Emmitt Smith, the greatest ever
- Thread starter RAMA
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Greatest ever? No. Deserving to be in the hall of fame? Definitely. Congrats to him.
Well until a single player holds most of the major rushing records (total rushing touchdowns, rushes, yards, consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, most 1,000 yard seasons, most 100 yard games, rushing title-super bowl and season mvp in the same year, as well as: most yards from scrimmage by a running back, 4 rushing titles, 3 in a row, 3 super bowl titles in 4 yrs) again, he will be the greatest. No one can hold a candle to that.
RAMA
Pure talent doesnt make one the greatest...aside from the stats (Emmitt had SIXTY-FIVE more rushing touchdowns), you have to have determination and heart, Barry Sanders was sorely lacking in those by comparison, especially late in his career before he quit. Nope, Ill take Emmitt. He was never a quitter.
RAMA
And you're getting defensive...why? I'm not saying Emmitt Smith wasn't one of the best to ever play his position. He was.
But if Sanders and Smith could go back and switch teams, both players' stats would come out looking very different. No doubt Smith still would have been fantastic if he'd played for the Detroit Lions, but would he have earned as many accolades as he did while playing for some truly excellent Dallas Cowboys teams? Doubtful.
But if Sanders and Smith could go back and switch teams, both players' stats would come out looking very different. No doubt Smith still would have been fantastic if he'd played for the Detroit Lions, but would he have earned as many accolades as he did while playing for some truly excellent Dallas Cowboys teams? Doubtful.
Look at Floyd Little, who played 9 years for a really bad Broncos team. What could he have accomplished on a good team?
What would Emmitt have done on a Tampa team of the 90s? Would his career have even been as long? He had talent, but he also fell into the perfect storm as the last piece of the puzzle in Dallas.
What would Emmitt have done on a Tampa team of the 90s? Would his career have even been as long? He had talent, but he also fell into the perfect storm as the last piece of the puzzle in Dallas.
An absolute class act and utterly deserving of his place in the Hall along with the other inductees, particularly Jerry Rice. Emmitt was a great great football player.
But if I have one game to play and the use of only one running back, I'll take O.J., Marcus Allen, Sweetness, Jim Brown, all before Emmitt. This is actually no knock on Emmitt, I just think the aforementioned are better running backs for one game.
I'd put him sixth.
1. Barry Sanders
2. Jim Brown
3. Walter Payton
4. Prisoner 854276
5. Eric Dickerson
6. Emmit Smith
1. Barry Sanders
2. Jim Brown
3. Walter Payton
4. Prisoner 854276
5. Eric Dickerson
6. Emmit Smith
Keep in mind that Barry Sanders didn't exactly quit, per se. The Lions' organizational culture and philosophies had essentially crushed his soul and taken from him any desire to play. The team was so utterly inept from top to bottom with no signs of improvement or change, and he couldn't bring himself to play another game for such a hilariously broken football club. I don't blame him, really.
It's also worth remembering that he truly didn't want Walter Payton's rushing record, especially with Payton rapidly declining in health at the time.
It's also worth remembering that he truly didn't want Walter Payton's rushing record, especially with Payton rapidly declining in health at the time.
I can't imagine the pain one must feel playing for the hapless Detroit Lions. The psychological damage must be immense. What a completely fucked up organization.
Barry was the superior runner, put him on the Cowboys and he would have destroyed the Emmit's numbers. Barry also isn't a quitter in my book... how can you say that when the man would take a six yard loss in the backfield and make magic happen for a sixty yard gain?
Yes, he is.
I'm not really a fan of the sport, but it's great to see a local get into the hall of fame.
More specifically (RAMA, correct me if I'm wrong, I could be misremembering), he's a Cowboys and Yankees fan in the heart of Eagles/Phillies country.
