Barry Sanders on ESPN

#1
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TNBV

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#1
On Mike and Mike, when asked people he tried to avoid (due to being big hitters), first name he mentioned was Reggie White! Maybe due to my age and watching Barry Sanders on TV every Thanksgiving as a teenager, but he is the all time best NFL RB in my opinion, with WP a close second.
 
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#2
#2
Best I ever saw (as was Reggie), but I wouldn't argue with someone who told me it was Jim Brown. Way before my time, but he was head and shoulders above everyone else in his era.
 
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#3
#3
I agree that Sanders was the GOAT. He made the most out of nothing. That line he played behind for years was far from being all-pro. And he was still incredible. And a good guy.
 
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#4
#4
Agreed. Barry is the best to ever carry the rock. His 30 for 30 is awesome too. Every touchdown he ever scored, he carried the ball over to the ref and headed for the bench. Humble as they come. Jim Brown was just bigger and stronger than the players of his era...watch that 30 for 30. Brown would be slow and average today. Barry would dominate in any era... current players agree.
 
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#5
#5
Still have never seen anyone be able to stop his forward momentum and accelerate laterally on a dime like Barry. He would just jump at a 90 degree angle, then gone.
 
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#7
#7
With Sander's, it was like his hips would swivel in the opposite direction his legs were moving. Very freakish, but what a talent. Also, liked he was humble about it all
 
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#8
#8
papatomany said:
Best I ever saw (as was Reggie), but I wouldn't argue with someone who told me it was Jim Brown. Way before my time, but he was head and shoulders above everyone else in his era.
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Same here. My Dad said Jim Brown was the best ever but I liked Barry myself.
 
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#9
#9
xfactorutk said:
I agree that Sanders was the GOAT. He made the most out of nothing. That line he played behind for years was far from being all-pro. And he was still incredible. And a good guy.
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Exactly. If he had played for a good organization there is no telling what his numbers would have been. Elways early years he missed not having a RB and once he got Terrell Davis it helped take all the pressure off doing it alone. Imagine if Elway and Sanders had played together in Denver.
 
#10
#10
Most elusive RB for sure (maybe Sayers was a close 2nd). I would have to have Emmitt at the top.
 
#11
#11
marcusluvsvols said:
Agreed. Barry is the best to ever carry the rock. His 30 for 30 is awesome too. Every touchdown he ever scored, he carried the ball over to the ref and headed for the bench. Humble as they come. Jim Brown was just bigger and stronger than the players of his era...watch that 30 for 30. Brown would be slow and average today. Barry would dominate in any era... current players agree.
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Don't understand the brown would be average. Would he not develop? Would he not have benefited from science and nutrition?
 
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#12
#12
jasonvol18 said:
Exactly. If he had played for a good organization there is no telling what his numbers would have been. Elways early years he missed not having a RB and once he got Terrell Davis it helped take all the pressure off doing it alone. Imagine if Elway and Sanders had played together in Denver.
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Dynasty.
 
#14
#14
Jim Brown was the best RB in NFL history. Probably one of the best, if not the best, atheletes to ever play. Jerry Rice would be in the debate as well for best athlete. NFL backs today are not bigger nor tougher than Brown and he would do today what he did 50 years ago if he were in his prime today like he was back then. He would make "The Bus" look like a tricycle. Sanders had more speed and quicker moves but no one stopped Brown. His avg. yards per game played is still greater than any other RB I believe.
 
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#15
#15
papatomany said:
Best I ever saw (as was Reggie), but I wouldn't argue with someone who told me it was Jim Brown. Way before my time, but he was head and shoulders above everyone else in his era.
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Probably the stupidest decision in the history of football was the Browns decision to punish Brown because the movie "The Dirty Dozen" was not finished when training camp began. He said fine and took his football and went home. The way he protected his body, he still looked good enough to play when he was fifty.
 
#16
#16
Vols520 said:
Don't understand the brown would be average. Would he not develop? Would he not have benefited from science and nutrition?
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I'm one of the old f**ts here and I can assure you Jim Brown would be a hall of famer in his era, this era or any era.

I'm don't intend this to be argumentative or something similar, but I'm one of those guys who believe it's a waste of time and energy to try and say who is the best ever...why anyone finds it necessary to say Jim Brown or Barry Sanders is the greatest football player of all time, Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time, Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer of all time.

Isn't it enough to simply say, for example, Peyton Manning or Michael Phelps is one of the all-time greats to ever play his respective sport? Do we have to label someone as coming up just a bit short when he/she is still an All-Star amongst All-Stars???
 
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#17
#17
You guys are gonna piss off all the dallas fans who think emmit was the best ever.. I always said, if you put Sanders behind smith's o-line, sanders would own every rushing record there ever was.. you would of never know who smith was...
 
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#18
#18
WinginFlorida said:
I'm one of the old f**ts here and I can assure you Jim Brown would be a hall of famer in his era, this era or any era.

I'm don't intend this to be argumentative or something similar, but I'm one of those guys who believe it's a waste of time and energy to try and say who is the best ever...why anyone finds it necessary to say Jim Brown or Barry Sanders is the greatest football player of all time, Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time, Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer of all time.

Isn't it enough to simply say, for example, Peyton Manning or Michael Phelps is one of the all-time greats to ever play his respective sport? Do we have to label someone as coming up just a bit short when he/she is still an All-Star amongst All-Stars???
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Agreed.
 
#19
#19
Emmitt Smith had 160 career TD's versus Barry Sanders 99 TD. Give Emmitt the ball and the edge as a better RB.
PS- I can't stand the 'Boys, but I have to give credit where credit is due.
PSS- Arguing about better O-Lines is not factual
 
#20
#20
aredfox28 said:
You guys are gonna piss off all the dallas fans who think emmit was the best ever.. I always said, if you put Sanders behind smith's o-line, sanders would own every rushing record there ever was.. you would of never know who smith was...
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Maybe Emmitt just made the players around him better?
 
#21
#21
aredfox28 said:
You guys are gonna piss off all the dallas fans who think emmit was the best ever.. I always said, if you put Sanders behind smith's o-line, sanders would own every rushing record there ever was.. you would of never know who smith was...
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I'm a lifelong Cowboys fan and I think Barry was the better back.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
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#22
#22
jkleno said:
Emmitt Smith had 160 career TD's versus Barry Sanders 99 TD. Give Emmitt the ball and the edge as a better RB.
PS- I can't stand the 'Boys, but I have to give credit where credit is due.
PSS- Arguing about better O-Lines is not factual
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Lol
 
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#23
#23
Emmit played with a great QB and WR, and a better line. I like Emmitt, but I would barely put him in the top 5.
 
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#24
#24
MyBloodRunnethOrange said:
I'm a lifelog Cowboys fan and I think Barry was the better back.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
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So am I. The argument was valid until the Cowboys' line began to deteriorate and Smith's numbers began to decline noticeably as well. It then became apparent that Sanders had unquestionably accomplished more with a far less impressive surrounding cast.

As for Jim Brown, he remains the best running back I ever saw, based on the degree to which his achievements surpassed those of his peers. He led the NFL in rushing eight out of his nine seasons as a pro. He was the first back to combine size (6-2, 232 lbs.), power and speed. No, he didn't possess Barry Sanders' elusiveness or broken field running ability. He didn't need those qualities. He remains the only NFL back to average over 100 ypg for his entire career. He was, in essence, a far more durable version of Bo Jackson.
 
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