Sad state of affairs...

[lewpac]

What do you think of free-agency, salary cap and other parity driven changes now?
It's a sad, sad day for Professional Football when the last four teams standing are the Bears, Seattle, New Orleans and the frickin' Beagles!
I know we've had this conversation before, and opinions seem to split pretty evenly. I for one have no use for implementations to level the playing feild. I guess it depends on who your team was BEFORE all this crap started in the early 90's. Cowboy fans, Raiders, Niners, etc.........perennial winners hate it. Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Atlanta, and other perennial losers must love it.
I know there's nothing I can do about it and it's the way it is nowadays. But honestly, I really don't give a rats ***. Really. Seriously, if there's grass that needs to be cut or my wife wants to take the kids to a Matinee' next weekend, I can just as well be doing that instead of watching this garbage. Or maybe it's just sour grapes after Saturday night. Either way, it's tragic that I just don't give a crap.

 

[alancdc]

What do you think of free-agency, salary cap and other parity driven changes now?
It's a sad, sad day for Professional Football when the last four teams standing are the Bears, Seattle, New Orleans and the frickin' Beagles!
I know we've had this conversation before, and opinions seem to split pretty evenly. I for one have no use for implementations to level the playing feild. I guess it depends on who your team was BEFORE all this crap started in the early 90's. Cowboy fans, Raiders, Niners, etc.........perennial winners hate it. Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Atlanta, and other perennial losers must love it.
I know there's nothing I can do about it and it's the way it is nowadays. But honestly, I really don't give a rats ***. Really. Seriously, if there's grass that needs to be cut or my wife wants to take the kids to a Matinee' next weekend, I can just as well be doing that instead of watching this garbage. Or maybe it's just sour grapes after Saturday night. Either way, it's tragic that I just don't give a crap.

Well, it doesn't help us nearly as much as it helps other simply because we would get the players we need because Jerry would apy them, and they would want to come play for us. This year there were what, 7 teams that made the playoffs that DIDN'T last year? That is CRAZY, but it does give EVERY NFL team hope. As a Boys fan, I liked the OLD system much better 'cause it was better for us!

 

[Vtwin]

What do you think of free-agency, salary cap and other parity driven changes now?
It's a sad, sad day for Professional Football when the last four teams standing are the Bears, Seattle, New Orleans and the frickin' Beagles!
I know we've had this conversation before, and opinions seem to split pretty evenly. I for one have no use for implementations to level the playing feild. I guess it depends on who your team was BEFORE all this crap started in the early 90's. Cowboy fans, Raiders, Niners, etc.........perennial winners hate it. Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Atlanta, and other perennial losers must love it.
I know there's nothing I can do about it and it's the way it is nowadays. But honestly, I really don't give a rats ***. Really. Seriously, if there's grass that needs to be cut or my wife wants to take the kids to a Matinee' next weekend, I can just as well be doing that instead of watching this garbage. Or maybe it's just sour grapes after Saturday night. Either way, it's tragic that I just don't give a crap.

Exactly,I have been a fan since the very early 70's and I am at the point where I am ready to walk away.The NFL wants "parody" so that they have a chance of making a buck from as many fans in as many cities as possible. Of course this comes at the expense of the product on the field.I'd rather endure a long down time for my team while they build from the draft and build a real team instead of having to watch the revolving door that is todays NFL even though I can hope the cards fall right for my team and they might win a championship this year.Winning a championship in today's NFL doesn't mean anywhere near as much as it used to.

 

[DipChit]

It's a 2 sided coin.

We all kinda liked the old system because it so happened to work for us because we were fortunate enough to build good teams when good teams stayed good and bad teams stayed bad.

Now the FA/salary cap system has opened the door to where a lot of it is just a crapshoot every year.

But had we sucked forever and were now one of the teams thats benefitted from the new system... were you can go from basically worst to first (even if you go from first basically back to worst the following year) we prolly wouldnt have too much problem with it.

 

[sonnyboy]

Not looking to bash anyone today, since we're all hurting, BUT I've always hated this the league stinks, or FA stinks, or parity stinks, just when things far a fan's team stink the most.

The league's not all that different then 10 20 30 years ago. FA has changed nearly as much as most believe and has actually had some benefits.
Here's one of my favorites:
It has all but ended traniing camp holdouts. You guys remember just how many training camp holdouts teams would have to endure ever year. You'd have some bitter veteran guy sit out the mini's and most if not all camp. Seemed like 2-4 guys evey year.
Not anymore, just about every valuable veteran is signed up in Feb and participates in minis and training camp. Now they have to earn thier money. No more summer vaca's.

Thier are more bene's to FA just have to leave now.

This is a great league. The Cowboys with Romo have a bright future. We are all in great pain. Miserable over our lost opportunity.

But you know something, I think we will never forget this loss. We will look back to it as the catalyst for our spring board back to prominence.
You want feel this pain next year when this team once more lifts the Lombardy.

 

[lewpac]

I hope you're right sonnyboy........There is alot of reason for optimism.

Back to this subject though, I think the last two teams who did it the old fashioned way were the Packers and Broncos of the late 90's. The Packers got better year by year, starting knocking on the door but couldn't get past Dallas. The year Carolina beat Dallas in the divisional round, the door opened for them and they made it to the SB the next two years. Then, they didn't just go downhill overnight, it took another 4-5 seasons for them to gradually slide..... Oh, and the Patriots and (gulp) Eagles have gotten away with it too somehow. Other than these guys, it's a crapshoot.
I know when this talk starts, alot of young guys tell you to "get over it old man" and "it's better now than then". I just disagree. I remember vividly having this argument way back in the 90's and telling this guy "are you ready for a Saints vs. Browns (Ravens now) SB??? I said it then as an extreme example of what may happen. Now look! I never thought I'd live to see the day when Seattle goes to a SB. Or Tampa Bay wins it all! Wasn't that long ago that the Rams and Atlanta and the Saints combined couldn't win 8 games a year.
Of course I'm a Cowboy lifer. But even if they didn't make it, a Steeler vs. Viking SB was big. Raiders vs. Commanders was big. SF vs. Denver was big. Everyone cared. Nowadays, if Seattle plays Baltimore in the SB, the only folks who care are people who are from or live in Seattle or Baltimore. There's only so many teams with nationwide appeal, fans everywhere: Dallas, Oakland, Steelers, maybe Miami, Skins to a degree, and a few more. If those traditional teams make it to the SB, there's nationwide "buzz". But to have to endure a potential Seahawks vs. Whoever SB, I think I might just take in 9 holes and catch the 4th quarter.

 

[burmafrd]

Anyone who thinks the quality of the game today is even CLOSE to what it was 15 years ago is on drugs or stupid. Teams stayed together for 6-10 years; O lines stayed together 10-12 years. Defenses stayed together for 6-8 years. Every player knew the way each other played and knew what they would be doing on any given play. QBs threw to the same WR for year after year; now they need to be introduced every season. Coaches did not have to teach the BASICS every camp; they taught refinements and innovations to the current system, BUILDING on what they had before. You get nothing like that in the NFL today. Rosters are turning over anywhere from 15-25% a year on the GOOD teams. 30-40% on the bad teams. In 3 years you virtually have a new team. There is NO WAY to have a great product when all the parts and pieces keep changing; not to mention the coaching merry go round.

 

[Hostile]

Not looking to bash anyone today, since we're all hurting, BUT I've always hated this the league stinks, or FA stinks, or parity stinks, just when things far a fan's team stink the most.

The league's not all that different then 10 20 30 years ago. FA has changed nearly as much as most believe and has actually had some benefits.
Here's one of my favorites:
It has all but ended traniing camp holdouts. You guys remember just how many training camp holdouts teams would have to endure ever year. You'd have some bitter veteran guy sit out the mini's and most if not all camp. Seemed like 2-4 guys evey year.
Not anymore, just about every valuable veteran is signed up in Feb and participates in minis and training camp. Now they have to earn thier money. No more summer vaca's.

Thier are more bene's to FA just have to leave now.

This is a great league. The Cowboys with Romo have a bright future. We are all in great pain. Miserable over our lost opportunity.

But you know something, I think we will never forget this loss. We will look back to it as the catalyst for our spring board back to prominence.
You want feel this pain next year when this team once more lifts the Lombardy.

I so disagree with that comment in bold. The game has changed so much it's almost unrecognizable against the old NFL.

 

[LatinMind]

Anyone who thinks the quality of the game today is even CLOSE to what it was 15 years ago is on drugs or stupid. Teams stayed together for 6-10 years; O lines stayed together 10-12 years. Defenses stayed together for 6-8 years. Every player knew the way each other played and knew what they would be doing on any given play. QBs threw to the same WR for year after year; now they need to be introduced every season. Coaches did not have to teach the BASICS every camp; they taught refinements and innovations to the current system, BUILDING on what they had before. You get nothing like that in the NFL today. Rosters are turning over anywhere from 15-25% a year on the GOOD teams. 30-40% on the bad teams. In 3 years you virtually have a new team. There is NO WAY to have a great product when all the parts and pieces keep changing; not to mention the coaching merry go round.

u mean like the colts, cheifs, patriots, bengals?

 

[burmafrd]

They only have better records because they are doing a better job of staying on top of the chaos. BUT any one of those teams would have been OWNED on any sunday by the 93 Boys.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

My biggest problem with the way the NFL is now, is that a kid cant love a single player for their entire career with the same team (usually).

Most likely a player will go from team to team.

Look at Edge, Portis, Bailey, Brees, etc.

Who is next ? Manning, Brady, Tomlinson, etc ?

 

[Dave_in-NC]

I so disagree with that comment in bold. The game has changed so much it's almost unrecognizable against the old NFL.

No kidding. Player of yesteryear played their hearts out. Money wasn't the driving force. Pride was some thing that drove players. Not to mention the way the rules have taken QBs and turned them flag football players, DBs need to play two yards off the WR or get flagged.

 

[LatinMind]

They only have better records because they are doing a better job of staying on top of the chaos. BUT any one of those teams would have been OWNED on any sunday by the 93 Boys.

probably but ur point was teams dont keep continuity. i was just giving u examples of how teams still do it. those were teams that do it on offense if u want teams from defense, pitt, SD, miami, NE, JAX, chicago. and another for offense is the rams.

 

[LatinMind]

i really dont have any complaints about the game today. it got old even in the mid 90's to see the same teams over and over . when dallas was on top they stayed there. when they werent they were never in contension.

i like in todays game that there are suprise teams. like when NE snuck up on everybody. now the chargers are doing that. in todays game everybody has a shot. in yesteryears game there were maybe 5 teams who had a legit shot

 

[DipChit]

Yeah all the player movement does make it hard for the sake of the game.

It's not a game like MLB where theres virtually zilch teamwork.. what, turning a double play?

And the success hitters have isnt much predicated on the other hitters.. other than sometimes in the case of pitching around people if they're not protected from that very well.

Football, to be played at it's best requires continuity among units over a period of time.

Course this doesnt mean the given games are any less exciting now or anything.

 

[Hostile]

No kidding. Player of yesteryear played their hearts out. Money wasn't the driving force. Pride was some thing that drove players. Not to mention the way the rules have taken QBs and turned them flag football players, DBs need to play two yards off the WR or get flagged.

Right on the friggin' :money: Mister North Cackalackey. CBs were so much more physical even 10 years ago. Every rule has opened up the offense and penalized the defense. The stats on the offensive side of the ball blew up.

 

[Bleu Star]

I so disagree with that comment in bold. The game has changed so much it's almost unrecognizable against the old NFL.

No doubt. Although it's in the interest of sportsmanship, I yearn for the days when you harbored an intense hatred of your opponent. The whole helping guys up from the other team and congratulating them after they've just busted your back side is really weak IMO.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

No doubt. Although it's in the interest of sportsmanship, I yearn for the days when you harbored an intense hatred of your opponent. The whole helping guys up from the other team and congratulating them after they've just busted your back side is really weak IMO.

Yeah imagine Butkus picking an opponent off the ground.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Right on the friggin' :money: Mister North Cackalackey. CBs were so much more physical even 10 years ago. Every rule has opened up the offense and penalized the defense. The stats on the offensive side of the ball blew up.

The powers that be in all sports think fans need to see more scoring. They think they are making rules or devising ways to make the game more exciting. I don't know whats so exciting about watching a DB chase a WR down the field and really can't touch him until after he catches the ball. Give me a gutsy defensive game any day of the week.

 

[DipChit]

I like scoring within reason.. 38-35 games might get a lil old after a while.. but 13-7 ones would to me even more.

Kinda like baseball.. I can do without 2-1 or 1-0 games but by the same token I can do without the 11-8 ones.

Thats why I never go to Rockies games. I'm not a fan of theirs in the first place.. but thats not the point. All the games at Coors are high scoring like that it seems and I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit there for 4.5 hours waiting for it to be over.