LaDainian
 

This guy is unbelievable. I think he's better than Emmitt, and Terrell Davis in his prime. He might be better than Barry, and Barry's the best back I've ever seen. With Barry, though, you got a bunch of "no gain" runs along with the occasional 30-yarder. I can see how a coach would prefer LaDainian's running style. He always seems to get extra yards after contact, something smaller backs like Marshall Faulk and Robert Smith couldn't do. And he's so much faster than the big guys like Jamal Lewis and Bettis.

The thread about Federer made me think. Sometimes you don't fully appreciate a player until it's too late. I'm not old enough to have seen Jim Brown or O.J. or Walter Payton or Eric Dickerson play, but it's possible history will place LaDainian above them all. He has 68 touchdowns in 68 games, a pace matched only by Brown.

Let's hope he stays healthy.

Re: LaDainian
 

I agree LT is hands down best RB in the NFL. It isn't even close. This guy is just a horse.

Re: LaDainian
 

You know, I agree too. I think it'd be more "cool" and "knowledgeable" of me to say something like, "this guy can't touch Jim Brown or Barry." But I don't think that's true. I think he's got such a great combination of power, speed, moves, reliability, field vision...he finds holes very well and moves through them quickly, gets extra yardage after contact...he's one of the very best great runners that's also a huge threat catching the ball...he has a nose for the end zone, he can handle lots of carries, he's a nice guy (I do know him a little bit from TCU days), he's always stayed out of trouble, he's been RELATIVELY injury-free (crossing my fingers and knocking on wood that that continues). He's just THE total package...and if he keeps this up, it is POSSIBLE that he could go down as the greatest RB in the history of football.

Cool.

Re: LaDainian
 

People have such short memories. LT2 is phenomenal, but let him do it for a while longer still. And for one year of dominance, let him put up a year like Priest did just two years ago before we start giving him Gayle Sayers type status. In other words, it's too early to do anything but sit back and watch and enjoy.

Re: LaDainian
 

He's indeed phenomenal, and clearly the best RB in the game, but saying he might be better than Barry Sanders is just ridiculous.

Re: LaDainian
 

[ QUOTE ]
He's indeed phenomenal, and clearly the best RB in the game, but saying he might be better than Barry Sanders is just ridiculous.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hasty, yes, ridiculous, no. Barry was a much a drive killer as a touchdown maker. He was brilliant, but he wasn't a perfect back. Ladanian is coming close.

Re: LaDainian
 

[ QUOTE ]
LT2 is phenomenal, but let him do it for a while longer still. And for one year of dominance let him put up a year like Priest did just two years ago before we start giving him Gayle Sayers type status

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This is Tomlinson's 5th year. He rushed for 5900 in his 1st 4. Two years ago he had a bigger year than Priest, rushing for 1600+ and catching 100 passes for over 2300 total yards. What exactly are you looking for?

Re: LaDainian
 

hey clark

i have to disagree. tomlinson has been awesome since his rookie year. if you compare his development to above average rookie running backs, tomlinson just destroys them all. he can run, he can catch, he can block, and he can pass. he is also humble, something very rare in a player with his skillset. a true teamplayer. im so happy that the chargers are winning games seeing how the chargers were terrible before and during the first few seasons LT was with the team.

Re: LaDainian
 

Tomlinson is amazing, but even saying that he MIGHT be better then Barry is ludicrous.

Re: LaDainian
 

I feel confident in saying that LT's never been the most valuable back in any one season. 2003 was he best season, and Priest was better that year.

Re: LaDainian
 

To me the most amazing thing about this guy is that he absolutely tore it up his first few years in the league, back when the chargers had some of the worst passing attacks in history. Barring injury he should turn out to be one of the all-time legends.

Re: LaDainian
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
LT2 is phenomenal, but let him do it for a while longer still. And for one year of dominance let him put up a year like Priest did just two years ago before we start giving him Gayle Sayers type status

[/ QUOTE ]

This is Tomlinson's 5th year. He rushed for 5900 in his 1st 4. Two years ago he had a bigger year than Priest, rushing for 1600+ and catching 100 passes for over 2300 total yards. What exactly are you looking for?

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That's all well and good except that Priest had over 2400 yards and 27 TD's.
[img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: LaDainian
 

[ QUOTE ]
hey clark

i have to disagree. tomlinson has been awesome since his rookie year. if you compare his development to above average rookie running backs, tomlinson just destroys them all. he can run, he can catch, he can block, and he can pass. he is also humble, something very rare in a player with his skillset. a true teamplayer. im so happy that the chargers are winning games seeing how the chargers were terrible before and during the first few seasons LT was with the team.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't have any problem with anything you wrote. I'm just saying that it's way too early to be worrying about where he ranks "all-time".

Re: LaDainian
 

Ok Clark, I'm pretty clueless about football, keep that in mind (feel free to say "lol that was obvious before). To me it kind of seems like rushing TDs aren't that great a stat. Say the QB takes the team down 60 yards, and then then the RB takes it in from the 2 for the TD. Is that really that important? It would seem to me that rushing TDs can be artificially inflated, but at the same time a back can pickup 40 yards on a drive and not get a TD.




Is it the ability to get the ball in the endzone when there is not much real estate left in the field and the defense is stacked there, or something along those lines? Obviously 3 yards at the goal line is not equal to 3 yards at your 35.

Re: LaDainian
 

oh. well, talk to you in four years after he gets four super bowl rings. go bolts!

Re: LaDainian
 

[ QUOTE ]

Ok Clark, I'm pretty clueless about football, keep that in mind (feel free to say "lol that was obvious before). To me it kind of seems like rushing TDs aren't that great a stat. Say the QB takes the team down 60 yards, and then then the RB takes it in from the 2 for the TD. Is that really that important? It would seem to me that rushing TDs can be artificially inflated, but at the same time a back can pickup 40 yards on a drive and not get a TD.

[/ QUOTE ]

The 10 yards between the 10 yard line and end zone are infinitely harder then any other 10 yards on the field because the defense has to cover less space on the field. For example on the goal line teams can bring up their linebackers and safetys much more to help stuff the run. In the middle of the field a lot of the time they have to drop back in coverage. Thats why its the true playmakers that excel in the touchdown area IE Emmitt Smith.

Re: LaDainian
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Ok Clark, I'm pretty clueless about football, keep that in mind (feel free to say "lol that was obvious before). To me it kind of seems like rushing TDs aren't that great a stat. Say the QB takes the team down 60 yards, and then then the RB takes it in from the 2 for the TD. Is that really that important? It would seem to me that rushing TDs can be artificially inflated, but at the same time a back can pickup 40 yards on a drive and not get a TD.

[/ QUOTE ]

The 10 yards between the 10 yard line and end zone are infinitely harder then any other 10 yards on the field because the defense has to cover less space on the field. For example on the goal line teams can bring up their linebackers and safetys much more to help stuff the run. In the middle of the field a lot of the time they have to drop back in coverage. Thats why its the true playmakers that excel in the touchdown area IE Emmitt Smith.

[/ QUOTE ]

The chance of an average NFL team turning a first-and-ten into another first-and-ten is 67%. The chance of the average NFL team turning first-and-ten in the red zone into a touchdown is 55%. Considering the fact that there's often more than ten yards in the red zone, 55% isn't that far off from what you'd expect.

Re: LaDainian
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thats why its the true playmakers that excel in the touchdown area IE Emmitt Smith.

[/ QUOTE ] Please do not bring #1 on the all time overated team into this.

Re: LaDainian
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Thats why its the true playmakers that excel in the touchdown area IE Emmitt Smith.

[/ QUOTE ] Please do not bring #1 on the all time overated team into this.

[/ QUOTE ]

So are the 49ers then the all time #1a overrated team then?

Re: LaDainian
 

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That's all well and good except that Priest had over 2400 yards and 27 TD's.

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Priest had 320 carries for 1420 rush yds and 74 rec for 690 receiving yds. That's 2110 total yds by my counting. Good for 3rd in the league behind Tomlinson and Green. He did have 27 TDs though.