super Bowl appearance.
What Were Barry Sanders’ accomplishments?
Sanders basically carried the team on his back, becoming one of the greatest running backs of all time. Sanders is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He won the coveted Heisman Trophy coming out of college. He had five seasons with 1500 rushing yards and was the third running back in history to get 2000 rushing yards in one season. The only thing he never got to do was win a Super Bowl.
What made Barry Sanders want to retire?
There is a narrative around Sanders and his career throughout the 1990s. He was one of the most talented players at the time, a once-in-a-generation player if that, and the Lions were wasting his time with a lack of winning. He had the team on his back. There is a lot of reasoning behind his unexpected retirement.
Barry Sanders never openly says in the movie that it was due to his career wasting away in Detroit, although it is implied at times. But Sanders saw a lot of teammates leave in his last few years. He also witnessed two teammates become paralyzed during a game. It’s something that he definitely thought about. Football can take a toll on the body and even ruin it, given the wrong injury.
So right before training camp happened in 1999, he faxed over his retirement letter to the Detroit Lions. It was a shock to many in the organization and the league.
Why did Barry go to London?
Sanders dodged the American media by flying to London upon the announcement of his retirement. But some reporters had met him at the airport in London. Why London? Sanders just says he visited there once and needed to get away, so he just picked London. The film comes full circle with him in London with his sons, talking about how he ended his career. It’s a heartwarming moment, and you can tell it helps him feel comfortable talking about this moment in his life with his four sons.
Where is Barry Sanders now?
Barry Sanders is happily retired now. He still lives in the Detroit area, makes regular appearances at Lions games, and greets fans all the time. He also travels around the world to talk to youth sports about having good character, even in competitive sports.
Read More: Bye Bye Barry Movie Review