Bettis Ranks 18th On Gil Brandt’s All-Time Running Back List; Franco Snubbed

Brandt had lots of entertaining stories when he was on Sirius NFL Network a few years ago. I think all of the cowboy picks are evidence of dementia.

Still butthurt over SB X and XIII, obviously...

Bettis does deserve top 20, IMO. Good call.

Uh, yeah. Zeke in the list and no Franco.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkKkpU-mtyw

This was Franco's middle finger to Hollywood Henderson and now to Gil Brandt. :upyours:

So running behind probably the best oline in football and all of a sudden you are the 26th best RB in the NFL. Not buying it. If Zeke was not a Cowgirl, he wouldn't be gettting all the hype he has gotten since he was drafted (part of that of course is he probably doesn't even lead the league in rushing on another team)

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Also Barry Sanders at no. 8 is laughably low

Three yards and out of bounds Franco.

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Originally Posted by BostonBlackie

Three yards and out of bounds Franco.

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You're thinking of Jim Nance.

Did you get that pencil thin mustache from Brady? Got milk?

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Originally Posted by polamalubeast

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After one year??? That's asinine.


You'd have to put CJ2K on that list, as well then. :jerkit:

Elliott is on the list? Lol.

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Originally Posted by Born2Steel

You're thinking of Jim Nance.

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Nance wasn't that smart.

I'm glad to see OJ so high on this list. He murdered defenses. His cuts were deadly. He knifed through holes. Uh... hmm... double homicide.

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Originally Posted by teegre

I'm glad to see OJ so high on this list. He murdered defenses. His cuts were deadly. He knifed through holes. Uh... hmm... double homicide.

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http://cf.absrdcomedy.com/wp-content...-kaelin-oj.jpg

He's just waiting to put Franco on his fullback list.

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Originally Posted by teegre

After one year??? That's asinine.


You'd have to put CJ2K on that list, as well then. :jerkit:

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I agree.

IMO, ranking any running back on that list after one year completely discredits the list.

Le'veon Bell is an awesome player, but if someone rated him as one of the top 3 RB of all time, it would be a joke. It's an entire body of work compiled over a career.

Toward the end of his career, yes Franco ran out of bounds all the time to avoid hits. He could have stayed another year or two with the Steelers and broke Jim Brown's rushing record, but he went to Seattle instead.

I watched them both and Franco >> Bettis.

Franco was SB MVP and picked up the Immaculate Reception. Bettis almost fumbled away ring #5.

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Originally Posted by ALLD

Franco was SB MVP and picked up the Immaculate Reception. Bettis almost fumbled away ring #5.

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Yeah, but Ben saved the day, so it's all good. :)

I always find these types of discussions interesting. Mainly because it's so difficult to really compare them. An average NFL RB today would destroy most defenses forty years ago because so much has changed in conditioning, body-size, diet, speed, etcetera. I don't remember if it on this site or the previous one, but somewhere I have a thread detailing speeds of athletes since the 60s (I think it was then) and the difference was tremendous. The same is true for size. Think about it. Today, we have lineman who are running as fast as RBs did back then (Franco, for instance, ran a 5.1+, although that was admittedly later in his career) at 75 to 80 pounds heavier.

So, put side by side, most of yesteryear's RBs wouldn't make it on a list like this. I think a better comparison would be a list of RBs based on their domination of the game when they played. That, to me, is a better comparison.

Joe Greene said they never won anything before Franco got there. Franco was the missing piece. After that, Bradshaw gradually got better and Rocky was able to be a great partner in the backfield.

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Originally Posted by teegre

After one year??? That's asinine.


You'd have to put CJ2K on that list, as well then. :jerkit:

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this ....

when putting together a " greatest list " you sure as hell need a larger body of work ....

greatness is something that is achieved over time not in a flash ...............

he could be footballs 1 hit wonder and last I checked 1 hit wonders do not make it into the rock n roll hall of fame and the pro football HoF has far higher standards ..

see Bo Jackson



as a side note IMO that list sucks in many ways , several guys far to low and several far to high

Jim Brown = overrated.

Yep we all know that Brantd is a Dallas homer and, has always had a Steeler bias.

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Originally Posted by 86WARD

Jim Brown = overrated.

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Are you being serious?

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Originally Posted by 86WARD

Jim Brown = overrated.

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Closest player to Jim Brown I have ever seen live was Earl Campbell and he was the best RB of a generation. Brown was still better.

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Originally Posted by 86WARD

Jim Brown = overrated.

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Lol...

So was Montana! And Rice! And Unitas! And LT! And Reggie!

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Originally Posted by Craic

I always find these types of discussions interesting. Mainly because it's so difficult to really compare them. An average NFL RB today would destroy most defenses forty years ago because so much has changed in conditioning, body-size, diet, speed, etcetera. I don't remember if it on this site or the previous one, but somewhere I have a thread detailing speeds of athletes since the 60s (I think it was then) and the difference was tremendous. The same is true for size. Think about it. Today, we have lineman who are running as fast as RBs did back then (Franco, for instance, ran a 5.1+, although that was admittedly later in his career) at 75 to 80 pounds heavier.

So, put side by side, most of yesteryear's RBs wouldn't make it on a list like this. I think a better comparison would be a list of RBs based on their domination of the game when they played. That, to me, is a better comparison.

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Yeah guys from 40 years ago where selling insurance in the offseason.

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Originally Posted by DesertSteel

Yeah guys from 40 years ago where selling insurance in the offseason.

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Yep, the idea of two-a-days in camp were to get the players in shape. Not to drill them on skills.

We had players from Miami's 17-0 team selling mobile homes and cars in the offseason. I remember when Larry Csonka got a new contract that paid him $50k per season and that was big money in those days. You could buy a brand new Camaro for $6k and a new house was $20k.

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Originally Posted by pczach

Are you being serious?

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Not really...HOWEVER...

Really anyone you put behind Cleveland's O-Line during that era excelled at HB/FB. Very similar to what has gone on in Dallas the last few seasons.

Fred Morrison, Preston Carpenter, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly...all put up Brown-sequel numbers behind that Browns O-Line.

I forget where I saw it but there have been a few articles on it in the past.

For me Walter Payton is the best RB ever.

Barry Sanders is 2nd.

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Originally Posted by polamalubeast

For me Walter Payton is the best RB ever.

Barry Sanders is 2nd.

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Clearly you never saw Jim Brown run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGupe7nKuU

Mt. Rushmore

Coach: Bill Belichick
QB: Tom Brady
Running Back: Jim Brown
Defender: Lawrence Taylor

I'd put up a receiver but Rushmore only has 4 faces on it.