Good-bye Tom ....

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by KC911

^^^^ This .... without question. The top QBs and receivers routinely make plays every week that no one did back in the 70s. With maybe an exception or two. The passing accuracy, the speed, size, and one handed catches.

And the linemen are beasts ... big, fast, strong, agile beasts .

The game changed because today's players are better.... and if you don't like today's football .... you MUST be a Steeler's fan !

I keed .... I like defense too

Can’t forget rule changes over the years that promote more offense and limit what the defense can do.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Norm K

I don't think today's players are better athletes, but they are certainly the beneficiaries of modern training, diet, medicine, etc.

Good luck convincing me that, given access to all of the things modern-day players enjoy, guys like Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Lilly, Ted Williams and so many others wouldn't be as dominant today as they were so many decades ago.

The greats would be great in any age ... period.

_

Again, the game changed because the players evolved to be better physical specimens than the "golden age" guys.

I mean you kind of make the argument yourself, "...given access to all of the things modern-day players enjoy, guys like Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Lilly, Ted Williams and so many others wouldn't be as dominant today as they were so many decades ago."

They would be better physical specimens capable of more now than they were then.

[URY914]

Super Bowl #1

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by astrochex

Can’t forget rule changes over the years that promote more offense and limit what the defense can do.

That has some merit, but for things that can be quantified, today's athletes are bigger, taller, faster, stronger .... and better .... on both sides of the ball.

In EVERY sport ...

.....and they excel at the age when they used to sit on the bench and they do it far longer too .

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by URY914

Super Bowl #1

The pot is better today too

[Pazuzu]

I've said for some time that the athletes of today are too good for the sports of today. Sports still have the same rules as they did 30, 50, 70 years ago, but the humans playing are far evolved from those rules.

Basketball.. 10 literal giants filling nearly every square inch of a court, handing the ball into the net 150, 200 times in an hour of play. BORING.

Let's change some rules. Make the court bigger, or the ball heavier, or the basket smaller. Suddenly, athletes would have to work at scoring again.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by KC911

.....and they excel at the age when they used to sit on the bench and they do it far longer too .

That’s an important distinction and one that applies to Brady.

He was never really regarded for his physicality, in fact it was one of his weak points.

He put in a lot of work to maintain his health so he could keep playing well past the age that his peers were done.

Probably the last 10 years of his career he was not beating opponents with his arm more so than with his brain, experience, knowledge of the game.

[KFC911]

^^^^ Yep... like a fastball pitcher who relies on his arm in his 20s, and masters control and learns "how" to pitch at 30.... Brady still had "it". Most QBs would love to have his stats from last season btw.... but Tampa just sucked. If Brady had gone somewhere with a decent supporting cast ... he could have continued.

But why?

Nothing left to prove.... the joy was gone .... starting over with a new team at 46 .... he NEED$ mo' $$$? ... LOL.

Fare ye well Tom ... and thanks for the memories

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I've said for some time that the athletes of today are too good for the sports of today. Sports still have the same rules as they did 30, 50, 70 years ago, but the humans playing are far evolved from those rules.

Basketball.. 10 literal giants filling nearly every square inch of a court, handing the ball into the net 150, 200 times in an hour of play. BORING.

Let's change some rules. Make the court bigger, or the ball heavier, or the basket smaller. Suddenly, athletes would have to work at scoring again.

^^^ Something to this.... they now make 3 pointers like they are layups or 15' free throws..... so big and strong it's easy for them too.

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I've said for some time that the athletes of today are too good for the sports of today. Sports still have the same rules as they did 30, 50, 70 years ago, but the humans playing are far evolved from those rules.

Basketball.. 10 literal giants filling nearly every square inch of a court, handing the ball into the net 150, 200 times in an hour of play. BORING.

Let's change some rules. Make the court bigger, or the ball heavier, or the basket smaller. Suddenly, athletes would have to work at scoring again.

I coulda been a huge replica of Wilt (off and on the court) if the basket was 6’ off the ground and the ball the size of a grapefruit.

I’ll not comment on dimensions of the off the court equipment. I don’t like to brag.

[KFC911]

LOL .... you forgot about the 8 yr olds you played against CB !

Wilt was a 7' tall "freak" back in the 60s .... now every decent college team has several big men that size.

[Salty Springs]

Originally Posted by URY914

Super Bowl #1

Agreed,
Can't believe they allowed Fresca on the sidelines!!

[herr_oberst]

^ Not to mention a glass bottle.

[Crowbob]

That is not on the sidelines.

[KFC911]

Tom might not be through!

Robert Kraft wants to resign Brady to New England!

For one day .... so he can retire as a Patriot

Classy

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by KC911

That has some merit, but for things that can be quantified, today's athletes are bigger, taller, faster, stronger .... and better .... on both sides of the ball.

In EVERY sport ...

.....and they excel at the age when they used to sit on the bench and they do it far longer too .

Those are NOT a sports. They are just games played with a ball. I played the same games as a kid and we had fun.

A sport is something like track and field, performance against a stop watch, or jumping higher or further. Mountain climbing, human ability against a mountain. Racing is a sport, drive a little fast and brake a just a little harder than the competition.

A "game" of chess is more of a sport than any basketball, football, hockey, baseball game. With chess, there is no advantage of youth, strength, or size or better equipment. Just skill, and luck is just not an factor.

[KFC911]

^^^^ LOL .... Well EXCUUUUSE me (in my best Steve Martin voice) .... you can call 'em whatever ya want to !

They are "sports" to the rest of the world...

Mebbe I missed the memo ?

[monoflo]

In American team sports with the possible exception on Baseball the modern athlete is just better,
When Fridge Perry lines up for the Bears as a rookie he was like one of two lineman over 300lbs in the NFL. Today I doubt there are OLs under 300. Sure there are guys in the past that could compete especially as they would benefit from modern training but ..... time passes.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by monoflo

In American team sports with the possible exception on Baseball the modern athlete is just better,

Yup.

But I will add, as someone who loves Baseball and played in college: Pitching velocity has completely morphed from the days when "cheese" was the rare guy who threw in the 90's in HS and college.

Today? The cheddar starts at 90 which would have me, an 80 plus MPH pitcher, out of the deli section and into dry goods...

Originally Posted by monoflo

When Fridge Perry lines up for the Bears as a rookie he was like one of two lineman over 300lbs in the NFL. Today I doubt there are OLs under 300. Sure there are guys in the past that could compete especially as they would benefit from modern training but ..... time passes.

i actually know the Perry family, played against Williams older brothers and cousins in HS...time does indeed pass and nothing is the same.

Football is a fundamentally different sport than it was 30 years ago...the fastest guy on my HS footballs team(s) ran a 4.6 40 in the mid 1970's...all the wheels in the world in those days in a sub 6 foot frame at 160lbs.

He'd get torched today like Burning Man.

Brady, played from the neck up. What is amazing to me about the Mahomes of the current crop, he in particular, is that he has both the complete mental gifts and the stunning physical prowess that is, frankly when combined with his attitude, so much joy to watch.

[monoflo]

Hawk ---agree. I ran a 4.6 in HS --probably down hill -wind aided ... my team mates said I ran like a ...... fill in whatever. OLd gyreen talking old gyreen sh.....t>,.

Perrys brother was a beast.

still think Mr Mays would dominate baseball in any era .