One of my big problems with the NFL is how they make it look like they care about player safety. NFL injuries have hit an all-time high. The business in dollars has also hit an all-time high. The game today has bigger, stronger and faster guys than back then. Today getting hit by a linebacker is considered to be a borderline flag on a receiver....This is what you look like with little padding
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Now sure he makes the highlight reels and so do 60% of any offensive players who decide to not wear padding. They are to damn fast and you can't catch them. Growing up through knee-high and high school, i could remember having more pads than i knew what to do with. Here is what we looked liked back in the day
This was a guy who was considered to be one of the best running backs. Yet he wore more pads and carried more weight than any player today. Dickerson had glass that weighed 3lbs and a neck pad, elbow pads, knee and hip and thigh pads..He had more tape covering his hands and wrists than i ever seen a player in my life. How would Dickerson run today with no pads? Back then the NFL supported the players health because they found it fit to protect the stars of the league. Today they do the opposite, we like fast, and we like points. If a star goes down today, just take off more pads to make a guy faster and don't let the defensive guys touch a offensive player or they will be flagged..or better yet fined !! Here is what happens when you don't wear pads
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Take notice, No thigh pads, no knee pads, no hip pads, no butt pads, no elbow pads, id say no mouth piece as well,after all we need to hear you proclaim how great you are. Why do receivers cry they never want to go across the middle these days. Well you wouldn't want a guy who is 260lbs built like a brick shit house hitting your skinny little 160lb ass with no pads on would ya? Hell no !!. Please pay me tons of money to run up and down the sideline as fast as i can so defenders can't catch or touch me. The days of the hard nosed receivers, corners, linebackers, and running backs are far gone. Hers is a guy who went across the middle and would light you up for even thinking of hitting him. Now mind you, this guys wore pads as a weapon!
You older guys remember Stallworth? He wanted you to hit him so he could knock you out of a play to actually make a play back then. Check the injuries from 1970 to 2014. The increase in injuries is rather hilarious. Significant injuries are way up and ACL and season ending injuries are the worst ever. Ask yourself this question, would this guy below not be flagged more than any other player on the field?..This guy would try to use his pads to blow you up !!
They would not allow this Ronnie Lott to play today, i guarantee it. If they did he would have more fines than he would gross in a single year. Yet we think this is what a prized cornerback should go on the field looking like, trying to tackle other guys flying around full steam ahead with no pads on.
Then they ask themselves why did i get hurt and blow out my knee, or why am i sitting out this week because i have a deep thigh bruise...Maybe i'm just being a bit ticky tacky here, but i think the NFL has its priorities all jacked up. They really have no care in the world for a players health. All they care about is fantasty football, more points, more flash. They give all the spotlight one needs until they land on the PUP list or in jail..That's my rant for today. Wait the NFL did get this safety risk correct..