I have basketball goal I want to remove. It is an older in ground metal pole that is filled with concrete. (It’s what the installation instructions said was required, I was young and followed directions.)
I plan on digging a hole on one side. and bringing it down in that direction.
However, after I get it down, I will need to cut it into manageable pieces.
What saw/blade would work best?
I’d just use a pipe cutter and snap the concrete when you are thorough. Unless you added some reinforcement it should have little bending strength.
3" pipe?
Yes, 3" pipe.
No, No reinforcement.
I’ve used an 4" angle grinder with an abrasive cutoff wheel to cut several goal posts down
are you referring to this type of pipe cutter?
And by snap, Smack the short length with a sledge hammer?
Yes, and were it me I’d support the short end with a brick or something a few (3-5) inches tall and whack it at the joint. I have an old Rigid pipe cutter, so lot’s better leverage.
Randy’s suggestion of a cutoff wheel will also work, but I suspect it’s more effort. I’m lazy.
I’m with Randy. I would use a cut off wheel. If you have a big enough pip cutter that would probably work, too. Without rebar in concrete is is pretty easy to crack/fracture/break. I had a basketball goal much like you describe, too. I soaked next to the base with water, rocked the goal back and forth after digging a little around it and then pushed it over. The length of the pole makes a helluva lever. (You can attach a rope to it to pull if you need to) My pole actually had joints in it so I just removed the screws and separated the joints.
Same with the backboard. It was great while it was up. My son and I played a many a game on it.
To get the pole out in the first place I have had great results from wrapping a chain around the pole so it pinches itself, then routing it over an upright car spare tire (so it rolls), then to the back of a truck. Then slowly drive. Poles just pop up out of the ground 
Redid all my fence poles (about 20) in about 30 minutes this way.
That is quite ingenious. That is, of course, assuming you have the space to drive a truck to pull it out. A great idea though. Were your fence posts wood or steel?
I say that we take inspiration from one of the classic inventors of yore.
Probably closer to the final results I will acheive.
I have done this on both wood and steel. Sometimes it can pull the pole out of the concrete so probably a good idea to soak the ground a little first and wiggle as much as you can
If you do pull the pole out, definitely make sure that the chain you pull it out with is about 5-10 ft longer than that pole is tall. And absolutely make sure that the vehicle you’re pulling with can handle the tension from the chain without ripping off the bumper. And also, speaking from experience, a little bit of work with a shovel around the side that you’re pulling on will make everything come out a lot smoother and easier.
This is where a heavy duty winch mounted to a 2" receiver on a truck would work great - to pay out enough wire rope as far as needed.
(Tangent alert)
A relative has a storage stand with a 12K lb winch on a hitch mount, and a range of recovery supplies. But usually the winch, and a battery, some tree saver straps, chains, shackles and whatnot get loaded on a heavy 4 wheel garden cart, and towed where needed, usually by the lawn tractor. We have pulled plenty over with just the 30 hp compact tractor in 4WD, but the winch can hold tension a lot better, and has a lot more useful pull anchored to a tree than 4WD can generate in that sandy soil.
Last time I used it we took down an 18 inch diameter not so live oak that was leaning hard towards a structure. We had a second low stretch line to help ensure we didn’t loose control of it, and pulled it 180 opposite of its natural fall as we cut it down. Probably the best rehearsed planned exit of any tree falling I remember doing.
This is great! Tangent alert!
