Which MLB do you take?

[oochymp 2,393]

I really like Fletcher, I think most people here know I'm a huge fan of his and think he's one of the most underrated players in the league right now if not of all time (one of my favorite stats is that he's on a streak of 13 seasons leading his team in tackles, spanning time with three different teams) but he's nowhere near Ray Lewis, now the discussion between him and Urlacher for #2 (of this era) is an interesting one, and honestly I think I'd go with Fletcher, Urlacher's very good but I think his success is largely due to his fit in the Tampa-2 system, not that that's a huge drawback (the same has been said about Steve Young and the West Coast offense, but that's not a discussion for this thread I'm just saying the argument has been made for illustration purposes) but when you have two very good players at the same position you have to distinguish them somehow, and Fletcher's durability and versatility put him ahead for me, but I welcome any Bears fan (or anyone who's seen more of Urlacher than I have) to convince me otherwise

[RANGA+ 1,210]

I couldn't stand him towards the end of his career, but the obvious answer is Ray. He was just amazing in his prime, and brought so much to the team around him.

 

This pic, more than anything for me, demonstrated the way that Ray played the game...consoling a shaken Brady after bringing him to the turf:

 

 

The intensity in that shot still gets me every time.

Edited June 1, 2013 by RANGA

[East495 55]

Ray Lewis...Hands Down! Leader, Mentor, Machine, and Over achiever. Nobody did it better or longer!

 

[OakBlack 28]

I couldn't stand him towards the end of his career, but the obvious answer is Ray. He was just amazing in his prime, and brought so much to the team around him.

 

This pic, more than anything for me, demonstrated the way that Ray played the game...consoling a shaken Brady after bringing him to the turf:

 

 

The intensity in that shot still gets me every time.

 

Absolutely! I think that shot still gets Brady!

 

LOL!!

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

I don't really understand how anyone can vote for Fletcher or Urlacher here. All three guys are great linebackers, the best we've seen in recent time, but Ray Lewis is on a whole different level from the others.

 

Lewis played football with such intensity and passion that he was literally scary, you don't see that anymore in the NFL. Yet, he also was able to show compassion and friendship to opposing players when they weren't staring eachother down on the field. That's what makes him special. In the big moment when the game was on the line, you knew that Lewis was on the field and you were going to see him make a play. There's no one else that did that. I know Urlacher and Fletcher could change the way offenses plan, but they don't strike fear in people like Lewis. He changed the way the media personified a defensive player, especially a gritty linebacker. He gave pregame excitement, and post game for that matter. The guys leadership should be unquestioned the best in the league. You don't see "Peyton Manning" at LB, you just don't, Ray Lewis gave us that. There was no better at fooling a quarterback or lineman at the LOS than Ray Lewis. How anyone can go elsewhere on this one is beyond me.

 

As far as the whole conception that Ray Lewis' legacy will be routed to the double homicide trial and all of that, I don't really agree with that. While that may be the case with the average fan or viewer, i don't believe it's the case with people who really pay attention to football. They know how great he is. Much more they know what he was actually on the stand for. It was a vicious fight after the Superbowl Party in Atlanta, and everyone was acquitted for reasons of self defense. No one went to jail. Ray Lewis wasn't even involved in the fight that killed the two men, his friends were. Hall of Fame voters know all of this despite what people think. The murder trial isn't going to effect any of his legacy, it will always be brought up, but people aren't going to berate the great things he accomplished because of the murder trial.

[NY Diehard 26]

I couldn't stand him towards the end of his career, but the obvious answer is Ray. He was just amazing in his prime, and brought so much to the team around him.

 

This pic, more than anything for me, demonstrated the way that Ray played the game...consoling a shaken Brady after bringing him to the turf:

 

 

The intensity in that shot still gets me every time.

 

Looks like a therapy session lol

[Milla4Prez63 678]

London Fletcher is one of those guys who was so underrated that he ended up becoming overrated after people started to realize how much they underrated him. If that makes any sense.

 

Urlacher in his prime was totally dominant, but I feel like his time of dominance didn't quite last as long as some of the other greats. Ray Lewis is the easy answer to this question.

[butta54 371]

I'm assuming we are talking about in their prime so I will have to go with Ray although honestly it was very hard to choose for me.

 

Fletcher is vastly UNDERRATED I don't understand anyone who keeps labeling him as an overrated player and not counting him among the best to do it. I can care less about any "common knowledge" arguments when the numbers aren't lying and if you ever watch the man play there is no question that in this stage of his career he still brings it like a young star.

 

Urlacher slightly edges Fletcher because his height simply makes him the better pass defender between him and Fletcher. Fletcher can move now don't get me wrong he is great in zone, but it's hard to beat a 6'4 former safety. And Urlacher's versatility in general is just the stuff of the rare athletic freaks we see in the game, but with added football smarts.

 

At the end of the day I think Urlacher is every bit as versatile as Ray, but Ray just does it at a higher level and the leadership aspect can't be measured so I will have to take Ray ONLY if we are talking about in their prime.

[Dutch 874]

Ray Lewis in his prime and London Fletcher right now.

[Omerta+ 1,206]

How would it be only in their prime when urlachers prime lasted something like 3 or 4 seasons and rays lasted a decade.

[butta54 371]

How would it be only in their prime when urlachers prime lasted something like 3 or 4 seasons and rays lasted a decade.

 

 

3 or 4 seasons really?

 

He came into the league with over 100 tackles 8 SACKS and 2 picks his rookie year and then went on three more straight seasons racking up 100+ tackles and 10+ sacks until 04' in which he played nine games and STILL racked up 5 SACKS. And then just four more seasons after that of leading 100+ tackles and 10 picks.

[Omerta+ 1,206]

Yes really. He was not all that dominant for very long.

 

And tackles dont mean a lot considering pat angerer always tops the list.

 

Urlacher is not even close to Ray in longevity. He knows it and so does everybody else who is not a bears fan exvept you apparently

[butta54 371]

I never compared him to Ray in longevity, I simply was stating that looking at the player in the aspect of their prime condition they both are very versatile.

 

And by the way I agree tackles don't always tell the story, but I think it's pretty common knowledge that the manner in which Urlacher got his tackles was by diagnosing the offense and stuffing the run as a critical piece of a long-standing top defense.