Is Ladanian Tomlinson a HOFer

[Leftwich]

Barry Sanders split carries, he almost always was benched on any & Goal situations. I'd say he was pretty good.

I think you have to take into account the game at the time. Before, if a running back had 8 1000 yard seasons, they were guaranteed the HoF. But now, 1000 yards isn't what it used to be. Same goes with QB stats with nearly all of the top 5 surpassing 4,000 yards, when it used to be rare. If the style of game is that you split carries with another back (although you still get 25 a game, we'll say), you shouldn't really be punished.

I think Warner is talking more along the lines of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs as backs who get roughly 50% of the carries for the season.

 

[Senser81]

I don't think any RB that splits carries should ever make the HOF. If you are a hall of fame level talent, you won't be splitting carries with anybody.

RBs in the past split carries. The one man backfield thing was something brought about by Sanders and Emmitt Smith, really. Before them, many teams had more of a split backfield, especially in the 1960's and 1970's. You'd have both Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris gaining 1000 yards, or a FB like Jim Otis or Mark van Eeghan leading his conference in rushing. Now, you don't really have a HB/FB split...its more like TB and blocking back. Also, some of the HOF RBs who split carries also performed some other duty. Hugh McEllhenny was a great KR/PR. Paul Hornung was a K. Frank Gifford was a DB and WR.

In sum, it will be interesting to see how history views the split carry RBs of today.

 

[bucky]

So basically, your friends position is that he got old and declined...like every other player in the history of the sport.

Solid argument, your friend has there.

Yep, Johnny Unitas NOT a HOFer.

Knubb, it was good advice from whoever said "get new friends".

 

[ram29jackson]

he may wait a long while to get in..but he will

 

[dell71]

It'll be an injustice if he waits any longer than the first year he becomes eligible. Love him, or hate him, he ranks among the very best backs the game has ever seen. Even with 2 crappy years in NY, he's averaged very near a TD per game for his career. Among backs that have at least 100 TDs only Jim Brown surpasses him in this category. Like others have said this really isn't worthy of debate.

 

[Villain]

[youtube]7ij1e0he_sM[/youtube]

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

RBs in the past split carries. The one man backfield thing was something brought about by Sanders and Emmitt Smith, really. Before them, many teams had more of a split backfield, especially in the 1960's and 1970's. You'd have both Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris gaining 1000 yards, or a FB like Jim Otis or Mark van Eeghan leading his conference in rushing. Now, you don't really have a HB/FB split...its more like TB and blocking back. Also, some of the HOF RBs who split carries also performed some other duty. Hugh McEllhenny was a great KR/PR. Paul Hornung was a K. Frank Gifford was a DB and WR.

In sum, it will be interesting to see how history views the split carry RBs of today.

Teams 40+ years ago were also rushing the ball more. You weren't going to give one guy 500 carries. Those Dolphins teams for example probably ran the ball well over 600 times. The Giants used two backs this past season, and I doubt either of them ran the ball 200 times.

And whoever said Barry Sanders split carries, well, that's just ridiculous. I'm willing to bet he accounted for 80-90% of the Detroit's rushing attempts during his career.

The best RB's in the game today carry the full load. Arian Foster, Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones Drew, Ray Rice, these guys don't leave the field and dominate their teams carries. I think if you are splitting significant carries with Brandon Jacobs, you aren't headed towards Canton.

 

[jaxjaggywires]

His postseason shrinking act would be the big thing against him getting in on the first ballot. If voters can get past that, he's in easy.

 

[FirstTimer]

His post season numbers are comparable to Payton's.

:kanye:

 

[dell71]

His post season numbers are comparable to Payton's.

:kanye:

Exactly.

 

[jaxjaggywires]

His post season numbers are comparable to Payton's.

:kanye:

He's still got the perception of coming up short/hurt in the playoffs, thereby hurting his team. Payton was part of a Super Bowl champion, and was the all-time leading rusher when he was up for induction...no way he wasn't getting in on the first ballot. I would say LT's TD numbers should be more than enough to get him in, but it hasn't worked for Cris Carter yet.

Saying that, I think he's a pretty good bet for first ballot. He's definitely a HOFer, at the very least.

 

[dell71]

CC has a few other issues, too. There's been a glut of WRs trying to get in the HOF recently, he played in an era when it's become increasingly easier to throw the ball, there's the admitted drug issues, and he's not the most liked individual, either. AND revisionist history be damned, there wasn't that big a window when people actually thought he was one of the best 3 WRs in the game. I like him & think he should get in but those things are there. LT doesn't have those. He had a long stretch where he was thought of as the very best back in football, and though his image took a hit with the whole sulking on the sidelines during a playoff game thing, he's still pretty well liked.

 

[FUSE]

He definitely is

 

[BigBucs]

Yall slippin. He should be in for this shit alone :dance:

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YkmyNzJQN0I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>​

 

[Tailback U]

Teams 40+ years ago were also rushing the ball more. You weren't going to give one guy 500 carries. Those Dolphins teams for example probably ran the ball well over 600 times. The Giants used two backs this past season, and I doubt either of them ran the ball 200 times.

And whoever said Barry Sanders split carries, well, that's just ridiculous. I'm willing to bet he accounted for 80-90% of the Detroit's rushing attempts during his career.

The best RB's in the game today carry the full load. Arian Foster, Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones Drew, Ray Rice, these guys don't leave the field and dominate their teams carries. I think if you are splitting significant carries with Brandon Jacobs, you aren't headed towards Canton.

I agree completely, but do you think the amount of money the top backs in the game get paid has something to do with it as well?

I don't know what the contracts were like for Csonka and Morris, but I'd think a team wouldn't tie up a bunch of money in two quality backs when they could spend less and just ride 1 until he crumbles?

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Without question yes.

Reminds me of a BIG debate a friend of mine and I had a many years ago...Is Shaun Alexander a Hall of Famer. He was emphatically saying he was...I said "no chance in hell"...

thoughts on that...?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Without question yes.

Reminds me of a BIG debate a friend of mine and I had a many years ago...Is Shaun Alexander a Hall of Famer. He was emphatically saying he was...I said "no chance in hell"...

thoughts on that...?

no

 

[shag773]

*
The best RB's in the game today carry the full load. Arian Foster, Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones Drew, Ray Rice, Lesean McCoy these guys don't leave the field and dominate their teams carries. I think if you are splitting significant carries with Brandon Jacobs, you aren't headed towards Canton.

Fixed.

 

[shag773]

His postseason shrinking act would be the big thing against him getting in on the first ballot. If voters can get past that, he's in easy.

Check out Jim Brown's playoff numbers and tell me if it really makes a difference. He played in 4, had one 100 yard game but averaged 40 yds per game in the other 3 and only scored 1 TD. It doesnt make a difference for RB's..

 

[BigBucs]

Fixed.

Matt Forte