10 greatest players of all-time?

[Nors]

I want to do my list without looking at anyone else's. Mine will be very different. I'm looking at guys who revolutionized the game or the gap to 2nd best at their position is a long gap.

1. Jerry Rice
2. Lawrence Taylor
3. Jim Brown
4. Ronnie Lott
5. Johnny Unitas
6. Larry Allen
7. Reggie White
8. Walter Payton
9. Dick Butkus
10. Deion Sanders

I have 6 of yours - Don't see Payton better than Emmitt. Butkus a tweener. You have to look at Montana/Elway in this - JMO

 

[jimmy40]

I have 6 of yours - Don't see Payton better than Emmitt. Butkus a tweener. You have to look at Montana/Elway in this - JMO

Walter Payton was a better running back than Emmitt Smith. PERIOD.

 

[Nors]

Nope - Smith hands down was the better runner.

You might try and argue Payton was a better all around back, receiver and blocker.

 

[jimmy40]

Nope - Smith hands down was the better runner.

You might try and argue Payton was a better all around back, receiver and blocker.

Anybody with half a brain knows Payton was a better all around back and that's all that matters. There's no trying to argue anything.

 

[blindzebra]

1. Jim Brown

2. Deacon Jones

3. Lawrence Taylor

4. Jerry Rice

5. Walter Payton

6. Otto Graham

7. Emmitt Smith

8. Dan Marino

9. Dick Butkus

10. Anthonty Munoz

 

[Nors]

Anybody with half a brain knows Payton was a better all around back and that's all that matters. There's no trying to argue anything.

As you slip to your "insult" makes me right tactic.

You are wrong - Emmitt has the all time rushing record and battered Paytons record. I'd take Emmitt over Payton all day everyday. Paytons luster also dinged that other than that 1 Super Bowl season era, his teams sucked.

 

[Hostile]

I have 6 of yours - Don't see Payton better than Emmitt. Butkus a tweener. You have to look at Montana/Elway in this - JMO

I considered Montana and Elway, as well as Emmitt. Remember I said mine would be different. I was looking for overall impact on their position.

 

[scottsp]

As you slip to your "insult" makes me right tactic.

You are wrong - Emmitt has the all time rushing record and battered Paytons record. I'd take Emmitt over Payton all day everyday. Paytons luster also dinged that other than that 1 Super Bowl season era, his teams sucked.

I love Emmitt and always will. I bleed blue. But Deuce's longevity has a lot to do with passing Sweetness. Dunno if I'd call that "battering" his record.

Payton 88 YPG rushing (career)
Smith 81 YPG

The Bears being absolutely dreadful, other than Payton, should only bolster his legacy. This is no disrespect to Deuce Deuce. Only to the post.

 

[Payton34Smith22]

A few of my favs....

1) Jim Brown
2) Walter Payton
3) Emmitt Smith
4) Barry Sanders
5) Dick Butkus
6) Lawrence Taylor
7) Deion Sanders
8) Joe Montana
9) John Elway
10)Jerry Rice

 

[percyhoward]

Michael Irvin
Johnny Robinson
Randall McDaniel
Bob Hayes
Chuck Howley
Chris Hanburger
Harry Carson
Lemar Parrish
Rayfield Wright
Ken Stabler

Those are ten pretty good ones who aren't in the Hall of Fame.

 

[lane]

darrell green is the best cb i ever saw play. hands down.
lester hayes, second
hanford dixon , third

 

[SkinsandTerps]

There is no way in hell that Barry Sanders is a top 10 all time player. No way.

At the RB position alone.

Jim Brown
Emmitt Smith
Walter Payton
Gayle Sayers
Curtis Martin
Eric Dickerson
Bo Jackson
Billy Sims
Earl Campbell

EDIT: And I forgot about OJ.

Were all better than Sanders IMO. He is one of the most overrated players that I can think of.

Jim Brown
Unitas
Derrick Thomas
The real LT
Montana
Elway
Emmitt Smith
Rice
Butkus
Bruce Smith

Are easily among the top 25. I would have to really sit back and think about it to pick an order of where to add players like Deion, Marino, etc.

 

[RoboQB]

This is a dangerous thread.

Jim Brown clearly belongs on this list if not at the very top. Elway has to considered because many of his peers have siad he was the greatest. I'm a little young to have seen Unitas but many believe he's the best of all-time. Anyone that thinks Emmitt was better than Payton must be a very young man. Walter Payton is surpassed only by Jim Brown. Don't look at the stats. I never saw Brown play but know a lot of him. I got to see Payton play. Emmitt was great but even he will tell you he's no Walter Payton.

Its not a bad thing to be considered top five all-time in the RB department. He was awesome. He played for my favorite team. I was happy to see him break Payton's record. The respect he showed for Payton was a class act and also a realization that they were at best on equal ground.

 

[big dog cowboy]

There is no way in hell that Barry Sanders is a top 10 all time player. No way.

I actually live in his hometown and only live a few miles from a football field that bears his name. And I completely agree with you. Many people in these parts think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. While he was very good and way above average, a top 10 player of all time? Not in my opinion.

 

[Dale]

I love Emmitt and always will. I bleed blue. But Deuce's longevity has a lot to do with passing Sweetness. Dunno if I'd call that "battering" his record.

Payton 88 YPG rushing (career)
Smith 81 YPG

The Bears being absolutely dreadful, other than Payton, should only bolster his legacy. This is no disrespect to Deuce Deuce. Only to the post.

The one thing about Emmitt's yards per game stat is that it decreased drastically after going to Arizona.

His yards-per-game following his final season with the Cowboys, after already breaking the rushing record with over 17,000 yards in 201 games played, was roughly 85.4 yards per game. When you consider that, I think it makes it look a lot less like the only reason he beat Payton's record was because he stuck around forever.

It's amazing what those two years in Arizona did to that stat.

 

[SuspectCorner]

john unitas
deacon jones
walter payton
dick butkus
fred biletnikoff
dick "night train" lane (6"2", 210 lb CB - lane would be hell in this era, too)
larry allen
lawrence taylor
mike ditka
ronnie lott

these are all guys you'd go to war with.... tough-arse dudes.

 

[Next_years_Champs]

IMO, Jim Brown's stats were inflated because of the era he played in. Defenses were much slower then, not as many athletes, and Brown was simply superior to everyone else on the field. However, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, and Emmitt Smith would have had insane numbers, likely over 20,000-25,000 yards had they played then.

You'll never hear a person who actually saw Jim Brown's career agree with you on this. I saw Jim Brown play at the college level and the pro level, and I have never seen anyone more dominant.

The defenses that faced Brown were all constructed to do one thing Stop Jim Brown, And NO ONE ever did.

I've heard your lame arguement before ,however; I know from personal experience that Jim Brown was one of if not the most dominant football player I have ever seen play. And any "top 10" list that doesn't include him can be dismissed as bogus.

 

[jackrussell]

You know the problem with your argument?

If you put Brown in today's game he'd have the benefit of the training and nutritional improvements that today's players have.

By the same token put today's players in the 50's and they can't train year a round, because they'd have to work in the offseason, they won't be lifting weights or eating the same way.

Great football players are great period, and Jim Brown is without a doubt the best football player EVER, and it's not even close.

To not have him in your top ten is ridiculous, and screams of a total lack of football knowledge.

That's right zeb. Reminds me of a guy that's in the HOF that played for the 49ers in the 60s. Can't recall his name, but he was either a LB or DE that was famous for 'clotheslining' ballcarriers. When he was inducted, someone asked him if players from his day could play in today's NFL. His answer was quite profound, to me at least:

"I answer that by asking if today's players could have played in my day."

 

[Next_years_Champs]

That's right zeb. Reminds me of a guy that's in the HOF that played for the 49ers in the 60s. Can't recall his name, but he was either a LB or DE that was famous for 'clotheslining' ballcarriers. When he was inducted, someone asked him if players from his day could play in today's NFL. His answer was quite profound, to me at least:

"I answer that by asking if today's players could have played in my day."

Bob St.Clair he was a great player who bordered on dirty, tough as nails.

 

[jackrussell]

That's right. I just 'googled' for my answer, and read quite a few bios on him. I stated he was a DE or LB, when in fact, he was an OL. He list's Larry Allen as the best T playing today, while mentioning Munoz and Hanah as the all time greats.

He also ate raw meat, which earned him his nickname 'the Geek'.