Basel

What do you guys think? I know people always consider him among the best ever, but do you guys believe that when it's all said and done, he'll be considered by most as the very best his position as had to offer?

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hoth

Best of the last 15-20 years, but no higher than 3rd all-time.

Manster

He is one of the all time greats but it is hard to compair a guy from today with one that played in the 50's or 60's. There is just so much that has changed about the game.

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hoth

I think that when it comes to linebackers, you've got LT & Butkas.......then everyone else.

if strictly MLBs, I think Ray Nitschke would get more votes than Lewis too.

Manster

I do not know about the Nitschke thing. Most people did not see him play and the ones that did would look at the past in the rose color glasses thinking that was the best football because that is when they watched it. I wish I had the time and method to watch more of the games fom that time frame. Most of what I have seen from them are highlight reels.

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Basel

I never got a chance to watch Butkus & LT, so why do you consider them better than Ray Lewis? Not saying you're wrong, but just wondering.

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Manster

I am not 100% sure that Butkus is better than Lewis, I am not a Bear's fan. What I have read and seen of him he was a force in the middle like Lewis but a lot of the hits he did would be called dirty, cheap or illegal now a days.

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hoth

Every rule change in the last 25+ years has benefited the offensive side of the ball. Nowadays, a D-lineman can't sneeze on a qb or he'll get a roughing the passer call. Not only that, but these guys are so over-paid now, minor injuries that players would've played through in any other decade now keep guys on the sidelines for weeks due to the money invested in them. How many guys today would get their finger chopped-off so they didn't have to have surgery & miss a playoff game? None, but Ronnie Lott did.......



I think this is the main factor why we've seen so many "unbreakable" offensive records surpassed with ease in recent years --- offensively speaking, it's a much easier game than it was 20+ years ago. It's also why we see fewer & fewer truly dominant defenses as opposed to the past (besides the Ravens Super-Bowl team there hasn't been one dominant defense in the last decade.
The Giants team that beat the Patriots? a solid defense for sure but every Super-Bowl winner from the '84 49ers through the '96 Packers had a better man-for-man defense than that Giants team.
The '08 Steelers? if they were that great defensively, they would've held that one-dimensional Arizona team to about 10 points.)


LT changed the game.
Before he came along, the OLB position was more responsible for coverage duties than bringing pressure. LT was as fast as some of the Pro Bowl running backs of his day. I'm sure he would've had a better 40 time than Riggins or Otis Anderson.

Butkus --- just watch some NFL films.
The most intimidating defender in history.
Dirty? for sure, but only by today's wimped-out standards.


All-time MLB:

1. Butkus
2. Nitschke
3. Lambert
4. Lewis
5. Lanier

honorable mention:
Sam Huff, Chuck Bednarik, Mike Singletary

LSU4LIFE

I would say he is in the top 3 of all time but not the greatest IMO.

HBKBretHart

I'm going to say he will be the best MLB of all time.