All time best Running BAck!!!

[Gitrdone]

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: Emmit quit went it was time to quit. barry said screw my team, I'm outta here. Kinda like a RB who used to play for the Fins.:shakeno:

He asked to be traded so he could win a Superbowl. They turned him down. He didn't wanna continue to play just to set records. Nowhere close to what Ricky did to Miami. Barry gave Detroit 9 Great seasons. Ricky gave us 1 great season and another season where he was sluggish running to the hole. Sure our oline and wanny didn't help much either. Other teams trade players when they ask to be traded. Heck the trade could have helped Detroit.

Oh please so if Emmitt quit in 97 I guess he would definitley be the best RB of all time just not have the rushing record and he would still be pretty damn close to the rushing TD record. It is called desire and love for the game something Barry didn't have. Look at Marino the Dolphins never won a superbowl but he still had desire and love for the game. Barry didn't have that he put himself before his team, something Emmitt would never do or did do.

Yes but every year they had a team that had a chance to make it to the big game.

Barry wanted the chance, Detroit said no you are staying here. So he decided to retire. What was detroit going to do with him? They had nowhere close to a good enough team to win the SB. Heck they had a hard enough time getting into the playoffs.

And wow Emmitt has the rushing record over Payton by what 440 yards? On 200 more carries? Emmitt is not the best, nor is Barry in my mind.

Payton and Brown both come before them.

 

[FinsDontGiveIn]

Cecil Collins.

Seriously though...most of us are mentioning players we've seen in our lifetime. That's why most of the young folks on this board (myself included) don't realize just how dominate Jim Brown was. There's a reason why most coaches, ex-players, and sports writers say he's the best to ever play.

The best RB I've ever seen play in my 25 years of existence is Barry Sanders.

We as Fin fans should know as well as anybody that if you quit in your prime you should't even be considered. Sure Jim Brown was great....but not the greatest. The greatest don't quit.

 

[Gitrdone]

Drives win football games and Barry was a drive killer. So what if you break a couple of big gains in a game. All that does is make stats look good. I watched Barry and I've watched Emmit. I would take Emmit anyday. He made drives happen. Barry made punts happen. Maybe Barry should take some of the blaim for Detroit sucking for so many years. Someone said he left because Detroit couldn't "give" him a SB, Well if he was the greatest back of all time than why didn't he give them a sb?

If you watch football you should know by now it takes more then just having a good running back to win the SB. Detroit didn't have all the pieces like Dallas had.

 

[FinsDontGiveIn]

Let me try to explain what I mean about players who quit in there prime, because some aren't getting it.......Let's say you have a prize fighter...Dominating a fight...but in the 5th round he decides he doesn't have the heart to finish the fight....Does this make him the greatest fighter of all time? Fact is, you wouldn't even remember that guy's name. Emmit and Walter are the best of all time because the won the belts and went the distance.

 

[cowboyfrank82]

If you watch football you should know by now it takes more then just having a good running back to win the SB. Detroit didn't have all the pieces like Dallas had.

At that time Offense I feel won superbowls. Look at em from when the 49ers won em to when the bills should have beat the giants to when the redskins won then dallas twice then sf then dallas then GB then denver twice. Emmitt was a big part of Dallas offense and if you want to say you could just throw any RB behind that line look at when Emmitt held out the first 2 games of 93 dallas was 0-2 he came back they finished 12-4 and won the Superbowl. The first game that season they got beat by Washington 35-16 without Emmitt in the 15th Game they had Emmitt and they stomped the skins 38-3 then the following week Emmitt plays the best game I ever watched him play against the Giants showing his heart to bring them through to win the NFC East over the Giants in Overtime and Emmitt won his 3rd consecutive rushing title that year missing the first 2 games. I don't think you can say one bad thing about Emmitt Smith he is everything a RB should want to be.

 

[cowboyfrank82]

At that time Offense I feel won superbowls. Look at em from when the 49ers won em to when the bills should have beat the giants to when the redskins won then dallas twice then sf then dallas then GB then denver twice. Emmitt was a big part of Dallas offense and if you want to say you could just throw any RB behind that line look at when Emmitt held out the first 2 games of 93 dallas was 0-2 he came back they finished 12-4 and won the Superbowl. The first game that season they got beat by Washington 35-16 without Emmitt in the 15th Game they had Emmitt and they stomped the skins 38-3 then the following week Emmitt plays the best game I ever watched him play against the Giants showing his heart to bring them through to win the NFC East over the Giants in Overtime and Emmitt won his 3rd consecutive rushing title that year missing the first 2 games. I don't think you can say one bad thing about Emmitt Smith he is everything a RB should want to be.

oh yeah plus he was Super Bowl MVP that year come on now. Oh yeah and to say Barry never had the chance in 91 I remember that the Lions actually eliminated Dallas from the playoffs and the Lions went on to get stomped in the NFC Championship game so to say Barry never had the chance to make it is false.

 

[cowboyfrank82]

If you watch football you should know by now it takes more then just having a good running back to win the SB. Detroit didn't have all the pieces like Dallas had.

Oh yeah lets not forget Herman Moore who at the time was an excellent reciever who at one point and time I believe had the most catches in a single season:roflmao:

 

[Dbergan]

Jim Brown was probably the greatest ever.

In my lifetime...hands down it was E. Smith. He WAS gator football and then he WAS a SB champ w/ the boys. Not saying he was the most amazing dude to watch...he just got it done...nuff said... :wink:

 

[Noodle Arm]

We as Fin fans should know as well as anybody that if you quit in your prime you should't even be considered. Sure Jim Brown was great....but not the greatest. The greatest don't quit.

You make a good point, but should he have waited until he was a shell of his former self?...playing way past his prime until it became embarassing? (like Emmit did) He played 9 years...9 pro-bowl years...won a championship...and decided to go out on top. Yes the way he retired could have been handled better (he did it while on the set of "The Dirty Dozen") and by all accounts, he's not the most friendly guy to be around but that can't take anything away from his accomplishments. The Browns team and fans were devastated by his loss (even though they still had a good season) it STILL can't be compared to what Ricky did..Brown left on top at age 30, helping his team win, Ricky left to smoke pot after 2 non-playoff seasons.

 

[Saint Greg]

Barry Sanders

 

[J Tes]

I'd have to say 2. These for me are the best IMO to ever play the game they certainly have to be the best

1. Walter Payton
2. Gale Sayers

these are the best backs Chicago had and in my eyes the best and Cedric follows these 2 backs as the best in Bear history and in the NFL

You didnt even get to see them play. Maybe payton in the twilight of his career. How can you make such a statment?

 

[islandah]

Most fun to watch = Barry Sanders
Best of modern era = Emmitt Smith
Best of old school = Jim Brown

Can't really compare JB and Emmitt, because they played in very different eras

Could Barry have been more successful than Emmitt if he played for Dallas and had the long career that Emmitt had? Maybe, but he didn't. Emmitt did the work and gained the accomplishments and deserves the credit for them. And those that think he is overrated skills-wise never really saw his subtle greatness at making defenders miss. They didn't call him "the Natural" for nothing.

 

[FinsDontGiveIn]

You make a good point, but should he have waited until he was a shell of his former self?...playing way past his prime until it became embarassing? (like Emmit did) He played 9 years...9 pro-bowl years...won a championship...and decided to go out on top. Yes the way he retired could have been handled better (he did it while on the set of "The Dirty Dozen") and by all accounts, he's not the most friendly guy to be around but that can't take anything away from his accomplishments. The Browns team and fans were devastated by his loss (even though they still had a good season) it STILL can't be compared to what Ricky did..Brown left on top at age 30, helping his team win, Ricky left to smoke pot after 2 non-playoff seasons.

Jim Brown left football at the age of 29 to persue an acting career. Are you telling me you are a shell of your former self at 29? Come on man, you are reaching.

 

[J Tes]

Let me try to explain what I mean about players who quit in there prime, because some aren't getting it.......Let's say you have a prize fighter...Dominating a fight...but in the 5th round he decides he doesn't have the heart to finish the fight....Does this make him the greatest fighter of all time? Fact is, you wouldn't even remember that guy's name. Emmit and Walter are the best of all time because the won the belts and went the distance.

Lame example. Jim Brown was the best ever hands down. The guy absolutly dominated his era. Was Emmitt Smith great? Yes. But no where in Browns league. All he did differently was hang on for ever to pad his stats. Was Smith a great RB is last 4 or 5 years? No. He was average at best, but he wanted to break the record and hang on for a few more seasons ( on a very bad football team) bulk up his stats. Smith was great, but Brown was better.

 

[FinsDontGiveIn]

Emmitt The Greatest. Period!

The NFL's career rushing touchdowns leader with 155, Emmitt scored 100 career touchdowns during his first 6 NFL seasons, which was the fastest any player in league history has reached that mark. The former NCAA All-American also holds 58 school records at his alma mater, the University of Florida. He's the first player in NFL history with 5 straight seasons of 1,400 yards rushing. Emmitt is the only player with 11 straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons; he has the most rushing attempts in NFL history with 4142. Emmitt also held the record for 9 years for the most rushing touchd

The winner of 4 NFL rushing titles, Emmitt is the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons. On October 27, 2002, he surpassed Walter Payton's All-Time Leading Rushing Record of 16,726 yards to become the NFL's All-Time Leading Rusher. Emmitt enters his 15th football season with 17,418 rushing yards.

During his stellar career, Emmitt has led the NFL in rushing 4 times, won 3 Super Bowl Titles, League MVP honors in1993, the Super Bowl MVP Award (XXVIII), and has been selected to the Pro Bowl 8 times.