Who Is The Best RB Of All-Time.... Barry Or Emmit?

[Renz]

Originally posted by Mike Rogers
My two would have been Gale Sayers, or Jim Brown. If I got to go with just one I pick Gale Sayers.

Gale Sayers might win on "potential", but he played too few years to be considered IMO.

I'd go with Jim Brown as the best ever.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Originally posted by FischerKing
Assinine, Assiten, whatever...point is Emmitt still won't hit the 1k mark this season.

There are several backs that I'd take over Emmitt. I think he's soft, he's a better actor than a RB and he's here only to tell tickets.

Shawn

Oh come on, how can you call the NFL's all time leading rusher soft? Emmitt is tough as nails.

But I agree I don't think he will get 1,000.....he'll get 700, with Shipp gaining 1,000

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Originally posted by maddogkf
I'd say Payton. Emmitt had a supporting cast around & arguably the best line in the NFL.

Paytom was a lone wolf & had a good cast for 2-3 years.

However, I think if Bo Jackson would've stayed healthy, he would've been the greatest.

Bo Knows Football

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Agreed!

Bo Jackson was a freak of nature.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

In terms of elusiveness, there is no doubt that Barry Sanders would win that competition. However, in terms of best overall combination of skills, it would have to go, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, then Emmitt. Emmitt has had a fabulous career, but the combination of power and speed that Jim Brown exhibited transcended his sport. When Jim Brown was playing, he truely was a man among boys, and had no peers. Watching old clips of Brown run are amazing, he looks like that overdeveloped kid in the pop warner leagues, absolutely dominating.

 

[Shane]

Anyone who says that Barry didnt play on teams with substandard O-lines is either to young to remember watching those teams or there just talking out there azz! SORRY GUYS!

Yes he played with 2 pro bowlers. So whats the point? Im sorry but if 3/5 of an O-line has little to no talent the whole line will break down which it did very often in Detriot! Barry was nailed in the back field as he was handed the ball more than any RB I have ever seen play and much of it had nothing to do with his dancing style. He was hit so many times before he even had a chance to dance!

Emmitt played behind a line that had what 3 or 4 out of 5 make the Pro-Bowl???? If Im not mistake at one point or another???? With the other one or two also very solid players at that???

Barry was also a better Power runner than Emmitt when given the chance! For some unknown reason Wayne Fonts would always pull Barry at the goal line. Which made zero sense!

Krang,

Dallas pass offense was a very good one and benefitted Emmitt much more than you are making it out! With Michael Irvin and the freaking TE whos name escapes me and several adequate #2 WRs obver the years and the most accurate QB for years in Troy Aikman teams could not key in on Emmitt either!

The guy was an animal and would get it in the endzone!

 

[Krangodnzr]

Originally posted by Shane H
Anyone who says that Barry didnt play on teams with substandard O-lines is either to young to remember watching those teams or there just talking out there azz! SORRY GUYS!

No line that has one hall of famer (Lomas Brown) and another multiple time pro bowler (center Glover) can be considered "substandard". Substandard was OUR line during the mid 90s. I think you are exaggerating how bad his line was, and clearly the Lions passing attack and rushing attack show that.

Yes he played with 2 pro bowlers. So whats the point? Im sorry but if 3/5 of an O-line has little to no talent the whole line will break down which it did very often in Detriot! Barry was nailed in the back field as he was handed the ball more than any RB I have ever seen play and much of it had nothing to do with his dancing style. He was hit so many times before he even had a chance to dance!

Apparently the Detroit coaching staff blamed Barry for dancing behind the line of scrimmage too much, as the team was very critical of that the summer that he retired. So Detroit's coaching staff doesn't agree with you. His last year in the league, he led the league in getting tackled behind the line of scrimmage. The very next year, with an assortment of other backs, and a worse line, the Lions improved in not losing yardage. Even Lions fan Arvos agrees...

Emmitt played behind a line that had what 3 or 4 out of 5 make the Pro-Bowl???? If Im not mistake at one point or another???? With the other one or two also very solid players at that???

But how much of their (the line) came from the fact that they had a great runner behind them? Whether you like it or not, Emmitt is a great back, and great backs make their line look better.

Barry was also a better Power runner than Emmitt when given the chance! For some unknown reason Wayne Fonts would always pull Barry at the goal line. Which made zero sense!

Oh come on now, Emmitt was A MUCH better power runner. Wayne Fontes wasn't the only coach that took Barry out. Bobby Ross did as well, and it was due to the fact that Barry wasn't that powerful, and he was better suited between the 20s. I like you a lot Shane, but this is an absurd claim. Emmitt had about twice as many career tds, and is one of the best scorers (top 3 or 4) every.

Krang,

Dallas pass offense was a very good one and benefitted Emmitt much more than you are making it out! With Michael Irvin and the freaking TE whos name escapes me and several adequate #2 WRs obver the years and the most accurate QB for years in Troy Aikman teams could not key in on Emmitt either!

The guy was an animal and would get it in the endzone!

But they aren't even comparable still. The Lions had Perriman, Moore, and Morton, while the Cowboys basically only had Novacek and Irvin. And after Alvin Harper left, Dallas never really had a capable #2 Wr until very recently.

 

[whatchamacallit]

Both you guys make decent points about Smith and Sanders, but neither of them can compare to Jim Brown.

Come on over to my place for a BBQ and I will pop in the DVD of The Dirty Dozen to watch while we are munching.

Of course the movie has nothing to with his football career, but show me a movie that Sanders or Smith starred in and I still wont change my mind as to whom is the best all-time RB.

 

[Shane]

Im glad you like me! I like you too!

I never said that Emmitt wasnt a great back he "WAS" but he wasnt and never will be in the same talent level as Barry Sanders!

You and I both know that regardless of Emmitts record he only has it because one Barry Sanders surprised everyone and decided to retire about 5 years to early!

You are right a running game will make a passing attack better. The same occured in Detroit! While the lions had good WRs there QBs were mediocre at best during Barrys career. So if you ask me its more of a wash!

I dont care what two players were on Detroits o-line. If you think they were anywhere near the talent level of the line Emmitt was able to play behind for almost a decade you are only fooling yourself!

I fully admit that Barry danced behind the line many times but he was also just plain stuffed behind the LOS more times due to bad blocking than because of dancing. Either way you cant argue with a career average of 5.1 yards a rush regardless of the dancing!

That is an obscenely good average! Something only Emmitt could dream of which is sadconsidering the blocking he had. The guy should have rushed for 2000 yards IMO!

 

[whatchamacallit]

Originally posted by Shane H
Im glad you like me! I like you too!

I never said that Emmitt wasnt a great back he "WAS" but he wasnt and never will be in the same talent level as Barry Sanders!

You and I both know that regardless of Emmitts record he only has it because one Barry Sanders surprised everyone and decided to retire about 5 years to early!

You are right a running game will make a passing attack better. The same occured in Detroit! While the lions had good WRs there QBs were mediocre at best during Barrys career. So if you ask me its more of a wash!

I dont care what two players were on Detroits o-line. If you think they were anywhere near the talent level of the line Emmitt was able to play behind for almost a decade you are only fooling yourself!

I fully admit that Barry danced behind the line many times but he was also just plain stuffed behind the LOS more times due to bad blocking than because of dancing. Either way you cant argue with a career average of 5.1 yards a rush regardless of the dancing!

That is an obscenely good average! Something only Emmitt could dream of which is sadconsidering the blocking he had. The guy should have rushed for 2000 yards IMO!

Why can't you say the same things about Jim Brown? He played far fewer games then Sanders and has a better career average of 5.2 yards per carry.

Don't use the excuse that you didn't see him. I didn't see him either. All it takes a little study of the stats and the backs and it is easy to conclude that there has never been another back who is as good as Jim Brown was.

 

[Shane]

Originally posted by whatchamacallit
Why can't you say the same things about Jim Brown? He played far fewer games then Sanders and has a better career average of 5.2 yards per carry.

Don't use the excuse that you didn't see him. I didn't see him either. All it takes a little study of the stats and the backs and it is easy to conclude that there has never been another back who is as good as Jim Brown was.

Jim Brown may well be the best that has played. But he played in a different era so its hard to compare. Barry played in todays NFL where players are bigger, stronger and much faster then they were back when Jim Brown played!

Plus studying just wont do it for me. I believe what I see with my own two eyes. I probably had the luxury of watching Emmitt and Barry play more than 20+ times a piece! My eyes tell me that Barry is the best RB I have ever seen PERIOD! I am old enough to remember Walter Payton and he was a great one no doubt as well!

 

[whatchamacallit]

Originally posted by Shane H
Jim Brown may well be the best that has played. But he played in a different era so its hard to compare. Barry played in todays NFL where players are bigger, stronger and much faster then they were back when Jim Brown played!

That also means that the RBs have also progressed physically. No other RB dominated his era of play like Jim Brown. As a matter of fact, if Jim Brown hadn't surprised everyone and retired when he was only 30 he most likely would still hold the rushing yardage record today. Take into account that Brown never played a 16 game schedule and that a lot of his travel was by train and not by jet ... and you get the best RB that ever played the game.

 

[Charles V]

Barry quit.

 

[JHall]

Jim Taylor.

 

[Billy Flynt]

Like in every other sport, it is very hard to compare athletes from different eras. Between contemporaries like Barry and Emmitt, I have to pick Barry.

Overall, Jim Brown dominated like no other back. Similar to the way Babe Ruth did in baseball during his time.

Walter Payton and Gayle Sayers also deserve consideration. If I had to rank them. (top 8)

Jim Brown
Walter Payton
Barry Sanders
Emmitt Smith
Gayle Sayers
Eric Dickerson
OJ Simpson
Marshall Faulk

 

[whatchamacallit]

Originally posted by casablanca
Jim Brown
Walter Payton
Barry Sanders
Emmitt Smith
Gayle Sayers
Eric Dickerson
OJ Simpson
Marshall Faulk

Excellent list and reasoning. Just to round off my top 10 I would include Earl Campbell and Marcus Allen.