And so it begins: Get ready for "tag" football.

[Bamabuzzard]

Roosevelt Patterson was the biggest offensive lineman on the 1992 team. He weighed 277 lbs. If I'm not mistaken, Tobie Sheilds (sp?), the starting center, weighed about 250. 1992 doesn't seem that long ago and yet that's how much the game has changed since then.

Training has gotten so much better. We know how to eat and lift in order to get big and maintain athleticism. Yes, I agree, the 2015 team would beat the 1992 team worse than we beat Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.

Agree with both you and CA. That is why I think it is extremely unfair to teams and players of yesteryear to compare them to teams and players of today. Could you imagine if the information and technology had been available to some of the great ones in older generations? Derrick Thomas comes to mind. Good night alive as great as he was then, could you imagine what he could have done if he was trained and developed under current training programs today?

 

[Tideflyer]

Agree with both you and CA. That is why I think it is extremely unfair to teams and players of yesteryear to compare them to teams and players of today. Could you imagine if the information and technology had been available to some of the great ones in older generations? Derrick Thomas comes to mind. Good night alive as great as he was then, could you imagine what he could have done if he was trained and developed under current training programs today?

Now that`s truly mind boggling to ponder upon!

 

[TideMan09]

I was just pointing out that the line of discussion was centered on there being more injuries with better equipment, but we may not actually have more injuries.

Yup..Football as a sport has come light years in player's protection with better & safer equipment, plus, new rules aimed at protecting defenseless players has cut down on the big hits..I remember in the 80's & 90's watching punt returners or WR's catching the ball across the middle being nearly decapitated when they got the boom lowered on them..Those kinda hits have gone way of the dinosaurs sorta speak & that has cut down on bad injuries a great bit..Plus..In the NFL if you pretty much breathe heavily on a QB you get a personal foul..

I'm all for player protection, but, there comes a point when folks need to realize that playing the game is a personal choice, a choice that includes the risk of injuries that comes with playing the game, it's a contact sport that will have injuries & if they keep adding rules it will eventually kill off the sport we love so much..

 

[capnfrog]

As has been said, hitting in practice has already been reduced, though not eliminated, even at schools such as Alabama. Coach Saban has them "thud", I think, for the most part except in scrimmages. Of course, I think that you would have to consider O line vs. D line practice one-on-ones as "hitting".

I think the Ivy league has hit on a good point of discussion. I would not even try to guess at the times over the years that we have lost our best players to injury while practicing. You can teach the technique of hitting, tackling and blocking without taking your team mates head off. Sometimes it is the one doing the tackling that receives the injury. In live scrimmages they have to go at it a lot harder but there are times when you can let up and avoid some of the injuries.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

David Shaw (coach of Stanford) was interviewed by Colin Cowherd this past week and he was asked about hitting less in practice. He said they already only hit in selected number of practices. The other practices are more teaching oriented. But, he did say that he didn't see a way that his team could hit less than what they already do and still play the style football (physical) they do. At some point it will change the game. I tend to agree with him.

 

[lowend]

I'm kind of surprised that there hasn't been limits placed on weight lifting and maximum weights for players. Reduce the size/strength of the players and reduce the amount of force.

 

[crimsonaudio]

I'm kind of surprised that there hasn't been limits placed on weight lifting and maximum weights for players. Reduce the size/strength of the players and reduce the amount of force.

They won't do anything to kill the sport, and that would definitely do just that.