Question For The Old-Timers

[BulletBob]

We’ve gone from Doomsday, the Steel Curtain, Mean Joe, the Snake, and the Manster to ...

Hot Boyz and the Honey Badger.

‘Nuff said.

 

[GenoT]

I suppose I qualify an "old-timer"... I don't like disclosing my age but I've been following the Cowboys since the early 60s and I had kids back then, so that will give you an idea. Anyhow, by far the biggest difference for me has been the expansion of media coverage. You can get in-depth analysis of pretty much any game, player, or college prospect nowadays.

I distinctly remember back in '69 reading about the NFL draft in the newspaper the following day (it wasn't televised back then). I saw that we drafted this Calvin Hill guy out of Yale. I was so pissed. What kind of GM wastes a first round pick on an Ivy League player? Of course the rest is history but back then we had no idea about a lot of these college players. Now they are literally dissected.

I hear ya.

There was a certain mystique about rookies coming in back then. Unless you had followed them in college, or they were nationally heralded, most were pretty much unknown entities.

Nowadays, you can dial up any rookie’s progress and stats all the way back to high school...on your phone!

 

[TheSkaven]

One thing I like about our team is that it’s a classic, smash mouth squad like you’d find back in the day. The last thing I want to see here is that west coast offense.

So yeah, old school football is better, but the Cowboys play old school football, they run the ball and play great defense, and that makes me happy.

I mean, who else still uses a fullback in this league?

 

[gjkoeppen]

I love it!!! Rules change all the time, if the players can adjust why can't the fans? I played and coached for 40 years, rules changed, we adapted. No big deal.

Here's the huge flaw in your thinking. Players, if they don't want to keep getting flagged which would eventually put a stop to their huge pay checks have to make the change or lose those huge pay checks. Fans don't get those huge pay checks we should be able to say - no I don't like the way the game has evolved. I remember the days when a safety's primary job was as soon as a receiver's hands touched the ball was to lay the hardest hit on him to make him think about going over the middle. Today that's a 15 yarder for hitting a defenseless player. Now I know the league is thinking about ways to limit some of the injuries, but every player who has ever signed his name on a NFL contract knew there was a risk of injury and accepted those risks when they signed those contracts.

Just this week I read that HOFers now want free health insurance for life and an annual salary. I can somewhat see the insurance although at what they make they should be able to pay for their own insurance. As far as the salary, if they want money for when they get older then the league should start taking 10% of each check and putting that into individual annuity accounts so they have a retirement plan.
.

 

[The Fonz]

But then you turn around and waste your free time on a message board as if this is somehow closer to reality?

Just curious how that works?

Anything we do can be labeled a waste of time. A message board not a waste if you interact with people u enjoy being with.I for one and I am sure a lot others here we come to this board not just for the sport.The site might be about the Dallas Cowboys but it represents more than just sport. It is about the great community which you are member of.

 

[Vinnie2u]

I resent being called a old timer. Get off my lawn.

 

[Ranching]

Here's the huge flaw in your thinking. Players, if they don't want to keep getting flagged which would eventually put a stop to their huge pay checks have to make the change or lose those huge pay checks. Fans don't get those huge pay checks we should be able to say - no I don't like the way the game has evolved. I remember the days when a safety's primary job was as soon as a receiver's hands touched the ball was to lay the hardest hit on him to make him think about going over the middle. Today that's a 15 yarder for hitting a defenseless player. Now I know the league is thinking about ways to limit some of the injuries, but every player who has ever signed his name on a NFL contract knew there was a risk of injury and accepted those risks when they signed those contracts.

Just this week I read that HOFers now want free health insurance for life and an annual salary. I can somewhat see the insurance although at what they make they should be able to pay for their own insurance. As far as the salary, if they want money for when they get older then the league should start taking 10% of each check and putting that into individual annuity accounts so they have a retirement plan.
.

Fans don't have to watch. That's their only right

 

[Bob-Lillys-War]

We’ve got ...

Hot Boyz and the Honey Badger.

‘Nuff said.

Those names suck .

 

[Rayman70]

All you guys that want more brutality, either never played or never saw a brother carried off the field.

excuse me.. I played,my son played,my Dad played. All of us got injured,hurt..I even got carried of the field with a compound fractured arm. I would do it all again too. We all knew what we signed up for. Its a huge part of it ,made the game exciting..and risky..but hey. You cannot cherry pick the negative and omit the special lifelong bonds of sportsmanship and accomplishments. Those memories mean something to a young man. Water down the game,you take that away from them.

 

[Ranching]

excuse me.. I played,my son played,my Dad played. All of us got injured,hurt..I even got carried of the field with a compound fractured arm. I would do it all again too. We all knew what we signed up for. Its a huge part of it ,made the game exciting..and risky..but hey. You cannot cherry pick the negative and omit the special lifelong bonds of sportsmanship and accomplishments. Those memories mean something to a young man. Water down the game,you take that away from them.

I respect that.....but in my career I've seen players left paralyzed and anything that can help keep those numbers down, I am all for it. BTW, I limp every day because of this game. No regrets.

 

[gjkoeppen]

Lol!!! No mames!!!!

You're remembering wrong. The Manster ripped off a chicago bears Kieth Van Horn's own helmet and hit guard Mark Bortz with it and was ejected and as he was walking off the field a ref was trying to get the helmet from White but he kept walking and when he go to the sidelines he tossed the helmet into the stands.
.

 

[Clove]

Quarterbacks used to get murdered.
Receivers used to get murdered.
There was a time when players could take off their helmets.
There was a time when teams like Dallas owned because there was no salary cap and no true free agency.
Never seen a player like Deion since.
Never seen a player like Jerry Rice since
Never seen a player like Barry Sanders since
There were a TON of QBs who were dominant back then, now there are just a few.

Something has happened to the game, but I still love it and watch it religiously.

 

[Bob-Lillys-War]

You're remembering wrong. The Manster ripped off a chicago bears Kieth Van Horn's own helmet and hit guard Mark Bortz with it and was ejected and as he was walking off the field a ref was trying to get the helmet from White but he kept walking and when he go to the sidelines he tossed the helmet into the stands.
.

Classic .

I love it .

 

[ShortRound]

I miss the old days...when there wasn't free agency and you knew who would be there.
I miss Coach Landry's Cowboys.
not gonna lie...miss Jimmy's boys too.
I am excited about this young group...pullin like hell for them to win one.
But yes...I miss the NFL of the 70s,80s and 90s...before free-agency.

One of the things that irks me now, is when players laugh it up with the opposing players. I don't think you dared to do that back in the day. Imagine if you did that in front of Chuck Noll, Landry, or Ditka.

 

[gjkoeppen]

Fans don't have to watch. That's their only right

So now the NFL has also taken free speech from the fans now too?
.

 

[Bob-Lillys-War]

One of the things that irks me now, is when players laugh it up with the opposing players. I don't think you dared to do that back in the day. Imagine if you did that in front of Chuck Noll, Landry, or Ditka.

Yeah, Ditka wasn't right ... He was scary .

 

[Ranching]

So now the NFL has also taken free speech from the fans now too?.

Only if you let them

 

[lurkercowboy]

You're remembering wrong. The Manster ripped off a chicago bears Kieth Van Horn's own helmet and hit guard Mark Bortz with it and was ejected and as he was walking off the field a ref was trying to get the helmet from White but he kept walking and when he go to the sidelines he tossed the helmet into the stands.
.

Yes and that was a preseason game IIRC

 

[MWH1967]

We’ve gone from Doomsday, the Steel Curtain, Mean Joe, the Snake, and the Manster to ...

Hot Boyz and the Honey Badger.

‘Nuff said.

We've gone from corn cobs to the Sears and Roebuck catalogue to striking paper to toilet paper to bathroom tissue to sanitary toiletries. Sheesh! Every generation ...never mind.

 

[Pantone282C]

I watched the very first game they played; granted I was young enough to not know what the hell was really happening, but I caught on fast enough to enjoy it as the season progressed with Dad's help. As an early fan of the Cowboys, I came to know that we were spoiled by having a great coach, frequent success, and great players that stayed around. Thanksgiving day dinner is in my mind forever paired with the Cowboys as if they were family.
I get it that the game has changed for some to the point of apathy, and that the focus on money, individual player achievement, commercialism, and social web sites have taken the essence of being a fan to a different place. It has affected me too, but I try to ignore the annoyance of it and just focus on the game being played on the field. I still enjoy the game for what it essentially is - an exciting team sport with exceptional athletes making great plays.
I do miss the way the game was played with such ferocity and team focus, and despite the fact I suffered a broken arm on a tackle, I really didn't quite connect with the reality of how the game personally affected the severely injured players in college and the NFL. It was more enjoyable to see Theisman suffer a broken leg because of my rabid hatred of all things Commanders. That sort of rivalry is all but dead. TV made it easier to disconnect and ignore the reality of the brutality. I think it is akin to watching the Roman gladiators. All things gradually change, and the game has changed too, but not enough to quell my love of it.
So, I really hope the game can be played without unnecessary or purposeful injury, and that some of the players stop acting like they won the lottery after a good play, and that wiser heads make better commissioners, but I will keep watching until I die or the game is played with flags or robots.
Go Cowboys!