No I never saw OJ or Jim Brown so have to rely on highlights for them. Caught the tail end of Payton but I was really young when he was playing so probably didn't appreciate him as much.
Part of the reason I have Barry as number 1 is that I just loved watching him play so much. I think we put a lot of stock in watchability with sportsmen, like Ali in boxing or Pele/Maradona/Messi in soccer. It's not just how good they are but how entertaining they are. That's why Sanders always comes to mind. I remember telling a younger person who had never seen him play that it was like watching a guy run on a carpet of air, he was so smooth and graceful despite having legs as wide as oak trees.
And I have to admit, seeing all these showboaters these days celebrating every time they get a first down, it makes me appreciate Sanders even more for the countless times he'd score a highlight real TD only to usually flip the ball back to the ref.