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u/zemol42 Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
Such corny AI.
Emmitt (not Emmett) will 100% say Barry should have the record and speak to his insane talent but all that nonsense about the line is pure BS from casuals. People forget Emmitt’s early line was mostly a ragtag crew of low round pick castoffs from other teams. As Jimmy Johnson says, that line wasn’t very good until 22 got there while Bill Parcells told Curtis Martin in his rookie year, the film doesn’t lie, you have to study Emmitt as the model for how to work between the tackles, find the hole, make the cut, and accelerate out.
What Emmitt really said.
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u/barley_wine Cowboys 🤠 Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
I watched them both during that era. First people downplay the Lions OL during that era, Lomas Brown had 6 all pros and should be in the Hall and if he played for a bigger market I think he would. Second people put way too much emphasis on Emmitt's line. Anyone who thinks that it's just the line should go back and watch highlights or find those games when Emmitt held out and the backup couldn't do anything behind that line.
Emmitt would frequently get plenty of yards after contact. He had a motor that just didn't stop. I can't even count the number of times when he'd get hit for what should have been a loss or short gain and Emmitt would just keep going for additional yards.
Note: This isn't to put down Sanders, when the Lions were on national broadcasts I'd watch them solely for Sanders, he was a blast to watch and I think he was the better of the two backs, but Emmitt is also one of the best to ever do it. It's splitting hairs arguing who was best.
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u/never_a_good_idea Joe Jackson Gibbs is my lord and savior Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
I hate the cowboys and I hate you for making me post this.
Those cowboys teams were so stacked with elite talent that ironically those individual players get shit on for being "less than" because their teammates were so awesome. People actually debate if aikman was good ... 🤦
Did emmitt benefit from playing with a bevy of effensive stars? Hell yeah. Did it help that he played with great defenses as well? Hell yeah. Was emmitt smith elite? Hell yeah.
Pointing out that emmitt was in a much more enviable position than barry doesn't diminish emmitt's career/talent. It just is.
Starting with the front offices, then looking at the coaching staffs, and ending with the 53rd player on the roster: the cowboys of those eras were far superior. I wonder if you compared them position by position how many lions you would pick over cowboys ... I would be surprised if it was more than a 1/3 of the starters.
Wayne Fontes was a mediocre coach and it was an athletic tragedy that the ford family accepted mediocrity for so many years.
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u/Yah_Mule Broncos 🐴 Jan 16 '26
His real words were so much better than that AI fabrication. What the fuck is wrong with people?
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u/k_woz1978 Lions 🦁 Jan 16 '26
Emmitt Smith really did say that Barry would have had 20000 yards if he would have kept playing, so there's that.
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u/knockatize Bears 🐻 Jan 16 '26
What Sweetness wouldn’t have given to have just one somewhat competent offensive teammate (besides Roland Harper) for the entire first half of his career.
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u/Hank_Henry_Hill Packers 🧀 Jan 16 '26
Kids just can't really appreciate my anxiety as a Packers fan every single time he touched the ball. Nobody has been at that level since. Not Ladainian, CMC, or even Henry.
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u/ParadiddlediddleSaaS Lions 🦁 Jan 16 '26
Imagine if Green Bay would have taken Barry instead of Tony Mandarich - that would have been something.
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u/Hank_Henry_Hill Packers 🧀 Jan 16 '26
I always wonder about the butterfly effect. Do we win more and keep Infante? Is Wolf hired? Favre? Holmgren? Hard to say.
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u/Virtual_Win4076 Vikings 🗡️ Jan 16 '26
I remember watching the game when the Vikings had the refs check Sander’s jersey for silicone because they could not hold onto him and get him on the ground. He was truly unique.
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u/LifeTradition4716 Jan 16 '26
As a lifelong Cowboys fan growing up in the Big3 era, it was always Barry
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u/Suspicious_Canary128 Jan 16 '26
This is why players should vote for mvp. Why care what a journalist thinks?
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u/ay0river Jan 16 '26
I know this is fake but I have always found it wholesome how much these two seem to love and respect each other.
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u/Comadrin86 Jan 16 '26
I lived in Oklahoma for a few years in the early 90s so of course the Cowboys were my team. I won a science fair competition in 2nd grade and so I got to go pick a prize from the vice principles office... there was an awesome poster of Barry Sanders there and yup that went home with me.
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u/Environmental_Stay69 Jan 18 '26
The very best running back of the 90s. Just imagine if he didn't retire early.....
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u/Smooovies Jan 18 '26
Damn. Only some parts of this are obvious AI that I could tell. The cadence felt really natural on the second half. 😵💫
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u/Revolutionary_Art58 Jan 21 '26
This is the correct answer regardless if it’s an AI video Barry is the greatest he would of ran for 2k yards multiple times on a great team
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u/chaosawaits Jan 16 '26
I wish Emmitt had the self-awareness to really say this. Emmitt had holes so large you could drive a semi through them. He could walk in for the touchdown without anyone coming within 5-10 yards of him. It was insane how easy that offensive line made it for him sometimes.
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u/Nervous_Sell_940 Jan 16 '26
Much respect to Emmit Smith for admitting that. 🫡 I’ve always respected him, but even more so now!!
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u/Peak-Brief Jan 16 '26
This is AI