Damar Hamlin

[Uncle Rico]

Ive always found that argument to be amusing.  Football is brutal and injury filled, but the number of rugby players you see with cauliflower ear, permanently f-ed noses, and missing teeth is pretty significant in numbers you don't see in the NFL, and thats not counting all the other injuries they share with football players.

There's something to be said about the helmet as a weapon, though.  I'm not saying get rid of helmets, but there is a recklessness factor caused by a certain feeling of invincibility with the helmet being on, especially as we tout new and safer helmets.

The other and maybe more realistic argument is, human beings of today aren't meant to play sports with a combination of that speed and violence

[WhiteTrash]

The game will become more violent as more generations pass.  We will continue to push the boundaries of the body and get faster and bigger

I suppose you are correct. Don't sell old timers short, I am still amused by Butkus relating the stories of his dream of hitting another player so hard that his head comes off.

[Uncle Rico]

I suppose you are correct. Don't sell old timers short, I am still amused by Butkus relating the stories of his dream of hitting another player so hard that his head comes off.

I'm not selling them short at all.  The game was way more violent.  It's much more regulated today but I'm not sure they can regulate the speed and size of todays players in any meaningfully safe way

https://youtube.com/shorts/hrI9x3q2oa8?feature=share

[JWags85]

I'm not selling them short at all.  The game was way more violent.  It's much more regulated today but I'm not sure they can regulate the speed and size of todays players in any meaningfully safe way

https://youtube.com/shorts/hrI9x3q2oa8?feature=share

Yep.  Butkus is a great example, he was HUGE in his era.  Fearsome for his attitude, but also his sheer size.  He was 6'3, 235.  Micah Parsons is 6'3, 245 and he's not thought of as monstrous.  TJ Watt is 6'4, 255.

The average OL in the 70s was 250 lbs.  Can you imagine them blocking Aaron Donald who throws around 325-250 lb OL in the modern NFL?  Stopping 6'5 290 lbs Joey Bosa off the end?

Roger Staubach played at 197 lbs, he'd get broken in half in todays NFL, even with generous QB protection.

OJ Simpson played at 6'1 210, thats a good 20 lbs less than most RBs.  A similar physical comp, Adrian Peterson, is also 6'1, but 220.  And OJ ran a 4.7 40, that would drop you into the later rounds these days.  Josh Jacobs ran a 4.6 out of Bama and got major scrutiny.  AP, his size comp, ran a 4.4

And thats all the 70s, not even talking 50s and 60s.  Its not sh**ing on the ability of the older legends of the game before some of our older board members come to defend the golden years, but rather just highlighting how ridiculous todays athletes are in comparison.  Can you imagine the average NFL CB in the Lombardi years trying to stay with Tyreke Hill or bump DK Metcalf off the line?

[tower912]

Jack Ham and Andy Russel played at 215 lbs and Jack Lambert at 220.  Starting linebackers for the Steel Curtain.   Jerry Kramer, acclaimed author, 265.   Dave Casper, TE extraordinaire, 235.

[MU82]

Yep.  Butkus is a great example, he was HUGE in his era.  Fearsome for his attitude, but also his sheer size.  He was 6'3, 235.  Micah Parsons is 6'3, 245 and he's not thought of as monstrous.  TJ Watt is 6'4, 255.

The average OL in the 70s was 250 lbs.  Can you imagine them blocking Aaron Donald who throws around 325-250 lb OL in the modern NFL?  Stopping 6'5 290 lbs Joey Bosa off the end?

Roger Staubach played at 197 lbs, he'd get broken in half in todays NFL, even with generous QB protection.

OJ Simpson played at 6'1 210, thats a good 20 lbs less than most RBs.  A similar physical comp, Adrian Peterson, is also 6'1, but 220.  And OJ ran a 4.7 40, that would drop you into the later rounds these days.  Josh Jacobs ran a 4.6 out of Bama and got major scrutiny.  AP, his size comp, ran a 4.4

And thats all the 70s, not even talking 50s and 60s.  Its not sh**ing on the ability of the older legends of the game before some of our older board members come to defend the golden years, but rather just highlighting how ridiculous todays athletes are in comparison.  Can you imagine the average NFL CB in the Lombardi years trying to stay with Tyreke Hill or bump DK Metcalf off the line?

I pretty much worshiped the 1971-74 Miami Dolphins (and the '80s weren't bad either), and I agree 100% with you.

Comparing within eras is fine, but it is absolutely ridiculous to compare players from one era to another.

[GOO]

It won't be long until humans are genetically modifiable for traits. It may be that humans 200 years from now will look back on us as a lessor species.  Scary what kind of humans corporations and army's may want to trait develop for their own purposes. 

Businesses like football may need radically different rules to compensate, on a more drastic scale than what we've seen recently.  Unless technology can compensate and keep up, players could get ripped apart. 

[warriorchick]

I pretty much worshiped the 1971-74 Miami Dolphins (and the '80s weren't bad either), and I agree 100% with you.

Comparing within eras is fine, but it is absolutely ridiculous to compare players from one era to another.

Yep.  Remember when William Perry was considered ridiculously large?

[MU82]

Yep.  Remember when William Perry was considered ridiculously large?

I actually was having a conversation about the Fridge with a Bears-fan friend not that long ago.

Ditka fined Fridge whenever his weight exceeded 300 pounds (IIRC; might have been another figure, but it was close to 300). Today, he'd have been more likely to get fined if his weight dipped BELOW 300 pounds!

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Yep.  Remember when William Perry was considered ridiculously large?

The Bears had to sew 2 uniform shirts together.

[StillAWarrior]

From the Bills:

"Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours. While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress. We are grateful for the love and support we have received."

All good news.


Also, his GoFundMe passed $7 million. Reading the list of "Top Donors" is interesting. It's also interesting to see how many fantasy football leagues have contributed.

[Goose]

Fingers crossed for Hamlin. It is great to see some encouraging news.

[MUBurrow]

Also, his GoFundMe passed $7 million. Reading the list of "Top Donors" is interesting.

[wadesworld]

Is $3 the amount GoFundMe takes or something?  Why are a number of the top donations $XXX3.00?

[StillAWarrior]

Is $3 the amount GoFundMe takes or something?  Why are a number of the top donations $XXX3.00?

His jersey is No. 3

[StillAWarrior]

I noticed that. Twice.

[tower912]

I would like to tip my hat to the $20 an hour paramedics who did their job so well,  who have probably done CPR at least two more times this week, who didn't get to take the rest of the night off.     Well done, brothers/sisters.   A save is always a wonderful thing.   The fact that Damar is alive and nobody knows who you are means you did your job well.   

[MuggsyB]

Encouraging news about the young man.  Great to hear.

[StillAWarrior]

I would like to tip my hat to the $20 an hour paramedics who did their job so well,  who have probably done CPR at least two more times this week, who didn't get to take the rest of the night off.     Well done, brothers/sisters.   A save is always a wonderful thing.   The fact that Damar is alive and nobody knows who you are means you did your job well.   

Amen.

[jesmu84]

Whole situation could have been avoided if he was smart and skipped the vaccine

[tower912]

Assuming teal from you.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

That certainly sounds like a positive update. Hoping that he makes a full recovery.

[dgies9156]

What has happened, as others have hinted, is NFL players have become swifter, stronger and heavier.

The human anatomy is not built for the kind of contact Mr. Hamlin sustained. While professional and college football players often do sustain it, the CTE, the horrible injuries (yes, you, Joe Theismann) and the maiming that affects people for the rest of their lives appears to be coming increasingly devestating.

A few years back, I was at a Bears game where Johnny Knox's leg was mangled and almost amputated. While not life threatening, my fear is this is what pro football is coming to. Ask Teddy Bridgewater what happened to him.

Around the early 1900s, football was killing people. President Teddy Roosevelt sat down with the powers that be and reformed it before it was banned. God help us but maybe that's what President Biden or Congress needs to do.

[Hards Alumni]

What has happened, as others have hinted, is NFL players have become swifter, stronger and heavier.

The human anatomy is not built for the kind of contact Mr. Hamlin sustained. While professional and college football players often do sustain it, the CTE, the horrible injuries (yes, you, Joe Theismann) and the maiming that affects people for the rest of their lives appears to be coming increasingly devestating.

A few years back, I was at a Bears game where Johnny Knox's leg was mangled and almost amputated. While not life threatening, my fear is this is what pro football is coming to. Ask Teddy Bridgewater what happened to him.

Around the early 1900s, football was killing people. President Teddy Roosevelt sat down with the powers that be and reformed it before it was banned. God help us but maybe that's what President Biden or Congress needs to do.

That'll never happen, don't be silly. 

[Jockey]

What has happened, as others have hinted, is NFL players have become swifter, stronger and heavier.

The human anatomy is not built for the kind of contact Mr. Hamlin sustained. While professional and college football players often do sustain it, the CTE, the horrible injuries (yes, you, Joe Theismann) and the maiming that affects people for the rest of their lives appears to be coming increasingly devestating.

A few years back, I was at a Bears game where Johnny Knox's leg was mangled and almost amputated. While not life threatening, my fear is this is what pro football is coming to. Ask Teddy Bridgewater what happened to him.

That was the TE Miller.