Young people and Today's NFL (This is not a Dak Thread)

[G2]

Biggest thing between the two era's is More about what's in between their ears and less about physicality. Modern athletes have WAY more advantages and are always getting faster and stronger. But back in the day, it was about football and not all this whiney crap. A lot more Divas these days, again with every advantage.

 

[gtb1943]

Biggest thing between the two era's is More about what's in between their ears and less about physicality. Modern athletes have WAY more advantages and are always getting faster and stronger. But back in the day, it was about football and not all this whiney crap. A lot more Divas these days, again with every advantage.

absolutely. You were a team mate first back then
now its ME ME ME

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I was talking about the NFL with some young, mainly Cowboys fans, and they really think players today are far superior to those of the 60s, and 70's. Even some had questions about some 80's players like Tony Hill or Dupree. They were very knowledgeable about the players today though and across the league. I know that players today are much faster and athletic but when they say Rice isn't even close to Moss I disagree. I think that it is debatable but to say it isn't close is false. They have Never heard of Tony Hill and Dorsett would be average at best in today's game. This coming from Cowboys fans. I don't think it was because they didn't see the players of yesteryear, I think its because they just haven't done their research and are listening to each other.

I don't hang around young people much but my boys, who are 22 and 29, have buddies around me and I talk with them because most are NFL fans. I know that those like me that started watching Dallas in 76 have a great admiration for players like Pearson, White and Staubach where they really don't. If I had to pick one Dallas QB to build a team around it would be Staubach but it is close.

In the earlier years it could be brutal on the field and QB's weren't protected. Alot of activity after the play and during. It seems to me you HAD to be really tough back then but I'm not discounting todays players like they did the old guys...I don't know how you compare them to be honest....

I have had this same argument with my kids.

Its kind of comparing apes and oranges.

Athletes today are faster and bigger, because they have benefit of working with specialists, have proper nutrition and specific work and regiment to get faster and bigger. some are faster genetically, but the work with these athletes starts in Jr. High.

On a purely one to one comparison they would be right. But take Dorsett and put him in today's sports worl, with all thats available and give him all of that and he would be great. Take today's athletes and put them.back then in the 60s and 70s and take away years of special treatment and they would be slower, smaller.

I mean dang, in the 60s they get hit, get a.concussiin, do smelling salt and get back in the game. Today, they fall hard and they are in the tent being x-rayed.

But yeah, todays generation Doesn't really get that

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I was talking about the NFL with some young, mainly Cowboys fans, and they really think players today are far superior to those of the 60s, and 70's. Even some had questions about some 80's players like Tony Hill or Dupree. They were very knowledgeable about the players today though and across the league. I know that players today are much faster and athletic but when they say Rice isn't even close to Moss I disagree. I think that it is debatable but to say it isn't close is false. They have Never heard of Tony Hill and Dorsett would be average at best in today's game. This coming from Cowboys fans. I don't think it was because they didn't see the players of yesteryear, I think its because they just haven't done their research and are listening to each other.

I don't hang around young people much but my boys, who are 22 and 29, have buddies around me and I talk with them because most are NFL fans. I know that those like me that started watching Dallas in 76 have a great admiration for players like Pearson, White and Staubach where they really don't. If I had to pick one Dallas QB to build a team around it would be Staubach but it is close.

In the earlier years it could be brutal on the field and QB's weren't protected. Alot of activity after the play and during. It seems to me you HAD to be really tough back then but I'm not discounting todays players like they did the old guys...I don't know how you compare them to be honest....

Everyone is always going to think their generation superior. It’s just what it is.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

Chill out, Grandpaw.

You miss the generation of players who would smoke cigarettes at halftime?

Those players were tough -- but they failed to monetize their worth -- that sort of means they were stupid as well. So many lived and died in desolation because they played a game that broke them physically and mentally but didn't provide much support after they left the league.

How many of those players died by suicide or other stuff that was akin to suicide?

Get a grip, man.

What an odd take.

 

[Praxit]

...the NFL protects players today. Not back then.

Couple head shots and Ref, .. "Son, its ok, take breather on sideline, see ya back in" ...

 

[zrinkill]

The days of seeing an Emmitt Smith stay in a game with a dislocated shoulder may be more rare.

That is because no team in the last 20 years would let that happen.

It is not the players ....... its the teams ....... Romo played with a punctured lung ....... that would not be allowed now.

 

[sunalsorises]

I think the previous generation of QBs get better. Imagine Aikman if he didn't have to worry about taking a massive hit after a throw. Better yet, imagine the accuracy of Aikman throwing to Irvin who is not allowed to be touched.

 

[erod]

Yeah, 90s players were a lot like today size wise and in general. Game was a lot more physical though.

They were definitely more fit back then.

 

[gtb1943]

Same could be said for multiple guys.

It ruined Marc Bulger and Jim Everett. They starting seeing ghosts back then.

and then there is Dave Carr; 250 sacs in 5 seasons and just as many QB hits
and he was a statue so a lot of those hits were brutal

 

[atlantacowboy]

I don't think the players were better in the 70's and 80's. They were tougher bc they had to be. Football in those days was just more violent. There were no rules protecting defenseless players or QBs. I look at guys like Pickens and Jameson Williams...... those guys would have gotten annihilated going over the middle back in the day when blowing up WRs was a celebrated part of the game. Clothesline tackles were legal until 1976. Until 1978, DBs could mug wrs up and down the field. There was no 5 yard limit. Good luck running a route against Mel Blount with those rules. This is why when you look at passing yard stats, they look paltry compared to today. 300 yard passing yard games were a real feat back in the 1970's bc of these rules.

 

[INCowboysFan]

I think they're using the 'time machine' approach. Teleporting 1987 Jerry Rice to present day.

But WR is a bad case study because the WR position is easier now and athleticism for the position probably peaked some years back.

If Justin Jefferson can put up 1800 yards, then Rice easily could too.

1987 Jerry Rice would destroy secondaries today. If DB's cant touch him after 5 yds he dominates.

If 1975 Roger Staubach was teleported today's time, where he can stand in the pocket without worrying about getting his head taken off or if he can take off an run without worrying about getting smoked when he slides he would be unstoppable.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

If today's rules were in place, imagine how many games Troy Aikman would have missed.

For instance he would not have passed concussion protocol in time for Super Bowl XXVIII (the second one against the Bills). Was still having headaches and nausea from the concussion he had in the NFC Championship. Would Bernie Kosar have led the team to a win? Imagine how history would have looked at that.

 

[CowboysRule]

Really tough to compare generations. It’s a completely different game than it was 40 years ago. The style of play is different, the rules are different. The way guys train is different.

Most players from the past probably would be average in the modern era if that….just go look at your average OL size back in the 80s. It wasn’t uncommon to see a 6’2” 260lbs LG. That guy wouldn’t even get a look today.

I do question how the QB's from the past would preform in todays game where the rules are much more in favor of the offenses than back then. They might not have the mobility but from a pure passing stand point I kind of feel like they would excel.

 

[beware_d-ware]

Compared to 30 years ago, I would say...

• The athletes are better. The NFL has a bigger "purse" than any sport in North America, and between that and all the different types of athleticism the game needs, the league gets its choice puppies out of the the litter. Brandon Aubrey was an MLS first round pick... the NFL poached him and now he's an All-Pro player. Soccer's loss is football's gain, and Aubrey kicks FGs that would make 1990s kickers' heads explode.

• Sports medicine is light years better. Players today recover in 9 months from injuries that would have washed them out of the league 30 years ago.

• Playcalling is better, on offense and defense. The fundamentals of football remain the same, but the way that say Sean McVay implements them looks like quantum physics compared to Marty Schottenheimer. Today's coaches stand on the shoulders of past giants, but they've continued to evolve the game past what the 90s guys were doing.

• Scouting is sharper compared to 30 years ago. It's still fundamentally a crapshoot, and the best teams today aren't hitting at a higher rate than they did in the past, but analytics has shaken out a lot of the weak hands and really stupid picks compared to even 20 years ago. The process is chalkier now. The league today doesn't have an Al Davis or a Matt Millen drafting "their guys" based on 40 times and vibes.

The places where I would say the game has declined in quality are.

• Lack of training camp reps. Players ask for less and less camp days every time they negotiate with the owners, and the results show on the field. There is some pretty sloppy football played for the first couple weeks of every season.

• 17 game seasons are too long... there's too many teams wrecked by injuries at the end of the season, and too many teams with nothing to play for. It's not an improvement over 16 or 14. Speaking of scheduling, Thursday night games are just low-quality football and cause elevated rates of injury. In general, the NFL always wants more TV money, and those are two situations where they've let the TV money come at the expense of the product on the field.

I think the product on the field today is strong, and I like the games I'm seeing more than I did even 10 years ago. The existential threats IMO that the game needs to watch out for are player safety (threatens the future of the talent pool) and fragmenting their own market across too many days and streaming services (fans and their dollars won't follow them everywhere).

 

[GMO415]

I was talking about the NFL with some young, mainly Cowboys fans, and they really think players today are far superior to those of the 60s, and 70's. Even some had questions about some 80's players like Tony Hill or Dupree. They were very knowledgeable about the players today though and across the league. I know that players today are much faster and athletic but when they say Rice isn't even close to Moss I disagree. I think that it is debatable but to say it isn't close is false. They have Never heard of Tony Hill and Dorsett would be average at best in today's game. This coming from Cowboys fans. I don't think it was because they didn't see the players of yesteryear, I think its because they just haven't done their research and are listening to each other.

I don't hang around young people much but my boys, who are 22 and 29, have buddies around me and I talk with them because most are NFL fans. I know that those like me that started watching Dallas in 76 have a great admiration for players like Pearson, White and Staubach where they really don't. If I had to pick one Dallas QB to build a team around it would be Staubach but it is close.

In the earlier years it could be brutal on the field and QB's weren't protected. Alot of activity after the play and during. It seems to me you HAD to be really tough back then but I'm not discounting todays players like they did the old guys...I don't know how you compare them to be honest....

You can't hold people accountable for something they don't know, and I'm not talking about the law, just football. These kids were still swimming in the dark as their Daddies were just kids back then.

 

[Bagman]

Old people and the NFL sheesh

Get off my lawn !!!!

 

[Rockport]

I actually believe that no player will ever have the raw strength Sir Larry Allen had.....the dude just isn't human.

I consider Larry Allen to be a modern day player.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

I actually believe that no player will ever have the raw strength Sir Larry Allen had.....the dude just isn't human.

Possibly the strongest human being ever, let alone football player.

 

[atlantacowboy]

If today's rules were in place, imagine how many games Troy Aikman would have missed.

For instance he would not have passed concussion protocol in time for Super Bowl XXVIII (the second one against the Bills). Was still having headaches and nausea from the concussion he had in the NFC Championship. Would Bernie Kosar have led the team to a win? Imagine how history would have looked at that.

Then again, there were no rules protecting QBs in the 90's. Shots to the head were a part of the game. Want to slam the QB into the ground? Go right ahead ! Troy took beatings he would never have had to take if today's rules protecting QBs were in effect back in the 90's. It's highly likely he would have had a much longer career and his stats something akin to Stafford.