Greatest NFL Player Tournament - (1) Jerry Rice vs. (16) Barry Sanders

[iowajerms]

This Week

1st seed - WR Jerry Rice vs 16th seed - RB Barry Sanders
8th seed - QB Peyton Manning vs 9th seed - WR Don Hutson

Seeds are based on a ranking from NFL.com. I did not include the two offensive linemen that are in the top 24.

This will be double elimination. Allowed to change votes until deadline. Higher seed advances in case of a tie.

Bracket
*Poll does not close until June 1st around 12:40 pm. The poll results on the brackets are not official.

Spoiler: ”First Round Matchups”

Barry Sanders vs Ray Lewis thread
Don Hutson vs Bob Lily thread
Deacon Jones vs Brett Favre thread
Ronnie Lott vs John Elway thread
Dick Butkus vs Dan Marino thread
Otto Graham vs Bronko Nagurski thread

 

[iowajerms]

I find this to be a tough one. Rice did, by far, the most period, but he had hall of fame QBs Joe Montana and Steve Young throwing to him most of his career. I would say Barry Sanders did, by far, the most with the very least.

I still got to go with Jerry Rice. Not many argue him being the best WR ever, there are a lot that will argue Barry Sanders being the best RB ever.

 

[cdumler7]

I still went with Barry on this one. The guy had more highlight runs in one season than even some of the best backs in history during their career. I guess to me if Barry had continued there is no doubt in my mind he would be the unanimous best back in history. Throw in he played on some terrible teams. Imagine him with an even competent organization during his career and the guy would have pretty much rewrote the record book for RB's.

 

[Southieinnc]

I'm going with Barry on this one - reluctantly.
Jerry Rice was easily the best of his time. My pick is based solely on the thought that if they switched teams, Barry would be better and Rice not so lucky.....

 

[Stomp]

Probably would have gone with Rice if he hadn't admitted to being a cheater

 

[HammerDown]

Barry.

Not. Even. Close.

 

[GNG]

Barry...

 

[iowajerms]

If Barry had a good line and all, he would have been considered better than Walter Payton and even Jim Brown IMO. However, I think if Jerry Rice didn't have HOF QBs throwing to him and all, he still would have been one of the best WRs of all time as well.

 

[SonnyCID]

I can't believe Barry is 15 seeds behind Rice.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

I had to go with Jerry. He is far and away the best WR of all time.

 

[Xponentialchaos]

My two favorite players of all time.

I'll go with Jerry.

 

[Psycho]

Rice was the better player. Barry was the better highlight reel.

I think that pretty much says it all. Rice was the best player the league has ever seen, IMO. He completely dominated every wide receiver's production that has ever put on cleats.

And let's be honest about Barry, he was better than Jim Brown. Jim Brown was ahead of his time physically, he was running against defenders who weren't much bigger than him, if that. Barry went against the monsters of the 80's and 90's and starched them with very little support around him. Barry deserves to be compared to Rice, but it's hard to argue with Rice's body of work. That's about as amazing a career as a single player could ever have. Dude was the best player the NFL has ever seen.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Barry, he left the game too soon. Plus as far as we know he didn't use stickum or anyother illegal substance?