Jim Brown has passed (1 Viewer)

[TribuneUK]

Debatable, but you can’t scoff at someone if they say that JB is #1.

This is not the time or place to get into that kind of debate, however well intended. A great one has passed and his legacy, for many, is undeniable.

 

[saintmdterps]

RIP, greatest running back ever

He was also one of the greatest lacrosse players ever.

Be well on your Journey, sir.

 

[gummbo70114]

RIP

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

No, I think this is an appropriate thread to discuss his legacy in professional football. And I think most knowledgeable about the sport would say that Jim Brown was the greatest running back in the history of the game.

During the 9 years he played, he achieved the following:
--8 times led the NFL in rushing eight times.
--8 times AP first-team All-Pro and in the outlier year, second-team All-Pro.
--3 times NFL MVP.
--9 times named to the Pro Bowl.
--1 NFL championship.

In 1963, playing with a broken toe, he ran for 1,863 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and 133 rushing yards per game. In 1964, he rushed for 1,446 yards and caught 36 passes for another 340 yards.

He did play in the weaker conference. But we forget how incredibly talented NFL teams were in the early 1960s because there were fewer teams. There were defenses where half the players ended up in Canton. For example, Green Bay's defense had Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, Herb Adderly and Willie Wood. With Detroit, think Alex Karras. Roger Brown, Joe Schmidt, Yale Lary, Night Train Lane, Wayne Walker, and Dick LeBeau. Because there was little weight training, players generally were not as big or as fast as players are today. But when judging greatness, you have to look at dominance in the era in which players played. And Jim Brown athletically would compare well with the best running backs today in speed (4.5) and size (230 pounds). He also was considered at Syracuse the greatest college lacrosse player who had ever played.

There were aspects of Brown's personal life that were not admirable. But my comments concern Jim Brown the football player.

 

[faceman]

He was also one of the greatest lacrosse players ever.

Be well on your Journey, sir.

He's the only pro athlete in two halls of fame. Football and Lacrosse. I believe he's the greatest for two
reasons. He's the only Rb in history to average a true 5 yards per carry. Barry Sanders is credited with 5.0,but
it's actually 4.98 and rounded up. Brown also has more Td's than games played. 126 Td's in 118 games. I
don't believe we'll anyone come close to this again.

 

[treeduck]

 

[meily]

Jim Brown is widely considered the greatest running back of all time mainly because the greatest running back of all times father refused to place his son Infront of the GREAT Jim Brown. (Those who know, know)

 

[RaginCajun83]

Jim Brown is widely considered the greatest running back of all time mainly because the greatest running back of all times father refused to place his son Infront of the GREAT Jim Brown. (Those who know, know)

Barry Sanders?

 

[faceman]

Barry Sanders?

Yep, Barry's dad was a big fan of Jim Brown and considered him the greatest

 

[Saintman2884]

No, I think this is an appropriate thread to discuss his legacy in professional football. And I think most knowledgeable about the sport would say that Jim Brown was the greatest running back in the history of the game.

During the 9 years he played, he achieved the following:
--8 times led the NFL in rushing eight times.
--8 times AP first-team All-Pro and in the outlier year, second-team All-Pro.
--3 times NFL MVP.
--9 times named to the Pro Bowl.
--1 NFL championship.

In 1963, playing with a broken toe, he ran for 1,863 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and 133 rushing yards per game. In 1964, he rushed for 1,446 yards and caught 36 passes for another 340 yards.

He did play in the weaker conference. But we forget how incredibly talented NFL teams were in the early 1960s because there were fewer teams. There were defenses where half the players ended up in Canton. For example, Green Bay's defense had Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, Herb Adderly and Willie Wood. With Detroit, think Alex Karras. Roger Brown, Joe Schmidt, Yale Lary, Night Train Lane, Wayne Walker, and Dick LeBeau. Because there was little weight training, players generally were not as big or as fast as players are today. But when judging greatness, you have to look at dominance in the era in which players played. And Jim Brown athletically would compare well with the best running backs today in speed (4.5) and size (230 pounds). He also was considered at Syracuse the greatest college lacrosse player who had ever played.

There were aspects of Brown's personal life that were not admirable. But my comments concern Jim Brown the football player.

Regarding the last paragraph, there are more then a few people that like to pretend or overlook some aspects of his personal life that aren't admirable and shouldn't be covered up just because he was a respected, revered civil rights activist and actor. Brown should be lucky the "MeToo movement didnt flare up in his face and bring to light some of his physical, alleged sexual assaults and battery against some women that occured from the mid-60's to the mid-80's.

That being said, Brown was likely one of top 2-3 best professional American sports athletes of 20th century, and it took Walter Payton nearly 20 years to break his all-time NFL career rushing yardage mark and was a noted, sincere civil rights pioneer who genuinely tried to improve the lives, careers of fellow African-American athletes, performers.

 

[Saintman2884]

Yep, Barry's dad was a big fan of Jim Brown and considered him the greatest

Barry Sanders' father was a bit of an obnoxious, prickly loudmouth who was a life-long OU fan, bragged about it to his son, who went to Oklahoma St. and won a Heisman Trophy. He openly told his son, for like a million umpteenth times, that no matter what he did, accomplished, "he'd never be as good as Jim Brown". I mean, my God, get a grip or get a room, pal. He always struck me as a bit of an obnoxious, self-important jerk who always let his hallowed heroes take precedence allowing him to root and enjoy his son's achievements.


I never was a big fan of his and how he was portrayed in Barry's A Football Life episode reinforced how much of a blinkered, biased mark he could be.

 

[David Robbins]

Sad to hear it. Great rb

 

[SammyIsGod]

I remember watching a documentary on him way back when. Nittle nugget that always stuck with me. We know about him running the ball, and others have brought up his lacrosse playing. But according to the doc, he played both ways in high school as well, starting at middle linebacker, and his senior year, his defense allowed zero points to all opposing teams. Every game was shutout.