Skip Bayless: "Ezekiel Elliott is better than Emmitt Smith."

[Melonfeud]

Emmitt was the best running back in NFL history in avoiding direct hits. This translated into a historically long and productive career. That is a skill and a talent that transcends speed and power and other “skills”.

It’s only quantified and visible over an entire career and so it’s overlooked as the great skill that it is. Zeke’s career will probably be over by age 29-32 best case scenario.

Good post & great pointed observation,Friend

*and ,I curtail the impulse of awarding my limited allocation of "Likes" to just any ol' ROWDY AVATAR sportin' forum members,ya-know

 

[nightrain]

Zeke has more God-given talent, ES had more intangibles, both can take over a game and carry the team. They are both awesome RBs and the Cowboys are lucky to have had ES and have Zeke.

 

[lukin2006]

Zeke is a great back. Emmett is a HOF'er for a reason.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Zeke has more God-given talent, ES had more intangibles, both can take over a game and carry the team. They are both awesome RBs and the Cowboys are lucky to have had ES and have Zeke.

preach it brother

 

[FLCowboyFan]

Give Zeke another ten seasons and then we will make those kind of comparisons.

If his body holds up. That is what made Emmitt great, he performed at a high level for a long time

 

[plasticman]

If his body holds up. That is what made Emmitt great, he performed at a high level for a long time

That's one of his attributes, the other was heart.

With the season and playoffs on the line, if Zeke suffered a separated shoulder, would Zeke finish the game. Going into overtime and in excruciating pain, would Zeke carry the team on a separated shoulder in a game that determined detrimental playoffs positioning?

Would Zeke continue to perform throughout that playoff series even though he was still healing, ultimately earning Super Bowl MVP?

Would Zeke had been that type of warrior?

Zeke is faster, probably stronger but does he have the heart of a champion like Emmitt? We will find out at some point. Until then, a comparison cannot be made, Zeke simply doesn't qualify. We all hope there will be a time when this debate is proper.

 

[TwoDeep3]

When are we going to see Zeke break tackles like that and keep his feet?

Zeke is a bulldozer. Doesn't mean Emmitt couldn't run over people, but he was slippery, elusive, and it was just difficult to get a handle on him.

 

[Floatyworm]

LOL...Anything for ratings.

Emmitt Smith played w/ a 3rd degree seperated shoulder...to clinch a division title...

I'll be shocked if Zeke can finish a 16 game season...

 

[SSoup]

Didn't bother listening to it since it's an unlistenable show.

But the idea that Elliott is, in a vacuum right now, better than Emmitt is an unremarkable thing to posit. A huge chunk of Emmitt's greatness was his longevity, which is taken off the table if you compare him to someone in a vacuum.

I'd say there are a good number of RBs who, for any given short stretch (like 29 games, the number Elliott has played), might have looked as good as--or better than--Emmitt. I'm sure plenty of guys had a 29-game stretch at some point that made them look like they might be better than Emmitt. They couldn't keep it up, of course. That was the trick. Just like a lot of relief pitchers in baseball look insanely elite in one-inning bursts, but that doesn't mean they're better than the starters who do it 6+ innings at a time.

Also: It's still apples to oranges, given the salary cap differences. That totally changed the game.

 

[Gangsta Spanksta]

On his FS1 Undisputed show with Shannon Sharpe, those exact words came out of Skip Bayless' mouth. Here is the entire podcast from yesterday. The Zeke segment starts at 12:32. Skip made his comparison of both players around the 18:00 mark. Here it is:

1) Skip knows less than the common man. 2) It's possible, but a player has to win some superbowls in my eyes before you include them in the conversation

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Love that movie.

 

[Keithfansince5]

Some lowlifes will do anything for attention. In this instance, I've got to say it's akin to blasphemy!

This crap from one who once suggested that Troy Aikman was a homo!

(. . . not that there's anything wrong with that . . .)

There is.

 

[keysersoze]

emmitt was to running backs as ali was to boxers. both the goat.

Absolutely

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

Emmitt was the greatest player I’ve ever seen. He was the best player when he stepped on the field. Doesn’t matter if it was Rice, Elway, Favre, young , Marino, white, sanders. You knew Emmitt was the best player on the field.

 

[Thomas82]

Fastest track to "Ignore" = posting Skip Bayless threads

Well alright then.......

 

[Jeffkills]

There is plenty wrong with calling someone a Homo when they are not, it paints a picture that maybe someone prefer not to have.

I'd have to agree...

An utterly factual, relevant, and concise statement that just oozes taboo...

 

[Jeffkills]

Emmitt is the best post season running back Ive ever seen....all he did was move the chains, you needed 6 he got 7. Very good football mind and he was very hard to bring down. Rarely made the big mistake and could block and catch.

Zeke still early in his career, I just hope Jerry doesn't waste his career and he is able show his talents in the post season.

Absolutely, in terms of the entire NFL history, can ANY other RB even hold a candle to his post-season production? I sincerely doubt it..

That alone makes him my favorite Cowboy ever..

 

[Thomas82]

Absolutely, in terms of the entire NFL history, can ANY other RB even hold a candle to his post-season production? I sincerely doubt it..

That alone makes him my favorite Cowboy ever..

He's also the NFL's all-time leading postseason rusher by a nice margin.

 

[Jeffkills]

My favorite Emmitt highlights, considering the music...



The bass shakes my entire house down when I turn it up too much....

 

[Jeffkills]

He's also the NFL's all-time leading postseason rusher by a nice margin.

That's why other people's failure to factor in post-season production automatically disqualifies their opinions RE all-time RB lists...