Ex-Cowboys RB Marion "The Barbarian" Barber found dead in his apartment...RIP

[CowgirlsFan]

Devastating!   RIP!  Thank you for the memories.

[Gugny]

This is very, very sad.  RIP.

[EasternOHBillsFan]

11 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Football has a 100% brain injury rate

 

I'm surprised that the sport hasn't changed much, although the players are the ones taking the risk willingly. They know the possible outcomes and yet are still more than willing to play.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

59 TD (53 rush 6 pass) in just 99 career games is amazing. For comparison - Shady has 73 TD in 170 games.  Thurman 88 in 182 games, but only 65 rushing wiht another 22 via the pass.  Hell OJ had 75 in 135 games.   Barber scored at a HOF rate.  

[Chicken Boo]

1 hour ago, Ethan in Portland said:

59 TD (53 rush 6 pass) in just 99 career games is amazing. For comparison - Shady has 73 TD in 170 games.  Thurman 88 in 182 games, but only 65 rushing wiht another 22 via the pass.  Hell OJ had 75 in 135 games.   Barber scored at a HOF rate.  

 

 

With the way he ran, in the history of football, there are less than 5 RBs I'd rather have in a goal line situation.

 

*edit:  After some thought, he'd make my top 10.  

Edited June 2, 2022 by Chicken Boo

[Buffalo716]

1 hour ago, Ethan in Portland said:

59 TD (53 rush 6 pass) in just 99 career games is amazing. For comparison - Shady has 73 TD in 170 games.  Thurman 88 in 182 games, but only 65 rushing wiht another 22 via the pass.  Hell OJ had 75 in 135 games.   Barber scored at a HOF rate.  

He was a RedZone back for the bulk of his career 

 

He could convert carries in the red zone and goal line

 

 

[BillsShredder83]

6 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

He was a RedZone back for the bulk of his career 

 

He could convert carries in the red zone and goal line

 

 

Fantasy Football Stud, won his owners a ton of championships.

[BillsShredder83]

12 hours ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

I'm surprised that the sport hasn't changed much, although the players are the ones taking the risk willingly. They know the possible outcomes and yet are still more than willing to play.

Yes and no. I think the general consensus had changed a lot even in the last 5 to 10 years.

 

I'd imagine there's a ton of denial by players, lots of "yeah, but not me" attitudes, and its hard to blame them. Football is life for a ton of fans, but these guys are in even deeper.

There love for the game starts before they're 10 likely. It has given them purpose, taken people out of the hood, allowed travel, paychecks they could only dream of. One hell of a natural high. Hard to change your mind through all this to believe the game would hurt you. 

 

Very very sad reality. I absolutely love this game, more than anything other than family/friends... its hard to accept what it does to some of these guys

[EasternOHBillsFan]

9 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Yes and no. I think the general consensus had changed a lot even in the last 5 to 10 years.

 

I'd imagine there's a ton of denial by players, lots of "yeah, but not me" attitudes, and its hard to blame them. Football is life for a ton of fans, but these guys are in even deeper.

There love for the game starts before they're 10 likely. It has given them purpose, taken people out of the hood, allowed travel, paychecks they could only dream of. One hell of a natural high. Hard to change your mind through all this to believe the game would hurt you. 

 

Very very sad reality. I absolutely love this game, more than anything other than family/friends... its hard to accept what it does to some of these guys

 

I get it, which is why I said I'm surprised the game hasn't changed that much. There is a ton of money in it and of course that's the primary motivator for most.

[machine gun kelly]

I always hate to hear someone take their life, and if that is confirmed someday, it’s very sad.  I remember him at his peak.  He was solid, but that doesn’t matter anymore.  Whether he was a career backup, or a starter, it’s still a sad ending.

 

[AuntieEm]

On 6/1/2022 at 6:41 PM, Big Turk said:

Damn only 38 years old...can remember him well with Dallas...good player.

 

Apparently had been dealing with some mental health issues...Dez Bryant said he knew his situation and he was "down and out bad"...

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-dallas-cowboys-rb-marion-222204967.html

 

So if he was so aware of Barbers state of mind,  did he report it to mental health professionals?  Get a bunch of friends together to offer him support or attempt an intervention?  

 

 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by AuntieEm

[Chuck Schick]

On 6/2/2022 at 8:44 PM, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

I get it, which is why I said I'm surprised the game hasn't changed that much. There is a ton of money in it and of course that's the primary motivator for most.

I would argue against the game "not having changed much", even since the time that Barber was playing.  You rarely see defensive guys launching themselves headfirst into receivers and running backs anymore.  And we can clearly see the difference in how QB's are hit.  Like them or not, the recent rule changes have drastically affected that part of the game.

[Gugny]

1 hour ago, Chuck Schick said:

I would argue against the game "not having changed much", even since the time that Barber was playing.  You rarely see defensive guys launching themselves headfirst into receivers and running backs anymore.  And we can clearly see the difference in how QB's are hit.  Like them or not, the recent rule changes have drastically affected that part of the game.

 

QBs are who draws viewership.  Like in baseball ... all the chicks dig the long ball.  Sports organizations protect their cash cows.  Everyone else is just the supporting cast.

[ExiledInIllinois]

RIP

 

His father (Marion Jr.) was a NYJ RB from 1982-1988...

[MJS]

On 6/2/2022 at 6:21 AM, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

I'm surprised that the sport hasn't changed much, although the players are the ones taking the risk willingly. They know the possible outcomes and yet are still more than willing to play.

Oh, you see it at the youngest levels for sure. A lot of parents are not letting their kids play football anymore. But it THE sport in the US, so even if you cut the number of kids who play in half, you still have a pretty big number.

 

I played football in high school, but I've thought long and hard if I want my son to play. I've decided if he really wants to, he can, but I will spend as much money as possible on his helmet and any other protective equipment he needs, and really school him up on how to protect himself on a football field.

[ExiledInIllinois]

10 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

QBs are who draws viewership.  Like in baseball ... all the chicks dig the long ball.  Sports organizations protect their cash cows.  Everyone else is just the supporting cast.

I think it was Forte in Chicago when the Bears try to tag him and he objected to being franchised.  He said RBs are ground up and discarded.   Done by 32.