Jim Brown

[Longtimesu]

Just because.

I loved the Larry Csonka thread, but for me, Jim Brown set the standard.

Many of you are too young to know that football running backs would never run out of bounds. Jim Brown would rather run you over than take a dive.

And receivers never celebrated after making a catch. If you pounded your chest for making a catch back in the day, you sat down.

Guys who made tackles never celebrated either. After all, that's what their supposed to do.

The game has changed. Jim Brown, love him or hate him because of his personal life, was old school football. And yes, Larry Csonka carried on that tradition.

 

[wfschrec]

Get off my lawn ... just kidding.

 

[Eric15]

Jim Brown, love him or hate him because of his personal life, was old school football.

I love the fact that arguably the greatest football player that ever lived went to SU. But his history of violence against women has always made me uncomfortable.

 

[RF2044]

I love the fact that arguably the greatest football player that ever lived went to SU. But his history of violence against women has always made me uncomfortable.

Goes double in my household. My wife's family are all from NEO, and are Browns fans. And they have mixed feelings about Jim Brown for exactly the reasons you specify.

 

[OrangePA]

The thing that strikes me about Jim Brown - and the allegations of violence - is that he is such an intelligent guy.

I have read his books - he is very insightful when it comes to social/economic issues.

I believe he was an economics major at Syracuse University - and ROTC - and did well.

If you have ever heard him give a speech you know that he has a sharp mind.

I gather that given his experience as a young man there was a lot of anger there for a long time.

Hopefully all of that is gone.

 

[Toga]

Brown & Csonka - arguably the greatest player and greatest fullback of all time.

 

[Eric15]

I gather that given his experience as a young man there was a lot of anger there for a long time.

His last documented instance of domestic violence was in 1999 at the age of 63 when he was arrested.

 

[Ringostar57]

The thing that strikes me about Jim Brown - and the allegations of violence - is that he is such an intelligent guy.

I have read his books - he is very insightful when it comes to social/economic issues.

I believe he was an economics major at Syracuse University - and ROTC - and did well.

If you have ever heard him give a speech you know that he has a sharp mind.

I gather that given his experience as a young man there was a lot of anger there for a long time.

Hopefully all of that is gone.

There are a lot of intelligent yet immoral or amoral people who use their smarts to excuse their immorality.

 

[Scooch]

The thing that strikes me about Jim Brown - and the allegations of violence - is that he is such an intelligent guy.

I have read his books - he is very insightful when it comes to social/economic issues.

I believe he was an economics major at Syracuse University - and ROTC - and did well.

If you have ever heard him give a speech you know that he has a sharp mind.

I gather that given his experience as a young man there was a lot of anger there for a long time.

Hopefully all of that is gone.

Lots of otherwise intelligent people do some pretty horrific things.

One entertainer who fits that bill is in the news as we speak.

 

[BKCuse]

He's a flawed character and violence against women is a particularly ugly flaw.

But on the plus side:

He's perhaps the greatest RB to ever play the game.
He's ours.
He a legendary #44.
Kids (who know him) respect and revere him

 

[Eric15]

One entertainer who fits that bill is in the news as we speak.

But enough about Donald Trump...

 

[HtownOrange]

I was born well after Jim Brown played, but my father and grandfather told me the tales. I loved every story of Jim Brown's prowess. Same for all the great Orangemen. I started following Syracuse football in the 70's and still enjoy hearing the stories of all the greats.

NOTE: I do hate that several of our football greats have done horrible or questionable things, for that they will suffer the disgrace (or punishment as required) but that will never change what they did in football.

 

[RoysRunts]

But enough about Donald Trump...

and Bill Clinton

 

[OrangePA]

Lots of otherwise intelligent people do some pretty horrific things.

One entertainer who fits that bill is in the news as we speak.

Yeah, I'm not sure I expressed my thoughts as well as I could have.

Bill Cosby always presented himself as a nice, honest and decent person. So did O.J. Simpson for that matter.

That's not the case with Jim Brown, who always came off - publicly - as a not-so-nice person. He is still very intimidating, despite his age. I suspect very few have been surprised by his reported violent episodes.

And that's what struck me when I learned more about him. He is far more intelligent and thoughtful than he has presented himself over the years.

 

[Hoo's That]

Couple of things -

1. I'd like to have a nickel for every time I watched a Giants-Browns game with my Dad and yelled out, "Look he's hurt!" because Brown got up slowly after the tackle only to have him rip off another 4-6 yard gain on the next play. The greatest football player I have ever seen play, any position, any era.

2. He insisted that lacrosse saved his life. He says probably would have become a gang banger if he hadn't been "forced" to play lacrosse. There are people who saw him play both who insist that regardless of how good a football player you think he was, he was a better midfielder in lacrosse. Lacrosse also has "The Jim Brown Rule" because of him, which requires you to keep your stick away from your body.

 

[Crusty]

The best running back that ever played.

 

[SmilinBob]

I've always considered Jim Thorpe the greatest athlete of all time and Brown second.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I was born well after Jim Brown played, but my father and grandfather told me the tales. I loved every story of Jim Brown's prowess. Same for all the great Orangemen. I started following Syracuse football in the 70's and still enjoy hearing the stories of all the greats.

NOTE: I do hate that several of our football greats have done horrible or questionable things, for that they will suffer the disgrace (or punishment as required) but that will never change what they did in football.

Several?

 

[SmilinBob]

Several?

Maybe he just meant the ones hired by ESPN.

 

[Crusty]

I've always considered Jim Thorpe the greatest athlete of all time and Brown second.TE]
Brown was a pretty close second. Brown set a Nassau County HS record of 38pg in basketball. He was an exceptional track athlete as well as football and Lax. Not much difference between them

 

[Delmar]

Greatest football player ever.

The issues of abuse cannot and should not be dismissed. But also keep in mind the considerable work Brown has done in prisons. People are complicated.

 

[Moontan]

Several?

Ever hear of Kane, Harrison, or even McNabb?

 

[SmilinBob]

True but Thorpe did it in the Olympics not high school. Both are incredible athletes though.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Ever hear of Kane, Harrison, or even McNabb?

I forgot Kane even played in the NFL. Yeah, he was certainly a bad egg. I suppose the word several means different things to different people. To me that would be a few. Since he did include the word questionable, I suppose we could include Harrison who was never charged with anything and McNabb's DWIs. Now maybe if you add Will Allen to that list, maybe we start getting to several! I doubt that SU's alums are much worse than anyone else's, especially the major programs in the Sunshine State.