NFL product, has it evolved for the better

I was thinking about how the NFL has changed over the years. The rules to take away hitting, reviews on every play and it occurred to me that the product is not as great as it used to be.

I found myself over the last couple of years not even celebrating on anything impactful immediately because it seems like a waste to cheer until the review is completed and confirmed. It seems to happen more often then not that I am looking and waiting for confirmation to cheer.

It wasn't that long ago that you could get into the game, be a part of the emotion, get intense and enjoy an afternoon. I get the spirit of what they are trying to do but the game today is not as much fun to watch as it was when you could actually make a play and cheer immediately as it happens. Think back when you would see defense play, make big hits and intimidate the offense. I used to watch every game and now all I watch is steelers games.

Image if the immaculate reception happened in todays NFL. Everyone would go crazy and then 10 minutes later find out you didn't actually win.

I know this will come across as a bitter old man with a strong tin foil hat but wanted to see if anyone else is growing old of what the NFL is putting out there. I can't help but wonder if the inconsistent flags last night. I often wonder if the NFL controls the narratives to keep games close and story lines on who they would desire to see matchup wise for ratings all the way up to the superbowl. I am not saying it is scripted but it feels influenced.

Thoughts?

 

Welcome new person

 

I liked 70’s football much better

It was played by men not by princesses

 

Agree but I still watch it. I’ll add the officiating is absurdly terrible and that is why there are so many reviews. Roughing the passer is a complete joke now and on any given play a flag can be thrown depending on the refs dependence to possibly control a game. Online Gambling, the NFL and Vega$ should not all be in bed together.

 

Absolutely Not. The athletes are amazing but the rules make it borderline unwatchable at times. The Commish is horrendous IMO

 

I would rather deal with the occasional bad call then all of these replays. Heck a lot of the times even after they review the play they still get it wrong.

 

I suspect the officiating is better than ever

HDTV more cameras and replays have just made errors more obvious

 

The officiating was pretty good for the Steelers last night on the no running into the kicker should be penalty. Glad we won but if the script was flipped there would be a half dozen different threads about it on this message board. Officiating is terrible by all accounts.

 

These days I do find myself holding my breath on every QB hit or hit on a receiver. I do think our guys do a pretty good job delivering legal hits.

 

I wasn't around during the same era that @jeh1856 was but I concur with his statement nonetheless. The 70's-90s were some of the greatest ever games played in NFL History. Not every single one but quite a bit of them were.

 

I'd say yes and no. Yes because the caliber of athlete and the offensive/defensive schemes are just far superior. Your TE is just a big WR that can block a little, your RB is explosive and can break 80 yard runs and also take LB's to school running routes as a receiver, OL are fast and agile, DL are massive and explosive, pass rushers are barely the same species as the rest of us... the list goes on. But also, no... because social media exists, the way college football has gone the players aren't ready to play NFL ball right away, the money has turned the younger generation of players it to total b!tch-made divas, reffing is atrocious, the replays take up a ton of time and the rules get more and more abstract, everyone is constantly hurt because of how hard they have to train to play in today's game, etc. Pluses and minuses all around.

I think prime NFL was the 2000s. It was fun. You could do stupid/funny dances in the endzone, you could get away with some taunting, hitting was allowed, players got to have that "Gladiator" aura because social media didn't exist (and you didn't have to know how big of a POS they really are), There were SO many good QB's for the next 15 years, refs never really took games over with crazy weird penalties, dudes very rarely blew out knees or Achilles (it happened, but it just wasn't as prevalent as today), your kicker was fat and had frosted tipped hair and took 1v1 fistfights with restroom equipment.... it was just fun.

 

Hire full-time officials.

Rules that actually help with player safety are good.

Players of yesterday were not more 'manly' than players today. You played hurt to earn paychecks to support your family. Today the money is so much more across the board they can afford to miss games or even whole seasons.

The product itself is worse today because teams only get so many padded practices in a season. They typically save those for later in the season for a playoff push.

I don't know why every player is not wearing a Guardian helmet.

F the Browns!

 

even college ball. these pampered girly men are handed everything. we don't want to hurt the product that makes us so much money. one way to fix this thinking folks. quit buying stuff and paying the machine. as long as you do, don't bi*ch. as anything else in the world, follow the money.

 

It's all rigged so....

 

I loved late 90s early 2000 NFL. Night and day product IMO

 

I love your point about not being able to celebrate anything as it happens because you're always waiting for the review or a flag. It takes so much fun out of watching. I literally sat stone faced when Austin was returning the punt for a TD on Monday, because I saw the flag and assumed it was getting called back for roughing the punter.

 

SAME. Excellent point !!!!!

 

Protection is important and player safety but some of these guys you just can't help. For one example. Tua. I was shocked to see him come back. He is willing to put his mental health on the line. Dang that is something I could never do. Imagine sitting around drooling or developing amnesia or CTE. That is one heck of a gamble. 4 concussions and counting.

 

The script was flipped. Was there a flag when our punter got taken out???

 

If anyone lives long enough....they will be drooling, and worse, and someone will have to take care of You. That's life.

 

Agreed. Hell I celebrated two td passes, and then was told.....no . LoL

 

That's the thing right there. Some weeks we get screwed, the next week the other team gets screwed. The bottom line is that every week someone is getting screwed because of poor officiating. The top story Friday morning wasn't the Rams upsetting the Vikings, it was the non facemask call on Sam Darnold. Darnold was grabbed by the facemask and slammed to the ground for a safety on their last drive. None of the referees said they saw it which is virtually impossible.

 

There is a lot of discussion about safety and keeping the players health good for their later life. I don’t mean to sound cruel or insensitive but the danger is the point. They are paid a lot of money to take the risk and endure the hits. The game was built on intimidation and pain. Should we change boxing to electronic sensors in headgear and have giant non impacting gloves? Should Evil have jumped into big tubs of padding? Should basketball players wear headgear? My point is that they don’t have to do it, it’s a choice to risk their body for entertainment and to make millions. Police officers are always at risk, but we loosen gun restrictions each year. Coal miners are in some of the worst conditions in the world and do not make millions. Hell, we pay US soldiers peanuts to work in war zones.

 

I agree....bad officiating, but I think like @jeh1856 said.....it's because we get to see all the replays over, and over....in technology we didn't have in the 70s, 80s, and some we didn't have in the 90s. I would bet if we could go back to those games in the.....let's say....70s with the same amount of cameras, and technology.....I bet the officiating was just as bad....if not maybe worse.
What they should bring in is the sky judge for each game like the summer league had. I never disagreed with their calls....., but the NFL love the talk.....good , or bad....it keeps people talking about it.