Bills Fan of St Augustine Posted March 29, 2015 Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) Thurman had one of the best O-lines in team history. OJ was the best...Just watch his hi-lites. Thurman a close 2nd. Also for years Bills had no passing game. Teams knew OJ was getting the ball and still couldn't stop him Damn - thanks for the memories! Juice was the best I ever saw, TT not close as a pure RB. Barry Sanders was the only other back I ever watched who might have been a match. Walter was close...I never really saw Jim Brown...IMO the juice was lights out the best ever!....Truly a shame the way it ended... Edited March 29, 2015 by Bills Fan of Maryland
chris heff Posted March 29, 2015 Posted March 29, 2015 Interesting you are one of the few to put McGahee inn there. He played in more games for the Bills than Gilchrist, more YPG and fewer fumbles. Never saw Cookie play, but putting modern RBs against guys from the 60-70's puts modern players at a disadvantage. As others point out, the running game has changed not just because "it's a passing league", but because the Dlines and LBs are faster and more athletic nowadays across the board. You don't have the same RBs (rare exceptions) dominating the top spots for rushing year after year anymore. I saw Gilchrist play. If Gilchrist had taken the usual route to the AFL or NFL he would be considered one of the greatest of all time. He didn't start playing professionally in the US until he was 28 years old.
vincec Posted March 29, 2015 Posted March 29, 2015 I saw Gilchrist play. If Gilchrist had taken the usual route to the AFL or NFL he would be considered one of the greatest of all time. He didn't start playing professionally in the US until he was 28 years old. Van Miller said that he thought Cookie Gilchrist was every bit as good as Jim Brown. I agree with those saying that OJ was a better runner. However, it's interesting to me that if I was going to put together a best all time Buffalo Bills football team that actually had to play a game, I would take Thurman.
Lurker Posted March 29, 2015 Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) The amazing thing about OJ was that for a guy 6'2' 212lb he had the ability to turn on the jets with world class speed. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-06-17/sports/sp-4512_1_years-ago-today Love me some Thurman, but if OJ played on the Bills Super Bowl teams, I think we'd be talking about one for the thumb and not 0-4.... Edited March 29, 2015 by Lurker
MyHorseAteTheKid Posted March 29, 2015 Posted March 29, 2015 Joe Cribbs at # 3? Aggree!!! Juice, Thurman, Cribbs, Cookie and the Rest...
SF Bills Fan Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 I'm going Thurman based on his versatility as a back catching passes out of the backfield. OJ number 2 then CG.
hondo in seattle Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 I'm glad to see Cookie Gilchrist getting mentioned though I'm wondering what you guys are basing this on. Did you actually see him play? There are very few highlights of Cookie available (though hopefully that will soon change).
Fadingpain Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 Thurman is what I consider one of the greatest "offensive weapons" of all time. Are you trying to move the ball downfield? Are you trying to get first downs? Are you trying to score? Then you want Thurman on your side, and on the field. The man was an all-time great offensive weapon. OJ was a different sort of player; he was a great pure runner with world class sprinting speed, something Thurman never had. The better pure runner is OJ; the guy I'd take on my team is Thurman.
Overseas Bills Fan Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 I'd say the evidence supports OJ Simpson's claim to this distinction, beyond a reasonable doubt. Does anyone else even belong in the discussion? Thurman Thomas!
Cinga Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 Thurman had one of the best O-lines in team history. OJ was the best...Just watch his hi-lites. Thurman a close 2nd. Also for years Bills had no passing game. Teams knew OJ was getting the ball and still couldn't stop him Bullsh1t... Rashad, Moses, JD Hill, Chandler... It wasn't that we had no passing game, we had a coach, Saban, that chose not to use it...
Big Turk Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 I've heard some say that Cookie was the best RB the Bills ever had, but I've never seen him... OJ was obviously ultra talented, but the game was a lot different then also...as a pure runner, I'd give OJ the nod over Thurman. However, as an all-purpose RB Thurman was in a league of his own---he was exceptional at running, receiving and blocking
purple haze Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) You make a good point, he had superior elusiveness. Look up some thurman film, though and compare. I'm not saying OJ isnt one of the greatest of all time, just that thurman narrowly beats him out. I LOVE Thurman Thomas' game. He was a great player in his own right. He could do it all. I give OJ the nod over him, because, even as great as Thurman was, he did not have OJ's superior combo of power, speed and elusiveness. OJ is 6'1 215 w/legit sprinter's speed (I believe at USC he was on a record setting relay team), power and elusiveness. #34 had these things, but not to the same level as the Juice. OJ really was a generational talent; an exciting player because he did things other runners couldn't do. Every time he touched the rock people stood up; including fans of the other team, because something great might happen. But if you prefer Thurman I can't knock you. Thurman was dynamite in all phases and one of my favorite Bills of all time. He was just different than what OJ brought. To me, I take a generational talent over a great talent every time. I'll take Barry Sanders over Emmitt Smith. I'll Take Jerry Rice over Tim Brown. I'll take Dan Marino over Joe Montana. Those other players are GREAT, but If a team has a chance to get a once in ten years type of talent at their position, they have to do that and BUILD around that talent effectively. I'm not a big hockey person, but to put my thought in a current discussion, for the Sabres fans on the board, do you take Eichel over McDavid given the choice? Or do you take McDavid and run? Then ask yourself why? Edited March 30, 2015 by purple haze
Lurker Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 Bullsh1t... Rashad, Moses, JD Hill, Chandler... It wasn't that we had no passing game, we had a coach, Saban, that chose not to use it... With Dennis Shaw and a rookie Joe Ferguson, that was a good move. Fergy didn't give them a real passing threat until '75, well into OJ's run...
machine gun kelly Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 I think thurman is #1 just because OJ was talented, but he clearly sucked later in his career. This was him falling off the cliff early due to overplay, but also due to not having an epic oline. He was basically demarco murray, good player, but legendary oline. Thurman didnt really have that. That might be an oversimplification, but, idk. Tinker Bell ought to be somewhere on this list. he was pretty good when healthy Bud, we had one of the best offensive lines in football with Thurmon Thomas. Ritcher, Wolford, House Ballard, and so on. They may not have been Dallas in those days, but I'd placed them #2 in the league.
Bufcomments Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 OJ was not only the best RB in Bills history, he was the most talented player than EVER had. OJ wins and it not even close. I saw every game of that 73' season when he gained 2003 yds. But his best overall season was in 75' IMO. Thomas 2nd. We don't go to 4 straight Super bowls without him. He was clutch. He was huge in the playoffs . What great hands out of the backfield. He was the best receiving RB we ever had. Joe Cribbs 3rd. I don't think many people would put him this high but I do. BeastMode 4th I am a huge Marshawn Fan and still mad it didn't work out here for him. Travis Henry 5th. Henry had some awesome years here.
WotAGuy Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) I started watching the Bills in 1968. OJ is, hands down, the best Bill ever - even better than Jimbo. OJ had every opponent keyed on him and he still made yards - and led the league in 1972 before the line jelled into the "Electric Company". OJ could run in any weather or field conditions. He is the Bills' most electric player I have seen. Thurman is the clear #2 RB. I am surprised Freddy has such strong numbers, looking at the Bills career RBs. It's even more amazing considering how often he played behind crappy lines and seemed to have a lot of runs where he had a guy on him before he got the handoff. I love the guy, but wouldn't have guessed his numbers are as strong as they are. Amazing. He is as fun to watch as Thurman was. Cookie had a TD every 21.8 rush attempts, which is an amazing stat in itself. No one else is close. Edited March 30, 2015 by WotAGuy
maddenboy Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) I started watching the Bills in 1968. OJ is, hands down, the best Bill ever - even better than Jimbo. OJ had every opponent keyed on him and he still made yards - and led the league in 1972 before the line jelled into the "Electric Company". OJ could run in any weather or field conditions. He is the Bills' most electric player I have seen. This. OJ was one of the best players ever. No matter what team. Sorry if you guys are too young to remember. I'm only in my 40s but OJ is in the conversation for best RB ever (after Jim Brown and maybe Barry Sanders). The feeling of wearing a 32 Bills Jersey back then was unlike the feeling of any other Buffalo sports player before or since. Tingly. Super prideful. Unmatched. done. Edited March 30, 2015 by maddenboy
Chandler#81 Posted March 30, 2015 Posted March 30, 2015 Bill Arsbarger, DC of the Dolphins in the early 90's when asked how how do stop Thurman Thimas? His reply; Trade for him!
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