Ex-Lions coach: B. Sanders didn't love the game, wasn't a leader

[Nav22]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/SPORTS01/80619013/1048/sports

Former Lions coach Bobby Ross told petoskeynews.com he didn’t think Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders loved the game of football or wanted to be a leader.

Ross, 71, speaking at Beyond the Scoreboard Champions of Character Awards Dinner Tuesday at the Emmet County Fairgrounds Community Building, praised Sanders’ ability and work ethic on the field, however, "I don’t know if Barry really loved the game, but he worked hard at it," Ross said. "He did what he was supposed to do. I always wanted him to be a leader, but he didn’t really want that role.

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Emmitt > Barry :starspin

 

[stealth]

no one that loves the game walks away like he did with the number he had

why is this surprising?
Barry was the best runner to ever play the game but he wasn't much of a football player.

 

[Chief]

This shouldn't surprise anyone.

 

[dbair1967]

wouldnt be on my team...wouldnt want him...

and a few teammates of his (incl Chris Speilman) called him out several times for being yellow

thats why there is really no debate IMO when it coems to the Emmitt vs Barry non-sense...

David

 

[Hostile]

This shouldn't surprise anyone.

Ross wasn't the only coach who took him out at the goal line. I always loved the idea that he wanted his teammates to get the glory.

Bull!

It was because he was afraid of the "hard yard" work.

No doubt about it, the guy was the most elusive, freakishly gifted RB ever to lace 'em up. But I would never want him on my team. You cannot stick your team 2nd and long, and 3rd and long all those times and expect to win.

 

[Nav22]

It didn't surprise me either, but there have been countless mediots who spin Barry as a "quiet leader" who desperately wanted to win, but just didn't have the right guys around him to follow the leader.

The truth is he was a tin-man. Passion, intensity, determination, love for the game... these elements are contagious, especially to the young Detroit players who probably idolized Sanders while on the same team.

Unfortunately for the Lions, Barry possessed none of those qualities. He treated football as a job and only as a job.

Detroit made the playoffs the year after he retired, so they could've been contendors if Barry was still around.

 

[birdsta]

Please keep posting, the stupidity is amusing.

 

[tyke1doe]

This shouldn't surprise anyone.

I agree.

The tendency is to automatically assume that great players are also great leaders and love the game.

But some guys like being the followers, like being in the background and play the game not because they absolutely love it, but because they have the immense talent to play it, like Barry Sanders.

Why try to make Barry Sanders what he's not? He is who he is.

 

[THUMPER]

There is no debate among those who truly know football. There are only 3 RBs who are in that elite level: Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, & Jim Brown.

Barry Sanders' name doesn't belong in that group. The mediots loved him because he was a human highlight reel and they could count on him to have a big run in almost every game that they could put on SportsCenter. To them, it's all about the highlights and not about wins.

 

[DallasEast]

The truth is he was a tin-man.

Pac-man. Tin-man. When will the government put an end to all this blatantly vicious name-calling???!!!11!

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Barry had two perennial Pro Bowl O-Linemen (Glover and L. Brown) and a helluva receiver in Herman Moore who in a 3 year span had 300+ catches. I find it hard to call him the best runner of all time when he has the most career carries for lost yardage. There's quite a few tailbacks I would take over Barry any day of the week.





YAKUZA

 

[Nav22]

Barry had two perennial Pro Bowl O-Linemen (Glover and L. Brown)

And just think of how many times you've heard the "Barry had no OL in Detroit, imagine what he could've done in Dallas!" argument.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I live in Barry Sanders hometown. All I have ever heard is Barry is better than Emmitt and the line Nav22 just used. After a while I just learned to shake my head and move on.

 

[Redskins2008]

There is no debate among those who truly know football. There are only 3 RBs who are in that elite level: Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, & Jim Brown.

Barry Sanders' name doesn't belong in that group. The mediots loved him because he was a human highlight reel and they could count on him to have a big run in almost every game that they could put on SportsCenter. To them, it's all about the highlights and not about wins.

Kinda agree but Being on the lions will take love out of football. Lions did had a crappy team.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

Emmitt could be counted on in clutch time. Maybe Barry had better highlights, but he had minus yardage in a playoff game against Green Bay once. Emmitt would NEVER have a negative yardage game in the playoffs. NEVER. I hear all the Barry was the greatest "pure runner" (whatever that means) arguments, but greatness means doing it all. Running, breaking tackles, catching, blocking, and yes, scoring (from near and far). Emmitt was elite at all of the above. He was a crunch time running back. That's more important than any highlight reel.

I don't get into the Barry was better than Emmitt conversations. Talking to a Sanders supporter is like talking to a brick wall, so what's the use? All I know is if you need a running back in a crunch-time situation, you'd be a fool to pick Barry over Emmitt. And that's the truth.

 

[stealth]

who cares if he had an all pro offensive line he wouldn't run where the play was designed anyways he woulda been the exact same guy if he had our line. He woulda been a nightmare to coach, he did what he felt on every play, you can't coach a guy like that. Not knocking his feel for where to go just saying he woulda been barry sanders no matter what line was in front of him.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

who cares about barry sanders

 

[Redskins2008]

I live in Barry Sanders hometown. All I have ever heard is Barry is better than Emmitt and the line Nav22 just used. After a while I just learned to shake my head and move on.

I think I take Barry Sanders over Emmitt Smith any day. Base on what barry Sanders did on the field without elite QB, WR and way better o-line. I would love to see what he can do with a elite QB and better o-line

 

[stealth]

I think I take Barry Sanders over Emmitt Smith any day. Base on what barry Sanders did on the field without elite QB, WR and way better o-line. I would love to see what he can do with a elite QB and better o-line

highlight reels mean more than championships in Commanders' town huh?

barry couldn't hold smith's jock when it comes to being a football player.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

I think I take Barry Sanders over Emmitt Smith any day. Base on what barry Sanders did on the field without elite QB, WR and way better o-line. I would love to see what he can do with a elite QB and better o-line

Barry didn't make his teammates better. When Emmitt didn't play, Dallas didn't win. We're talking about a team loaded with talent that faltered when Emmitt wasn't in the mix. He was a leader. He made his teammates better. Emmitt Smith was clutch. All Barry was good for was highlights. Damn the highlights (although Emmitt had his share of those too).