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  • 07/05/2007, 03:13PM ET

Jim Brown was not overrated

Favrefan (223-82-13) vs Ed Reed Fan:Task Force 141 MW2 (68-22-4)
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According to Reed here, and I quote, "jim brown=most overrated RB of ALL-TIME, PERIOD." I would like to see his reasoning behind that. Nobody besides Reed accept this. If he declines it, just let it die.


I'm probably going to lose this but oh well..I have nothing against jim brown or the browns but i just think that out of the hall of fame RB's he's one of the most overrated. He was a one-dimensional runner, all power. Yea, he was fast, but he was 6-2, 232 lbs. and was as big or bigger than even the defensive lineman he played against, let alone the LB's or DB's. For the most part he played against smaller, slower players. I know this wasn't his fault, but it still makes him overrated i think.


Brown was not one dimensional. He was very, very shifty. You assume he was all power because that is what you hear about. Watch some highlight, read some bios before remarks like that. And the Defense in his era was stellar. Sam Huff, Deacon Jones, Butkus (heard of him). Just because it was a different era doesn't make tghe competition weaker (was the NBA competition weak in the 1980s, MLB in the 1950s). Brown was incredible. He would be a 1500 yard back in todays game.


1500 yard back in todays game ? that's a stretch. back then, yea, but the defensive players you named were good but the rest were undersized and slow. can u imagine what LJ or LT would do today if LB's were smaller than them ? it would be ridiculous. this is why jim brown was so good. he was a little fast and shifty when he had to be (rarely) but like i said once he got by the D-lineman who were his size or just a little bigger everyone else was smaller and slower, that's no contest, period.


If you diminish career accomplishments of an athlete because of the Era they played in, you diminish the careers of Wilt Chamberlain, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams. In 50 years do you think people will say "Jordan wasn't very good, he just played against slower, smaller, weaker players"? No. If you excell against your competition like Brown did, you are great.

Even if Brown was just a North-South runner (he wasn't), being just a North-South runner makes you overrated? Tell that to Earl Campbell, or Larry Csonka, or John Riggins, or Emmitt Smith. Were they overrated? Brown was the greatest NFL player of his era, so how is he overrated?


You can't compare Jordan, he wasn't big for his time or position, same w/ babe ruth (he wasn't as big as people think) & Ted Williams. Emmitt wasn't a north-south runner and riggins & csonka were true FB's. Brown only avg 29 receptions/year and 277 rec. yds/year; not very impressive & he only avg 2 rec. TD's/yr. I still think he should be in the HOF, don't get me wrong, but he's overrated. His 5.2 ypc avg is only because of his size and the size of the avg. defender he played against, that's it.

Comments (39) Add A Comment

July 6, 2007  10:10 PM ET
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crazy

July 6, 2007  10:11 PM ET
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With a good argument it can be proved...so hold off on voting.

July 6, 2007  10:12 PM ET
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A Brown that played for the Browns????? BRILLIANT!!!!!!

July 6, 2007  10:14 PM ET
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got my vote ravens

July 6, 2007  10:17 PM ET
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littlebrownjuggers- EVEN MORE BRILLIANT, he was a brown that played for the browns that was coached by a Brown (Paul Brown)!!!!

July 6, 2007  10:19 PM ET
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I never understood how someone becomes a one-dimensional runner. I mean, the guy averaged 5.2 yards a carry! Kind of hard to say he's overrated. Plus, you said he was fast, he was big, but apparently, he's supposed to be more than that to be an elite RB.

July 6, 2007  10:20 PM ET
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he was a brown that played for the browns that was coached by a Brown (Paul Brown), and this subject was voted for by a littleBROWNjugger...

See Ben, I told you I would make another bad joke.

July 6, 2007  10:31 PM ET
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You just contradicted yourself with the statement he was one dimensional all power, but he was really fast. That makes no sense whatsoever.

July 6, 2007  10:44 PM ET
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he didn't need his speed was my point because he could just run everyone over. and i said he was "fast" not "really fast" thanks.

July 6, 2007  10:46 PM ET
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WHOA!!!!! YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT!!! MY NAME!!!!

CRAZINESS X 1000

July 7, 2007  12:41 AM ET
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"With a good argument it can be proved...so hold off on voting."

No way. Absolutely no way that ANY argument can be made in favor of Jim Brown being overrated. His contribution both on and off the field, no way at all. He is BY FAR one of the most important people ever associated with the NFL. On the field or off.

July 7, 2007  12:42 AM ET
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Oh wait, Ben did you mean that it can be proved that he WAS overrated?

July 7, 2007  02:42 AM ET
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Jim Brown is not over-rated and same goes for Walter Payton. During their time they were one of the dominant one.

He departed as the NFL record holder for both single-season (1,863 in 1963) and career rushing (12,312 yards), as well as the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (106), total touchdowns (126), and all-purpose yards (15,549). He was the first player ever to reach the 100-rushing-touchdowns milestone, and only a few others have done so since, despite the league's expansion to a 16-game season in 1978 (Brown's first four seasons were only 12 games, and his last five were 14 games). Brown also set a record by reaching the 100-touchdown milestone in only 93 games, which stood until LaDainian Tomlinson reached it in 89 games during the 2006 season. He still holds the career record for yards per carry by a running back (5.2), and total seasons leading the NFL in all-purpose yards (5: 1958-1961, 1964), and is the only rusher in NFL history to average over 100 yards per game for a career. Brown was also a superb receiver out of the backfield, catching 262 passes for 2,499 yards and 20 touchdowns. Every season he played, Brown was voted into the Pro Bowl, and he left the league in style by scoring three touchdowns in his final Pro Bowl game. Perhaps the most amazing feat is that Jim Brown accomplished these records despite never playing past 29 years of age.

"He told me, 'Make sure when anyone tackles you he remembers how much it hurts.' He lived by that philosophy and I always followed that advice." ???John Mackey, 1999

Brown's 1,863 rushing yards in the 1963 season remain a Cleveland franchise record. It is currently the oldest franchise record for rushing yards out of all 32 NFL teams.


Jim Brown
Date of birth February 17, 1936 (1936-02-17) (age 71)
Place of birth Flag of United States St. Simons, Georgia
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight 232 lb (105 kg)
Position(s) FB
College Syracuse
NFL Draft 1957 / Round 1 / Pick 6
Career highlights
Pro Bowls 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961,
1962, 1963, 1964, 1965,
1966
Awards 1965 AP NFL MVP
1965 Pro Bowl MVP
1965 UPI MVP
1963 Bert Bell Award
1963 UPI MVP
1962 Pro Bowl MVP
1961 Pro Bowl MVP
1958 AP NFL MVP
1958 UPI MVP
1957 AP NFL MVP
1957 UPI NFL-NFC R.O.Y.
Honors NFL 75th Anniversary
All-Time Team
NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
US Lacrosse National HOF
Retired #s Cleveland Browns #32
Records Cleveland Browns
Career Rushing Yards
(12,312),
Cleveland Browns
Career Rushing TDs
(106)

July 7, 2007  05:55 PM ET
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Jim Brown is the model for a running back for any time. If he played today with his height, weight as it was in his prime, he would do just as well in todays game i think. 6-2, 232 w/speed? Sounds like Jerome Bettis on steroids, and we all can agree Bettis is a hall of famer, right?
-Cassidy

July 9, 2007  10:35 AM ET
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How am I losing if all these comments go for me? Makes no sense.

July 9, 2007  10:59 AM ET
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happens to me all the time favre, trust me.

July 9, 2007  11:05 AM ET
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Yeah. Happens to me too. The glory of democracy. Who do you think is the best back ever?

July 9, 2007  11:07 AM ET
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walter payton, best overall RB in history.

July 9, 2007  11:14 AM ET
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All around he was the best. LT is close to a modern mold, but he can't break tackles like Payton could and Payton was also the backup kicker and QB. Crazy.

 
July 9, 2007  11:19 AM ET
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i think i might put a new TD challenge out there that Payton was the best overall ever.

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