Jim Brown Gets Completely Disrespected By Recent ESPN List
Syracuse football fans haven’t had much to cheer about in the last several years. But fans never thought that their history would be spit on.
That’s exactly what happened in a recent article that was shared on ESPN.com. Syracuse and NFL legend Jim Brown is considered one of the greatest football players to ever grace a football field.
Still argued by many as the greatest player ever. Despite those words, his statistics, and his tape, The Undefeated did a poll piece that consisted of 10,000+ adults opinions. That collective didn’t just say Jim Brown wasn’t one of the top athletes on the planet, but he didn’t even rank in the top 25 of his own race!
The Undefeated presents the Top 50 Greatest Black Athletes Of All Time
Upon digging through this massive piece you’re left with several queasy nauseating urges of regurgitation.
The former SU legend came in at No. 30 on this list, here’s what they had to say to explain themselves per the article:
"Only James Nathaniel Brown, an inductee into both the Pro Football and National Lacrosse halls of fame, can make the case for being the greatest of all time in two different sports.More from Inside the Loud HouseSyracuse Football: Cuse boils Purdue, turns attention to Army on SaturdaySyracuse football only team in country with top-5 scoring offense, defenseSyracuse Basketball: 4-star Elijah Moore not in top 100, and I don’t get thatSyracuse basketball 4-star west-coast recruit, in new rankings, into top 20Syracuse basketball is hitting D.C. market hard in pursuit of 4-stars, 5-starsWhat’s scary, too, is Brown called lacrosse his best sport. Former Syracuse lacrosse coach Roy Simmons agreed, saying Brown was “the greatest lacrosse player I ever saw.” But there’s a reason Brown is considered by many, despite his ranking here, the greatest football player to ever live. In nine seasons, he went to nine Pro Bowls, made First-Team All-Pro in all but one year, led the league in rushing in all but one season and never missed a game in his career. His 104.3 yards per game is still the best in league history. Brown was the quintessential package of violence, speed, intelligence and wizardry while running through, around and by defenders to the tune of 12,312 career yards. Unlike most professional athletes, Brown retired at the peak of his powers at 29 after an MVP season in 1965."
After the riveting trip down memory lane, I’m not exactly sure why he was listed this low on the countdown. The credibility of said list was destroyed immediately when looking who was above Brown on the listing:
- Stephen Curry (No. 28)
- Venus Williams (No. 15)
- Simone Biles (No. 8)
- Serena Williams (No. 6)
Are these players great athletes? Absolutely. But how have these active athletes already surpassed living breathing legends like: Magic Johnson, Jerry Rice, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, just to name a few.
This list is a sham.
Everyone loves to make power rankings and lists nowadays. It’s the sexy thing to do and it’s cool if you follow the trend, but don’t piss on the past and hide behind a voting poll. Clearly this is some sort of millennial overload.
Next: Syracuse Basketball: Top 30 Players in School History
What’s important is that Brown will always be No. 1 in our hearts. But as cuddly Cuse fans we aren’t afraid to whip out our claws to defend our legendary historical figures. So keep that in mind ESPN!