Who is the greatest Running Back of all time?

[quote name='liquidsnake']Barry Sanders[/quote]

Thank you!

I second that. He would've crushed Paytons record if he stuck around! Payton is a very close second.

If anyone says Emmitt Smith, I am going to scream!
 
Definitely Barry Sanders.
I know my opinion may be a little hometown biased, but remember this guy had an absolutely HORRID offensive line for many years and still put up great numbers. Since they couldn't block they were just told to stay the hell out of his way.
 
I go with Barry Sanders. I remeber when he made it to number two and jsut retired. I still don't get why he didn't go for the glory of number 1. I guess he had finally gotten enough money.
 
Yes i will say Emmitt Smith was my Favorite back ever since i started watching football when i was 10 in 1994.....He is the best RB ever!!!! But he shoulda retired instead of going to Arizona lol
 
Barry Sanders was the greatest running back of all time. If he didn't retire earlier he we pwn the records... and when you consider he did it all with Detroit, that makes him that much better.
 
i bascially rank them in "tiers"

1st tier-Barry Sanders (no one else even close)

2nd tier- Jim Brown, Walter Payton

3rd tier- Emmitt Smith, Marcus Allen, Herschel Walker, etc etc (lots of others)
 
I can't pick a top, as the top 5 really would be great to have on any team,

My top 5.

Barry Sanders, Payton, Sayers, Brown, OJ (he was awesome) E. Smith would be my replacement if I had to remove all double murderers.
 
[quote name='pimpinc333']Yes i will say Emmitt Smith was my Favorite back ever since i started watching football when i was 10 in 1994.....He is the best RB ever!!!! But he shoulda retired instead of going to Arizona lol[/quote]

Aaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!! :D
 
Jim Brown. As good as Barry was, he won a total of 1 playoff game (vs Cowboys 1992. I watched the special on him on the NFL network last night).
 
[quote name='cleaver']Jim Brown. As good as Barry was, he won a total of 1 playoff game (vs Cowboys 1992. I watched the special on him on the NFL network last night).[/quote]

If I remember correctly, Barry's supporting cast wasn't much to write home about though. You can't win in the playoffs with just a running back.
 
[quote name='chickenhawk'][quote name='cleaver']Jim Brown. As good as Barry was, he won a total of 1 playoff game (vs Cowboys 1992. I watched the special on him on the NFL network last night).[/quote]

If I remember correctly, Barry's supporting cast wasn't much to write home about though. You can't win in the playoffs with just a running back.[/quote]

Yes, but Joe Montana is normally regarded as a better quarterback than Dan Marino, when Marino is probably the better of the two. Being able to finish the system and get to the dance means more than it should.

I understand many many people only know more current RBs, but Barry Sanders was good, however he's not much better than many of the RBs of his era (Emmit Smith, Bo Jackson (if he hadn't gotten hurt),etc). Jim Brown was to football as Tiger Woods was to golf, unquestionable twice as good as anyone before him. It's hard to say who is the better of the two, its really a different game they played.. but Brown had a bigger impact and was a bigger deal in his day. He gets the gold plaque, no question.
 
[quote name='chickenhawk'][quote name='cleaver']Jim Brown. As good as Barry was, he won a total of 1 playoff game (vs Cowboys 1992. I watched the special on him on the NFL network last night).[/quote]

If I remember correctly, Barry's supporting cast wasn't much to write home about though. You can't win in the playoffs with just a running back.[/quote]

People dis Barry's supporting cast, but they had some monster players - Porcher, H Moore, Perriman, Spielman, some O-lineman that was there forever. Payton's supporting cast was crap until the end of his career. Jim Brown I'm not sure, but he had the best win percentage of the holy trinity.

And the Patriots have won 2 out of the last 3 Super Bowls with little or no running game, and the Bucs really couldn't run the ball either.
 
[quote name='tyecko'][quote name='chickenhawk'][quote name='tyecko']Marshall Faulk[/quote]

I hope that is a joke.[/quote]

Why[/quote]

Because Marshall Faulk is a good running back. He is nowhere close to the best running back of all time.. maybe top 25, maybe. And to whomever said Ricky Williams, you're an idiot.
 
Such little love for Gayle Sayers.... dang.


Through a few more

Eric Dickerson...

Earl Cambell..

Curly Lambeau...

Marcus Allen,

John Riggens

Tony Dorsett
 
Jim Brown:
Led the NFL in rushing for eight years.
NFL's Most Valuable Player, 1958, 1965
Rookie of the Year, 1957
Played in nine straight Pro Bowls
Career marks: 12,312 yards rushing, 262 receptions, 15,459 combined net yards, 756 points scored.

He was insane and played even less than Barry did...
 
Definately Jim Brown. The man dominated. Teams would throw everything they could at him in an attempt to stop him, but he would still grind out the yards.
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb']I understand many many people only know more current RBs, but Barry Sanders was good, however he's not much better than many of the RBs of his era (Emmit Smith, Bo Jackson (if he hadn't gotten hurt),etc).[/quote]

Given where we live I can see why we would stick up for our local running backs but come on.
Barry only a little better than Emmit and Bo?!?!
Bo was a freak of nature, but there was no way his body was going to sustain a long career running like he did.
And Emmit?? If he and Barry traded teams in the early and mid 90's I'd be very interested to see what their numbers would be.
 
[quote name='johnnyoski'][quote name='Cornfedwb']I understand many many people only know more current RBs, but Barry Sanders was good, however he's not much better than many of the RBs of his era (Emmit Smith, Bo Jackson (if he hadn't gotten hurt),etc).[/quote]

Given where we live I can see why we would stick up for our local running backs but come on.
Barry only a little better than Emmit and Bo?!?!
Bo was a freak of nature, but there was no way his body was going to sustain a long career running like he did.
And Emmit?? If he and Barry traded teams in the early and mid 90's I'd be very interested to see what their numbers would be.[/quote]

Emmit Smith is somehow given no credit, I realize he's gone way down, but he's easily comparable to Barry. And explain that comment about Bo Jackson.. he ran very similarly to OJ and Payton, who both had long careers. Did Barry turn heads the way Jim Brown did, the way Tiger did, the way Lebron did.. no. He wasn't that big a difference.
 
Barry didn't turn heads the way they did? I think there have been just as many highlights of Barry's runs as any other running back you could mention.

Just a few final thoughts on Barry vs. Emmit....
Emmit was a GOOD back on a great team. Barry was a great back on an awful team.
Sure we had Herman Moore, but Scott Mitchell? Eric Kramer? Rusty Hilger? Rodney Peete?
Who did Emmit have? Aikman, Irvin, Harper, Novachek and a real O-Line.

I personally never got to watch Jim Brown play so I have to base my opinions off of stats and highlight reels. Both of their stats are obviously awesome, the running styles are night and day and they both ended their careers too early.

I will personally vote for Barry, but remember, even Barry's dad said he wasn't as good as Jim Brown, so that cancels my vote.
 
[quote name='cleaver']

People dis Barry's supporting cast, but they had some monster players - Porcher, H Moore, Perriman, Spielman, some O-lineman that was there forever. Payton's supporting cast was crap until the end of his career. Jim Brown I'm not sure, but he had the best win percentage of the holy trinity.

And the Patriots have won 2 out of the last 3 Super Bowls with little or no running game, and the Bucs really couldn't run the ball either.[/quote]

What did those guys do without Barry though? Not much!

And your second point is exactly what I am talking about, although a running game was much more important in the past than it is now IMHO.
 
[quote name='Deadpool']The one and only Bo Jackson. IMO LaDanian Tomlinson is quickly moving up that ladder tough.[/quote]

Welcome to the community, but posting in colors is a great way to get people to ignore your every comment.
 
[quote name='cag1000']Brian Westbrook

Philadelphia Eagles[/quote]LOL Westbrook can't even secure a starting job by hisself!

And about the Bo Jackson being a freak of nature thing...it's true! You just had to watch the games he played in. He never much tried to juke, more of just running THRU people. It was definetly a sight to be seen. And Reguardless if his career was cut short or not, he's still by far the best running back i've ever seen.
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb'][quote name='Deadpool']The one and only Bo Jackson. IMO LaDanian Tomlinson is quickly moving up that ladder tough.[/quote]

Welcome to the community, but posting in colors is a great way to get people to ignore your every comment.[/quote]

I'll keep that in mind.
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb'][quote name='Deadpool']The one and only Bo Jackson. IMO LaDanian Tomlinson is quickly moving up that ladder tough.[/quote]

Welcome to the community, but posting in colors is a great way to get people to ignore your every comment.[/quote]

I'll second that that red garbage just cause my retinas to scar.
 
Sweetness and Saunders were great running backs.

Jim Brown however was a GOD.

Those of you who disagree should do some homework.
 
[quote name='Deadpool']The one and only Bo Jackson. IMO LaDanian Tomlinson is quickly moving up that ladder tough.[/quote]

I totally second that statement about LaDanian. The Chargers have long been my favorite team... I wish they'd get some players who actually want to win...
 
Sanders and Brown in draw...there are so many factors abd the game was different too that contirbute to me calling it a draw. Also, Bo Jackson and Emmitt Smith were both good, but nowhere even coming close to reaching the best.
 
[quote name='Pylis'][quote name='Deadpool']The one and only Bo Jackson. IMO LaDanian Tomlinson is quickly moving up that ladder tough.[/quote]

I totally second that statement about LaDanian. The Chargers have long been my favorite team... I wish they'd get some players who actually want to win...[/quote]

I can see Team management bringing out the firing squad for the guy that signed David Boston to that obscenely huge contract. I actaully think he should've stuck around cuz I think Phillip Rivers will be a decent QB over the next few years.
 
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