The Dean Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 A nice article from buffalobills.coma bout Thruman Thomas is linked on the Two Bills Drive home page. It got me to thinking about the obvious. And, yes there are other threads about TT, but they're a lilttle stale by now and they don't call attention to this article. Thurman really did it ALL. We tallk about his rummming ability and even more about his receiving skills, but rarely is it mention how much blocking he did. In fact, I've read threads taking a shot at TT's blocking skills. Now, I'm not saying TT was one of the leagues great blockers...but, he did his share and did it effectively, for the most part. He didn't start out as a good blocker, but he worked at it and improved to the point where he was damn good...especially for a back with his skills. So, unless I'm mistaken, since TT left we haven't had a: RB who runs as well as TT (not by a long shot) RB who receives as well as TT. Centers, really a FB, was very good. But, he wasn't TT. RB who blocks as well as TT (especially in pass protection). Gash, a FB, doesn't count here. So, here's to Thurman. There's no doubt his future's in the Hall. Let's hope he gets there 1st ballot. He deserves it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderweb Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 A nice article from buffalobills.coma bout Thruman Thomas is linked on the Two Bills Drive home page. It got me to thinking about the obvious. And, yes there are other threads about TT, but they're a lilttle stale by now and they don't call attention to this article. Thurman really did it ALL. We tallk about his rummming ability and even more about his receiving skills, but rarely is it mention how much blocking he did. In fact, I've read threads taking a shot at TT's blocking skills. Now, I'm not saying TT was one of the leagues great blockers...but, he did his share and did it effectively, for the most part. He didn't start out as a good blocker, but he worked at it and improved to the point where he was damn good...especially for a back with his skills. So, unless I'm mistaken, since TT left we haven't had a: RB who runs as well as TT (not by a long shot) RB who receives as well as TT. Centers, really a FB, was very good. But, he wasn't TT. RB who blocks as well as TT (especially in pass protection). Gash, a FB, doesn't count here. So, here's to Thurman. There's no doubt his future's in the Hall. Let's hope he gets there 1st ballot. He deserves it. 594020[/snapback] While OJ may have been the best pure runner we've ever had, he pales in comparison the the complete package Thurman brought to the Bills. For Thurman to be overlooked, the voters would have to overlook his excellence in all phases of the game. He surely has been missed..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 While OJ may have been the best pure runner we've ever had, he pales in comparison the the complete package Thurman brought to the Bills. For Thurman to be overlooked, the voters would have to overlook his excellence in all phases of the game. He surely has been missed..... 594023[/snapback] OJ does not pale in comparison to the complete package of Thurman.I love Thurman--a great all around back and 2nd ballot hall of famer at least....-but OJs running skills --probably among the 3 greatest of all time--put him well beyond this COMPLETE package stuff of Thurman.Lets be a bit sane about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLO Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 just curious as to why the voters wouldnt grant him the first-ballot honors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregkash Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 just curious as to why the voters wouldnt grant him the first-ballot honors? 594037[/snapback] Many voters for the hall of fame consider first time ballots reserved for only the greatest players. Whether TT was one of the greats is up in the air. Although if there had been a Superbowl win I doubt there would be any question. And he should have been MVP of XXV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLO Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Dont we got a guy in on the voting staff, Larry Felser? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRW Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 OJ does not pale in comparison to the complete package of Thurman.I love Thurman--a great all around back and 2nd ballot hall of famer at least....-but OJs running skills --probably among the 3 greatest of all time--put him well beyond this COMPLETE package stuff of Thurman.Lets be a bit sane about this. 594034[/snapback] So you're saying he's a cut above? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Dont we got a guy in on the voting staff, Larry Felser? 594040[/snapback] Mark Gaughan took Larry felser's spot a couple years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 So, here's to Thurman. There's no doubt his future's in the Hall. Let's hope he gets there 1st ballot. He deserves it. 594020[/snapback] Hear! Hear! Besides......we need another road trip to Canton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Many voters for the hall of fame consider first time ballots reserved for only the greatest players. Whether TT was one of the greats is up in the air. Although if there had been a Superbowl win I doubt there would be any question. And he should have been MVP of XXV. 594038[/snapback] If TT is not a 1st ballot HoF, then JK should not have been a 1st ballot HoF..... Kelly was a excellent QB who ran the no-huddle beautifully.....However he was error prone...threw costly INTs at inappropriate time...And he did not have the career #s like a Marino or Elway had..... What I am trying to say is, TT is a great player like Kelly.....and in fact he did much better than Kelly...If Kelly went in the 1st ballot, then so should TT.. He deserves it....I still remember that AFC Wildcard game (in fact that is the last playoff game we won), when Thomas dragged the Miami LB for 3 yards on 3rd and 1 to seal the game.....Great stuff.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMIEBUF12 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 i wish we had a thurman thomas on the team right now! i luv ya and miss ya thermal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLO Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I dont think Irvin should have made the final cut to 15. If he gets in over Thurman, I will vomit profusely all over the place, and will never again watch ESPN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Dont we got a guy in on the voting staff, Larry Felser? 594040[/snapback] Every city with a football team has a media rep who votes. Plus there are 8 at large people I believe. What's interesting is I believe 2 of the at large guys are from DC so this stupid city gets 3 votes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JÂy RÛßeÒ Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 We tallk about his rummming ability 594020[/snapback] Nobody has commented on this little Freudian slip yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 Nobody has commented on this little Freudian slip yet? 594235[/snapback] Not only diid I replace the "n" with "m", I used THREE of them? Well, I rarely drink rum...but, I've been called a "rummy" on many occasions. So slip, Freudian or other, it is. Good catch, PF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jokeman Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 OJ does not pale in comparison to the complete package of Thurman.I love Thurman--a great all around back and 2nd ballot hall of famer at least....-but OJs running skills --probably among the 3 greatest of all time--put him well beyond this COMPLETE package stuff of Thurman.Lets be a bit sane about this. 594034[/snapback] I agree, and Juice wasn't that bad a receiver out of the backfield. His best season as a receiver he had 478 yards on just 28 catches (an average of over 15 yards a catch! and 7 went for TDs) compare that to Thurman's best season he had 669 yards on 60 catches and 6 TDs. Given the oppurtunity OJ would have clearly outproduced Thurman but he wasn't inpart because he was such a superior runner. I mean Thurman only had 800 yards more rushing than OJ but played in 47 more games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shagmago Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 TT ended his career in Miami..............I`ll never forgive him for that! F-HIM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderweb Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 OJ does not pale in comparison to the complete package of Thurman.I love Thurman--a great all around back and 2nd ballot hall of famer at least....-but OJs running skills --probably among the 3 greatest of all time--put him well beyond this COMPLETE package stuff of Thurman.Lets be a bit sane about this. 594034[/snapback] Ok, maybe there were other factors but the best Bills record mustered during the OJ days was 9-5. OJ, the great runner he was, had hands of darn near stone when it came to catching a pass. Block, OJ? Yeah sure. He was a runner, pure and simple. For five (that's it folks, only five) years he was a site to behold. Thurman had 8 years of plus 1000 yards, OJ had 5 and wasn't even close in any other year. Thurman's rookie year of 881 was short of 1000 only because the Bills gave Harmon playing time. The only area Thurman lacked in the running game was in speed. He wasn't going to out run many opponents. I watched them both. I loved the homerun threat OJ brough to the table. Yet, Thurman did it longer and again, was far more the complete back, which is exactly my point. as a pure runner, and for the 5 year period, sure OJ was phenomenal, but as a one sided back, and again, only for 5 years. My only disappointment with Thurman was his cave in performance against Dallas in the Bills 4th SB. Two very key (10 points for the Cowboys) fumbles hurt the Bills beyond recovery. Then he wouldn't return (leg cramps?) after the second fumble. And.....hey Marv, why dust off the shovel pass for that SB? Marv...you were out coached again.......Yet Marv again tried the shovgel pass once again against the Jags, in Kelly's last game as a Bill, in a playoff loss. Sanity? Had you watched both of their careers, from beginning to end, you might understand my position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderweb Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 I agree, and Juice wasn't that bad a receiver out of the backfield. His best season as a receiver he had 478 yards on just 28 catches (an average of over 15 yards a catch! and 7 went for TDs) compare that to Thurman's best season he had 669 yards on 60 catches and 6 TDs. Given the oppurtunity OJ would have clearly outproduced Thurman but he wasn't inpart because he was such a superior runner. I mean Thurman only had 800 yards more rushing than OJ but played in 47 more games. 594525[/snapback] More than anything else, what limited OJ's catches were his own hands of stone. Rauch, Bills HC in OJ's rookie year, actually wanted to make him a WR. OJ's hands sucked and the crazy experiment that Rauch wished to implement went straight to the crapper. That was a good thing, or we might have missed out on some exciting years of OJ running the ball. Running was OJ's game, and that's it folks. No blocking, and pass catching - barely adequate at best, and in reality, sub-par. Nice of you to pick out his absolute best as receiver though. OJ never caught more than 30 passes (which was his rookie year when Rauch, HC, often had him split out as a WR.), Yet you fail to mention Thomas' contributions after his 60 catch season, which were 49. 62, 58, 48, and 50 immediately following. Fact is, as a pure runner, OJ had the edge, but Thomas buried him in in blocking and receiving, and Thomas was still a great runner in his own right. Did you actually watch both of these RB's careers, or is this simply another voice of opinion without knowledge of the actual facts at hand? Pure runner, OJ for 5 years. Complete back and overall best - TT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draconator Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Ok. I know that this might appear to be a LAMP, and 99% will read the following and say, "BullS*%t!!!" Yet the following is 100% completely true. 1988. I'm working at Waterbeds and Stuff. They're sponsoring a charity event at the Amherst Marriot. The event is, "Come watch Monday Night Football with the Bills". I get there early. Bruce is sitting at the bar, drinking Diet Pepsi. Talley comes in, then Nate Odoms. Thurman comes in. A co-worker (who was extremely hot) Kelly comes in, with her friend, Patty. Patty is like, "did you go to Iroquois?" She graduated 2 years behind me. Anyhoo, at halftime, if you got 3 footballs through the tire toss thing, you would win tickets. I got 2 out of 3, and got a sweet pair of RayBan Sunglasses. As the 3rd quarter is starting, Kelly, Patty, Thurman and I are sitting at a booth. I get up to get drinks. I come back, and Thurman is wearing my RayBans. I'm like, "Hey man. Those are my glasses". Thurman smiles and says, "They were your glasses". Thurman then slips his number to Patty, by putting it directly in her jean skirt, and keeps his hand there for like 5 minutes. And if your thinking, well yep. That Patty is now Mrs. Patty Thomas. What does this mean to this thread? Thurman had his moments, no question. But when it comes right down to it, Thurman is not only a Hall of Fame player, but he is also a Hall of Fame person, for the simple fact that he loves to have fun, and his personality is very infectious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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