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Ok, here's a question, since all the women in here go on about shoes and the like, we can use this thread for sports talk.

This is a subject that has been debated where I work forever, and I'd like to get some others' opinions.

Who, do you think, is the best running back of all time?

My standard answer is: Barry Sanders is the best I ever saw. He ran side to side with more efficiency that anyone I've ever seen, and when the hole showed up, (it was never where it was supposed to be, he always had to go looking for it) his initial first step was so quick, he was always by the first guy before he (the would-be tackler) could even register that Sanders had changed direction.

That being said, the best I've ever seen on film, is easily Gale Sayers. My God, that guy could juke guys five yards behind him and make them jump out of their shoes. He was just a bit before my time, though.

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Yea, I always though Jim Brown was sort of overrated. Don't get me wrong, he was impressive, with pure, brute stregth, and could drag piles and whatnot, but there are a lot of guys who could do that. Earl Campbell pops right to mind. John Riggins. Christian Okoye.

I think probably the most overrated RB of all time was Emmitt Smith. Sure, he got all the yards, but he also benefitted from one hell of a line, for a lot of years. He never outran anyone, though. He could be caught from behind his entire career. And he rarely made people miss, you know? He'd get by that first guy, but if he didn't juke the next guy with his first move, he was done.

As far as Csonka goes, he was one mean guy. He could drag a pile, too. LOL.

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I might've stepped on Elvy's back to do it but look at me guys! I do feel badly though. And gee, how does it feel to have a girl on top guys? If I can just get Kevin out of the way.

I've gotten really lucky, but I was bruised and battered there for a couple 3 weeks.

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One of the accepted answers is always Jim Brown, but I only ever saw clips of him running. I'm really a fan of defense and I think I like fullback position better. I saw Larry Csonka play and he was great.

That's a tough question . Eric Dickerson for the old LA Rams comes to mind for the dodge and weave, and , of course , Walter Payton , who had to play on some pretty dismal Chicago teams for a long time . However , your man Tomlinson may just take the cake , JR , if he can keep doing it year after year ( he seems hot one season , pretty warm the next ) -- damn entertaining this year , though ! SD is really utilizing the RB in some interesting ways , I think ( not new , but just not used much ) . Just watch and see other teams adapt some of this trick stuff next year !

I agree with RJ about the 'Jim Brown ' stuff , but that tends to leave one with the same feeling when someone says Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth for baseball . How do you compare , and isn't it so old and different that it's rather irrelevant , now ? Reverence for sports icons becomes a bit fundamentalist amongst many , though , and Jim Brown will likely remain 'the answer' of general acceptance , for awhile , though few fans have ever seen him or followed him . :grin:

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I'm also gonna go with Barry Sanders as the best of all time. But Gale Sayers is a close second. Franco Harris and Larry Czonka could drag guys better than anybody else. I guess Jim Brown was pretty good, but he was a little bit ahead of my time.

And if you remember Mercury Morris....now, that dude could run! He had a lot of the same jukes as Sayers and Sanders, but he had Czonka (and Jim Kiick) in the same backfield, so that limited his carries. You put Morris as the lead back on a decent team, and he averages 12-15 hundred yards a season, easily.

:afro: :afro: :afro: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

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The greatest thing about Payton was he never took a lick. When he finished a run, he put his shoulder down and finished the run. Always gave a shot.

As far as Tomlinson goes, he's probably the best in the game today. I'd give him the nod over Alexander simply because he has a better center of gravity. You don't see him bounce off many guys. His head doesn't move, and he drives through people. A lot tougher to bring down than Alexander.

The running back position has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. The back that just runs the ball is rare. The position has evolved now to where they all have near 2,000+ total yards, because they all catch the ball out of the backfield, as well as run with it. I think you can pinpoint the eveolution of the RB to Marshall Faulk. He redefined a running back's duties.

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Barber and Martin are perfect examples of the evolution of RB. Both have almost as many recieving yards as rushing. Westbrook, Holmes, Portis, McAllister, heck, more than I can think of right offhand. Catching the football is just part of a RB's job.

Ok, now....linebackers. RJ will probably shoot me, but LT was overrated. Did he revolutionize the position? Yes. However, he took a lot of plays off. I would watch him basically mill around on some plays. It would drive me nuts how everyone would call him the greatest ever, when he didn't play every down.

And all those sacks? Yea, I'd have a lot of sacks, too, if I got to get a ten yard running start, untouched. Great pass rushing speed is even more impressive when you've got a DE occupying two offensive lineman. :P

And as far as Butkus goes, his reputation was made at the bottom of the pile. LOLOL

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And as far as Butkus goes, his reputation was made at the bottom of the pile. LOLOL

And he was superb in "Hamburger: The Motion Picture".

Lawrence Taylor played much of his time as a defensive lineman without having to go down in the two-point stance. It made him quicker off the ball and allowed him to get that high total of sacks. I wouldn't say he's the best ever, but he's definitely a great one...Top 10 easily. Best ever.....Mike Singletary. Man, how did the Bears suck for all those years?!

:afro: :afro: :afro: :jester: :jester:

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I met Butkus when i was a kid going to Football Camp in Vermont...he was easily the biggest jackass I ever met. He was collecting a check for showing up and did nothing to earn it.

Ben Davidson was there too. funny, helpful (showed us how to break an offensive linemans arm if he held you) and willing to spend all day on the field with the kids.

We were in a group one morning and one of the kids was sporting a black eye...Ben says to him in the deep voice " I see you got a black eye, are you proud of it?" Some other kids pipes up "He walked into the wall last night going to the bathroom." It was all Ben could do to turn away and not laugh in the kids face.

I like to toughest and killer instinct of the old wave of linebackers like Butkus or Nick Buonoconti. But LT was something special..his speed and strength combo was unmatched. It did look like he was loafing on some plays, but I think that is because every play was designed to run away from him.

I know it seems like I've met a lot of people, but I've met LT too...a bit of a jerk himself. He was at a company picnic for Lucent Technologies. I do business with them and was invited. I was going to pick up a friend at his office and I was oblivious to the fact that LT and me were in the same revolving door. I looked up at him and at that moment said to my self "Holy S---, he's that big AND that fast. Then I looked down to see he was wearing a pair of flip flops too...no fake height there.

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