Sad to read that 73-year-old Gale Sayers is battling dementia. I was fortunate to have watched Sayers play in the NFL. There’s a saying turned into a cliche that any time a great back touches the ball he’s a threat to go all the way. Sayers, and possibly O.J. Simpson, are the only two NFL running backs I could honestly say that about, though.
Sayers remains the most dangerous and feared running back I’ve ever seen. He really could score a touchdown every time he touched the ball because of his speed, moves, cutting ability and vision. The only comparable running backs are Jim Brown, Simpson and Barry Sanders.
Brown didn’t have Sayers’ moves. No one did. Sanders comes the closest when it comes to faking out defenders, but he didn’t have Sayers’ blazing speed. Fast defensive backs could catch Sanders in an open field. Nobody could catch Sayers once he broke free. Simpson had Sayers’ speed, but wasn’t as elusive.
Some compared Tony Dorsett to Sayers. There’s no comparison there. I know Dorsett once broke off for a 99-yard touchdown run. But with Sayers, you held your breath every time he touched the ball. That isn’t the case with other great running backs of the past 50 years such as Emmitt Smith, Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk.
The great Packers defenses of Vince Lombardi controlled every running back they faced because they were taught to stay in their lanes. Sayers was the one back they had problems with because you couldn’t coach or defend against his talent.
Fortunately we have highlight tapes of Sayers that easily can be accessed via You Tube. Watch them and you’ll see what I’m talking about if you were too young to have watched Sayers during his playing days.
On the handicapping front, I’ve found my season-long search for my Hockey Sides Play of the Year on today’s menu. I won my NHL Total of the Year by 2 1/2 goals last month. I have cooled off on my hockey after a strong February. However, I’m very, very confident in this play. It can be found here along with the rest of my plays and packages: http://pregame.com/pregamepros/pro-bettor/bettor.aspx?id=7746#capper.
