Real Sports For Real People - Linda McGrath

Old versus new players. When debating who is better the comment I hear most is - that player could have never played in this era, today the athletes are bigger, stronger and faster. The response I say is could have the athletes of today have played in that era. They look at you like are you kidding of course they could. So let’s take a real look at that statement and look at the circumstances of the old era. In generations past there were no personal trainers, no dieticians,... no weight rooms and in many cases these athletes had to work another job in the offseason, because the money they made playing the sports didn’t pay the bills all year. The fields they played on were not groomed or artificial. It was torn up grass, dirt and mud. The famous ice bowl in Green Bay the field was hard as concrete, your body slammed not only when tackled but when you hit the ground. There were no domes to play under, no heated benches, no medical staff and X-Ray machines ready at the stadium, the football or baseball wasn’t as tight as today, softer harder to handle. You wore less equipment to protect your face and head and the equipment you had was not to prevent you from serious injury it was to only protect you from getting a broken nose or your teeth getting knocked out. There were no rules to protect the Quarterback, the receivers, or the catcher. If you had the ball, and in some cases didn’t you were fair game. The picture below of the great YA Tittle after a game looks like he was in a fight with a street gang instead of a football game. Could Tom Brady even have lasted one season never mind 20 years. Could Odell Beckham take the hits of Jack Tatum, Dick Butkus or Ronnie Lott when he came over the middle and he didn’t have the rules in place they have today? These athletes didn’t play for the money and fame, they truly loved the game. President Teddy Roosevelt actually formed the first commission to instill stronger rules in college football because to many players were dying! Can you imagine. I’m not sure how many players in today’s modern era could go back in play in that era under those circumstances but I’m pretty sure, many more could come to the future and play under these circumstances. I’m Linda Tell Me I’m Wrong.

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