Jim Brown Appreciation: Remembering Hall of Fame running back’s lasting impact on and off field

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) — Jim Brown was both extraordinary and extraordinarily complicated. One man. Many versions. His greatness on the football field is beyond reproach. For generations, Brown, who died Thursday night peacefully at his home in Los Angeles, has long been the standard of excellence for running backs, a freakish blend of brute power and blazing speed who in many ways changed the NFL forever. But Brown, who retired to pursue a film career, was also a civil rights pioneer whose image was tarnished by accusations of domestic violence against women.