Greatest football player ever?

[Addict]

Hell this discussion is getting boring. Let's spice things up a little.

Best ever? Peyton Manning.

that should get things started.

[neko4]

These Viking fans really do like God...i mean Brett Favre

[duckseason]

Im gonna play devil's advocate here and try to say some negatives about Rice.

While he was in my mind the undisputed best WR ever, he was also an extremely fortunate WR his entire career.

He played in the WCO his whole career, which gives him the oppurtunity at more catches and YAC compared to other systems.

He's had great quarterbacks throw him the ball everywhere he went.

He was properly utilized since day one.


Not all great WRs can say the same thing. Would Rice be Rice if he was in Air Coryell his whole career?

Would he be the same player if he had Trent Dilfer throwing him the ball?

So while he was a great talent, let's not forget, that he was also a very fortunate player to have been in the right situation since the day he stepped on the field.

It's tough to say these things without being vilified by your peers. So props for that. I agree. It's definitely tough to minimize Rice's unmatched achievements as an NFL WR, but what you're saying is true. Who's to say that Tim Brown or Andre Reed wouldn't have posted similar numbers had they been in the same situation. Or what would have become of Sterling Sharpe had he survived to be paired with Brett Favre and those packer teams. It's really tough to quantify just how great NFL players are due to the nature of the game. The ultimate team game. Nobody accomplishes anything by themselves in the NFL. Often times, great achievements by a single player are seen as such by fans, when in actuality it was a combined effort that wouldn't have been as great without a certain number of stars aligning. Whether it be a particular system, the players around him, or both- Rice certainly hit the jackpot on all fronts. Those boosters magnified his tremendous work ethic and ability to the point where he is talked about as perhaps the greatest player ever. It takes a great deal of insight and imagination to come up with an accurate view of just how great a single football player is. It's much easier to evaluate teams as a whole. This topic is a lot easier when speaking of baseball or basketball players.

[duckseason]

Not to knock the greatness that is Barry Sanders, but he had a fatal flaw. The same thing that made him so great. His running style. He would get caught for a 3 yard loss far too often due to his backfield dancing. It would result in a 50 yard touchdown quite often, but he was very inconsistent. It's tough to go on a winning streak when your back is constantly putting you in 2nd or 3rd and long situations. Was he the most exciting RB ever? Of course. But his style wasn't conducive to winning on a consistent basis. And no, it wasn't just his OL's fault. Barry was a very difficult back to block for to say the least.

[Guest]

Bes Ever: Johnny Unitas. Pound for pound, the toughest to ever play the game of football.

[EvilMonkey]

Offense - Jim Brown

Defense - Reggie White

[MichaelJordanEberle (sabf)]

Jay Cutler. No doubt in my mind.



Jim Brown.

EDIT: I'll elaborate. I think when you compare players from different eras, you have to go byhow dominant they were in their era. For instance, Mean Joe Greene would have the average size of a defensive end these days. I really doubt he'd be a dominant presence at DT if he was that size now. Should that take away from his greatness? No, it should not. Anthony Munoz was 285 pounds, and there are DEs now bigger than that. Should that take away his greatness? No, not at all. Jim Brown was ahead of his time and played people who weren't near him athletically. Should that take away from his greatness? No, it should not. In a few decades, there might be a bunch of RBs who are 260+ and run 4.3s. Will that take away the greatness of Tomlinson and the rest of the current greats? No, it should not.

[OhioState]

i have to say Jim Brown. the guy dominated the leauge from play one and retired at like 30. to have done everything he did in 8 years is amazing to me.

[duckseason]

Yeah, Jim Brown was definitely a man among boys. I doubt that'll ever happen again. Too many freakish athletes maxing out their physical potential through use of advanced technology. You guys all know the old argument.....if we had a star trek transporter-ma-jiggy.......

[duckseason]

EDIT: I'll elaborate. I think when you compare players from different eras, you have to go byhow dominant they were in their era. For instance, Mean Joe Greene would have the average size of a defensive end these days. I really doubt he'd be a dominant presence at DT if he was that size now. Should that take away from his greatness? No, it should not. Anthony Munoz was 285 pounds, and there are DEs now bigger than that. Should that take away his greatness? No, not at all. Jim Brown was ahead of his time and played people who weren't near him athletically. Should that take away from his greatness? No, it should not. In a few decades, there might be a bunch of RBs who are 260+ and run 4.3s. Will that take away the greatness of Tomlinson and the rest of the current greats? No, it should not.

Yeah, I agree with that. Well said.

[boisefan]

Jerry Rice, or Art Monk.

Art is never talked about, but he had a great career, IMO he is in the top 10.

[duckseason]

Jerry Rice, or Art Monk.

Art is never talked about, but he had a great career, IMO he is in the top 10.

You sure about that? I think most would tell you that he wasn't even the best player on his team. Ever. And some will tell you that he was only their 2nd best WR, or that it was a push. Hmm.

[The Unseen]

Jerry Rice, or Art Monk.

Art is never talked about, but he had a great career, IMO he is in the top 10.

I think Art Monk's lack of induction to the HOF is making him overrated. This is a good example.

[boisefan]

You sure about that? I think most would tell you that he wasn't even the best player on his team. Ever. And some will tell you that he was only their 2nd best WR, or that it was a push. Hmm.

Im saying Jerry Rice.

Art was great, and there isn't a huge list of negatives you can say about him either.

Art isn't the best, he is just the player that had a great career, made plays, and doesn't recieve the credit that others do.

[DeathbyStat]

Barry Sanders