View Full Version : On list of best ever, L.T. already No. 6 (with a bullet)
SillyBoltsFan
11-20-2006, 08:38 PM
On list of best ever, L.T. already No. 6 (with a bullet) (http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/9817736)
http://images.sportsline.com/u/photos/football/nfl/img9817739.jpg
By Mike Freeman
CBS SportsLine.com National Columnist
When I watch LaDainian Tomlinson, the man who possesses as many letters in his name as he does NFL records, I am reminded of Gale Sayers.
And Eric Dickerson. And O.J. Simpson, minus the knives. Oh, and Jim Brown, too.
When watching Tomlinson, he is all of these players, and others. He is so much like many of the greats, it is one of the more uncanny things I have witnessed in sports.
He possesses the vision and strength of Brown, the grace of Dickerson, the quickness of Sayers, the moves of Simpson. He is all of these men.
Tomlinson reminds us of another era in football's history. Now, mediocrity rules. Few runners truly qualify as great. Tomlinson is the next great running back and is such a dominant player at his position, he already outshines backs that are in the Hall of Fame.
My keyboard didn't stutter. You read that right.
The numbers are part of the reason. Numbers like 100: Fastest to 100 career touchdowns, in just his 89th game.
Or 19: the most touchdowns in a six-game span.
Or 22: the most touchdowns in the first 10 games of a season. That's more touchdowns than the entire Denver Broncos offense.
Or 4: Consecutive 4-touchdown games, tying a league record.
Tomlinson is not just rewriting record books, he is re-engineering our thoughts about what a great running back is.
Now, prepare your "Freeman is an idiot" threads on the feedback pages.
Or just reheat the old ones.
Because I am about to stimulate your outrage glands.
Listing the top 10 running backs of all time is like debating who is prettier, Halle Berry or one of those CSI babes. We love arguing over this stuff; some like brawling over this stuff.
My top 10 running backs pre-Tomlinson: Jim Brown, O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett, Marcus Allen and Emmitt Smith.
Tomlinson is already better than Emmitt Smith. Far superior. Tomlinson would also beat Smith on the dance floor.
Tomlinson is already better than Marcus Allen.
Better than Dorsett.
And better than Payton. Yes, Payton.
He is better than John Riggins, Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, Franco Harris or almost any other runner you can think of.
Already.
The only runners Tomlinson has not yet surpassed are Brown, Simpson (Simpson also leads Tomlinson in the double-murder category), Dickerson, Sayers and Sanders -- although he is standing right behind both Sayers and Sanders.
Assuming none of his knee ligaments head south when he runs north, Tomlinson will end up better than both of them.
Because he is a better blocker than both runners and a superior athlete to Sanders.
Thousands of trees have met their demise and ga-jillions of gigabytes are produced to extol the virtues of Reggie Bush. Tomlinson receives a fraction of that publicity, and he is so much better than Bush it's like comparing a luscious dessert at a five-star restaurant to Klondike bars. And you get production and numbers from Tomlinson without a hint of scandal. What a bonus.
Again, we are not talking strictly numbers, though Tomlinson is shredding his share of records and will continue to do so. It's more than that. His moves, his intelligence, his power, his quickness, his speed put him on par with the greats.
It's as if God were a football fan, and she decided to create the perfect running back by mixing the genome of past greats into one Petri dish and -- poof -- out came Tomlinson.
Please do not counter with the quite old, unimaginative and silly argument that Tomlinson has not played enough games to warrant such hefty consideration. He has played plenty. You can just look at him and tell he's better than all but a handful of runners to ever play the game.
The biggest criticism of Tomlinson, the only one really, is that he greatly benefits from having good skill position players around him. His quarterback is talented, his receivers are solid, and his tight end is athletic.
Players like Brown, Simpson, and definitely Sanders, for the most part had corpses at other skill positions. Players like Smith are penalized because he played with a Hall of Fame quarterback, maybe the best offensive line ever and a wide receiver in Michael Irvin who was one of the top receivers of the 1990s.
What Tomlinson is doing is beyond remarkable. It's eerie. It's eerie because he looks so much like the past greats, and one day, he might surpass them all.
In some ways, he already has.
SP17BOLT
11-20-2006, 09:14 PM
Wow! That was a great article...well read. Thanks for posting the link.
Farmer808
11-20-2006, 09:51 PM
I don't think Sayers is above LT
HighBoltage
11-21-2006, 01:04 PM
I never get tired of reading articles like that. LT is really getting a lot more attention this season than before.
Good article. :21: :Bolt:
Thunderstruck21
11-21-2006, 03:28 PM
What i am sick of is that everyone(the media) is acting like this whole LT thing is new, like their is a debate who is the best in the league. LT has been doing this for years, and now when the team is surging, he is playing better than ever. So props to LT because when it is all said and done he will be the best ever.
ChrisVillain
11-22-2006, 11:06 AM
how is gail sayers better than Lt......dude on has like what 2 0r 3 1000 yard seasons!!
Mentos
11-23-2006, 08:33 AM
how is gail sayers better than Lt......dude on has like what 2 0r 3 1000 yard seasons!!
Tomlinson may be better than Sayers.
The reason Sayers gets mentioned high is because, although he played only played 5 full seasons, they were all great seasons. All 5 of those seasons he was the best running back in the league. He was the consensus All-Pro selection all 5 years. Sayers was also probably the greatest kick returner of all-time.
gazork
11-23-2006, 08:46 AM
Tomlinson may be better than Sayers.
The reason Sayers gets mentioned high is because, although he played only played 5 full seasons, they were all great seasons. All 5 of those seasons he was the best running back in the league. He was the consensus All-Pro selection all 5 years. Sayers was also probably the greatest kick returner of all-time.
I had the pleasure of watching Sayers in most of his games at Wrigley field - my dad and I had Bear's season tickets in the 60's. I've seen lots of all of the great RB's since 1960 and for moves, no one comes close to Sayers. Speed wise - he was right up there with Simpson and Dorsett, so for a combination of speed/moves - to me - Sayers was the best ever. But, his career was cut short by a knee injury (the only way to tackle/catch the guy was to fling yourself at his lower body as he went by) so if you count longevity, he probably doesn't make the list.
In picking the best RB, my criteria is as an all around football player who played for a lot of years, relatively injury free. So, total yardage, pass catching ability, blocking ability, strength/balance/moves, throwing the occasional TD pass (hey, isn't LT due to try that again?), # of years played, and missing very few games, the best all around back is ...
Walter Payton.
If LT continues to play at this level for another 6 years or so, he will be right there.
DIMEBOLT
11-23-2006, 09:52 AM
hands down this dude is the best ever. plus he he won me a fantasy championship last year :21:
L.T RULES!:Bolt:
Buck Melanoma
11-24-2006, 07:34 AM
Great read! If LT continues at this level for another 5-6 years, he'll be right at the head of the class. Laurels like "greatest ever" will always be open for debate, but LT already has enough records & CLASS to be argued as the best. How fortunate we are to have him as a member of the San Diego Chargers!
Stone
11-24-2006, 10:55 AM
He has him 5 spots too low.
Thunderstruck
11-24-2006, 12:25 PM
What i am sick of is that everyone(the media) is acting like this whole LT thing is new, like their is a debate who is the best in the league. LT has been doing this for years, and now when the team is surging, he is playing better than ever. So props to LT because when it is all said and done he will be the best ever.
Things is...LT is playing better than he has in the last 2 years. He appears revitalized. He's putting up numbers like his '03 numbers only with double the TD's, and this time he's doing it for a legit contender.
TCUFAN5
11-24-2006, 12:31 PM
YES HE IS!!!! ooh one game at a time boys and i think i can be watching you boys on my couch in HD on that faithful sunday with the dumb commercials.. cant wait
gazork
11-25-2006, 02:48 PM
Things is...LT is playing better than he has in the last 2 years. He appears revitalized. He's putting up numbers like his '03 numbers only with double the TD's, and this time he's doing it for a legit contender.
He definitely is running more strongly and with more confidence than in the last two years. Probably a combo of his being healthier, our strong passing game/not running on every 1st/10, more varied running plays and offense, his gaining confidence from all of the above.
He is at his prime right now.
EROKER_53
11-29-2006, 03:03 AM
LT is the MAN!
Shamrock
11-29-2006, 03:26 AM
In picking the best RB, my criteria is as an all around football player who played for a lot of years, relatively injury free. So, total yardage, pass catching ability, blocking ability, strength/balance/moves, throwing the occasional TD pass (hey, isn't LT due to try that again?), # of years played, and missing very few games, the best all around back is ...
Walter Payton.
If LT continues to play at this level for another 6 years or so, he will be right there.
I totally agree with that.
While I never say Sayers play, I've seen all the great RB's since the 70's, most in person, including OJ, Earl Campbell, Dorsett, Sanders, E. Smith, Franco Harris, etc ..... and of course Sweetness and LT.
Payton is still the best RB ever IMO, with LT barrelling down on him. Right now, longetivity is the key to Tomlinson's legacy standing.
IronMountain1960
11-29-2006, 09:40 AM
I totally agree with that.
While I never say Sayers play, I've seen all the great RB's since the 70's, most in person, including OJ, Earl Campbell, Dorsett, Sanders, E. Smith, Franco Harris, etc ..... and of course Sweetness and LT.
Payton is still the best RB ever IMO, with LT barrelling down on him. Right now, longetivity is the key to Tomlinson's legacy standing.
I agree with you and would add that LT is the best all time all ready from the 15 yard line to the goal line. I have seen everyone of the great RB's, and no one has EVER had the power, speed, and desire to get into the endzone that LT has.
I don't think Sayers is above LT
gale sayers was the original highlight reel, he came before barry sanders.
his improvisation on the field with the creativity he brought was unmatched. when he got the ball, he could score by just dance'n around defenders or spinning.
gale sayers and earl campbell are 2 of the most underrated runningbacks of all time.
I agree with you and would add that LT is the best all time all ready from the 15 yard line to the goal line. I have seen everyone of the great RB's, and no one has EVER had the power, speed, and desire to get into the endzone that LT has.
ladainian tomlinson is my favorite football player of all time and i've been on his bandwagon since the first time i saw him play at tcu on the television...the reason why i started to watch football...
but to say that no rb has ever had the power, speed and desire to get into the endzone tomlinson has is false...look at jim brown. his speed, power, and desire when he played was unmatched till he just decided to quit during his prime.
if you see highlights of jim brown, he just chugs into the endzone drag'n like 2 guys with him. his power and speed blend i think was only rival'd by bo jackson.
LT21_7neb
11-29-2006, 01:10 PM
People think LT just all of the sudden got good. He has been this way for every minute of his 6 seasons.LT FOR MVP.Definetly. Period.:21: :Bolt:
GO CHARGERS!!!:Bolt: :Bolt:
IronMountain1960
11-29-2006, 01:45 PM
ladainian tomlinson is my favorite football player of all time and i've been on his bandwagon since the first time i saw him play at tcu on the television...the reason why i started to watch football...
but to say that no rb has ever had the power, speed and desire to get into the endzone tomlinson has is false...look at jim brown. his speed, power, and desire when he played was unmatched till he just decided to quit during his prime.
if you see highlights of jim brown, he just chugs into the endzone drag'n like 2 guys with him. his power and speed blend i think was only rival'd by bo jackson.
Jim Brown was great, did he have the speed of LT, no way! Brown did have the power and desire however, but he played against 260 pound D linemen who were fat and out of shape compared to todays D linemen and the linebackers were much slower then than now.
joerockt
11-29-2006, 02:03 PM
While LT is a "complete" back in every sense of the word, I think his only short coming is his size. When its 4th and 1, he's not handed the ball that often, if ever. So I think not being a punishing RB hurts his rep a bit.
If you watch guys like Earl Campbell, Riggins, Csonka, they would just absolutely WRECK anyone in their path. LT makes you miss, which is just as effective and saves your body over your carrer. But this is football where we like to see the big hits and RB's dragging a bunch of defenders for those extra few yards. Not a knock on LT by any means, but to some it might look like he's avoiding a few extra yards to save himself from a big hit.
Of course, the LT stiff arm will be legendary, and is usually punishment enough :D
Shamrock
11-29-2006, 02:31 PM
While LT is a "complete" back in every sense of the word, I think his only short coming is his size. When its 4th and 1, he's not handed the ball that often, if ever. So I think not being a punishing RB hurts his rep a bit.
If you watch guys like Earl Campbell, Riggins, Csonka, they would just absolutely WRECK anyone in their path. LT makes you miss, which is just as effective and saves your body over your carrer. But this is football where we like to see the big hits and RB's dragging a bunch of defenders for those extra few yards. Not a knock on LT by any means, but to some it might look like he's avoiding a few extra yards to save himself from a big hit.
Of course, the LT stiff arm will be legendary, and is usually punishment enough :D
That's fair, and LT is also not as great of a blocker as some RB's, particularly Payton.
But, as someone once said of Micheal Jordan .... he's not the best shooter, or the best rebounder or the best ball handler or the best defender or the best .... but he does all those things, and at a higher level in one package than anyone else.
Comparisons between generations are never fair - to either player. But, one thing I think all Chargers fans can agree on is that LT is truly a special player, and we are blessed to be able to watch him every Sunday of the NFL season.
Jim Brown was great, did he have the speed of LT, no way! Brown did have the power and desire however, but he played against 260 pound D linemen who were fat and out of shape compared to todays D linemen and the linebackers were much slower then than now.
bo jackson had the blend of power and speed though unmatched by running backs. hes an nfl talent gone to waste.
hankster
11-29-2006, 08:24 PM
Gazork - I agree with you! Walter also played in the more modern era with great athletes all around. Sayers was outstanding, but if he played against today's athletes I wonder if he would be so great. LT will be the best in 5 years if he stays healthy, and I think he will.
Texas lightning
11-30-2006, 03:38 PM
I think the only reason LT hasn't passed most of them is his groin injury slowed him down now that he's back to 100% 2 or 3 seasons he'll pass them all
ChargersPhan
11-30-2006, 03:51 PM
LT Best RB ever hands down. Give him a few years to get the "numbers" and there wont be a argument.
ChargersPhan
11-30-2006, 03:54 PM
Earl Campbell always come to mind first when i think of power backs just like Walter comes to mind when i think moves and speed.
But LT plays against a different breed of athlete nowadays. The size difference between players in the 60's-80's, even the 90's alone is enough to stop the comparison. There were men amongst boys in those days but there are no more boys in football.
LT just happens to be a God amongst men.
WinslowSr.
11-30-2006, 10:06 PM
LT is better than Barry
ChargersPhan
12-01-2006, 05:54 PM
LT is better than Barry
Yes he is.
boltzfolife21
12-01-2006, 06:26 PM
interesting thanks for the find
Yes he is.
ladainian is my football player but to say hes better then barry sanders i can't agree to that.
barry had no one, and the team didnt even attempt to get good.
his offensive line was terrible...like for majority of tomlinson's career his line has been weak too...but barry's had like 10 years of the worst offensive lines known in football.
gazork
12-02-2006, 01:16 PM
Gazork - I agree with you! Walter also played in the more modern era with great athletes all around. Sayers was outstanding, but if he played against today's athletes I wonder if he would be so great. LT will be the best in 5 years if he stays healthy, and I think he will.
One of the things to keep in mind in comparing players of different eras is that if you're going to ask if a guy like Sayers would be as good in today's game then you also have to imagine how much better he would be today, playing against the faster stronger players (throughout his career) and having access to the same training/coaching as them. Sayers would be that much better now. :)
Really though, it's hard to find a lot of highlight film on him - all I can say is, you had to see it. He was extremely fast, with tremendous turn on a dime cutting ability and a long stride, so he was the most elusive back I've seen, relative to the players of the time but also, in general.
Shamrock
12-02-2006, 01:54 PM
Really though, it's hard to find a lot of highlight film on him ...
How about 4:30 worth of Gale Sayers highlights (http://uncutvideo.aol.com/videos/54dd9ac4ccda74e94f4de14fa446245) ?
gazork
12-02-2006, 02:46 PM
How about 4:30 worth of Gale Sayers highlights (http://uncutvideo.aol.com/videos/54dd9ac4ccda74e94f4de14fa446245) ?
Beautiful - thanks Shamrock. I loved that fake pass from him and then
BOOM - he's gone. I was at all of the games where he had the dark jersey on.
It's still never enough of the highlights for him !!!
FearTheBolts21
12-02-2006, 07:20 PM
Nice read. Thanks for the article.
BillsFan4Lyfe
12-02-2006, 08:19 PM
All LT needs now is a Super Bowl. Now that it will affect his ratings.
ch-cha-charger
12-02-2006, 08:48 PM
bo jackson had the blend of power and speed though unmatched by running backs. hes an nfl talent gone to waste.
BO Jackson was crazy good. had so much speed and power that he was fun to watch. would of like to see a few more seasons though. i just remembered everytime he got the ball he would be like lo neal and hit someone for the fun of it then off to the races.:Beer: