Rant About the NFL

[Hostile]

Without a doubt to me football is the best sport in the whole world. I don't want to hear about soccer or any other sport even being as good. They just aren't. Nothing compares to the good old game of American Football.

If I have a complaint about the game at all it is that the teams and the NFL don't realize how great they actually are.

Look at the phenomenon that the NFL Draft has become. It is now spread out over three days, occupies two slots in Prime Time the first two days and 2 networks and every radio station in America dedicate their entire day to those sports.

It just dwarfs baseball and right at the beginning of the fresh baseball season. It power slams hockey and the NBA as they are in the playoff runs of their respective seasons and they get an occasional whisper.

Now, I'm not naive. I know one reason why football is so hugely popular is due to gambling. It is the only sport really worth betting on, but you don't have to bet on it to love it. To get consumed by it.

For years now we as fans have been screaming for more, and the NFL is slowly but surely realizing we mean it. I honestly think it boggles their minds that we are so rabid about this game that we will watch the Combines and guys working out. They are mostly just running, jumping, or lifting, but we are transfixed.

One thing about the NFL really bothers me and that is "Official Stats." Sacks and Tackles were not recorded as Official Stats and so we have tainted records for those categories. Does anyone besides me want to know if Deacon Jones really had more sacks than Bruce Smith? Does anyone besides me want to know if the NFL record really ought to be Harvey Martin's 23 in 1977?

Instead we get an asterisk with a note that until 1982 these were not Official Stats. So go back in time as far as you can and make them Official.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'd rather see an asterisk next to Deacon Jones name that says one of his games was not filmed so his numbers are incomplete than an asterisk next to an entire era of football.

Younger generations in here missed out on seeing the greatness of Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Randy White, and Tony Dorsett. My question is, why can't those games be packaged and sold?

Who here would buy DVD sets of every Dallas Cowboys season in History? I guarantee you I would. I'd love to go back and watch the 1960 season despite it's 0-11-1 record. I'd love to be able to see Eddie LeBaron under Center. It would thrill me.

Hell, I'd even watch the Scab games of 1987 again. There's not a doubt in my mind that the NFL and its teams are losing out on possible gold mines from fans like us who are starving for games. Any game.

Many posters may not remember this but when Dale was on our staff and was an Intern for DallasCowboys.com he would go to the practices and give us play by play breakdowns of each play that was run. 100% blew the DFW media reporters out of the water.

I respect the hell out of Todd Archer. I mentioned that to him one year and he said fans for the most part don't want to read about a single play. The hell we don't.

Look at how many fans flock to Training Camp just to catch a glimpse of these rock star-like athletes. How they clamor for autographs and yell encouragement to the players.

How can out addiction be so obvious and the guys who have the drug so oblivious to how bad we've all got it?

I have all 5 Super Bowls on DVD courtesy of a guy who was on here years ago selling them. They have the pre-game stuff, the game, and even the post game stuff. Every second of the entire experience, even the commercials. It's like opening a window and letting fresh air into a stuffy room when I stop and watch those DVDs. Seeing Tom Brooksheir interview Duane Thomas with Jim Brown talking for Duane for the most part and an excited Brooksheir asking "Are you really that fast?" Only to be answered by Thomas with, "Evidently."

I doubt I am the only person who sees History like that and is floored by it.

Who here wouldn't like to see the 1994 season finale against the Giants again? Who wouldn't like to see Emmitt carry this team in a performance so awe inspiring that John Madden went to the locker after the game just to shake his hand?

Michael Irvin said, "Don't tell me it's just a game." He's right. Don't tell me that. To the NFL I implore, give us more.

Give us our records. Give us archived games in their entirety. Give us the memories that stole us and placed us here as loyal fans of all shapes, sizes, and philosophies. Pay attention for a change to the fact that we are committed to this game. There is nothing on network TV right now that I would rather watch than any game from our past, win or lose.

Youtube brings scenes back like Tony Dorsett's 99.5 yard scamper for an NFL record, but that is just a temporary high. There's nothing like seeing the whole pie and not just a slice.

Give us more.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

I've been screaming for years that the NFL needs to buy back all the rights to the old games and either sell them as DVD sets for your team, or start a broadcast where we actually see an entire season's games during the offseason.

Maybe pick the best 4 or 5 games from a given weekend in 1973 or whatever year and show them on a Sunday, starting immediately after the Super Bowl.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Who owns the rights? Or is it a bunch of different people?

 

[Brian_C82]

There is just one problem with this idea. Most NFL broadcasts from the 1960's were never preserved. Even the original broadcast of Super Bowl I was lost until someone found a 35 year old recording in their attic. There are no known recordings of the Ice Bowl or SB II either. Just a few highlight clips shot on the sidelines.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Who owns the rights? Or is it a bunch of different people?

I wrote the NFL about it once, and if memory serves, the broadcast rights were owned by the affiliates who produced the games at the local level for one network for a few years, then the national networks took over. It seemed like a mess. From what I can tell, the NFL only had rights to produce highlights from the games that were broadcast.

That could be completely wrong though too. The email I received was a bit cryptic.

 

[Everson24]

I know I would buy whatever was available. I do have the three Super Bowls with the Steelers on VHS just as broadcast by the networks. I enjoy watching them from time to time. The commercials are funny too. Especially IBM's during Super Bowl X. I also have most every Cowboys game tucked away somewhere from the 1991-1996. I just cant get rid of those tapes until some other way to watch them becomes available. I would love to have more of the 1970's games.

 

[Ferrumz]

I unfortunately wasn't born till 1984 so I never got to watch Roger play. If I could somehow get ahold of all those games there's no doubt I'd watch them all if I could. I just have highlights and everyone's word on just how great he was.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

I unfortunately wasn't born till 1984 so I never got to watch Roger play. If I could somehow get ahold of all those games there's no doubt I'd watch them all if I could. I just have highlights and everyone's word on just how great he was.

A few things that stick out to me when I've gotten my hands on old games:

1. The game then was much slower

2. The offensive line is much smaller, ie Jason Witten is a starting offensive lineman in the 70's.

3. The announcers will say "Great Hit! Wow, what a great play by the defense!" and you'll be waiting for the flag because you're used to modern day rules.

 

[Yuma Cactus]

Well said Hos. "Gimme a little taste baby, just a little, I'll do anything.... Come on baby just a little." The NFL network is the tip of the iceberg for us addicts.

 

[Beast_from_East]

The darkside of profootball that nobody really wants to talk about is gambling. Now I am not talking about an office pool where a couple of hundred bucks are won or lost during the season between coworkers, I am talking about professional gambling.


We already know of atleast one incident in the NBA where a referee was betting on games he officiated and I am not into conspiracy theories, but to assume this is not happenning in other sports (especially profootball) is being naive.


Now I am not claiming that games are being "fixed", but I absolutely believe some games are officiated in favor of one team over another. Now is this due to the referees having money on the game, an outside entity putting pressure on the referees to bring about a certain outcome, or simply a personal bias or dislike for one team for some reason or another?

We will probably never know and the league would never admit to anything if they did find out about it, but to belive the sport is 100% insulated from any form of corruption is being highly naive I belive.

Just saying.

 

[FanSince61]

Some older highlights are available. I know I have them of the 1960, 1964 and 1967 seasons. I have highlights of the 1966 championship game and a good portion of the Ice Bowl.



This is a link to the Ice Bowl on Hulu TV:



http://www.hulu.com/watch/123940/greatest-games-1967-the-ice-bowl


and to some highlights


http://www.hulu.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys

 

[TheGoat73]

Without a doubt to me football is the best sport in the whole world. I don't ...

...back like Tony Dorsett's 99.5 yard scamper for an NFL record, but that is just a temporary high. There's nothing like seeing the whole pie and not just a slice.

Give us more.

Very good post as always. I would love to see Danny White punting again

I would also love to see film of other teams. Really watch Reggie White again and hear the John Madden man-love for his swim move. See 34 make those insane lateral cuts, "Refrigerator" Perry, Iggy Shuffle...

I think a "NFLU" network (or video collection, or web stream) would be a great hit. Football is an intricate game. Why not have a network dedicated to explaining it?

New fans, fans who never played themselves, spouses of rabid fans and parents who are helping their children learn the game might make for a substantial audience.

 

[THUMPER]

You know who has a ton of stuff? The Dallas Cowboys. They kept records of EVERYTHING from very early on. Landry & Co. were meticulous in reviewing and breaking down film of every game. Every player on every play was dissected and tracked from the early 60s on. As far as I know all of that was kept and stored somewhere.

Heck, they even filmed practices and broke those down as well. Unless Jerry dumped it all when he bought the team that stuff should still be there somewhere.

I am with you Hos, I can't get enough of this stuff.

Oh and according to Deacon Jones he had 173.5 sacks in his career which puts him 3rd all-time behind Bruce Smith (200.0) and Reggie White (198.0).

I have researched the web as much as I can and found the sack totals for a lot of players who played before 1982 and put them in a spreadsheet but I wish the NFL would go back and do it for real and update the "official" records.

 

[Avenging Hayseed]

The darkside of profootball that nobody really wants to talk about is gambling. Now I am not talking about an office pool where a couple of hundred bucks are won or lost during the season between coworkers, I am talking about professional gambling.


We already know of atleast one incident in the NBA where a referee was betting on games he officiated and I am not into conspiracy theories, but to assume this is not happenning in other sports (especially profootball) is being naive.


Now I am not claiming that games are being "fixed", but I absolutely believe some games are officiated in favor of one team over another. Now is this due to the referees having money on the game, an outside entity putting pressure on the referees to bring about a certain outcome, or simply a personal bias or dislike for one team for some reason or another?

We will probably never know and the league would never admit to anything if they did find out about it, but to belive the sport is 100% insulated from any form of corruption is being highly naive I belive.

Just saying.

Not to derail the thread,....BUT.....

Ive been watching football for close to 40 years now. Whenever I would hear fans talk about rigged games and such, My first reaction would always be the eye roll followed by thinking it must just be the words of a bitter fan who's team just lost.

Tell ya what though.........The Pittsburgh/ Seattle Super Bowl.

As I watched the game I couldnt help but feeling I was watching history being made. I couldnt help but feeling......this was the first RIGGED Super bowl. Yes, it was THAT bad IMO.

Mind you,....I could care less about Seattle at all. Its just that some of the calls being made in that game were so questionable , and so blatant that almost anybody could see what was happening. HUGE game changing plays too.

I could be wrong........But in my heart I KNOW Im not.

I'll never forget Matt Hasselback jogging off the field to end the first half . As he was jogging past the ref he kind of stopped, threw his hands up in the air, and said...." WHATS GOING ON?!"

 

[ThreeandOut]

I wrote the NFL about it once, and if memory serves, the broadcast rights were owned by the affiliates who produced the games at the local level for one network for a few years, then the national networks took over. It seemed like a mess. From what I can tell, the NFL only had rights to produce highlights from the games that were broadcast.

That could be completely wrong though too. The email I received was a bit cryptic.

If Jerry ever starts a Dallas Cowboys Network, he needs to figure out a way to purchase the rights to those old games. There's a lot of untapped value in those old broadcasts that is currently not being realized.

 

[Juke99]

There is just one problem with this idea. Most NFL broadcasts from the 1960's were never preserved. Even the original broadcast of Super Bowl I was lost until someone found a 35 year old recording in their attic. There are no known recordings of the Ice Bowl or SB II either. Just a few highlight clips shot on the sidelines.

On the nosey.

 

[Sitting Bull]

I'm not as intrigued by historical football stats. The game has changed so much over the years (rules, equiptment, playing environment, etc.). But my appetite for historical video would be huge.

I think about the "great RB and QB debates" that have been raging for decades. Nobody has ever has or will be able to use stats to convince another fan that Jim Brown was better than Payton or Unitas was better than Brady. But just think about how much life and perspective would be injected in these debates if we all had a better visual baseline through access to the video archives.

HBO seemed to dig up tons of "new to me" footage for its Namath documentary and I was amazed. I knew he was good, but that deep ball. It was a thing of beauty. Everybody's seen the same tired clips of Earl Campbell, jersey torn off. I'd love to watch an entire season of games from his too-brief career, to see if teams were as helpless as I remember when he was in his prime.

It seems like with the way technology is moving, a lot of money could be made selling that stuff combined or a la carte, like iTunes, but for football.

 

[CaptainMorgan]

Good read Hos.

Id settle for an on demand channel and pay a buck a game. they could make a mint!

 

[CF74]

I don't want to hear about soccer.

Ditto...

Or B-Ball till March or April....

To me it's a crime against humanity that basketball starts around the time playoffs get ta rolling....:chainsaw:

 

[ologan]

I've got to thank Theebs (Wherever you are!) for taking that whole passel of VHS tapes from old Cowboy's games my father in law recorded from the 80's & 90's and transferring them oved to DVD format for me. Anytime I want to watch the Giants game where "one armed" Emmitt beat them,I just pop it in. Also all the playoff games and SB's from the 90's run. Sure miss Theebs,and hope he is ok. He's probably on here under a different name, and if so, thanks again!

I also remember a guy on a board some time back who had a list of recorded NFL games going way back, and a lot of different teams. He'd go week by week with a list of the games available that week. He just seemed to disappear, so don't know what happened to him.