GOAT-D1 Barry Sanders vs. Tommie Frazier

[knapplc]

Winner gets an email from HuskerBoard congratulating them on their championship and inviting them to the awards ceremony at a bar get-together (date/time TBD).

[GM_Tood]

Winner gets an email from HuskerBoard congratulating them on their championship and inviting them to the awards ceremony at a bar get-together (date/time TBD).

That right there changes my vote.

[Mavric]

I'd say the voting sorted itself out nicely as I can't argue with either finalist and could vote for either.

 

Went for Sanders just because I'm pretty sure Tommy will win.

[The Dude]

Tommie is the best football player I ever watched do football things.

[GSG]

Tommie is the best football player I ever watched do football things.

 

And more recently, he's the best former football player I've ever watched pick up fat chicks

[B.B. Hemingway]

Tommie is the best football player I ever watched do football things.

 

And more recently, he's the best former football player I've ever watched pick up fat chicks

Fat chicks need lovin' too.... Go get em Tommie....

[JJ Husker]

Are you sure you Sanders voters are not being influenced by Barry's pro career or Tommies stories of asshattedness since his playing days? Maybe I've got too much built in homer but I don't thinl it's a stretch at all to pick Tommie.

[The Dude]

Tommie is the best football player I ever watched do football things.

 

And more recently, he's the best former football player I've ever watched pick up fat chicks

Legend.

[ShawnWatson]

Tommy Frazier gave me diabetes.

[Hercules]

Are you sure you Sanders voters are not being influenced by Barry's pro career or Tommies stories of asshattedness since his playing days? Maybe I've got too much built in homer but I don't thinl it's a stretch at all to pick Tommie.

I've seen this several times, and I can only imagine that the people asking this question don't know how good Barry Sanders was in college, much less the NFL. He still owns the record for most rushing yards in a season with 2,638 yards, averaging 238.9 yards per game (240 rushing yards in a single game wasn't great - it was AVERAGE).

 

I repeat - 2,638 yards - in eleven games. He didn't have 14 games, like modern RB's do, and still there won't be anybody who breaks that record any time soon (this was also before they counted stats from bowl games in records - over 12 games, Sanders had 2,850 rushing yards).

 

I love me some Tommie Frazier, but he was a system player surrounded by Lawrence Phillips, Ahman Green, some of the best offensive lines of all time, some of the best blocking receivers in the country, and the offenses he led were complimented by nasty defense.

 

Barry Sanders had Mike Gundy (it's worth noting that not a single Oklahoma State offensive lineman from that 1988 team was ever selected in the NFL draft).

[NUance]

At first I thought, Tommie vs Barry Sanders? It's got to be Barry. But the more I think about it, I'm not so sure:

• Elusiveness: Barry
• Leadership: Tommie
• Special Teams: Barry (one of the best kickoff returners ever)
• Lockerroom: Tommie (he wasn't popular--but he pushed guys to workout. And win.)
• Total offense: Tommie (Barry had 3,962 yds and 55 TDs. Tommie had 5,476 yds and 79 TDs)
• Bowl games: Tommie (MVP in three bowl games. In 1993 Orange Bowl Tommie was the bowl MVP even though we lost.)
• Winning: Tommie (33-3 record. 2 national championships. 4 Big 8 championships. Nobody was better than Tommie when the game was on the line. Nobody.)
• Full career: Tommie (Tommie started 7 games as a true frosh, played all 4 years. Barry 2nd string frosh and soph. behind Thurman Thomas. Barry left a year early for the NFL.)
  

Conclusion: Barry was a magician. Tommie was a general. Tommie made the whole team better. He led the Huskers for four years. Nebraska rose to become the greatest college football dynasty ever. Barry had one awesome year in college, and left a year early for the NFL.

Edge: Tommie

[MLB 51]

Are you sure you Sanders voters are not being influenced by Barry's pro career or Tommies stories of asshattedness since his playing days? Maybe I've got too much built in homer but I don't thinl it's a stretch at all to pick Tommie.

No. I really wouldn't have a problem with this ending in a tie.

Both could and should be considered two of the best at their respective positions.

[JJ Husker]

Are you sure you Sanders voters are not being influenced by Barry's pro career or Tommies stories of asshattedness since his playing days? Maybe I've got too much built in homer but I don't thinl it's a stretch at all to pick Tommie.

No. I really wouldn't have a problem with this ending in a tie.

Both could and should be considered two of the best at their respective positions.

Barry was a great player, no question about that. I guess I just don't feel the need to get my vote exactly perfect. Not that voting for either one of these guys is wrong but, we're Husker fans. We don't have to weigh every detail and stat. We should easily be able to pick Tommie over Barry in this sort of contest. I'm just a little disappointed it's a one point affair and some feel the need to try to explain why they think Tommie is not a legitimate choice. Maybe I'm not operating in the proper spirit. I know Sanders is also worthy but I voted for Tommie cuz he's a Husker.

[Husker from Kansas]

 

 

 

At first I thought, Tommie vs Barry Sanders? It's got to be Barry. But the more I think about it, I'm not so sure:

• Elusiveness: Barry
  
• Leadership: Tommie
  
• Special Teams: Barry (one of the best kickoff returners ever)
  
• Lockerroom: Tommie (he wasn't popular--but he pushed guys to workout. And win.)
  
• Total offense: Tommie (Barry had 3,962 yds and 55 TDs. Tommie had 5,476 yds and 79 TDs)
  
• Bowl games: Tommie (MVP in three bowl games. In 1993 Orange Bowl Tommie was the bowl MVP even though we lost.)
  
• Winning: Tommie (33-3 record. 2 national championships. 4 Big 8 championships. Nobody was better than Tommie when the game was on the line. Nobody.)
  
• Full career: Tommie (Tommie started 7 games as a true frosh, played all 4 years. Barry 2nd string frosh and soph. behind Thurman Thomas. Barry left a year early for the NFL.)
  

Conclusion: Barry was a magician. Tommie was a general. Tommie made the whole team better. He led the Huskers for four years. Nebraska rose to become the greatest college football dynasty ever. Barry had one awesome year in college, and left a year early for the NFL.

 

 

 

 

Edge: Tommie

 

To be honest, idk if I totally agree with all of the bolded,

1. We have no Idea what Barry was like in the locker room, It is just an assumption that he wasnt the leader Tommie was, but that doesnt mean he wasnt a great leader in his own right, I mean if it wasnt for him there is no way the win the games they did, idk if the same can be said for Tommie due to the talent on the team as a whole

2. The total yards thing IMO is fair, Tommie not only ran the ball alot, but he was a QB so he got the opportunity to throw the ball, also he played on some of the greatest teams in college football history, Teams had to scheme against pretty much just Barry when playing OSU, while when trying to scheme against NU they had to scheme against all kinds of weapons

3. Also Barry ran for 189 yards and 4 tds, against the Husker back in the day, and the Blackshirts generally dominated rbs back in the day and what he did was no easy feat.

 

Now don't get me wrong I believe Tommie is easily one of the best cfb players ever, but I just personally believe Barry was better, but then again he was and still is my favorite player of all time so that may sway my feelings a little bit

[NUance]

 

 

 

At first I thought, Tommie vs Barry Sanders? It's got to be Barry. But the more I think about it, I'm not so sure:

• Elusiveness: Barry
  
• Leadership: Tommie
  
• Special Teams: Barry (one of the best kickoff returners ever)
  
• Lockerroom: Tommie (he wasn't popular--but he pushed guys to workout. And win.)
  
• Total offense: Tommie (Barry had 3,962 yds and 55 TDs. Tommie had 5,476 yds and 79 TDs)
  
• Bowl games: Tommie (MVP in three bowl games. In 1993 Orange Bowl Tommie was the bowl MVP even though we lost.)
  
• Winning: Tommie (33-3 record. 2 national championships. 4 Big 8 championships. Nobody was better than Tommie when the game was on the line. Nobody.)
  
• Full career: Tommie (Tommie started 7 games as a true frosh, played all 4 years. Barry 2nd string frosh and soph. behind Thurman Thomas. Barry left a year early for the NFL.)
  

Conclusion: Barry was a magician. Tommie was a general. Tommie made the whole team better. He led the Huskers for four years. Nebraska rose to become the greatest college football dynasty ever. Barry had one awesome year in college, and left a year early for the NFL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edge: Tommie

 

To be honest, idk if I totally agree with all of the bolded,

1. We have no Idea what Barry was like in the locker room, It is just an assumption that he wasnt the leader Tommie was, but that doesnt mean he wasnt a great leader in his own right, I mean if it wasnt for him there is no way the win the games they did, idk if the same can be said for Tommie due to the talent on the team as a whole

2. The total yards thing IMO is fair, Tommie not only ran the ball alot, but he was a QB so he got the opportunity to throw the ball, also he played on some of the greatest teams in college football history, Teams had to scheme against pretty much just Barry when playing OSU, while when trying to scheme against NU they had to scheme against all kinds of weapons

3. Also Barry ran for 189 yards and 4 tds, against the Husker back in the day, and the Blackshirts generally dominated rbs back in the day and what he did was no easy feat.

 

Now don't get me wrong I believe Tommie is easily one of the best cfb players ever, but I just personally believe Barry was better, but then again he was and still is my favorite player of all time so that may sway my feelings a little bit

Fair enough. My intent was to balance the perspective a bit. It's nearly impossible to consider Barry Sanders without giving him extra credit for his awesome NFL career. Something Tommie didn't have, unfortunately. And Barry was only in college for three years--two of which were spent mostly on the bench. I just don't think Sanders' one awesome year measures up to the four years of production we got out of Tommie. Was Barry Sander's two years on the bench and one awesome year better than Tommie's four years during which the Huskers improved to become college football's greatest dynasty? I think not.