LT takes aim at passing Emmitt

[Mr.davon24]

Emmitt did it that was one of his goals when he first came into the league

He also played with injuries too. Lt is downy bath tissue soft and I don't know why everyone is defending him.

 

[THUMPER]

Parcells didn't even like Cowboys from the glory days to come around and help the young guys on the team. He wanted to erase Cowboys history and make it his own. That was a mistake in my opinion. Criticize Wade Phillips all you want, but at least he believes in family - as in past and present players together forever as it should be.

Yeah, Parcells brought his former Giants players but not former Cowboys. He is what his record says he is, a guy who used to be a good coach... a LONG time ago.

 

[DFWJC]

IMO anyone that wants to chase after records just so their name is branded in the books, wouldn't be on my team.

That was Emmitt all the way. He made no bones about it.

Tha chance of LT doing it is very very slim. You need a lot of luck ( see Sanders retiring for Emmitt),good health, great o-line, winning team that does not pass too much, etc etc.

 

[sonnyboy]

Parcells didn't even like Cowboys from the glory days to come around and help the young guys on the team. He wanted to erase Cowboys history and make it his own. That was a mistake in my opinion. Criticize Wade Phillips all you want, but at least he believes in family - as in past and present players together forever as it should be.

Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson did the same thing to the Cowboys in 1989. It was necessary in both 1989 and 2003.

 

[sonnyboy]

It was kind of hard for Emmitt to be the same player because he had set such a high standard prior to that Bears game. Emmitt played in 6 seasons prior to that Bears game. He led the league in rushing yards 4 times, rushing TDs 3 times and rushing attempts 3 times during that 6 year span. He averaged 1492 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs a season during that span.

That Bears game was at the beginning of his 7th season. Even though Emmitt was never quite the same player he was still pretty good. He averaged 1205 rushing yards and 8 rushing TDs a season over the next 6 seasons.

I'll tell you what's even more impressive.
From 1991 to 1998 Smith played in 17 post season games. I believe he gain just under 1700 yards and about 16 TD's.

That's the equivliant of one extra season!

I believe his combined regualr season and post season rushing yards are over 20,000.

Some RB some day may eclipse his regular season record, someone may surpass his post-season numbers.

But no RB will ever surpass them all. No RB will ever have the combined regular season and post season success that Emmitt achieved.

That's why he's the greatest RB in profootball history.

 

[Silverstar]

I'll tell you what's even more impressive.
From 1991 to 1998 Smith played in 17 post season games. I believe he gain just under 1700 yards and about 16 TD's.

That's the equivliant of one extra season!

I believe his combined regualr season and post season rushing yards are over 20,000.

Some RB some day may eclipse his regular season record, someone may surpass his post-season numbers.

But no RB will ever surpass them all. No RB will ever have the combined regular season and post season success that Emmitt achieved.

That's why he's the greatest RB in profootball history.

Agreed...just like no one will ever catch Jerry Rice's records.

Emmitt and Jerry going in HOF together is going to be special in 2010.


:starspin

 

[ilovejerry]

Does anyone else believe that if Emmitt had stayed Parcells's first year, the team would have been better? Granted he wasn't Emmitt of old, but he was better than Hambrick. And who knows, Emmitt might have really been able to turn it on in the playoffs. Just throwing that out there.

Yes I concure. But fatboy wanted the team for himself no other egos but his The flim flan man

 

[jimmy40]

IMO anyone that wants to chase after records just so their name is branded in the books, wouldn't be on my team.

well you certainly wouldn't have Smith on your team.

 

[Cousin Oliver]

I would put the odds of LT passing Emmitt at around 5%.

I think he's a great player and one of the best backs I've ever seen but it's not going to happen. He is already breaking down physically and may be hitting that wall that most backs hit between the ages of 28-30. He'll be 30 at the start of the season and would need another 6595 yards, I just don't see how he can hold up long enough to get there. Honestly I would be shocked if he even passed Barry. And even if he did he would still need another three thousand yards to get the record. If he stays relatively healthy this year and puts up some decent numbers next year he should be able to pass Curtis Martin (who is in 4th place with 14,101 yards) before he retires. He would still be four thousand yards away from Emmitt but it would put him in some great company.

 

[burmafrd]

At the time BP and Jerruh decided that Emmitt was too expensive for what he was contributing and they thought Hambone would do well. In hindsight they did not see what a zero Hambone turned out to be. But with the info they had at the time and the money that Emmitt was costing us in cap space it made sense. The BP haters just want to spin it some other way. Lets face it- what did Emmitt accomplish after he left us? And its not like our O line was doing all that well....

 

[wxcpo]

Sure Emmitt stated very early in his career that one of his goals was to become the NFL's all time leading rusher. Now LT says he wants to break Emmitt's records. Great! There's absolutely nothing wrong with having a goal for your professional career. I think the way Emmitt did it was better IMO. He didn't wait until he was on the downside of his career to publicly state it, he came into the league saying it.

Emmitt is my all time favorite Cowboy and I'd love to see him have the record forever, I believe though that there is no record out there that is unbreakable. Someone, someday will come along and break Emmitt's records, I just do not believe that LT is going to be that someone. LT looked like he was going to do it, but the last couple of season's his body has gone down hill faster than I thought most thought it would. I can really only see about 4 more seasons for LT and then he'll either be retired or just another guy hanging on past his prime.

 

[Sarge]

LT is fighting against nature and physics.

He's on the down cycle of his career. He's not going to get better. And to preserve him, he's going to have to share the load. And he's not going to get the record sharing carries with Darren Sproles.

Emmitt was a physical specimen. You're going to need someone who can take a pounding over number of years and get the carries to surpass Emmitt's record.

Sproles should be starting now. I seriously mean that. LT has fallen off noticeably the last 2 years. The miles have added up - and caught up to him.

LT will probably start, but more and more carries are going to be taken away from him. Bottom line is... if Emmitt's record is broken, won't be by LT (as someone else said).

 

[Thomas82]

LT can forget it!!

 

[Apollo Creed]

This is just a sentiment of how incredible Emmitt was.

LT's first four years in this league, unstoppable, I kept hearing he was the most exciting back we've seen since Barry.

Then he hit a wall just like Larry Johnson did. And like Steven Jackson is approaching as well.

All this does is makes me want to give more props for my man 22. Greatest individual record in all of sports. My schools talk-radio show was debating this last week (inspired by this thread).

The choices were Aaron's HR record (very impressive IMHO), Cal's consecutive game streak (not too shabby), and Emmitt's rushing record.

The only criticism I received for picking Emmitt, was because he played on such a 'loaded' team with a great O-Line.

LT falling off the map is just another sentiment to why Emmitt holds the greatest sports record, and he broke it with respect. Unlike guys like Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, disrespectful roid-heads.

 

[lqmac1]

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stor...34-rushing-td-records-within-reach-/?chargers


Rushing, TD records within reach and now part of long-term plan

Tim Sullivan

Thursday, March 12, 2009
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Call Tim at
619-293-1033


LaDainian Tomlinson's brand new three-year contract is accompanied by a bold new five-year plan.

After years of artful evasions and smooth sidesteps, the Chargers' reunited-and-it-feels-so-good running back officially took aim at Emmitt Smith yesterday.

LT declared his desire for the National Football League's career records for rushing and rushing touchdowns, both presently in Smith's possession, and says he is now prepared to pursue them longer than he had previously planned on playing.

“For so long, I blocked it out,” Tomlinson said during a news conference at the Chargers' Murphy Canyon complex. “It was so far out there. But re-evaluating where I'm at in my career now, I think it's reachable.”

Tomlinson finished his eighth NFL season with 11,760 rushing yards, which ranks 14th on the all-time list and leaves him 6,595 yards short of Smith's staggering standard: 18,355.

That's five years at 1,319 yards per year. That's a matter of nearly four miles, a distance no NFL running back has traveled after the age of 30. Because Tomlinson turns 30 on June 23, the relative reachability of Smith's rushing record would seem remote. (Smith leads LT in rushing touchdowns 164-126.)

Still, you can't fault a guy for having goals, and Bolts fans ought to feel buoyed by LT's ambition. If his revised contract is just a reprieve, a one-year commitment with another payroll decision due next spring, Tomlinson's interest in a long-term project is profoundly positive. That he has the confidence to openly target Smith's records tells you there may be more left in LT's tank than was evident last fall.

“I guess I just kind of got the sense of, 'Why not?' ” Tomlinson said. “Why should I, at the end of my career, look back and say, 'I was this close to Emmitt's record. Why didn't I continue to play and try to get it?' I don't want to have that regret. I don't want to have any regrets when I leave this game. I guess that's kind of what's changed.”

Upon reaching the 10,000-yard plateau in November 2007, Tomlinson insisted he would be finished with pro football no later than 2012, and that he would certainly not hang on for statistical significance.

“If my heart is not in it,” he said then, “I'm not going to keep playing to break a record. I would never do that.”

That time has changed his tune is not unusual. The closer an athlete gets to his career's finish line, the more eager he becomes to extend the race. When an athlete plays hurt, as Tomlinson did for much of the 2008 season, he sometimes discovers that the inability to dominate does not eliminate the desire to compete.

If you really love the game, and all of the adulation and rewards that accompany it, you're liable to linger past the point where you're the hottest thing happening. The key question about LaDainian Tomlinson is whether he is already past that point or if it's still possible he can retrace his steps to pro football's summit.

“I think I will continue to be a very explosive player,” he said. “You guys saw me last year where I was banged up all year, played with a hurt toe and, obviously, with the groin injury. I'll be back to full strength (this year) and to being the LT you guys are used to seeing.”

Clearly, the Chargers have some doubts on this score. Unable to rely on a vintage Tomlinson at the end of successive playoff seasons, the Chargers were moved to seek contractual concessions as a condition of the player's continued employment. Ostensibly, management was motivated by a desire for future flexibility under the NFL's salary cap. Presumably, executives picked this point to revisit LT's unguaranteed contract because his leverage was low.

Should he resume being “the LT you guys are used to seeing,” the Chargers would have a great back at a bargain price. Should Tomlinson continue to accumulate injuries and/or perform ineffectively, the Chargers would be positioned to cut bait without costly consequences.

Beyond a certain point, every running back becomes a year-to-year proposition, and after 2,657 career carries, the odds are against a Tomlinson renaissance. Still, it's worth noting that Curtis Martin was 31 when he led the NFL in rushing in 2004; that Tiki Barber ran for 1,860 and 1,662 yards in consecutive seasons after he turned 30; and that Walter Payton averaged 1,523 yards in the first three years after his 30th birthday.

Age is not an arbitrary consideration in pro football, but neither does it exclude an exceptional talent.

“If we're winning and winning championships, I do want to play as long as I can and walk away with all the records,” Tomlinson said. “That would be a heck of a challenge and I'm up for challenges.”

Emmitt Smith can consider himself warned.

No way Lt can even smell those records

 

[percyhoward]

He's talking about it now, because he knows this is his last chance to ever be even associated with the record in some way.

Or he's delusional.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

That was Emmitt all the way. He made no bones about it.

Tha chance of LT doing it is very very slim. You need a lot of luck ( see Sanders retiring for Emmitt),good health, great o-line, winning team that does not pass too much, etc etc.

Emmitt earned every one of his yards. It's not his fault Barry Sanders is a quitter. He quit on his sport, his team, his fans and himself. Emmitt kept going and earned and deserved the rushing title.

As far as that great O-line everybody keeps talking about. How many of them will end up in the Hall of Fame? Larry Allen? That's probably it. I wish people would give Emmitt more credit for being the greatest, yes greatest, running back of all-time. Name one other back who could run, catch, block and score at the rate of Emmitt Smith. Name one. He was the most complete NFL running back ever. He made the guys around him better. Look at the Cowboys record when he didn't play.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Emmitt earned every one of his yards. It's not his fault Barry Sanders is a quitter. He quit on his sport, his team, his fans and himself. Emmitt kept going and earned and deserved the rushing title.

As far as that great O-line everybody keeps talking about. How many of them will end up in the Hall of Fame? Larry Allen? That's probably it. I wish people would give Emmitt more credit for being the greatest, yes greatest, running back of all-time. Name one other back who could run, catch, block and score at the rate of Emmitt Smith. Name one. He was the most complete NFL running back ever. He made the guys around him better. Look at the Cowboys record when he didn't play.

Just said everything that I would say when I get in the Sanders debate.

 

[THUMPER]

Emmitt earned every one of his yards. It's not his fault Barry Sanders is a quitter. He quit on his sport, his team, his fans and himself. Emmitt kept going and earned and deserved the rushing title.

As far as that great O-line everybody keeps talking about. How many of them will end up in the Hall of Fame? Larry Allen? That's probably it. I wish people would give Emmitt more credit for being the greatest, yes greatest, running back of all-time. Name one other back who could run, catch, block and score at the rate of Emmitt Smith. Name one. He was the most complete NFL running back ever. He made the guys around him better. Look at the Cowboys record when he didn't play.

No one dogs Jim Brown for running behind a great O-Line but he did. 3 HoFers in Mike McCormack, Lou Groza and Gene Hickerson plus 2 others who went to 5 or more Pro-Bowls in Jim Ray Smith and Dick Schafrath. Both John Morrow and John Wooten went to 2 Pro-Bowls each and Art Hunter once. These were all well known OLs back in the early 60s and even though Groza went into the HoF partly as a kicker he was also a Pro-Bowl caliber OT and went in mostly for that.

Barry Sanders didn't run behind his O-Line anyway, which always frustrated them. Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover were outstanding players so it's not like he had no one in front of him.

 

[Bleu Star]

I just don't see this happening. Emmitt's record will stand for a very long time.