I can't say that I'm suprised. I thought Marshawn's run was better though, but that could be because we've seen Desean run these sort of punts back in college that were amazing. So when I seen the Giants punt return, I thought 'just another day at the office'. I wouldn't even say that was the best punt return he's ever had. I'd give that one to Tennessee and their foolish coach...lol


NFL punt return
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000158603/article/the-greatest-play-in-nfl-history-is-?campaign=Facebook_atl_news

Tennessee return

you betcha!!

okaydo;842112220 said:

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you betcha!!

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It's amazing to me what he is able to do on the field. Those narrow gaps he accelerates through or around without getting tackled is amazing.

I've noticed he'll struggle at WR every now and again. But I've always wondered how good he would have been at CB. WR he is pretty dam good, but at CB he probably could have been one of the best to play the game.

The return against UTenn was better.

Here's a clean look at the return against the Giants:

p.s. man 6 years ago seems like forever.

Calntheplay;842112211 said:

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I can't say that I'm suprised. I thought Marshawn's run was better though, but that could be because we've seen Desean run these sort of punts back in college that were amazing. So when I seen the Giants punt return, I thought 'just another day at the office'. I wouldn't even say that was the best punt return he's ever had. I'd give that one to Tennessee and their foolish coach...lol


NFL punt return
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000158603/article/the-greatest-play-in-nfl-history-is-?campaign=Facebook_atl_news

Tennessee return

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Amazing. An all-time great Cal Bear.

Remember all the people on this board who said Jackson was entirely to blame for the second half slide in 2007? :crazy

beelzebear;842112229 said:

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The return against UTenn was better.

Here's a clean look at the return against the Giants:

p.s. man 6 years ago seems like forever.

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I like this view:

Tennessee runback was due to great blocks which set him loose.

Marshawn's Beast Run was ALL Marshawn.
My vote for Marshawn.

My vote also for Marshawn for his Spring Game TD.
Marshawn knows Cal is his home and he gives back.

SonOfCalVa;842112253 said:

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Tennessee runback was due to great blocks which set him loose.

Marshawn's Beast Run was ALL Marshawn.
My vote for Marshawn.

My vote also for Marshawn for his Spring Game TD.
Marshawn knows Cal is his home and he gives back.

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The thing that "set him loose" against Tennesee was an amazing "video game" move where he jumped back away from a would be tackler. Then he outran the coverage.

Desean has come back for games and lead the student section in cheers.

Desean also "gives" back--lots of charity and did you catch him with that kid on the View and his speeches against bullying?

Marshawn and Desean are BOTH great Cal Bears.

beelzebear;842112229 said:

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The return against UTenn was better.

Here's a clean look at the return against the Giants:

p.s. man 6 years ago seems like forever.

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Seem like a lifetime ago Cal had so much talent. Only man with him at the end of that run was J. Best. I think that was Best's freshman year. Iirc, our RBs depth chart that year would have been :

Lynch, Forsett, Best-- redshirting -Vereen.

Talk about about talent.

In his rookie year, Hugh McElhenny had a 94 yard punt return in which, as I recall, he reversed his field several times to elude tacklers. The King was the greatest open field runner I ever saw but, because, he lacked Jackson's straight ahead speed, had to twist, turn, juke, stop, start and change direction on his long runs. Of course, those who "voted" for Jackson in all likelihood never saw McElhenny, perhaps have never even heard of him.

gobears88;842112288 said:

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Seem like a lifetime ago Cal had so much talent. Only man with him at the end of that run was J. Best. I think that was Best's freshman year. Iirc, our RBs depth chart that year would have been :

Lynch, Forsett, Best-- redshirting -Vereen.

Talk about about talent.

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That was Thomas Decloud #4, not Best.

Davidson;842112292 said:

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That was Thomas Decloud #4, not Best.

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I think he is talking about 2007, if Marshawn stayed his senior year, our RBs would have been Lynch, Forsett, Best, Montgomery, Vareen....

2004 with Arrington, Lynch, Forsett, T. Williams, Marcus O'Keith, etc. was pretty amazing too.

there was a youtube video posted shortly after this return of a fan taking off his iggles jersey and running around the streets of his philly suburb. i'm not really a fan of the team but remember just about falling out of my seat as he corralled the ball and broke into the open. i've been waiting for a reference to this in "it's always sunny in philadelphia" but have been sorely disappointed.

edit: okaydo, how do we start the campaign to have "sunny" memorialize this great moment in philly sports?!

59bear;842112291 said:

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...never even heard of him...

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That's the problem with letting kids vote on all-time-best questions.

Davidson;842112292 said:

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That was Thomas Decloud #4, not Best.

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He broke a nice run. I guess Lynch was gone already.

DeSean is one of the best open field runners I've seen. I've watched that play over and over again. That said, I'm a little skeptical about that punt return being the greatest play in NFL history.

Calntheplay;842112211 said:

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I can't say that I'm suprised. I thought Marshawn's run was better though, but that could be because we've seen Desean run these sort of punts back in college that were amazing. So when I seen the Giants punt return, I thought 'just another day at the office'. I wouldn't even say that was the best punt return he's ever had. I'd give that one to Tennessee and their foolish coach...lol


NFL punt return
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000158603/article/the-greatest-play-in-nfl-history-is-?campaign=Facebook_atl_news

Tennessee return

---

IMHO, that Tennessee game was the single greatest game I have seen in person.

So many HUGE plays. Uniforms looked great. Great opponent. Ridiculous stadium energy... even the hype about the coming stadium (a half decade away).

I would say that game, or (maybe) the Oregon game that year are the pinnacle of Cal football in the last 50 years. Everything was looking great and NOTHING could take us off the high...
























And then...








But seriously. Those games in 2007 will always have a spot in my heart.

GranadaHillsBear;842112360 said:

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DeSean is one of the best open field runners I've seen. I've watched that play over and over again. That said, I'm a little skeptical about that punt return being the greatest play in NFL history.

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No offense to the voters... but I dont think that was Jackson's greatest NFL play, let alone the best in NFL history.


I guess it being to win the game, the running out the clock, the muff recovery, burst...

But he does that every god damn game. For him it is just a play.




Anyway, he is too small to be good in the NFL.

calumnus;842112276 said:

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The thing that "set him loose" against Tennesee was an amazing "video game" move where he jumped back away from a would be tackler. Then he outran the coverage.

Desean has come back for games and lead the student section in cheers.

Desean also "gives" back--lots of charity and did you catch him with that kid on the View and his speeches against bullying?

Marshawn and Desean are BOTH great Cal Bears.

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I like the defense of Jackson... but that Tennessee return would have been a loss without some great blocks in addition to his ridiculous time warping moves.

He makes the first and second guy look like chumps. The third guy (#80) gets crushed, (#5) get leveled, he makes the hilariousness video game move on #43, Cal (#44) seals the edge picking up two guys, and then Cal (#17) takes the free shot at the punter...
GREAT return and I would say a huge part was his ability to run (obviously), but he got some great blocks.


Lynch's run was a single handed as a play gets in football.

Nope. It wouldn't even be in the Top Ten. Several from the Super Bowl and NFL Championship games, including, of course, The Catch, as well as regular season games featuring the likes of Jim "Wrong Way" Marshall, the "Holy Roller", the "Alley Oop", etc. etc. etc.

CaliforniaGoldenBear;842112323 said:

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That's the problem with letting kids vote on all-time-best questions.

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Yeah, seriously. Great play, but all-time great? Not even close! The Catch, The Holy Roller, Immaculate Reception, Wrong-Way Run, Hail Mary, Music City Miracle . . . I mean these are plays so great they got their own nicknames.

This is why you don't decide these things by online fan voting.

sycasey;842112374 said:

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Yeah, seriously. Great play, but all-time great? Not even close! The Catch, The Holy Roller, Immaculate Reception, Wrong-Way Run, Hail Mary, Music City Miracle . . . I mean these are plays so great they got their own nicknames.

This is why you don't decide these things by online fan voting.

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It has a nickname. It is called "The Miracle at the Meadowlands II."

I wonder on what other school's board would a majority of the board take such issue with a popular vote of one of their own as the all-time best?
:gobears:

Phantomfan;842112365 said:

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I like the defense of Jackson... but that Tennessee return would have been a loss without some great blocks in addition to his ridiculous time warping moves.

He makes the first and second guy look like chumps. The third guy (#80) gets crushed, (#5) get leveled, he makes the hilariousness video game move on #43, Cal (#44) seals the edge picking up two guys, and then Cal (#17) takes the free shot at the punter...
GREAT return and I would say a huge part was his ability to run (obviously), but he got some great blocks.


Lynch's run was a single handed as a play gets in football.

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OK, true I overstated it in response to a post saying it was all blocking. And yes, Lynch's run is better in my book, but damn people, a Cal Bear great was voted as having the best play in NFL history and people here are acting like he chose and played for USC and denigrating him instead of celebrating him!
:gobears:

Phantomfan;842112363 said:

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IMHO, that Tennessee game was the single greatest game I have seen in person.

I would say that game, or (maybe) the Oregon game that year are the pinnacle of Cal football in the last 50 years...

But seriously. Those games in 2007 will always have a spot in my heart.

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Good choices.
I would have to say that if I had to pick my top three "electricity" games [U]at Memorial[/U], they would be:

1. Oregon 2006
2. Tennessee 2007
3. Washington 1991 (even as a loss ...)

Big Games are in the list of course, and USC in 2003 is in there -but for the "electricity" level - the atmosphere, anticipation, crowd engagement, and the way those games unfolded, well these three are the top of my list.

71Bear;842112373 said:

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Nope. It wouldn't even be in the Top Ten. Several from the Super Bowl and NFL Championship games, including, of course, The Catch, as well as regular season games featuring the likes of Jim "Wrong Way" Marshall, the "Holy Roller", the "Alley Oop", etc. etc. etc.

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I'm not disputing your statement about not being the best play, but when you say it's not even a top 10? :acclaim:


When I think of all the great plays, and then how many other WR, RB, QBs, DBs could have done the same play currently, or even in my lifetime...I believe their are a multitude of individuals who could have done most of those so called 'great plays'. "The catch' wouldn't have even been a big deal if Hernandez or Tony G caught the pass, because they are much more athletically gifted and would have made 'The Catch' look like every other play.

The Holy Roller play and others you mentioned were very much luck. And could happen to anyone.

But the Desean Jackson play was not luck, and I can't think of one person in my entire lifetime that could have took that to the house. One could argue Devin Hester, but I don't think Hester could have taken that punt back for a number of reasons. Dion Sanders perhaps? Probably would have been to afraid to take it up the middle.

So when they say the best play in NFL history, you may have an argument, but top 10? that many people didn't vote for that play over some of the plays you mentioned for a reason.

There was no luck whatsoever in Deseans return, and no one that I can think of would have run that back. The only luck for Desean in that play was the idiot who kicked it to him. just sayn'

Phantomfan;842112363 said:

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IMHO, that Tennessee game was the single greatest game I have seen in person.

So many HUGE plays. Uniforms looked great. Great opponent. Ridiculous stadium energy... even the hype about the coming stadium (a half decade away).

I would say that game, or (maybe) the Oregon game that year are the pinnacle of Cal football in the last 50 years. Everything was looking great and NOTHING could take us off the high...
























And then...








But seriously. Those games in 2007 will always have a spot in my heart.

---

I completely agree, the Tennessee game was amazing. If I recall correctly, the Tennessee coach announced leading up to the game, that they were going to treat Desean like every other return man, and they were going to kick it to him. What a f'n idiot!

I remember right before the punt I began yelling, (unusual for me) "Watch this! here it comes, Touchdown, Touchdown'!" Sure enough the ball was punted and within seconds Desean was in the end zone. you should have seen the two Vols students sitting in front of me, and the look on their face when they turned around to look at me after the TD.... Priceless.


Anyhow, I've always believed Desean has never been used enough, or properly, and creatively. So much untapped potential. I'm looking forward to seeing how Chip Kelly creatively uses Desean. Chip seems to have a good grasp on how to utilize his fancy players. If the performances of DeAnthony, Barner, and James are any indication, Desean is going to explode in 2013. It could be one for the ages. We'll just have to wait and see.

Phantomfan;842112363 said:

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IMHO, that Tennessee game was the single greatest game I have seen in person.

So many HUGE plays. Uniforms looked great. Great opponent. Ridiculous stadium energy... even the hype about the coming stadium (a half decade away).

I would say that game, or (maybe) the Oregon game that year are the pinnacle of Cal football in the last 50 years. Everything was looking great and NOTHING could take us off the high...

---

Apparently you weren't around in '75 to see the win over u$C, 28-14, with Roth, Muncie, Newton, et.al., when the band left the field chanting "who the hell is Ricky Bell" (the star condum).
Of course, Cal blew the game to fucla and cost themselves the Rose Bowl, aided by the condums who refused to beat fucla in their last game, necessary to keep the hippies out of Pasadena.