Jim Brown Highlights

[dell71]

Yeah, I remember that thread and the 20 more that popped up just like it.

[packersfan4eva]

Barry Sanders put up some of the best stats in the NFL history while playing for the damn Lions. If he played for a great team, he'd be ahead of Smith in every rushing category.

[Fox1994]

Technically speaking, we're off-topic... But we're in the off-season, so fuck it.

[FirstTimer]

That said, your argument about Emmitt being the more complete back, thus making him the better back, loses a lot of water with me when I go down the list a couple notches and see Jerome Bettis over LaDainian Tomlinson. .

You must have glossed over the part of my post where I talk about the mincing over the "complete back" thing is more important when discussing the Top 3-4 runningbacks of all time because they are so close.

Filling out 5-10 is much harder than filling out 1-4 so it starts to get a bit more dicey. Frankly having Bettis there could have somewhat to do with him being a former Notre Dame guy. Always loving his running style and feeling the need to have a big bruising back in the Top 10. I've heard people argue Campbell should be there instead and I wouldn't fight it. Move LT above Bettis too for all I care. The case could be made. This was just a list I copied and pasted from a thread almost a year ago.

[FirstTimer]

Barry Sanders put up some of the best stats in the NFL history while playing for the damn Lions. If he played for a great team, he'd be ahead of Smith in every rushing category.

Lions of early to mid 90's =/= to Lions of today.

In bold: Not this retarded argument again...............

If Jim Brown had played longer then noone would get his records.

If Payton hadn't played for some of the most pathetic offenses ever Smith and Sanders would have never even been close to passing him......

If Peyton Manning had Jerry Rice and Randy Moss he'd throw 70 TD's a year...............

If my grandma had nuts she'd be Nuk.....

[Senser81]

I'd be hard pressed not to bump Sanders up to #2 , possibly even the top spot. I swear he did things that seemed like magic. Yes, I saw plenty of Sayers and O.J.

No Bo Jackson? Eric Dickerson? Marshall Faulk? Terrell Davis? I have to go find some clips of your 7 & 8. I've seen some but it's been YEARS. Thanx.

Sayers was magic as well...more fluid and spindly than Sanders, but very similar in that they just needed a small opening and then were gone. There a ton of great Sayers runs and returns, and the amazing thing to me is that all those clips are from essentially a 5-year period. The difference between the two IMO is that if you watch Sayers, every move/fake he makes is done while his body is moving forward. Sayers is always running toward the goal-line. Barry is more of a stop-start guy, who would shuffle side to side before hitting the hole (Franco Harris would actually do this, too, but he was a bigger, slower RB).

OJ Simpson was a big RB at 225 lbs, and what people forget is that he was the fastest RB to play the game. I think he and Herschel Walker had the fastest 100 times of any RB ever, and Walker wasn't nearly as elusive as Simpson. Simpson was the total strength/speed package.

Bo Jackson was awesome. He would be a good top 10 choice. Dickerson was very productive, but he fumbled a lot and just wasn't very "distinctive". Maybe I'm selling him short. Faulk was a great all-around RB, but not in the same "runner" class as the other guys (if that makes sense). Terrell Davis was one of my favorite, but he always seemed like an effort guy. Not super fast, not super big, not super elusive, but very tough and always gave 100% on every run.

[Senser81]

Leroy Kelly is one of my personal favorites, so I am probably biased towards him. He had good not great stats, he played awhile but not forever, but his ability was evident when you saw him. Here are a couple highlight videos...the great soundtrack is a huge bonus!!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMv1vZN1YLM]YouTube - Leroy Kelly Highlights - Part 1[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17rKofHaAYo&feature=related]YouTube - Leroy Kelly Highlights - Part 2[/ame]

[Saluki]

The top 3-4 RBs of all time is arguable in favor of any of them pretty much based on what type of runner u prefer. It's hard to put one head and shoulders above the rest. I just prefer jim brown.

[jeffx]

Jim Brown
OJ Simpson
Sweetness
Gale Sayers
Barry Sanders
Earl Campbell


That's my Holy Grail of NFL running backs.

[NAHSTE]

Jim Brown
OJ Simpson
Sweetness
Gale Sayers
Barry Sanders
Earl Campbell


That's my Holy Grail of NFL running backs.

Your list looks a lot like mine, at least in terms of personal preference. I love me some Gale Sayers and Earl Campbell highlights. Which is why it's scary to think that Jim Brown was like a combo of both of their running styles.

[Fox1994]

Lions of early to mid 90's =/= to Lions of today.

In bold: Not this retarded argument again...............

If Jim Brown had played longer then noone would get his records.

If Payton hadn't played for some of the most pathetic offenses ever Smith and Sanders would have never even been close to passing him......

If Peyton Manning had Jerry Rice and Randy Moss he'd throw 70 TD's a year...............

If my grandma had nuts she'd be Nuk.....

ROFLMFAO

Sayers was magic as well...more fluid and spindly than Sanders, but very similar in that they just needed a small opening and then were gone. There a ton of great Sayers runs and returns, and the amazing thing to me is that all those clips are from essentially a 5-year period. The difference between the two IMO is that if you watch Sayers, every move/fake he makes is done while his body is moving forward. Sayers is always running toward the goal-line. Barry is more of a stop-start guy, who would shuffle side to side before hitting the hole (Franco Harris would actually do this, too, but he was a bigger, slower RB).

OJ Simpson was a big RB at 225 lbs, and what people forget is that he was the fastest RB to play the game. I think he and Herschel Walker had the fastest 100 times of any RB ever, and Walker wasn't nearly as elusive as Simpson. Simpson was the total strength/speed package.

Bo Jackson was awesome. He would be a good top 10 choice. Dickerson was very productive, but he fumbled a lot and just wasn't very "distinctive". Maybe I'm selling him short. Faulk was a great all-around RB, but not in the same "runner" class as the other guys (if that makes sense). Terrell Davis was one of my favorite, but he always seemed like an effort guy. Not super fast, not super big, not super elusive, but very tough and always gave 100% on every run.

You are. He has the rushing record. :P I agree with most everything you said.

Leroy Kelly is one of my personal favorites, so I am probably biased towards him. He had good not great stats, he played awhile but not forever, but his ability was evident when you saw him. Here are a couple highlight videos...the great soundtrack is a huge bonus!!

YouTube - Leroy Kelly Highlights - Part 1

YouTube - Leroy Kelly Highlights - Part 2

I used to make Cleveland legacy teams on APF 2K8 with him, my Jim Brown CAP, Bobby Mitchell and some of their other greats. Good times, good times.

In all reality, Mitchell was traded to Washington and Leroy replaced him. That year and every year after Mitchell played receiver... On my team, he played receiver, and ran reverses in addition. SO MUCH FUN!

Lots of good linebackers played for Cleveland for a little bit (Brad Van Pelt was a rookie in Cleveland, but played mostly for the Giants; Carl Banks played for Cleveland his first two years, but mostly for the Giants), so I used them (Chuck Noll also).

Wanna know what the fuck is underrated?

Y'all steady talking about JB's perennial 1000-yard seasons... He almost ran for 2000 in 1963 (1863 yards).

That's damned amazing.

[dell71]

You must have glossed over the part of my post where I talk about the mincing over the "complete back" thing is more important when discussing the Top 3-4 runningbacks of all time because they are so close.

Filling out 5-10 is much harder than filling out 1-4 so it starts to get a bit more dicey. Frankly having Bettis there could have somewhat to do with him being a former Notre Dame guy. Always loving his running style and feeling the need to have a big bruising back in the Top 10. I've heard people argue Campbell should be there instead and I wouldn't fight it. Move LT above Bettis too for all I care. The case could be made. This was just a list I copied and pasted from a thread almost a year ago.

I did gloss over that part. That said, I don't see why the same logic can't be applied from 5 down that was used from 1-4. But if you're not sweating it, neither am I.

Sayers was magic as well...more fluid and spindly than Sanders, but very similar in that they just needed a small opening and then were gone. There a ton of great Sayers runs and returns, and the amazing thing to me is that all those clips are from essentially a 5-year period. The difference between the two IMO is that if you watch Sayers, every move/fake he makes is done while his body is moving forward. Sayers is always running toward the goal-line. Barry is more of a stop-start guy, who would shuffle side to side before hitting the hole (Franco Harris would actually do this, too, but he was a bigger, slower RB).

OJ Simpson was a big RB at 225 lbs, and what people forget is that he was the fastest RB to play the game. I think he and Herschel Walker had the fastest 100 times of any RB ever, and Walker wasn't nearly as elusive as Simpson. Simpson was the total strength/speed package.

Bo Jackson was awesome. He would be a good top 10 choice. Dickerson was very productive, but he fumbled a lot and just wasn't very "distinctive". Maybe I'm selling him short. Faulk was a great all-around RB, but not in the same "runner" class as the other guys (if that makes sense). Terrell Davis was one of my favorite, but he always seemed like an effort guy. Not super fast, not super big, not super elusive, but very tough and always gave 100% on every run.

As far as Sanders, you're right lots of stopping and starting. He truly ran in eight directions. People talk about the amount of negative plays he had, but what always impressed me was how many times he turned sure losses into 2 yard gains by avoiding multiple defenders behind the LOS. For me, they're right there with the slight edge to Sanders but you can't go wrong with either.

Good stuff about OJ, he was my idol growing up and certainly amazing. And handy with a knife...allegedly.

I think you're underrating Faulk. The man had fantastic vision combined with unbelievable moves. He just happened to be a gifted pass receiver as well.

[youtube]dulM2B7yp5I[/youtube]

[youtube]dDZpXApE1JA[/youtube]


Adrian Peterson is a current guy I'd consider (yeah, I know about the fumbling). He's both violent and elusive. His power/speed combination really is reminiscent of Brown (with the upright style of Dickerson). Once he gets those fumbles under control, look out.

I know Chris Johnson fans are rolling their eyes but I have to see more Titans games. Can't decide if he's a great runner or just a fast runner, if that makes sense.

[FirstTimer]

I did gloss over that part. That said, I don't see why the same logic can't be applied from 5 down that was used from 1-4. But if you're not sweating it, neither am I.
.

I just think that 1-4 are SO obvious that you really need to get nit picky to separate them.

5-10 aren't really the important ones and IMO you can get a bit more lax with them and include guys that were more one dimensional.

Trust me. I feel and see the contradiction as well and see your point.

[ram29jackson]

Toney Dorsett

12,739 yards rushing