Just watched the replay of the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. It just seemed to me that there was more enjoyable action which was appealing to watch. At first I thought it was the looser jerseys or horse collar pads, or something undefined, but eventually I felt that there was more athletic motion to watch......thoughts?
Does the Brute Size of Today's Col. and NFL Players Detract From the Aesthetics of the Game Today?
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The spread offense is killing football. Won’t be long you’ll see the QB going back under center in college football
The biggest distraction is instant replay reviews .
I’ve watched quite a few of these older games recently. I just watched the Colorado-Notre Dame orange bowl games from 90 and 91. Players were smaller, but the biggest difference I noticed was QB play. The QB’s were generally not as accurate as today. I understand today’s QB’s are asked to make more short and easy throws, but I think QB’s of today have much more and better coaching upon entering colleges
I just watched a replay of the Penn St vs Ohio St 1980 Fiesta Bowl and thought the same thing.
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Watched the Fiesta Bowl again and it was great. I think today’s players are as athletic as those back then if not more so. However, I think the players back then were more fundamentally sound as a whole than today’s players.
Penn State had a 210 pound center.....that's light for a punter these days!
I wonder how much Art Schlichter lost on that game...
Good point. I recently watched several games from 1981 and 82 on YouTube. The tackling did seem more fundamentally sound than the shoulder-launching trend of today.
Also, the instances of pass interference penalties were greatly reduced. In fact, I don’t recall a single PI call in our games with USC (81), or Nebraska (81&82). And there were quite a few passes thrown in those games, too. I don’t remember whether rules have changed for that penalty, but contested passes just didn’t draw flags the way they do now.
here's a great story on that 210-pound center https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...ake-him/84907ef8-7c77-4306-a14c-112a61b636ce/
Watched Super Bowl 10 last night. Let's bring that style back.
I hope this distancing stuff throws passing games off and the team that can just run people over wins, even if it is Ohio State or Bama.
This 890 combined passing yards stuff is for
kuuuuuuuuuu weers
I hope this distancing stuff throws passing games off and the team that can just run people over wins, even if it is Ohio State or Bama.
This 890 combined passing yards stuff is for
kuuuuuuuuuu weers
Which is almost nuts when you consider the camps, the plethora of videos to help teach the kids... more coaches, more competition, and so forth. I can't help but expect that when a kid starts up in CFB they should be thoroughly versed in how to play their position properly.. after that it's just hard work, heart and desire, will, and ultimately athleticism (or is ultimately heart?) that helps a player take it to the next level.
Today we get kids who can flat out fly but can't catch a butterfly with a net and seemingly lack any real understanding for the game... no feel. Micah is a perfect example of the flip side.. he is 2 years into a new position and he's already considered the best at it in CFB. He "gets" the game (think Poz) and just knows where the ball is going. Give him 2 more years.. oh my.
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That's the complete opposite of what I thought, watching the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. Everything looked slow and disjointed (the sloppy uniforms didn't help). It looked like a mediocre high school game, in comparison to today's action. It kinda stunk, because I have fond memories of that game, and now it lost some of its luster. It was kind of like watching a women's college basketball game ... I mean, it's basketball and all ... but is it really?
Bring back live sports, please!
Two more years? One at Penn State and one as NFL Rookie of the Year.
If aesthetics were important, why did they wear stuff like this??
Thats the way football players should dress for games. Its a football game, not a beauty contest or fashion show.
I enjoy watching the old NFL highlights from the 60's / 70s'. I can sit and watch an episode of "America's Game" chronicling the season of a past Super Bowl champion from the 60s or 70s and really just enjoy the footage from that era.
IMO... there is a certain "beauty in the imperfection". You see fields that are chopped up and not perfectly manicured, you see players with uniforms that do not fit like a body-glove.... sometimes things can become "too perfect". I think this is kind of the case with the NFL. It's become "too perfect". the NFL of today vs. the 60's & 70's is almost like a theater event or a movie vs. a real football game. You watch the highlights from the 60s & 70s and it's kind of relatable because you & your buddies could go out in a similar muddy & imperfect field and play football. Now, all the fields are identical, they are all manicured to perfection, the lines are done with laser beams.... it's more like a theater than a football field.
The analogy I'll use is "rough" or "simplistic" animation vs. the life-like cartoons. The cartoons that are simplistic are easy to the eye. They are not perfect, they are rough, but they are easier on the eye because of their simplicity. From the Flintstones to Scooby Doo to Simpsons, and South Park ... cartoons that are simplistic are more appealing than the life-like cartoons. Think of the Christmas Cartoon starring Tom Hanks, Snowball Express. The animation is 100% more brilliant and life-like than Frosty The Snowman or Charlie Brown Christmas... but which is easier to watch??
IMO... there is a certain "beauty in the imperfection". You see fields that are chopped up and not perfectly manicured, you see players with uniforms that do not fit like a body-glove.... sometimes things can become "too perfect". I think this is kind of the case with the NFL. It's become "too perfect". the NFL of today vs. the 60's & 70's is almost like a theater event or a movie vs. a real football game. You watch the highlights from the 60s & 70s and it's kind of relatable because you & your buddies could go out in a similar muddy & imperfect field and play football. Now, all the fields are identical, they are all manicured to perfection, the lines are done with laser beams.... it's more like a theater than a football field.
The analogy I'll use is "rough" or "simplistic" animation vs. the life-like cartoons. The cartoons that are simplistic are easy to the eye. They are not perfect, they are rough, but they are easier on the eye because of their simplicity. From the Flintstones to Scooby Doo to Simpsons, and South Park ... cartoons that are simplistic are more appealing than the life-like cartoons. Think of the Christmas Cartoon starring Tom Hanks, Snowball Express. The animation is 100% more brilliant and life-like than Frosty The Snowman or Charlie Brown Christmas... but which is easier to watch??
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That imperfection is why I prefer college football. The atmosphere isn't as sterile and choreographed. And the players are still developing their skills so it's easy to see yourself out there instead of on an NFL field where egos rule. Still, the argument can be made of major college football inching closer to the NFL in terms of atmosphere.
I had a discussion about college football vs. the NFL with a friend. She was incredulous I preferred to watch college football, adding the skill level in the NFL is so much better. Well, duh. They're called professionals for a reason. I told her college football was more like watching a game for it's own sake. As you wrote, NFL games seem more like an event.
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I state the same reason for my preference of college over NFL. I have many buddies who are die-hard "NFL guys", and they just can not understand why I'd prefer to watch college football all day Saturday over NFL football, all day Sunday. I state the same logic as you... "College football is still imperfect, you see variances of total 5* studs on the same field as a guy who will be an accountant or an engineer next year. You see quirky and imperfect stadiums. You see a Kinnick where the stands are right up on the sidelines or Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge with many different angles and sections and the old school "H" style goal posts... where in the NFL it all looks generically the same except for just a few stadiums like Lambeau".
You want to feel "theater like". Attend an NFL game in which you are totally neutral and have no pulling interest. You see the game for what it is. A few years ago a buddy of mine had an extra ticket and asked me to go to a Falcons - Panthers game. It was brutal. The entire atmosphere was sterile, made-for-tv, all about the jumbotrons.... Yes, the Mercedes Benz Dome is 1-million times nicer and more comfortable then Beaver Stadium. But there is a simplistic beauty about Beaver Stadium. It is a football stadium made to sit in the elements and watch football. As crazy as it seems, I'd take Beaver Stadium with small aisles, cramped seats, out-dated restrooms, long concession lines.... any day of the week over a generic theater like Mercedes Benz Dome.
You triggered something thought I have thought for a long time.
I believe that if the weight of players should be limited for each position, there could well be fewer injuries- which might make the game more attractive to young people as something they might play.
I am afraid that football, both college and pro, has taken on the tone of latter day gladiatorial games. I think that is very unhealthy, both physically and mentally.
I believe that if the weight of players should be limited for each position, there could well be fewer injuries- which might make the game more attractive to young people as something they might play.
I am afraid that football, both college and pro, has taken on the tone of latter day gladiatorial games. I think that is very unhealthy, both physically and mentally.
Well, there is Collegiate Sprint Football League. Player weights are limited to around 180 lbs. There are only 10 teams. I've never seen a game so I can't give an opinion about how the play on the field is.
One of the attractions of college was always the contrasting styles; I formation, pro set, triple option. Made it fun to watch. Plus the variation in plays, misdirection, slick ball handling all demanded your attention. Some of QBs were magicians at hiding the ball.
Now all plays look pretty much the same. Lousy fake, look around, throw the ball., run if you have to.
I don't know.....the guy on the far right is the only one sporting striped sleeves. There is no "I" in "TEAM," buddy!
That was the only jersey available to him. Notice, he is also the only one wearing long pants.
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