NFL Nostalgia Thread…

[Cujo]

Ron Fellows sighting right at the end there.

Read an article one time, and a former linebacker for Minnesota (can't remember who it was) said it was like getting in a car accident every play.

 

[ravidubey]

Read an article one time, and a former linebacker for Minnesota (can't remember who it was) said it was like getting in a car accident every play.

It absolutely is

And these guys are paid pretty well in money, fame, and influence to suffer through it

It's still enormously physical, just without clotheslining, head-slapping, leading with your head and/or launching, hitting defenseless players, or aiming for a stationary guy's knees.

But it's more than that. Today, if you launch and try to "let physics happen" instead of wrapping up-- you might totally miss the play and modern skill players are going to take advantage better than ever before.

I think removing most of those dirty shots and focusing on shoulder-hip contact and wrapping up have net been a good thing.

From pee-wee leagues, kids need to see examples of the right way to tackle and hit from an early age (and what's going to be called a penalty)-- plus they'll be more effective at actually stopping the offense.

I miss the intimidation factor, but it's resulted in better overall defense and fewer injuries

And you can still intimidate, just be prepared to be flagged for it

 

[Cujo]

It absolutely is

And these guys are paid pretty well in money, fame, and influence to suffer through it

It's still enormously physical, just without clotheslining, head-slapping, leading with your head and/or launching, hitting defenseless players, or aiming for a stationary guy's knees.

But it's more than that. Today, if you launch and try to "let physics happen" instead of wrapping up-- you might totally miss the play and modern skill players are going to take advantage better than ever before.

I think removing most of those dirty shots and focusing on shoulder-hip contact and wrapping up have net been a good thing.

From pee-wee leagues, kids need to see examples of the right way to tackle and hit from an early age (and what's going to be called a penalty)-- plus they'll be more effective at actually stopping the offense.

I miss the intimidation factor, but it's resulted in better overall defense and fewer injuries

And you can still intimidate, just be prepared to be flagged for it

Yeah, they'll never get rid of the violent nature of the game but, I agree that cleaning it up has been a win. Sure, we miss out on the devastating hits, but I don't want to see these guys suffering so badly after retirement, they can barely walk. Earl Campbell comes to mind.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Chuck Knox: “This is a collision sport it’s not a contact sport”

 

[boozeman]

 

[Cujo]

I can’t believe they used to do this.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I can’t believe they used to do this.

The days when it was a sport where competitive players just wanted to play. They didn't live in constant fear of an injury.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

 

[ravidubey]

I can’t believe they used to do this.

It was cool

 

[ravidubey]

He'd beat you with style. He had major aura, I remember play action fakes to him freezing the whole defense like some kind of synchronized stutter step

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Back sometime in the late 70’s the NFL Today show did a montage of Walter Payton accompanied by Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better”. It was awesome

 

[Cujo]

My favorite name non-Cowboy player.

 

[Cujo]

Back sometime in the late 70’s the NFL Today show did a montage of Walter Payton accompanied by Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better”. It was awesome

I remember that!

 

[Cotton]

Back sometime in the late 70’s the NFL Today show did a montage of Walter Payton accompanied by Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better”. It was awesome