LT ? good? Barry Sanders- still the best back?-or WHO? (drafted, draft)

[PullMyFinger]

Originally Posted by Mr. GE

This has nothing to do what you originally posted... Nice backpedal.

You originally questioned Sayers credentials equating them to Bo Jackson's. Sayers number dwarf Bo's... In the same amt of time.

No doubt Bo is bigger, stronger, and faster. I didn't say anything contrary to that.

Sayers was great for a while, but so was Chuck Foreman of the same era. I would put Foreman right up there with Sayers and he was a more versatile back. Foreman was a great blocker, a GREAT receiver and a pretty damn good runner with great moves.

He was not the only part of the Vikings offense, he had to work for his part of it. In a way, Foreman, Tarkenton and offensive coordinator Jerry Burns invented the "west coast offense" on Metropolitan Stadium years before Bill Walsh was given credit for it because they had a big, bruising RB that happened to be one of the best catching RB's of all time.

I believe it was 1974 or 1975 that Foreman fell just short of winning the rushing title AND the receiving title. Pretty impressive. Sayers career was too short, just like Jackson's.

[Mr. GE]

Originally Posted by PullMyFinger

Sayers was great for a while, but so was Chuck Foreman of the same era. I would put Foreman right up there with Sayers and he was a more versatile back. Foreman was a great blocker, a GREAT receiver and a pretty damn good runner with great moves.

He was not the only part of the Vikings offense, he had to work for his part of it. In a way, Foreman, Tarkenton and offensive coordinator Jerry Burns invented the "west coast offense" on Metropolitan Stadium years before Bill Walsh was given credit for it because they had a big, bruising RB that happened to be one of the best catching RB's of all time.

I believe it was 1974 or 1975 that Foreman fell just short of winning the rushing title AND the receiving title. Pretty impressive. Sayers career was too short, just like Jackson's.

again... I never said Foreman wasn't a great back.

He's not in the same class as Sayers though.

Stick to what I'm saying...

[BigMike50]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

OP asked about the best back, not the best career.

Different story...different criteria I'll go from original list and make the necessary changes:

Originally Posted by BigMike50

I like it but will make some minor adjustments that are strictly my opinions

1) Jim Brown- Most dominate, size and speed.
2) Barry Sanders- Most elusive, quick cutter and hardly ever fumbled.
3) Marshall Faulk- Great back and the greatest receiver coming out of the backfield ever!
4) Emmit Smith- Most consistent, did it the longest, 3 SB nuff said.
5) Walter Payton- Another iron man ran with beauty and grace. Workedout almost as hard as Jerry Rice.
6) LaDainian Tomlinson- Probably would be 3 or 4th if he didn't choke in the post season. Solid back.
7) Eric Dickerson- Probably the best beginning of of a career ever, fumble a lot and got old quick.
8) Earl Campbell- The bruiser, puinsher and the biggest thighs ever.If only he could have stayed healthy.
9) Curtis Martin- Most underrated back ever, very consistent and never ever cough up the ball.
10) Bo Jackson- Just imagine what could have been...................

Now

1) Jim Brown- Still the best anyway you want to slice it!
2) Bo Jackson- Size,speed,agility..could run through you or around you!
3) Eric Dickerson- 1984 that's all that needs to be said.
4) O.J.- World class sprinter speed, found a hole and was gone to the races.
5) Barry Sanders- Made some of the best defenders look like the were back in High School.
6) Gail Sayers- In the open field this man was deadly.
7) Earl Cambpell- Those thighs with 4.5 speed also very strong.
8) Walter Payton- Sweetness with a killer stutter step.
9) Marshall Faulk- How many backs can you line up as a wide out and be effective.
10) Emmit Smith- move him up if you want to include his performance in dancing with the stars.

[Ghengis]

Sayers is the youngest player to enter the hall of fame
Bo...don't know...hall of fame

[mco65]

Best Back = Best Career...
Personally, I think longevity has to be part of the equation. Nobody includes Roger Maris in the same sentence with Hank Aaron yet Aaron never hit 50 HRs in a season much less 61 as Roger did in 1961. One great season or even two do not equal a decade or more of great seasons. It just doesn't.

Timmy Smith had 203 yards rushing the Super Bowl for goodness sakes!. Do you ever hear his name mentioned on any TOP RB list? NO, why.. for 1 game he was the greatest RB ever.. WHY is he never mentioned as greatest RB ever? Because 1 game, even if that 1 game is the SUPER BOWL does not make an all time great RB.. you can't take 1 season and make an all time great RB.. there has to be a resume of greatness, sustainable greatness and Bo never had that.. he just didn't. If he had lasted just a few more years, even as a part timer, he would have likely made my list but he just didn't so he's not on my all time great RB list..

You can put an asterisk by Bo and Gale Sayers if you want and note what could have been but neither are in my top 5. Sayers would probably make my top 10 because he did have several very productive years but Bo?! As great as he was, Bo was a baseball player first and football player second. He just doesn't have the resume regardless of how great he was for the few games he played.

There is a reason Bo Jackson is not in the pro football HOF and a reason he will never be.. he didn't play long enough. Therefore, any RB who is in the HOF has to be ranked above Bo Jackson IMO! I think Bo Jackson is arguable the greatest athlete I have ever seen but he was a part time RB.. nothing more. He came in after a third of the season was over.. he was fresh.. many players/teams were not. I would have loved to have seen him play 16 games a season for 10 years.. he might have been the best EVER but he didn't and so he is NOT!

Bo is NOT in the top 10
NOT in the top 25.
He just didn't have the career.. and IMO longevity has to part of the equation for top RB.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by Mr. GE

Peter King's All-Time Top 10 Running Backs - Video - SI.com
Peter King has OJ #3

I agree with King on OJ being 3rd.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by mco65

Best Back = Best Career...
Personally, I think longevity has to be part of the equation. Nobody includes Roger Maris in the same sentence with Hank Aaron yet Aaron never hit 50 HRs in a season much less 61 as Roger did in 1961. One great season or even two do not equal a decade or more of great seasons. It just doesn't.


Bo is NOT in the top 10
NOT in the top 25.
He just didn't have the career.. and IMO longevity has to part of the equation for top RB.

Longetivity is some of the equation, but then, you have to consider guys like Martin, Smith and Bettis, who pretty much accumulated colossal stats just because of longetivity, and never did anything particuliarly special.

Where do you draw the line, between where a guy has been a game changer long enough for his body of work to matter, and when a guy is practically just falling over past the line 30 times a game for 13 years and quietly accumulates 13,662 career yards and 91 TDS

[mco65]

For me, the window for my TOP 5 has to be 9 or 10 years... I couldn't put a RB that had 5 exceptional ~1700 yard seasons a head of a guy who had 10 ~1500 yard seasons. I think they would be close but the 10 year 1500 yard RB would get the edge in my book. That is why I would put Curtis Martin ahead of guys like Earl Campbell, Gayle Sayers and Eric Dickerson.. even though the 3 mentioned may have been more spectacular for a while. .the longevity of a Curtis Martin would give him the edge in my book.

No doubt Emmitt padded his stats his final 3 seasons.. especially the final 2 in Arizona but prior to that, he had racked up 11 seasons of 1,000 plus yards in a row. That's RARE.. in fact That is the most ever!.. I think Sanders easily could have and would have had 11 in a row had he not retired before hand. So Emmitt's 11 and Sanders 10 are TOPS.. and of Course Jim Brown fell JUST short of 1000 yards twice in his career but 1 of those seasons was 12 games and the other was 14.. This is why I have Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and then Emmitt in my top 3.... Payton would have had 11 seasons of 1,000 yards or more if not for the '82 strike shortened season.. and Curtis Martin had 10 in a row which is why Payton and Martin round off my top 5. These top 5 RBs were GREAT and DOMINANT for a decade.. SO they have a combination of GREATNESS and LONGEVITY.. All the other top RBs fall short of that 9 or 10 year window of greatness...

I get what your saying about routine backs vs game breakers but no RB lasts 13 years if he has not got something special... I didn't pay close enough attention to Martin and Bettis' career but I was keen on Emmitt's and Emmitt did plenty of special things.. PLENTY! But beauty is in the eye of the beholder... what I think is special may not be what you think is special and i understand that..

[Lancet71]

Originally Posted by Mr. GE

Dude... I have my top ten backs posted a few pages back. I have Barrry ranked ahead of Emmit! So who's the one who needs to re-read!





You are just trying to say Emmit sucks... Even going as far to say he hit the lotto and didnt earn his accolades.

and thats just not true! So your hate for Dallas is preventing you from thinking clearly and being objective.

I never said Emmitt sucks but yes, he did hit the lotto and because of that his stats were padded. I still think that he is an all-time great but not to be mentioned in the same breath as Barry Sanders.

[mco65]

I have no problem putting Emmitt and Barry in the same sentence.. most logical football fans do as well. There are always going to be few odd balls..