Best Running Back Of All Time???

[wesrman]

Whos your pick and why???

[Silly String]

Sweetness. He was the model 3 down back, he worked out hard and ran harder, he never backed down and always went for that extra yard, he never talked much smack and just smacked people on the field.
Oh yeah, and he gets cool points for those endzone leaps.

Never saw Jim Brown, but I hear he was good. Barry would have been better with an O-line stronger than papier-mache. Barry's problem was he could single handedly score a touchdown in a series or kill a series. He was always like: 2yds, 0yds, 2yds, -3yds, 0yds, 1yd, 88yds.

[Jack Sawyer]

Bo Jackson: What If...

Also, Jim Brown + Sweetness + Tomlinson

[a500lbgorilla]

aren't we forgetting Mendenhall?

[wesrman]

Bo Jackson: What If...

My fav of all time and the reason im a Raider Fan.

[bigred]

barry

[Lukie]

This question always cracks me up because people always blurt out "Barry Sanders" (an absolutely phenomenol runner) with such certainty but the person is never even remotely qualified to answer that. Like they certainly never watched any of them play and never watched any film on any of the backs (but they have watched a highlight reel or two and have friends with strong opinions).

I'm going to buck that trend, and the whole unquestioned browns loyalty thing, and go with Walter Payton.

[mcatdog]

Great post, Lukie, totally agree. I always like your sports posts because unlike most people, you don't blurt out strong opinions unless you actually have a reason for that opinion.

[Lukie]

man, if Sanders just played a few more years he could so easily have made this *not* even a question.

[will641]

good post lukie.

i honestly didnt watch football when he played (although i saw him live(although i didnt know who he was at the time)), but one of my coaches who is a huge sports fan who described him as very over rated. now its possible he had some bears bias in there, but he said barry would basically get stuffed like 4-5 plays, but then bust for a 20 yarder or w/e. not the kind of back where you could run 3 plays, and have a decent expectation of picking up the first.

[WildBobAA]

Barry Sanders obv because I'm a homer.

Also, all those other guys played for good teams. Barry put up his numbers playing for the Lions and had no offensive line to run behind.

[Lukie]

Barry Sanders obv because I'm a homer.

Also, all those other guys played for good teams. Barry put up his numbers playing for the Lions and had no offensive line to run behind.

Not to say that he had an all-world line, but he had some good players to run behind e.g. Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover.

Add this to the folklore.

[WildBobAA]

Lukie why are you picking Payton over the other people?

[wesrman]

Barry Sanders obv because I'm a homer.

Also, all those other guys played for good teams. Barry put up his numbers playing for the Lions and had no offensive line to run behind.

Not to say that he had an all-world line, but he had some good players to run behind e.g. Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover.

Add this to the folklore.

Its not just the line that allows you to run the ball. He never had a passing game to take the pressure off of him.

He may not be the clear cut best of all time, but hes definately the most talented and funnest to watch.

[Silly String]

Bo Jackson: What If...

My fav of all time and the reason im a Raider Fan.

Does that make you a Royals fan too?

man, if Jim Brown just played a few more years he could so easily have made this *not* even a question.

FYP

[wesrman]

Bo Jackson: What If...

My fav of all time and the reason im a Raider Fan.

Does that make you a Royals fan too?

No it doesnt.

Im a Jays fan, but i havent really liked baseball since i was little.

[lolzzz_321]

where is priest holmes?

[mcatdog]

[bigred]

Can I change my vote to Tom Brady?

[wesrman]

Can I be any gayer?

FYP.

[ProZachNation]

OJ juked a murder charge

[swiggidy]

Regie Bush

And wes, your sig is really ghey.

[Hawk]

Shaun Alexander

[wesrman]

Regie Bush

And wes, your sig is really ghey.

Better???


I voted for Walter Payton BTW.

[swiggidy]

yeah, but I still adblocked it cuz moving shit tilts me

[Numbr2intheWorld]

the most talented was probably Sanders. The most accomplished are payton and smith. The best... idk they were all incredibly good.

[Ragnar4]

Barry Sanders and it's not even close.

& LOL at the idea that Sanders was behind a "Good line" He recently said himself that if he were behind the Broncos or Dallas Front 5 he could have done some pretty spectaular things.

Hell, I'll bet 50% of his yards came from broken running plays that went the other way.. then the other way... then the other way... then.. you get the point.

[mrhappy333]

man, if Sanders just played a few more years he could so easily have made this *not* even a question.

I agree 100%. WTF the dude just ups and retires when he's on the edge of Super Immortal

[bode]

man, if Sanders just played a few more years he could so easily have made this *not* even a question.

I agree 100%. WTF the dude just ups and retires when he's on the edge of Super Immortal

he wanted to be able to walk when he is 50 years old. cant really blame him.

[blackatom]

Jim Brown
12312 yds in 9 seasons
four-12 game seasons and five-14 game seasons
5.2 ypc
/thread

[metaxy6]

I'd really like to be able to say Jim Brown, because that guy was a monster who seems to have had everything you could want in an RB. It just doesn't seem right to make that claim just based on footage, stats, and hearsay. It's about whole games, not just big plays. So, I'm going with Walter Payton. Feel comfortable as I saw Payton play a fair amount and saw Barry play lots, including 10-12 times live.

If RB were just a matter of playmaking/freestyle running, then Barry wins hands down. But an RB has to be able to make short yardage as well as big plays. An RB has to catch passes out of the backfield. An RB has to block. That's all part of the job description.

Short yardage: You just don't want to give Barry the ball on 3rd and 2, unless it's just for kicks to see what might happen (didn't stop the Lions from doing it all the time). Payton could run reliably between the tackles as well as bust it outside.
Blocking: Barry deserves a lot of credit for effort, but he was just an average to good blocker. Payton more solid there.
Catching passes: Barry was above average - even good - catching the ball, but Payton was very good to awesome in that category.

Of course, Barry would have been more productive if he had a better line. But, as noted above, his line wasn't awful, just mediocre. It's not fair to say that the Lions didn't have a passing game though, since the Run and Shoot was definitely a dynamic and dangerous passing game. The Lions never had great QB's, but they did have some awesome receivers. In fact, that wide-open offense (that gave him so much space past the front line) probably accentuated Barry's greatest strengths - his vision, cuts, brilliance in space, and sheer playmaking ability - as well as any offense could. Speculation about stats aside, it would have kinda sucked to see Barry in place of Emmitt Smith in the Cowboys' offense.

[BennyLaRue]

I'd really like to be able to say Jim Brown, because that guy was a monster who seems to have had everything you could want in an RB. It just doesn't seem right to make that claim just based on footage, stats, and hearsay. It's about whole games, not just big plays. So, I'm going with Walter Payton. Feel comfortable as I saw Payton play a fair amount and saw Barry play lots, including 10-12 times live.

If RB were just a matter of playmaking/freestyle running, then Barry wins hands down. But an RB has to be able to make short yardage as well as big plays. An RB has to catch passes out of the backfield. An RB has to block. That's all part of the job description.

Short yardage: You just don't want to give Barry the ball on 3rd and 2, unless it's just for kicks to see what might happen (didn't stop the Lions from doing it all the time). Payton could run reliably between the tackles as well as bust it outside.
Blocking: Barry deserves a lot of credit for effort, but he was just an average to good blocker. Payton more solid there.
Catching passes: Barry was above average - even good - catching the ball, but Payton was very good to awesome in that category.

Of course, Barry would have been more productive if he had a better line. But, as noted above, his line wasn't awful, just mediocre. It's not fair to say that the Lions didn't have a passing game though, since the Run and Shoot was definitely a dynamic and dangerous passing game. The Lions never had great QB's, but they did have some awesome receivers. In fact, that wide-open offense (that gave him so much space past the front line) probably accentuated Barry's greatest strengths - his vision, cuts, brilliance in space, and sheer playmaking ability - as well as any offense could. Speculation about stats aside, it would have kinda sucked to see Barry in place of Emmitt Smith in the Cowboys' offense.

This post belongs in Canton, for it is HOF material.

[bode]

Jim Brown
12312 yds in 9 seasons
four-12 game seasons and five-14 game seasons
5.2 ypc
/thread

+1 for Jim Brown. He was such a badass.

[wesrman]

Who voted for the Juice???

[WildBobAA]

This question always cracks me up because people always blurt out "Barry Sanders" (an absolutely phenomenol runner) with such certainty but the person is never even remotely qualified to answer that. Like they certainly never watched any of them play and never watched any film on any of the backs (but they have watched a highlight reel or two and have friends with strong opinions).

I'm going to buck that trend, and the whole unquestioned browns loyalty thing, and go with Walter Payton.

I'm still waiting for the explanation from this post. I mean you say you hate people who just say Barry for no reason and then you do the same thing with Walter Payton and give no actual explanation as to why you picked him, it just seems pretty hypocritical. (and then will and mcat praise you because they also hate ppl who blurt out an answer.........wtf?) And no, I'm not just saying this because I love Barry because I know you're thinking that.

[Jack Sawyer]

Gale Sayers in not on the poll

[Lukie]

This question always cracks me up because people always blurt out "Barry Sanders" (an absolutely phenomenol runner) with such certainty but the person is never even remotely qualified to answer that. Like they certainly never watched any of them play and never watched any film on any of the backs (but they have watched a highlight reel or two and have friends with strong opinions).

I'm going to buck that trend, and the whole unquestioned browns loyalty thing, and go with Walter Payton.

I'm still waiting for the explanation from this post. I mean you say you hate people who just say Barry for no reason and then you do the same thing with Walter Payton and give no actual explanation as to why you picked him, it just seems pretty hypocritical. (and then will and mcat praise you because they also hate ppl who blurt out an answer.........wtf?) And no, I'm not just saying this because I love Barry because I know you're thinking that.

lol, I think it's pretty clear what I said applies to me as well. also nowhere did I ever use the word 'hate' or really imply it. I just think it's kind of funny. again, I'm not qualified to answer this because it's not something I've ever studied, and was brought up on baseball and to a lesser extent, basketball. I do watch a ton of football now and in the last couple years I've tried my hardest to aquire a deeper understanding of the game and I don't believe statistics are the best way to answer this question.

To directly answer your question, the biggest reason is because a couple peoples' opinions who I respect greatly (coaches, former players, and the like) are really, *really* high on Walter Payton, for many of the same reasons as the first response in this thread.

[wufwugy]

not only was barry the best rb, but the best athlete of all time imo.

he was amazing in high school, and was likely undrugged while in the nfl, which is for the most part unheard of. his line and offensive passing strats were so bad that the only time he got anywhere was when he made his own holes, and always vs a defense that didnt have to spend much effort in stopping the pass but in stopping barry. playing against the lions was essentially playing against barry. stop barry, and you stop the lions.

barry was respected by authorities and players within the nfl as the best rb. i believe walter payton even personally told barry he was the best, but dont quote me on that. very rarely if ever was he successfully taken on one on one. barry's agility was so amazing that rod woodson tore his acl just attempting to tackle him.

in an attempt to simulate what catching barry was like an opposing nfl team spent some time chasing a chicken around a field.

barry didnt care about records and personal victories, he cared about the team and the team victories. the only record he was getting into caring about was during the year he was speculated to break the career rushing record, yet he quit short of the goal because he realized that detroit lions management didnt care about winning games. he was as selfless as they come.

wrt skill, usain bolt is the barry sanders of 100m sprinting.

[will641]

"barry was respected by authorities and players within the nfl as the best rb. i believe walter payton even personally told barry he was the best, but dont quote me on that. very rarely if ever was he successfully taken on one on one. barry's agility was so amazing that rod woodson tore his acl just attempting to tackle him."

lol did you copy that out of a biography or something?

[wufwugy]

"barry was respected by authorities and players within the nfl as the best rb. i believe walter payton even personally told barry he was the best, but dont quote me on that. very rarely if ever was he successfully taken on one on one. barry's agility was so amazing that rod woodson tore his acl just attempting to tackle him."

lol did you copy that out of a biography or something?

no those are my words

i read and watch a shitton of non-fiction/documentaries so sometimes my grammar reflects that. i have read barry's autobiography maybe two times.

[wesrman]

i have read barry's autobiography maybe two times.

Nice.

[wufwugy]

i have read barry's autobiography maybe two times.

Nice.

ive watched his video included with the biography about 20 times, and all his highlights on youtube another 20 times. he is definitely the man

but what i find probably most amazing is how dominating he was in high school. thats strong evidence that he didnt juice for the big league, and i strongly believe that pretty much every top top athlete in mega competitive high impact sports for the last two decades is on steroids. if they werent then we'd be seeing a large divide between the best and the absolute best players because steroids have a huge impact on strength, speed, and recovery.

barry otoh could have been one who didnt juice because it doesnt look like he got a whole lot better since high school, and he's not that big, fast, or strong. he was just agile like crazy, and drugs dont affect that as much as they do pure strength and speed due to the higher need for coordination with agility. he's always ran circles around his competition. also his need for recovery was no doubt lower than all other rb's because his running style didnt let him get hit that hard that often. had he played forever like emmitt he would have likely played several years longer than any other rb due to the injury prevention of his rushing technique.

[Chopper]

toss up between barry and emmit. records show barry was best at "yardage before contact." and, emmit was best at "yards after contact."

combine them both and you get jim brown...lol. i just never saw him play, or he may very well be my vote. dickerson was sweet, juice is a criminal, and sweetness carried a team on his back for years.

my honorable mention: tony dorsett. #33 FTW!

[wufwugy]

toss up between barry and emmit. records show barry was best at "yardage before contact." and, emmit was best at "yards after contact."

combine them both and you get jim brown...lol. i just never saw him play, or he may very well be my vote. dickerson was sweet, juice is a criminal, and sweetness carried a team on his back for years.

my honorable mention: tony dorsett. #33 FTW!

you sure its not that emmitt was good at running through hallways created by his awesome line?

[Silly String]

emmit was best at "yards after contact."

you sure its not that emmitt was good at running through hallways created by his awesome line?

Interesting statistic since it is a largely held belief that the Dallas O-line and not Emmit are responsible for his success. Well a belief held by DueceDuece haters anyway. I can't see how the O-Line has much bearing if he was a YAC leader much of his career.

[wufwugy]

emmit was best at "yards after contact."

you sure its not that emmitt was good at running through hallways created by his awesome line?

Interesting statistic since it is a largely held belief that the Dallas O-line and not Emmit are responsible for his success. Well a belief held by DueceDuece haters anyway. I can't see how the O-Line has much bearing if he was a YAC leader much of his career.

offensive strategies and skill of blockers will play a big role here.

emmitts blockers were amazing, and due to being so good they providing larger gaps between emmitt and his would be tacklers. what this does is allows emmitt to be running faster (harder to tackle) easier while the defenses first contacts with him were often from a less advantageous angle with less force behind them and with fewer points of contact per individual

barry otoh was not given a good blocking offense strategy (his line may have actually been pretty decent, but he often didnt have a fullback or tight end not to mention other highly important factors, and so his opposition was not as easily held at bay and so first contact would be at points where tackling him was easier due to things like him not having built up speed, tacklers being less hindered by blockers and thus being able to attack from a more advantageous angle with more points of contacts and force.

its one thing to break the tackle of a linebackers outstretched arm while being thrusted back by a fullback, yet an entirely different thing running straight into a linebackers zone and still juking him. the latter is something that only a couple rbs have ever been able do regardless of luck, but it was what barry did incessantly.

a statistic may be correct in isolation, but never should one be singly used to evaluate the reasons behind an outcome.

[Silly String]

I agree and poker stats are the same way, but YAC has to count for something. Most 1st contacts would not be from an outstreched arm. I just felt I should give a +1 for Emmit as he is constantly run down for having the best O-line in the game during the 90's.
Oops, my HEM code just arrived, I gotta jet. Later.

[Jack Sawyer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivlxyOGSh2c&NR=1


A) HOF after 68 games
B) Refers to himself in 3rd person

[wesrman]

Bo Jackson: What If...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxnf5Tq-AcY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVgfE...eature=related

[The_OG_Rocco]

Anyone but Orenthal Simpson.
He's a fkng wife beater, an abuser and a murderer.
So FK him and anyone who supports him.
His eternal days of suffering in Hades will come soon enough.
The rat bastard!

[bigred]

Anyone but Orenthal Simpson.
He's a fkng wife beater, an abuser and a murderer.
So FK him and anyone who supports him.
His eternal days of suffering in Hades will come soon enough.
The rat bastard!

typical leftist response imo

[wesrman]

Anyone but Orenthal Simpson.
He's a fkng wife beater, an abuser and a murderer.
So FK him and anyone who supports him.
His eternal days of suffering in Hades will come soon enough.
The rat bastard!

He was found not guilty ldo.

Set loose the juice imo.

Besides "Nicole simpson cant rap" remember.