Speyside wrote:Sorry Conan, Sayers may have been the most brilliant, but Sweetness was the best.
RIP Mr Sayers.
Fo' sure Walter was one of the all-time best but Gale could do things that Walter couldn't (...nor few others...). Unfortunately of course, one of them was to stay healthy. But he was a threat to score every time he touched the ball. I'll still hold to my opinion that Gale was the best, it's really just a matter of perspective and choice. I got into football around '67 so had a chance to watch a couple Bears games on TV. Didn't know a whole lot about the game or the players but knew I had to watch #40. Heck, even saw the SF game when Gale suffered his devastating knee injury. And yes, I know the stats will say Walter was the best but numbers don't always tell the full story. I mean, Emmitt Smith is the best RB of all-time 'cause he's got the most yards, right? Nope, give me Jim Brown any day of the week!
But like you said, he was brilliant, there is no dispute about that. NFL Rookie of the Year in '65 as well as All-Pro his first 5 years in the league. The Kansas Comet certainly burned brightly but all too short.
FWIW, I will ALWAYS love Walter and still pissed at Ditka for the Super Bowl snub.