CFZ When “the good old days” aren’t so good

[Risen Star]

You think someone's shouting our responses into Bob's good ear?

 

[Bobhaze]

Uhhhhhh . . . The Cotton Bowl ???????

Lol! I’m not THAT old! But older than Texas Stadium dirt. However you slice, I’m old.

 

[Motorola]

Yep

Training Camp has evolved as well. Our roster players practice and train year round now . These 2 or 3 weeks in Camp is just a tune up at best for them.

TC has become about rounding out our final 53 man roster.

And finding players that have potential to develop being kept and regulated to the practice squad.

 

[john van brocklin]

Hey I’m 64 and remember the “good old days”. NFL Football and football in general was a lot more physical “back in the day”. Sometimes “the good old days” aren’t so good.

With all we’ve learned about brain injuries, the importance of hydration during practices and the importance of getting better rest in maximizing performance, the “good old days” are not so good when it comes to football.

In my brief days as a football player as a schoolboy, we practiced two a days in extreme heat with no water, were issued salt tablets to “replace the salt you sweated out”, and had full on padded practices almost all week before games. Coaches called players wimps (or worse) for needing water.

We know now from research that is a very foolish and dangerous way to prepare football players.

This time of year, we see lots of fans calling for the Cowboys to play our starters in some pre-season game action to “get the reps” and to “work on timing”. I disagree. In fact, I see that as some of the “old school” thinking we need to get away from. Modern players don’t need the same preparation rituals we used in the 60s through the early 2000s.

The calls for Dak and other key performers to play this ps is not smart IMO. Last year Dak did not take a single snap in a ps game and came out on opening night and threw for 400 yards and 3 TDs. We should have won the game if we had had a kicker who could make XPs.

I say let’s remember the “good ol days” fondly. But also move on into the modern era.

Agreed, while more enjoyable to watch, I feel badly for the players who's lives after football were impacted in a negative way health wise.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Hey I’m 64 and remember the “good old days”. NFL Football and football in general was a lot more physical “back in the day”. Sometimes “the good old days” aren’t so good.

With all we’ve learned about brain injuries, the importance of hydration during practices and the importance of getting better rest in maximizing performance, the “good old days” are not so good when it comes to football.

In my brief days as a football player as a schoolboy, we practiced two a days in extreme heat with no water, were issued salt tablets to “replace the salt you sweated out”, and had full on padded practices almost all week before games. Coaches called players wimps (or worse) for needing water.

We know now from research that is a very foolish and dangerous way to prepare football players.

This time of year, we see lots of fans calling for the Cowboys to play our starters in some pre-season game action to “get the reps” and to “work on timing”. I disagree. In fact, I see that as some of the “old school” thinking we need to get away from. Modern players don’t need the same preparation rituals we used in the 60s through the early 2000s.

The calls for Dak and other key performers to play this ps is not smart IMO. Last year Dak did not take a single snap in a ps game and came out on opening night and threw for 400 yards and 3 TDs. We should have won the game if we had had a kicker who could make XPs.

I say let’s remember the “good ol days” fondly. But also move on into the modern era.

When we recall the "good old days", we do so as fans not as players. As a Cowboy fan, I just want to see the team play well and win. What it takes to get to that point is not my concern or business. Every single NFL player had a choice to make in regard to playing football. No need to coddle and make excuses for them.

 

[Bobhaze]

When we recall the "good old days", we do so as fans not as players. As a Cowboy fan, I just want to see the team play well and win. What it takes to get to that point is not my concern or business. Every single NFL player had a choice to make in regard to playing football. No need to coddle and make excuses for them.

I don’t see it as making excuses. It’s more about how the game has evolved and accepting that reality.

 

[Tangle_Foot]

And how could I forget about those damn five and seven man football sleds. Everybody had to fire out and hit it at the same time or you did it over and over again. We push those coaches around so much you'd think they were getting some sort of mileage credit. John Madden love those things, I hated them

Oh and there was the bull in the ring drill. I think it's outlawed now. The times have indeed changed.

 

[atlantacowboy]

I don’t see it as making excuses. It’s more about how the game has evolved and accepting that reality.

The game has changed and it is all for the benefit of the players. I don't think that's a good thing. Its absurd that a new coach coming in trying to implement a new system is restricted in his access to players and his ability to practice ......... as if an NFL player is equivalent to an autoworker or coal miner. These players are absolutely coddled and its not science. Its more like how little work can we do while asking as much as possible.

 

[Doomsday101]

I don’t see it as making excuses. It’s more about how the game has evolved and accepting that reality.

I agree, I do think the NFL and NFLPA has at times gone over board.

 

[Bobhaze]

I agree, I do think the NFL and NFLPA has at times gone over board.

I agree. Especially protecting the QB. The rule enforcement of “roughing the passer” has become a joke. It’s almost like you can’t even touch them anymore.

 

[Bobhaze]

The game has changed and it is all for the benefit of the players. I don't think that's a good thing. Its absurd that a new coach coming in trying to implement a new system is restricted in his access to players and his ability to practice ......... as if an NFL player is equivalent to an autoworker or coal miner. These players are absolutely coddled and its not science. Its more like how little work can we do while asking as much as possible.

I agree that the NFLPA has overreached in some areas. But I also believe the owners are partially to blame too. For decades the players were treated like pieces of meat.

And despite the owners raking in the cash by the billions, they were very tough about giving the players who had literally risked their bodies for years, little to no long term health insurance protection. That has changed but it’s a shame because there should have been a better agreement between both parties over the years that is more in the middle. Both sides were dug in and rarely compromise as should be the case in negotiations like this.

In short there’s plenty of blame to go around.

 

[RD21]

Hey I’m 64 and remember the “good old days”. NFL Football and football in general was a lot more physical “back in the day”. Sometimes “the good old days” aren’t so good.

With all we’ve learned about brain injuries, the importance of hydration during practices and the importance of getting better rest in maximizing performance, the “good old days” are not so good when it comes to football.

In my brief days as a football player as a schoolboy, we practiced two a days in extreme heat with no water, were issued salt tablets to “replace the salt you sweated out”, and had full on padded practices almost all week before games. Coaches called players wimps (or worse) for needing water.

We know now from research that is a very foolish and dangerous way to prepare football players.

This time of year, we see lots of fans calling for the Cowboys to play our starters in some pre-season game action to “get the reps” and to “work on timing”. I disagree. In fact, I see that as some of the “old school” thinking we need to get away from. Modern players don’t need the same preparation rituals we used in the 60s through the early 2000s.

The calls for Dak and other key performers to play this ps is not smart IMO. Last year Dak did not take a single snap in a ps game and came out on opening night and threw for 400 yards and 3 TDs. We should have won the game if we had had a kicker who could make XPs.

I say let’s remember the “good ol days” fondly. But also move on into the modern era.

I played little league football, & continued to play until I was 40yrs old in minor leagues. I certainly witnessed, & experienced my share of injures from concussions, to torn ligaments, & compound fractures. Of all those experiences, the one that stands out, happened in the late 70s playing little league football:

Our coach in 1978 had a pink furry thing he called a "powder puff". It was approx 3" x 3" as I remember it, & had stickum on the back side of it. If he didn't think you were hitting hard enough in hitting drills, he would put it on the front of your helmet, & the only way it was coming off, was if it was hit off.

Hilarious at the time, & certainly motivated plenty to be more aggressive. Humiliation was a good motivator for those that were deemed soft, & ended up wearing the powder puff. By default it encouraged more helmet to helmet hits. This was a team of 7 & 8 yr olds.

 

[Bobhaze]

I played little league football, & continued to play until I was 40yrs old in minor leagues. I certainly witnessed, & experienced my share of injures from concussions, to torn ligaments, & compound fractures. Of all those experiences, the one that stands out, happened in the late 70s playing little league football:

Our coach in 1978 had a pink furry thing he called a "powder puff". It was approx 3" x 3" as I remember it, & had stickum on the back side of it. If he didn't think you were hitting hard enough in hitting drills, he would put it on the front of your helmet, & the only way it was coming off, was if it was hit off.

Hilarious at the time, & certainly motivated plenty to be more aggressive. Humiliation was a good motivator for those that were deemed soft, & ended up wearing the powder puff. By default it encouraged more helmet to helmet hits. This was a team of 7 & 8 yr olds.

Thankfully we have learned how foolish that stuff was. Especially for youngsters under 13 whose brains have not yet been formed fully.

 

[Streifenkarl]

Football was much more fun to watch back in the 70’s. It probably wasn’t more fun for the players from a safety standpoint though. It’s gotten too watered down, especially when it comes to the QB. If you so much as graze the QB’s helmet with a finger, it’s 15 yards. That’s ridiculous.

Actually this goes for almost any sport and I hate it. No matter if it's racing, football or whatever, the danger has become a non factor. But that's why we used to watch these sports. Because some dudes were taking insane risks to be the best. I wanna see crashes and heads getting smashed in... everyone getting into these sports knows what's coming. I guess pretty soon the NFL will also switch over to flag football and then the wimps have won.

Nothing's dangerous anymore, that sucks. I do some dangerous sports and it's my very own decision to do them. I don't want anyone to tell me what stuff I have to wear and how hard I'm going.

But that's slowly killing society as a whole. Survival of the fittest becomes less important everywhere. Everything is just about the weakest link in the change, no one shall be left behind. Bah. But I guess that is another topic.

As far as the OPs point goes: I don't want our starters to play in pre season. That's just not necessary. But I do want the intensity from the old days back with guys killing each other out there. Those were the days.

 

[Cowfan75]

Preseason isn't going to make Dak better in the regular season; he is what he is. So is Brady, Mahomes, etc. Sure, he could shake off some rust, but that should be minimal for as long as he's been around. The problem I have is that there are no real coaches on the team, and no real owner to say...you guys couldn't beat a winning team out there last year...I want you all to get some real work in before we start the season.

 

[atlantacowboy]

I agree that the NFLPA has overreached in some areas. But I also believe the owners are partially to blame too. For decades the players were treated like pieces of meat.

And despite the owners raking in the cash by the billions, they were very tough about giving the players who had literally risked their bodies for years, little to no long term health insurance protection. That has changed but it’s a shame because there should have been a better agreement between both parties over the years that is more in the middle. Both sides were dug in and rarely compromise as should be the case in negotiations like this.

In short there’s plenty of blame to go around.

Big risk equals big rewards. How much do you think an owner makes? Its not Billions. The league made 11 Billion last year. 49% of that goes to player salaries. That leaves roughly 5.6B to be divided amongst 32 NFL owners. Lets call it 175M. Out of that money, the owner has to pay all the coaches, front office staff, scouts plus the any operating costs. The actual team owner gets whatever is left. The packers actually posted a 38M loss in 2020.

Basically, owners don't buy NFL franchises to become rich. They already are Billionaires and an NFL team is just a way to diversify their portfolio, grow equity, and make some money. But its not Billions a year.

 

[Diehardblues]

Big risk equals big rewards. How much do you think an owner makes? Its not Billions. The league made 11 Billion last year. 49% of that goes to player salaries. That leaves roughly 5.6B to be divided amongst 32 NFL owners. Lets call it 175M. Out of that money, the owner has to pay all the coaches, front office staff, scouts plus the any operating costs. The actual team owner gets whatever is left. The packers actually posted a 38M loss in 2020.

Basically, owners don't buy NFL franchises to become rich. They already are Billionaires and an NFL team is just a way to diversify their portfolio, grow equity, and make some money. But its not Billions a year.

Here’s what most fans don’t know . Is that while players salaries have rose 3-5 times this era owners revenue has increased 10 folds .

 

[Haimerej]

We know now from research that is a very foolish and dangerous way to prepare football players.

Citation please.

I have a theory that people who grew up before the prevalence of air conditioning were more acclimated to the heat.

 

[Bobhaze]

Big risk equals big rewards. How much do you think an owner makes? Its not Billions. The league made 11 Billion last year. 49% of that goes to player salaries. That leaves roughly 5.6B to be divided amongst 32 NFL owners. Lets call it 175M. Out of that money, the owner has to pay all the coaches, front office staff, scouts plus the any operating costs. The actual team owner gets whatever is left. The packers actually posted a 38M loss in 2020.

Basically, owners don't buy NFL franchises to become rich. They already are Billionaires and an NFL team is just a way to diversify their portfolio, grow equity, and make some money. But its not Billions a year.

Yeah but it’s not just the cash owners bring in each year. Even more it’s the VALUE their team brings. Look at the Cowboys. Jerry bought them for a $147 mil and has turned that into a $7-10 billion dollar valuation. The value of each NFL team goes up a ton each year. And players benefit from that too, but not at the same rate.

IMO, One of the misconceptions about owning an NFL team is “risk”. We would be hard pressed to find a business model with almost ZERO financial risk but with exponential financial reward. Being an NFL owner is a golden goose. Being an NFL player is a golden egg. The players have the gold temporarily while the owners have it generationally.

 

[Haimerej]

This time of year, we see lots of fans calling for the Cowboys to play our starters in some pre-season game action to “get the reps” and to “work on timing”. I disagree. In fact, I see that as some of the “old school” thinking we need to get away from. Modern players don’t need the same preparation rituals we used in the 60s through the early 2000s.

What about acclimating your body to the physical nature of the game? Like the muay thai guys who kick trees to strengthen their shins.