CFB players that were bigger than the game.

[Across The Field]

Twitter and instagram weren't even around in 2005-2006 so you can't compare Bush and manzel by the social media buzz.

I'm not using social media. I'm going off of TV and news reports. For god's sake, the media made a story out of Johnny Manziel moving from his apartment in downtown Cleveland to a house in the suburbs. That's the level of media coverage he has that Bush simply never has had.

 

[Across The Field]

Was on the most publicized team in college football at the time, was on TMZ all the time , people magazine, won a Heisman , lost a Heisman dated Kardashian. Come on dude he was more than just the best player on a team. Get out of your house once in a while.

First off, he was never on the cover of People Magazine.

Secondly, the difference between him and the guys I'm talking about is that they get all the media coverage because of who they are, not because they're boning a Kardashian. I don't ever watch TMZ, so I'll have to take your word for that.

 

[Tin Man]

Somehow, I thought that "bigger than the game" referred to their role/play in CFB setting them apart or having a greater legacy - not notoriety, but exhaltation. What say you OP? @WhiteMamba

 

[TheRobotDevil]

So you're telling me that every college football player that is the most popular in the game at the time is bigger than the game by default? It makes no sense. You're a USC fan, so I get it that you're biased.

Pay close attention to socaljim's posts and the rest of the thread then get back to me bush was HUGE

 

[TheRobotDevil]

Somehow, I thought that "bigger than the game" referred to their role/play in CFB setting them apart or having a greater legacy - not notoriety, but exhaltation. What say you OP? @WhiteMamba

I would say under those guidelines Marinivich wouldn't be in his list

 

[Across The Field]

Pay close attention to socaljim's posts and the rest of the thread then get back to me bush was HUGE

Wow, you socal fans are dense as can be.

For the 4th time now, I understand he was a superstar. College football has had dozens of superstars. When the media makes a story out of Bush moving from his apartment to a house in the suburbs, get back to me.

 

[ericd7633]

It isn't like Bush was 20 years before Tebow. We're talking a difference of like 3 years. It was a big deal when Mario Williams got picked over Bush, and since then Bush really hasn't been in the media at all. Guys like Manziel and Tebow, however, are on TV all the time. That's what this is about - guys who are football players but get insane amounts of attention and are recognized above and beyond that.

Tebow was drafted in 2010, Bush was drafted in 2006. Giving Tebow a four year head start in terms of coverage and social media. Twitter was launched AFTER Bush was drafted, by the time Tebow got drafted there were 65 MILLION tweets per day. Tebow played his entire college career in the twitter era, Bush did not. By the time Tebow was drafted, Bush was just another average RB in the NFL, thus the hype he had coming out of college had certainly died down because of that. And anyways this thread is about college football, not what they did in the NFL. And Manziel played in an era where there were more sports networks, which in turn needed more original programming, which lead to him getting talked about more, and that doesn't even take into account how much further social media has grown since then. The month Johnny Manziel won the Heisman there were over 200 million twitter users, when Bush won the Heisman there were ZERO.

Again, Tebow and Manziel are/were talked about more because there were more outlets than when Bush played, that still doesn't diminish that Bush was bigger than college football when he played, throw in the LA/Hollywood aspect and you have a HUGE star.

 

[socaljim242]

Ok great, as I said, while he was in college he was a superstar. The same thing can be said about someone like Terrelle Pryor. I wouldn't really consider him being "bigger than the game", he was just a really well-known player in his day.

"bigger than the game" what freaking game are you talking about if not college football? The fact you mention Pryor with Bush shows you don;t have a clue.

 

[BigRedMoe]

Pay close attention to socaljim's posts and the rest of the thread then get back to me bush was HUGE

@Edisto_Tiger is listening now.

 

[Across The Field]

Tebow was drafted in 2010, Bush was drafted in 2006. Giving Tebow a four year head start in terms of coverage and social media. Twitter was launched AFTER Bush was drafted, by the time Tebow got drafted there were 65 MILLION tweets per day. Tebow played his entire college career in the twitter era, Bush did not. By the time Tebow was drafted, Bush was just another average RB in the NFL, thus the hype he had coming out of college had certainly died down because of that. And anyways this thread is about college football, not what they did in the NFL. And Manziel played in an era where there were more sports networks, which in turn needed more original programming, which lead to him getting talked about more, and that doesn't even take into account how much further social media has grown since then. The month Johnny Manziel won the Heisman there were over 200 million twitter users, when Bush won the Heisman there were ZERO.

Again, Tebow and Manziel are/were talked about more because there were more outlets than when Bush played, that still doesn't diminish that Bush was bigger than college football when he played, throw in the LA/Hollywood aspect and you have a HUGE star.

I already pointed out that my argument doesn't involve social media at all. It involves college football players whose starts shine immensely bright even when they're off the college football field. To me, that's what it means to be "bigger than the game". Sure, the game is what got you in, but what you do elevates you to fame, stardom and notoriety above and beyond it.

Bush had some drama when he was passed over by Houston, and then that was it. Media outlets can't get enough of Johnny Football and Tebow. Reggie Bush is just a blip at this point.

 

[DHoey]

Bigger than the game means, to me, that they were meant for something bigger than college football, or thought the were, and dominated

Tebow- Was college fooball, not bigger than it. Nay

Manziel- Put up crazy numbers but I don't think he was too crazy off the field till he entered the draft. Nay

Newton- Seemed like a rent-a-player and tore up college football. Not long for the college game. Yay

Bush- Superstar by any measurment, but not bigger than the game. Nay

Eric Dickerson/ pretty much the whole SMU team- Bigger than the game, period. And it bit them in the ass. Yay

Jamies- If Florida st would have won the national title last year, after all the bullshit he did, he would be a Yay

Marinivich- All he saw was purple!!!!!

 

[Tin Man]

I would say under those guidelines Marinivich wouldn't be in his list

As a true freshman, Marinovich was backup to O'Hara, who broke his leg in preseason practice. Thrust into the starting role, Marinovich out-performed expectations, compiling stats within a hairs breadth of the then record for a frosh QB, leading "The Drive" comeback against WSU, the Trogs to a 9-2-1 record and a Rose Bolw victory over the Angry Weasels - a stand-out first year that fits "the guidelines," even though he later gained noteriety for Daddy issues, drug use, skipping classes, yelling at his coach, and other misbehavior.

 

[WhiteMamba]

But those guys, especially Manziel, had built in advantages, due to social media, and coverage of sports in general. There's just more outlets to garner coverage, than there even was just a decade ago. Given the era in which Bush played, I thought he was huge on and off the field. At his peak, in that time frame, he was on the same level as Kobe, Shaq, D Wade etc.

Boz and Marinovich didn't have Twitter.

Look, Reggie Bush may very well be the most dynamic cfb player this century.

But I honestly don't think he was bigger than the game.

Certainly not Tebow or Manziel level.

 

[WhiteMamba]

Let's revisit this when there is a documentary about Reggie Bush featured on ESPN.....

Sorry, there won't be. It will be about Pete Carrol's USC dynasty featuring USC wins, Leinart, and Reggie Bush.

 

[ericd7633]

I already pointed out that my argument doesn't involve social media at all. It involves college football players whose starts shine immensely bright even when they're off the college football field. To me, that's what it means to be "bigger than the game". Sure, the game is what got you in, but what you do elevates you to fame, stardom and notoriety above and beyond it.

Bush had some drama when he was passed over by Houston, and then that was it. Media outlets can't get enough of Johnny Football and Tebow. Reggie Bush is just a blip at this point.

No shit Bush is a just a blip on the radar now, his peak was 8-10 ago, in terms of being bigger than the game. Let's see if anybody gives a shit about Manziel in 8 years, if he keeps performing like he has, he won't register at all.

I think you're being naive if you don't think the increase in television coverage has something to do with how much attention Tebow and Manziel get. ESPN has put way more resources into their original programming/ESPN Radio than they did when Bush was at the height of his career on and off the field. And football has also increased in terms of popularity from where it was a decade ago, both college and NFL.

It's hard to compare players now to even 10 years ago, so much has changed. But Bush was definitely bigger than the game, as were Tebow and Manziel when they were in college.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

As a true freshman, Marinovich was backup to O'Hara, who broke his leg in preseason practice. Thrust into the starting role, Marinovich out-performed expectations, compiling stats within a hairs breadth of the then record for a frosh QB, leading "The Drive" comeback against WSU, the Trogs to a 9-2-1 record and a Rose Bolw victory over the Angry Weasels - a stand-out first year that fits "the guidelines," even though he later gained noteriety for Daddy issues, drug use, skipping classes, yelling at his coach, and other misbehavior.

Marinovich's CFB hype was fueled by having a father that trained him to be the QB of the future since childhood. Hence the name RoboQB and his going off the deep end due to "pressure". The vast majority of Marinovch's notoriety as a household name was A result of sports illustrated and other media outlets. As A Qb his achievements were very few and he was a major disappointment. If the perimeters of bigger than the game were in relation to on the field achievements alone he wouldn't even rank in the top USC Qb's. Palmer, Barkley and Leinart alone would top Todd. Hype and notability play a major role in the OT which is why Bush fits the bill as well

 

[WhiteMamba]

Pay close attention to socaljim's posts and the rest of the thread then get back to me bush was HUGE

Huge doesn't equate to bigger than the game.

 

[WhiteMamba]

Marinovich's CFB hype was fueled by having a father that trained him to be the QB of the future since childhood. Hence the name RoboQB and his going off the deep end due to "pressure". The vast majority of Marinovch's notoriety as a household name was A result of sports illustrated and other media outlets. As A Qb his achievements were very few and he was a major disappointment. If the perimeters of bigger than the game were in relation to on the field achievements alone he wouldn't even rank in the top USC Qb's. Palmer, Barkley and Leinart alone would top Todd. Hype and notability play a major role in the OT which is why Bush fits the bill as well

Yes he was. But so what?

Marinovich was bigger than the game. Doesn't matter why. He just was.

 

[WhiteMamba]

No shit Bush is a just a blip on the radar now, his peak was 8-10 ago, in terms of being bigger than the game. Let's see if anybody gives a shit about Manziel in 8 years, if he keeps performing like he has, he won't register at all.

I think you're being naive if you don't think the increase in television coverage has something to do with how much attention Tebow and Manziel get. ESPN has put way more resources into their original programming/ESPN Radio than they did when Bush was at the height of his career on and off the field. And football has also increased in terms of popularity from where it was a decade ago, both college and NFL.

It's hard to compare players now to even 10 years ago, so much has changed. But Bush was definitely bigger than the game, as were Tebow and Manziel when they were in college.

That isn't true. People will still be talking about Manziel. In re: to this topic, his NFL failure fits perfectly in line with past players that were 100% bigger than the game.

 

[TheRobotDevil]

Huge doesn't equate to bigger than the game.

Bush was CFB in his tenure at USC. On and off the field.He received more attention than Leinart and Carrol