What's become of Pro Football?

[throet]

Having grown up watching defenders like Ray Nitschke, Dick Butkus, Jack Tatum, and Deacon Jones, it's difficult for me to accept some of the changes taking place in the league these days. Don't get me wrong - I get the reality of CTE and other debilitating injuries. Still, it's just hard to see so many "meek" tackles getting flagged as unnecessary roughness. It is a violent sport, and those participating know that. I still find it exciting and love that my Rams are off to a 4-0 start, but I do wonder what's becoming of the game and whether it will even still exist 15 years from now.   

[AntonioGG]

I personally think they should go back to soft helmets without face masks, and only soft padding on the body.  When people have a battering ram sticking out that far, they're going to use it.  You may see more broken noses, bloody lips, black eyes, but I'm thinking you may see less CTE and less broken necks.

Look at other contact sports with minimal protection:  Rugby or ARF.  

Other than that, it's going to go the way of flags.  They may as well put flags on the QBs already.

I played in HS until 10th grade.  Being average size in a 5A competitive school is not good for your body.  I'm glad I "retired" from it.  I had headaches every day after practice.

Edited October 3, 2018 by AntonioGG
seem-->see

[throet]

56 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

You may see more broken noses, bloody lips, black eyes, but I'm thinking you may see less CTE and less broken necks.

That's a really good point! 

[Tree Magnet]

I have three boys and none of them want to play football and I’m totally cool with that. My oldest wanted to play in middle school and I pointed out the size difference between the smallest dude and the biggest. At that age, it’s huge. I then reminded him of the month of recovery he endured after a concussion from a playground game. He lost interest and moved to climbing and parkour. Still a concussion risk but it’s not guaranteed like in football.


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[notyal]

I understand trying to implement safety orientated rules. When you have ex-players saying that they won't let their own children play football, that's a real problem that threatens the future of the game. 

Every single rule change in the last several years has favored the offense. Specifically the passing offense. I say allow some more contact down the field. Slowing the receivers on their routes will make it harder to pass and maybe tilt it back into a more ground and pound game. 

[Sluggo]

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Edited October 14, 2018 by Sluggo

[notyal]

On 10/13/2018 at 8:17 PM, Sluggo said:

.....

Your five dots are not welcome here. 

[Teamsloan]

Who has 4 hours to sit and watch TV?


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[mack_turtle]

they should go back to playing football- a round ball, usually black and white, that is kicked with the feet and every other part of the body except the hands and arms. the game is played by athletes with skill and grace instead of brute idiot strength by overweight men.

[throet]

40 minutes ago, Teamsloan said:

Who has 4 hours to sit and watch TV?


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I have no problem spending a few hours watching a worthwhile sporting event. Time on the trails generally takes priority, but I spend quite a bit of time throughout the year watching sports, including basketball, baseball, football, golf, and tennis. Like to spend time watching good movies at home too. What I don't watch is reality TV and other crappy shit that pollutes the airwaves these days.     

[throet]

13 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

they should go back to playing football- a round ball, usually black and white, that is kicked with the feet and every other part of the body except the hands and arms. the game is played by athletes with skill and grace instead of brute idiot strength by overweight men.

I get your point, but soccer IMO is very boring. I think American Football incorporates many skills, combined with brute strength, sheer speed, and game strategy to produce a very entertaining sport.  

[notyal]

15 hours ago, throet said:

I get your point, but soccer IMO is very boring. I think American Football incorporates many skills, combined with brute strength, sheer speed, and game strategy to produce a very entertaining sport.  

Football is a chess match played with elite athletes. 

[ATXZJ]

Whats wrong with football? Big money, just like everything else we at one time enjoyed. If there's a dollar to be made, there's for sure gonna be some f@ckery involved.

I've worked with several retired NFL players, including one that played in a superbowl. When i asked what it was like playing pro ball there was a big difference between what the guys who played in the 70-80s vs 90-2000s had to say.  The older guys had a much fonder view of playing and talked about their buddies and the fun they had on and off the field. The newer guys mainly talked about the business side of the sport first and then gameplay. It may have been time coloring their glasses but it was pretty consistent. 

BTW, all of these guys ended up working at car dealers, even the baller.

Edited October 16, 2018 by ATXZJ

[throet]

33 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

Whats wrong with football?

Big money, just like everything else we at one time enjoyed. If there's a dollar to be made, there's for sure gonna be some f@ckery involved. 

Haha can't argue with that! The latest pro sports ploy is the split screen commercial playing on one side with a live lens still on the action. Initially you think, oh how nice that they're letting you stay tuned into the game. Then you realize it's only being done to allow for more commercial time. I'm getting to the point where I just want to record everything and start watching at least an hour into the live cast. That way you can fast forward through all of the commercials and still finish near the end of the live feed.  

[ATXZJ]

1 minute ago, throet said:

Haha can't argue with that! The latest pro sports ploy is the split screen commercial playing on one side with a live lens still on the action. Initially you think, oh how nice that they're letting you stay tuned into the game. Then you realize it's only being done to allow for more commercial time. I'm getting to the point where I just want to record everything and start watching at least an hour into the live cast. That way you can fast forward through all of the commercials and still finish near the end of the live feed.  

 edited my response above with a little more detail.

 

Yep, the commercialism, flyovers, graphics on the screen, just get on with the f@cking game would you. I stopped watching sports (besides UCI DH) on TV in the 90s after the packers, cowboys and spurs had some great seasons and the old guard commentators retired. The only thing i really enjoy now is going to see MiLB teams play. God d@mn, theres nothing better than sitting in your local ballpark after a long winter with a beer, dog and watching these guys play for nothing but glory.

Rant/Off

 

 

[Teamsloan]

17 hours ago, throet said:

I have no problem spending a few hours watching a worthwhile sporting event. Time on the trails generally takes priority, but I spend quite a bit of time throughout the year watching sports, including basketball, baseball, football, golf, and tennis. Like to spend time watching good movies at home too. What I don't watch is reality TV and other crappy shit that pollutes the airwaves these days.     

My comment wasn't so much criticism of watching sports, but more that I literally do not have the time to do so. One game pretty much takes out an afternoon. I find it hard enough to even find the time to get a ride in.

[AntonioGG]

31 minutes ago, Teamsloan said:

My comment wasn't so much criticism of watching sports, but more that I literally do not have the time to do so. One game pretty much takes out an afternoon. I find it hard enough to even find the time to get a ride in.

+1

When I was right out of college, I used to pretty much watch sports all day Saturday, and sometimes all weekend.   I'd watch any NCAAF game on Saturday, SCCA World Challenge Racing, BTCC (remember when Speedvision carried that?), Formula Mazda, F1 (all the sessions).  Shoot, I used to race RC cars all weekend, sitting in a parking lot somewhere, then moved onto real racing cars.  Sold the race car in '09, tried Autocross, which was fun, but again, a whole day invested for so little actual driving time.

First there's buying a house, getting married, then kids.  That's when all that free time goes away. 

I think I'd watch more sports if my kids were into them, but they really don't sit still for very long.  We'll watch the Longhorns play if it's on regular TV (because F cable/satellite and the greedy bastards behind them), and Golden State if the game is on early (my youngest loves GS).  

These days, free time is spent riding or wrenching (or working on home projects).  Sports watching is a luxury, and many times I have it on while I'm doing something else (really need to upgrade our single 12 year old TV, so I can move the old one to the garage.)

The kids have their sports, and I'm really trying to get them into MTB racing.  The old one is not interested in trail riding, but the young one is a natural.  I can see us doing TMBRA sprint series in the spring as a family.  

 

@ATXZJ I used to watch recorded football games on DISH in 45 minutes.  the 20 second forward button was perfect to skip all the dead time between plays.

That's one thing soccer has figured out better than football.  How to get your advertising done without breaking for commercial, and keeping the game moving. 

[notyal]

I end up watching a lot of pro football because it fits in my schedule. Sundays, I'm usually tinkering around the house and will put the games on in the background. Sunday/Monday/Thursday nights I record the game and start watching after the kids go to bed - about an hour into the real-time game which gives plenty of time for skipping commercials. Either that or in the garage while bike wrenching. I'm kind of a fantasy football nerd, so I can watch any game, but I don't really care about the outcome. I just like to keep an eye on who scores and when. 

College football I only watch my Texas Tech Red Raiders and their continuous cycle of pulling off shocking upsets then promptly losing to Kansas or some other team they should beat on their way to a 6-6 record.

To bring this back to the original question, y'all are right about the money. Franchises put so much of their salary cap into a handful of players (usually the QB), that the rules of the game are changing to protect those investments. Who wants to watch Brett Hundley vs. Ryan Mallet when you could watch Aaron Rogers vs. Tom Brady? It's a star driven league. They've got to protect their greatest assets. 

The problem lately is that some of these rules interfere with some pretty fundamental stuff, like finishing a tackle.

[Chongo Loco]

they should go back to playing football- a round ball, usually black and white, that is kicked with the feet and every other part of the body except the hands and arms. the game is played by athletes with skill and grace instead of brute idiot strength by overweight men.

Ha! I always love these comments. Those big ass freak of nature lineman can do a 40 yd dash near world class sprinter pace. The best athlete to ever come out of your area may make a top 25 university roster. Of the thousand plus of those guys a couple dozen can make it to the pro’s.


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[ATXZJ]

41 minutes ago, Chongo Loco said:

 

 Those big ass freak of nature lineman can do a 40 yd dash near world class sprinter pace. The best athlete to ever come out of your area may make a top 25 university roster. Of the thousand plus of those guys a couple dozen can make it to the pro’s.


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Those dude are scary fast for their size. Science has pushed all sports to next level performance