TACOJohn:

trojannation:

TACOJohn:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Sanders

Good job. Finally you bring some Football knowledge.

um, ok?

Its a celebration for you... for the first time ever you bring football knowledge!

These threads are good fun, theres one on the 93 Cowboys being the best team ever. Its very difficult to evaluate players from the past because the game has changed so much. What  was Jim Browns time in the 40? Was he fast or did he just run over people? Could he do today what he did in his time? We have to consider the team as well. Some of you have pointed out the advantage of having a great O-line. How about receivers? TOs presense is supposed to help JJ and the ground game so great receivers have to be considered as well. Defense, playing on grass or turf. Too many considerations. It would be easy to just list them in the order the NFL has them but really that is all that matters.

Anyway out of respect for Sweetness he is 1 and Emmitt is 2. Ill let you guys sort out the rest

bleedingreen:

1. Walter Payton - This man had my mouth hit the ground so many times watching him run, it was crazy! Without a doubt, the "sweetest" running back ever. Go watch some film.

2. O. J. Simpson - not on your list but, innocent or not, has to be here.

3. Jim Brown - pound for pound the hardest hitting back there was.

4. Barry Sanders - turn on a dime scat back with amazing speed and abilities. Should have been the all time leader if stayed in the game and had some blockers. most yards got all by himself

5. Gayle Sayers - Walter's  "mentor".  Innovative runner who could glide down the field

 

Sorry for omitting Emmitt. Not intentional. Best durable back and most underrated. Just not in my top five.  Sorry.

When I thought about this list I did not take into account stats or time period. I just thought about great running backs. I was fortunate in seeing all of these players play. Either from first hand experience or just watching re-runs of the games they were in. To watch Walter Payton run was phenominal. Every time he touched the ball was magic. O.J. could muscle and finesse his way through the field. Jim Brown would tear defenses down. It was amazing how many people he ran over and carried on his back during a game. Barry could "slice" his way through any defense. Gayle Sayers was like watching a dancer. There are alot of other athlete's who deserve this honor. The above mentioned captured my attention. Who were yours?

Damien:

These threads are good fun, theres one on the 93 Cowboys being the best team ever. Its very difficult to evaluate players from the past because the game has changed so much. What  was Jim Browns time in the 40? Was he fast or did he just run over people? Could he do today what he did in his time? We have to consider the team as well. Some of you have pointed out the advantage of having a great O-line. How about receivers? TOs presense is supposed to help JJ and the ground game so great receivers have to be considered as well. Defense, playing on grass or turf. Too many considerations. It would be easy to just list them in the order the NFL has them but really that is all that matters.

Anyway out of respect for Sweetness he is 1 and Emmitt is 2. Ill let you guys sort out the rest

Jim Brown was 6'2", 230, had world-class track speed, and by all accounts was one of the strongest men on his team.  He was Bo Jackson before there was Bo.  He could run around or over you depending on the best advantage to him.

Blocking?  They could block, they just didn't.  Not in the beginning.  You see there was still alot of animosity towards black players in the '60s when he played.  Yes even on his own team.  He entered the league in '57 and played until '66.  They played on grass and he was the offense.

the best back to play is emmitt he rertoe record books and people give him no love the best runner is not even in the nfl as in AD adrian peterson the nexxt cowboy back i hope

 

adamc:

the best back to play is emmitt he rertoe record books and people give him no love the best runner is not even in the nfl as in AD adrian peterson the nexxt cowboy back i hope

 

Does anyone understand or know what he just wrote?

Ok this is always about a 4 way tie for me between Emmit Smith, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and Jim Brown

Barry Sanders is the best.

but Emmit has the record and Payton is well Sweetness then Jim Brown was just a bad mofo

If Sanders played a few more years instead of abruptly retiring, he would have the record. He also played on a bad team, unlike the others. He would do better on a good team, like the Cowboys, Bears, or Browns of their eras.

Yeah but look at Jim Brown if he didn't retire early too he would have had a much higher record then Payton's record stood forever untill Emmit broke it and give our boy credit he did break it and yeah Sanders never did have a quality line to run behind but still it's hard to just say he's the best

Baron Samedi:

He would do better on a good team, like the Cowboys, Bears, or Browns of their eras.

Jim Brown was the Browns of his era.

He was as dominant on the Football Field as Wilt Chamberlain was on the Basketball court... and it's a lot harder for one player to take over a football game than it is a basketball game.

Did you check those stats? 104 yds per game *lifetime* average? 5.2 yds per carry *lifetime* average?
17TDs in a 12 game season?  His *worst* season ever translates to over 1700 all purpose yards and 21 TDs (were it a 16 game season)? League MVP 4 of 9 seasons in the league?

How can you say anyone else compares? HOW?  I love Emmitt as much as the next guy, but there's just no comparison.

...and that's without even getting into the racism Brown had to deal with.

You see my point exactly there is something about all of them that makes them great just look at how they played it's like how you said Jim Brown, Wilt Chamberlin, Dr.J Walter Payton, Magic Johnson Barry Sanders, Michael Jordan Emmit Smith they all dominated when they played and each made a name for themselves in their respective eras

Jim Brown had some Hall of Fame players on those teams to help, Sanders had no one.

but he dominated the game he was the main focus and besides it's not like sanders handed himself the ball or had a fake playaction to himself then magically appeared in the slot already in full sprint for a fly nobody plays by themselves but these guys stick out is the point