Ah, Barry Sanders, you left us too soon. Your retirement altered the future of the running back record book, robbed us of precious highlights, tormented a city, gave Ricky Williams a justifiable precedent for ditching Miami, and might have been the reason your coach, Bobby Ross, lost his job. Luckily, Ross isn't bitter. Right.
"I don't know if Barry really loved the game, but he worked hard at it," Ross said. "He did what he was supposed to do. I always wanted him to be a leader, but he didn't really want that role.PFT explains quite thoroughly why Sanders was, in fact, a tremendous leader, and illustrates the absurdity in the designation. I can't quite pen it as well as Florio, so check out what he has to say (after you finish here, that is).
But even if Sanders wasn't a leader, as Ross said, so what? Barry Sanders wasn't paid to be a leader. He was paid grab a ball and bring it to a particular destination. And he did that quite well, no matter where on the field he was.
The idea that the most talented players should also be team leaders always seemed bizarre to me. You can't force guys into that role -- either they are or they aren't -- and putting pressure on Sanders to be more than he could be might have been the primary reason one of the greatest players in the game's history gave it up and never looked back, leaving a city clinging to hopes of a comeback years after the fact.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-19-2008 @ 12:50PM
Ryan said...
and Barry did all of that with a mediocre line at best. Such a waste of a talent!
http://www.collegefastbreak.com/
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6-20-2008 @ 10:03AM
jeff z. said...
Emmitt Smith was a leader, which with everything considered makes him the best running back ever.
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9-16-2008 @ 9:12PM
fisher said...
Barry Sanders is by far the greatest running back of all time hands down in one season he had more 50yrd runs than the entire league. Emitt hand a QB the best OL in football two great wr's super TE good blocking FB and still didn't have the avg of Barry. Man I just wish detroit would have just let him play for the dolphin's Dan Marino and Barry Sanders would have both won superbowls.=) well thats my own dream!!
6-19-2008 @ 3:44PM
beef said...
How is that a waste? He did great things on and off the field, and left the game on his own terms. Would you rather him play until he couldn't walk anymore? I'm sure he's truly sorry for having somehow shorted you.
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6-19-2008 @ 7:21PM
BlueBarry said...
"I don't know if Barry really loved the game, but he worked hard at it," Ross said. "He did what he was supposed to do. I always wanted him to be a leader, but he didn't really want that role.
-I'm sure that Barry loved the game just by watching him play. I'm probably 90% sure Barry didn't like the organization though. I mean here's a guy who in my opinion was the best i've ever seen and all he wanted was to have some help around him and actually give him a reason to stick around.
The Lion's organization made it clear that they weren't going to spend the money or make an effort to add more talent to the team. Sanders has more class than any player in the game today - Instead of pulling a Chad Johnson/Owens/ect... He left the game. Do you really think Chad and Owens "love" the game? To them it's about money and being an attention whore.
Well Ross, If you did feel like Barry didn't love the game, you can thank yourself and the organization for that one. I would start to dislike the company i work for if they left me out to dry as well.
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6-19-2008 @ 11:52PM
Dave said...
Great player, likely the most electric and spectacular I have seen. Unfortunately, you dont win big games unless you get positive yardage when needed, and that was not Barry's gig.
It is his perogative to leave the game, but the way he did left not only the Lions, but his teammmates and the city in a lurch. He didn't retire-he quit, on everyone. It is no suprise today's players seldom bring him up in conversation.
As for the Lions, they never gave him much help, but I don't remember him complaining about the millions he made along the way. Not everyone can play for a winner, but no one has to be a quitter.
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12-24-2008 @ 11:27PM
J.Brown said...
if E. Smith is the greatest RB of all time then im santa claus.
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6-21-2008 @ 11:30AM
Steve said...
Dear Santa, for Christmas this year, can you send me a front office and owner who really care about winning. They've wasted so many talented backs here. Three Heisman winners like Owens, Sims and Sanders. Never getting anything but more losses. I think we in Detroit would love to see someone who cared about winning...like maybe Mike Illitch. Please Santa, can you help?
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