Best running back of all time

[JohnKleeb]

[JVS]

1. Woohoo, I'm the first voter!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Jerome Bettis is BARELY even a Hall of Famer.

Sorry, but a sub-4.0 yards per carry automatically disqualifies you from discussion of best ever.

[JVS]

5. But he is the most beloved.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. That's really not what the question's asking though.

[JVS]

24. It says best, I don't see where it says that you can't use fondness to...

contribute to overall quality rating

It's like being the East German olympic judge

[KeepItReal]

16. "Hey man, you can't sit there." - Me to Jerome B. at a club here in L.A.

Sorry, but he *was* in my buddy's seat

I didn't recognize him at the time...and even if I did, he *still* would have had to roll.

[JohnKleeb]

8. 3.9 is hardly sub 4

and keep in mind he is also 5th on the all time rushing yards list and tied for 8th in touchdowns.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/BettJe00.htm

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

12. You mean "barely" and not "hardly".

Last I checked, 3.9 is most definitely less than 4.

Emmitt Smith is #1 on the all-time yards list, and I'd laugh you out of the building if you suggested he was the best of all time.

Curtis Martin is ahead of Bettis in ypc, yards, AND touchdowns, and I STILL wouldn't give it to him either.

Sorry, but your case needs a Bettis-sized ass-load of work.

[JohnKleeb]

19. What I meant is that you acted as if he was significantly below 4

Which is not the case. Whatever best is a subjective word. People look for different things in different people. Cy Young has the most wins of all time in baseball but he's not the best pitcher of all time to me just because of that, Walter Johnson is to me but someone else may argue that Christy Matthewson is for other reasons.
I don't feel he's the best of all time as far as that goes its eitehr Brown, Sanders, or Payton. I think he is worthly of consideration though which is different than him actually being the best.

[mduffy31]

41. Let me say this

...if this was on GD there would be about 10 posts about how Bettis gave some money to a Republican so that means that he is automatically disqualifed from any discussion of him being good here on DU. I hope that this will preclude anyone who is thinking of posting about his politics no one cares right now.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=215x32888

[JohnKleeb]

42. And shit like that is why I am not as partisan as I was

I can't hate a person because of their political ideology. Hell sometime it's hard for me to even hate period. That was interesting by the way I didn't know Bussie was considered as a linebacker by the Irish. Yeah you're right it would be in GD and Franco who I also love would be said to be number one just because of his personal politics. I think it's kind of hypocritical of some of us to hold it against people like Bettis for their political persuasion. I mean don't you hate it when the right wing punduts shit on liberal actors and hollywood, I know I do. Sorry I am just venting. Bettis is a great guy Republican or not.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

46. I don't give a great goddamn about his politics.

Curt Schilling is my god right now, and he's a friggin asshole Republican. :-)

[XNASA]

3. Only one of them was the complete package.

He could run for power, for speed, he could run over people, or around them. He could catch, and block. He could even throw the ball. He made everyone around him a better player.

And if he was called upon to do so, he could even punt, or placekick.

Yep. Only one.

[never cry wolf]

21. yep, only one

If there was a turnover he also made bone crushing tackles.

He could also walk the length of the field on his hands and play some damn good practical jokes.

[XNASA]

26. Indeed.

God rest his soul.

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. O.J. Simpson's not on the ballot?

:shrug:

[JohnKleeb]

10. D'oh

[bigwillq]

56. OJ Should at least be on the ballot (nt)

[Arkham House]

74. O. J. Who?

[Blue_Tires]

76. Simpson....ever heard of him?

[patcox2]

6. Barry Sanders, case closed.

He was beautiful to watch.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

9. Just imagine if he actually had an offensive line!

[KeepItReal]

13. Agreed. How classy was that to stop before beating the all-time record?

:-)

[JCMach1]

32. Sanders was on a different level...

Peyton was there only sometimes

[Wapsie B]

11. Sweetness.

[Pool Hall Ace]

37. Another vote for Sweetness.

:thumbsup:

[LSK]

14. no Terrell Davis?

:shrug:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

18. I was going to ask that too.

But, I stopped. Career was unfortunately too short to enter the discussion. Still, he belongs before some of the guys on that list, as does Marshall Faulk.

[JohnKleeb]

22. Terrell had great potential in my opinion

It's too bad that his full was never shown because of injuries.

[LSK]

25. he showed it with his 2000yd season

It is unfortunate injuries killed his career. He might have gone on to break the rushing yds record.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=790

[JohnKleeb]

28. I remember that year well

6th grade seems like ages ago but it was an amazing year. The first year he and Elway went to the super bowl against the Packers was fun to watch because no one in my fifth grade class had the Broncos winning but me and some others. I went for the underdog and that was that.

[Road Scholar]

15. Brian Piccilo nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

17. How is Marshall Faulk not on the list?

The best all-purpose back in history

[JohnKleeb]

20. Definely if I could have fit more on I would

[Magrittes Pipe]

23. Interesting question.

By straight numbers, Jim Brown looks like the best pure *runner* of the group. That said, he played in a vastly different era -- defensive players were way smaller than they are now. Plus, he only played for 9 years. There's something to be said about not overstaying your welcome, but Barry Sanders played 10, against stiffer competition, and had almost the same numbers.

So Sanders then, right? Sorry, but I'm going to have to go with Sweetness. As XNASA was good enough to mention, he could do everything. He may not have been the pure runner that Sanders or Brown were, but he was a far better receiver and blocker than either. He was super-durable to boot.

[Ravenseye]

29. You're kidding about Brown right?

Everyone was smaller, including him, so it was scaled. Plus back then the defenses all played the rush first pass second. It was all about the Rush. Plus people knew when facing Brown that he had to be double or triple spied.

[Ravenseye]

27. Jim Brown

"5.2 yards per carry, never missed game, won the rushing title every year but one when he was in the league, there was a lot of contenders but if you have to select one, you have to pick Jim as the greatest running back in history."

- Bob Costas

The Sporting News Number 1 Player of All Time In Any Position
http://archive.sportingnews.com/nfl/100/1.html

[sasquatch]

50. You are correct sir

*Does his best Ed McMahon*

[cleofus1]

30. john riggins

Running back John Riggins played 175 games in 14 seasons with the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. A Big Eight rushing champion who broke Gale Sayers’ rushing record at the University of Kansas, Riggins was the first pick of the New York Jets and the sixth player selected in the 1971 NFL Draft.

He played in New York for five years but signed with the Redskins in 1976 as a free agent. His nine-year tenure with the Redskins was interrupted in 1980, when he voluntarily sat out the season.

The 6-2, 230-pound Riggins was not a spectacular running back but he was a classic workhorse ball carrier who specialized in the tough yardage in the big games. He carried 2,916 times for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns during his career. He also caught 250 passes for 2,090 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 13,435 combined net yards are among the best ever, as is his 116 touchdowns by rushing and receiving.

Riggins played in the 1982 and 1983 NFC championship games and Super Bowls XVII and XVIII and made the most of his comparatively few postseason appearances. He was the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XVII with a then-record 38 carries for 166 yards. He capped off his big day with a 43-yard touchdown run that clinched Washington's 27-17 victory over Miami.

Riggins rushed over 1,000 yards five times in his career and over 100 yards in 35 games, including a then-record six in post-season. He rushed 251 times for 996 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine post-season contests. Riggins followed his Super Bowl XVII success with a sensational season in 1983 when he rushed for a career-high 1,347 yards and a then-record 24 touchdowns. Following that season he was named All-Pro for the first time in his illustrious career.

[JohnKleeb]

31. Did you ever hear the story about him and Sandra Day O'Connor

"C'mon Sandy baby loosen up. You're too tight"

[cleofus1]

35. i loved john

becouse he was a bad ass who didn't take no shit from anyone...especially when he was drunk...which was all the time...he was great!

[Pool Hall Ace]

38. I will never forget 70-chip.

That fierce look of determination!

[nytemare]

72. Here is the video for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjcZbZ5Oe4M&search=john%20riggins

I was 11. I remember like it was yesterday.

[Beware the Beast Man]

33. Two words: Immaculate Reception.

Two more words- Anti-Swann.
And yet two more- Registered Democrat.

[JohnKleeb]

34. John Madden's head just exploded

;)

[Crazy Dave]

36. Emmitt Smith

The classiest one too.

[derby378]

39. The one and only Emmitt

You're right - he's a class act.

Had his not-so-great moments, too, but overall his career on the gridiron is something that even the legends only dream of.

And he went back and finished college to honor his mom's wishes, IIRC.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

40. I don't ever remember Emmitt being THAT classy.

I do seem to recall him taunting opponents on a regular basis. Case in point, the Monday nighter against the Giants, where we waived goodbye to defenders as he ran into the endzone.

[Crazy Dave]

43. I never saw him do anything like that

No celebratory end-zone dancing, anything like that, ever.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

44. It's quite a famous highlight.

I assure you I'm not making it up.

[Crazy Dave]

49. I do confess....

I haven't been watching much sports in the past five years, something I've grown out of I guess. I believe what you say but it did come as a huge shock to me.

[underpants]

47. Emmitt kep t every TD football to auction off for charity

Emmitt has a lot of class. He went back to school and got his degree too.

In the midst of the madness that was that Cowboys team ( probably most talented ever) he kept clean.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

48. The charity part I didn't know.

College I could care less about. Bill Gates has class and he dropped out of school.

He was very clean, especially for being on that Dallas team, I'll give him that much too. I just don't remember him being overwhelmingly classy in a Warrick Dunn sort of way.

[Twillig]

53. And what about his saving every touchdown football

Ebay awaits, emmitt.



EDIT**

Charity you say?

Now I feel like a shit-heel. At the time--when he began collecting them--I thought it was merely for selfish purposes.

He's still no Brown, OJ, Payton, or Dickerson. :-p

[underpants]

45. Walter was great but Jim Brown is the answer here

Sorry all other responses are incorrect.

[sasquatch]

51. Walter Payton couldn't even hold a candle to Jim Brown

[never cry wolf]

61. I beg to differ

As a pure runner, Walter was maybe not as good as Brown but as a football player, no one was better.

By the way, Jim Brown was huge compared to the average player at running back in his day. Players have been getting larger and faster. He is listed at 6-2, 232 or about 20 lbs. lighter than the average lineman of his era whereas Sweetness was 5-10, 202 about 70 lbs. lighter.

[underpants]

66. Actually the stat that best supports Sweetness

is that he didn't have a single All-Pro lineman in front of him until the Super Bowl year. He was the ONLY show in town all those years (the Avellini years) and everyone knew but he still got the yards.

When Brown played for Cleveland they were a powerhouse. He had a very good team around him.

I am sticking with Brown but Walter is a close second and after that I would take Earl Campbell.

[never cry wolf]

67. You're right, I had forgotten about that

Payton WAS the bears' offense for pretty much of 8 years. I remember now how every team keyed on him and stacked the line. It's easy to remember the great team of the mid 80's but there was nearly a decade of mediocrity surrounding our one bright light.

[sasquatch]

68. Jim Brown was the total athlete though, Sweetness wasn't

Jim Brown was a physical freak that ran by, over and through people to get to the end zone.

[never cry wolf]

71. You're kidding, right?

How many touchdown passes did Brown throw, how many receptions, did he punt or place kick as Walter did in college? Payton started a game at quarterback and often lined up as a wide out. (He'd also drive his coaches nuts by bugging them to put him in on defense.)

At 5'-10" he could dunk a basketball and he was unparalleled at the goal line leaping over the linemen. He was not the fastest, nor did he have Gale Sayers or Barry Sanders type moves, he made his yards the hard way by dishing out punishment and astounding balance (he could walk the length of the field on his hands) and determination that usually meant he didn't go down until the 3rd or 4th hit. He put more linebackers, safetys and corners out of the game than any running back I've every seen, both at the end of a run and as an excellent punishing blocker.

He ran by some, around some, over many and through many. He was the bears all time leader in receptions, threw for 8 tds passing, punting average in the NFL of 39 yds. (ok, only one but..) He was simply the best football player all around I have ever seen.

[long_green]

52. "other" Earl Campbell was such a force his first four years

then the beating got to him.

[Broken_Hero]

65. Shit...*smacks forehead*

I dont' know how i forgot about Earl Campbell, or even John Riggens...damn, i should've voted other...both Riggins/Campbell were workhorses....but i voted for Sweetness...

[saltpoint]

54. Went with Barry Sanders. Even when the Lions were losing

80-to-3, it was dazzling watching him run.

Superhuman talent.

[JohnKleeb]

55. He would have broken the record if he hadnt retired so early

The best up and coming backs in my eyes are LaDamian Tomlinson of the Chargers the man is incredible, Larry Johnson of the Chiefs who some say could get 2500 yards, and being a homer Fast Willie Parker of my Pittsburgh Steelers I think could be great too.

[saltpoint]

58. Good calls on those up-and-coming backs.

On Sanders: I think he was on the verge of breaking the speed of light in those last couple of games he played.

What an athlete.

[JohnKleeb]

59. The man wasn't big like some of these guys are

Yeah LT is probably the best of the bunch I think. I mean I am a total Steelers homer but LT is better than Parker but I think Parker had a great year last year for a guy who wasn't even drafted and didn't even start when he played his ball at UNC.

[bigwillq]

57. I voted for Barry Sanders.

Payton and Smith are right behind him, imo.

Barry did so much with so little.

[texas1928]

60. Earl Campbell.

I loved his running style.

[HuskerDU]

62. Walter Payton.

Greatest football player of all time and my boyhood hero!

[Seabiscuit]

63. Waterboy! Waterboy! Waterboy!

[maveric]

64. No Tony Dorsett?

Not the best but better than a couple on this poll.

[sir_captain]

69. OJ Simpson should be on this list

bloody glove and all

Gale Sayers too

I'll take Jim Brown by a neck over Barry Sanders and Walter Payton

[ballabosh]

70. Payton & Sayers

I voted for Walter, being a Bears fan and all, but Gale Sayers was beautiful too. My dad will argument vehemently that there never was a better running back ever than Sayers.

[NJ Democrats]

73. Payton

though Tiki kicks ass!!!

[SKKY]

75. One word. SWEETNESS!!!!!!!

[Blue_Tires]

77. i could go with either brown or payton

but chose brown because he needs more votes!

[maveric]

78. Does anyone remember Larry Csonka?

Not the greatest but for a short span, he was great! Running OVER and THROUGH defenders.

[OhioBlue]

79. Sweetness!!!!!

watching Walter was like watching poetry in motion.
I've never seen a running back like him. He was an all around football player that played for the game.