6. Barry Sanders: Arguably the most exciting running back of all time, Sanders abruptly walked away from the game at age 30, thus passing up a chance to put the rushing record into the stratosphere. Sanders gained his 15,269 career yards (still third on the all-time list) at a brisk 5.0 yards-per-carry pace. Still, his Lions went 1-5 in the postseason, with his only win coming in his first playoff game, after the 1991 season. That victory (over Dallas) put Detroit in the NFC Championship Game, where it was waxed 41-10 by the Redskins. Sanders would never come that close again -- and this was even before Matt Millen. The honorable mention roll call of ring-less RBs is also stellar: O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell, Eric Dickerson, Gale Sayers, Thurman Thomas.

7. Elgin Baylor: One of the NBA's great forwards -- his 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds a game rank fourth and ninth, respectively, all time -- had some lousy timing. The dynastic Celtics won the championship during 10 of his first 11 seasons in the league, beating Baylor's Lakers in the finals seven times. He finally retired nine games into the 1971-'72 season due to chronic knee injuries. Naturally, the Lakers went on to win the championship that year. Ouch.

8. Charles Barkley: The Round Mound of Rebound edges Patrick Ewing for this slot because his per-game scoring (22.1 to 21.0) and rebounding (11.7 to 9.8) averages were a notch higher; plus he won an MVP. Barkley came closest when his Suns reached the NBA Finals after the '92-93 season, where like Malone and Stockton he was denied by Jordan and the Bulls. Ewing nearly won a title while Jordan was off playing baseball the next season, only to see the Rockets' Hakeem Olajuwon work his way off this list instead (as John Starks kept misfiring in Game 7). Ewing's Knicks returned to the Finals in '99, but the big man was injured and didn't play as the Spurs won in five games. Honorable mention no-ring NBAers: Reggie Miller, Pete Maravich, Dominique Wilkins, Nate Thurmond, Calvin Murphy, George Gervin, Dave Bing, Alex English.

9. Marcel Dionne: The great center's name is all over the NHL record books, currently ranking fourth all time in goals (731) and fifth in points (1,771). Don't look for him among the playoff record-holders, though, since during his 19 NHL seasons (1971-89) his teams never advanced past the second round. Bad luck didn't necessarily run in the Dionne family; younger brother (by 19 years) Gilbert won a Stanley Cup with the Canadiens during his six-season NHL stint. Hockey honorable mention: Mike Gartner, Rod Gilbert, Brad Park.

10. Dick Butkus: Few defenders have been more feared than the Bears middle linebacker, who made the Pro Bowl after each of his first eight seasons. Unfortunately for Butkus, his fellow Monsters of the Midway had more bark than bite. Like fellow Chicago legend Banks, Butkus never played a postseason game. The Bears' 9-5 record during Butkus's rookie year of 1965 was the best during his nine seasons there, but even that wasn't good enough for the playoffs. Honorable mention for other ring-less guys who would ring your bell: Deacon Jones, Alan Page, Bruce Smith.