The "Modern Era" of football: 1978?
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Something like this is one writer's opinion, in an era arbitrarily determined. I have always thought of the modern era as beginning with the AFL-NFL merger. You can't compare players across generations anyway. Otto Graham went to the championship game EVERY YEAR HE PLAYED, which is one record no one will ever touch, but how would he fare today? Who the hell knows. He was 6'1 and 195, so by today's standards he would have been smallish, though not Manzielian.
Well....again, nothing about the AFL-NFL merger changed how the game was played. Not at all. No more than the AAFC/NFL merger likely changed the game. Maybe that is the time that the "modern era" of football started. It was at that time that Paul Brown brought a lot of innovations in the way the game was run/managed/played.
Or, maybe it is not 1970....but 1960 when the modern era began....that is when the AFL was formed...and the bidding wars began.
Again, all that dealt with league structure and money.....and had nothing to do with how the game was played. 1978 brought the vast changes in how the game was played (officiated).
Here were those changes:
Major rule changes[edit]The league passed major rule changes to encourage offensive scoring.[2] In 1977 – the last year of the so-called "Dead Ball Era" – teams scored an average of 17.2 points per game, the lowest total since 1942.[3]
- To open up the passing game, defenders are permitted to make contact with receivers only to a point of five yards beyond the line of scrimmage. This applies only to the time before the ball is thrown, at which point any contact is pass interference. Previously, contact was allowed anywhere on the field. This is usually referred to as the "Mel Blount Rule"
- The offensive team may only make one forward pass during a play from scrimmage, but only if the ball does not cross the line and return behind the line prior to the pass.
- Double touching of a forward pass is legal, but batting a pass towards the opponent's end zone is illegal. Previously, a second offensive player could not legally catch a deflected pass unless a defensive player had touched it. This is usually referred to as the "Mel Renfro Rule". During a play in Super Bowl V, Baltimore Colts receiver Eddie Hinton tipped a pass intended for him. Renfro, the Cowboys defensive back, made a stab at the ball and it was ruled that he tipped it ever so slightly (which he denied) into the arms of Colts tight end John Mackey, who ran for a touchdown. Later, this rule was also the one in question during the Immaculate Reception in 1972. But despite these two incidents, the rule change did not occur until this season.
- The pass blocking rules were extended to permit extended arms and open hands.
- The penalty for intentional grounding is reduced from a loss of down and 15 yards to a loss of down and 10 yards from the previous spot (or at the spot of the foul if the spot is 10 yards or more behind the line of scrimmage). If the passer commits the foul in his own end zone, the defense scores a safety.
- Hurdling is no longer a foul.
- A seventh official, the Side Judge, is added to the officiating crew to help rule on legalities downfield.[2] The addition of 15 officials (one per crew) forced three-digit numbers to be used for the first time.
Well....again, nothing about the AFL-NFL merger changed how the game was played. Not at all. No more than the AAFC/NFL merger likely changed the game. Maybe that is the time that the "modern era" of football started. It was at that time that Paul Brown brought a lot of innovations in the way the game was run/managed/played.
Or, maybe it is not 1970....but 1960 when the modern era began....that is when the AFL was formed...and the bidding wars began.
And 1970 was when the bidding wars ended. True there were no major rules changes that year but that was the beginning of the unified TV deals and so forth, that led to the NFL being the billion dollar industry it is today. And that has changed the game as much as any rules change.
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Rule changes to promote the passing game and a 16 game schedule? That's it?
Well duh...doesn't anyone see that perhaps rule changes in 1978 to promote the passing is why these supposedly greatest QB's played after, well...1978!
What if these changes were made when Otto played?
He would have won a dozen titles. Part of the 1978 rule changes included much greater QB protection...in addition to the elimination of the bump and run. Though note: OG did run what was the precursor of the West Coast Offense.
It only makes sense that the modern era would have started with the formation of the new league in 1970 and the emergence of the championship game that became known as the Super Bowl 3 years earlier.
Plus...
Gallup polling shows the NFL became America's #1 sport in 1972; it's been #1 ever since, and currently beats baseball about three to one when people are asked what their "favorite sport" is.
The merger and the creation of the Super Bowl, to me, had nothing to do with the way the game was played per se, on the field. All that did was add a level to the playoffs and change division structures. The game in the early 70s was really not much different that the way the game was played going back to WWII. Another level of playoffs was instituted later as well.
The 1978 rules changes DID far more to change the game itself...in how it was played...on the field. I think that is the point here of this article.
Rule changes to promote the passing game and a 16 game schedule? That's it?
Well duh...doesn't anyone see that perhaps rule changes in 1978 to promote the passing is why these supposedly greatest QB's played after, well...1978!
What if these changes were made when Otto played?
He would have won a dozen titles. Part of the 1978 rule changes included much greater QB protection...in addition to the elimination of the bump and run. Though note: OG did run what was the precursor of the West Coast Offense.
It only makes sense that the modern era would have started with the formation of the new league in 1970 and the emergence of the championship game that became known as the Super Bowl 3 years earlier.
Plus...
Gallup polling shows the NFL became America's #1 sport in 1972; it's been #1 ever since, and currently beats baseball about three to one when people are asked what their "favorite sport" is.
The merger and the creation of the Super Bowl, to me, had nothing to do with the way the game was played per se, on the field. All that did was add a level to the playoffs and change division structures. The game in the early 70s was really not much different that the way the game was played going back to WWII. Another level of playoffs was instituted later as well.
The 1978 rules changes DID far more to change the game itself...in how it was played...on the field. I think that is the point here of this article.
Ok, so this discussion is based on the premise that changes in the way the game is what defines "the modern era".
I was debating what the "modern era" actually means.
This writer is of the opinion that the modern era started in 1960 which of course would include the browns.
https://fansided.com/2015/02/21/nfl-top-30-teams-modern-era/
Wiki alludes to 1970, then talks about changes in the game later in the decade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_National_Football_League
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Well....again, nothing about the AFL-NFL merger changed how the game was played. Not at all. No more than the AAFC/NFL merger likely changed the game. Maybe that is the time that the "modern era" of football started. It was at that time that Paul Brown brought a lot of innovations in the way the game was run/managed/played.
Or, maybe it is not 1970....but 1960 when the modern era began....that is when the AFL was formed...and the bidding wars began.
And 1970 was when the bidding wars ended. True there were no major rules changes that year but that was the beginning of the unified TV deals and so forth, that led to the NFL being the billion dollar industry it is today. And that has changed the game as much as any rules change.
Also a matter of a generalized "Modern Era" vs. "QB Modern Era"...
And 1970 was when the bidding wars ended.
Actually that ended in '67. The leagues merged their drafts before they "merged".
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Also a matter of a generalized "Modern Era" vs. "QB Modern Era"...
And 1970 was when the bidding wars ended.
Actually that ended in '67. The leagues merged their drafts before they "merged".
Also a matter of a generalized "Modern Era" vs. "QB Modern Era"...
Actually that ended in '67. The leagues merged their drafts before they "merged".
Forgot that, you are correct! The merger really took place over about five years or so, concluding in 1970.
Wonder what a red,white, and blue football is worth these days?
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Also a matter of a generalized "Modern Era" vs. "QB Modern Era"...
Actually that ended in '67. The leagues merged their drafts before they "merged".
Forgot that, you are correct! The merger really took place over about five years or so, concluding in 1970.
Wonder what a red,white, and blue football is worth these days?
Forgot that, you are correct! The merger really took place over about five years or so, concluding in 1970.
Wonder what a red,white, and blue football is worth these days?
'bout the same as aba r, w & b basketball.
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Forgot that, you are correct! The merger really took place over about five years or so, concluding in 1970.
Wonder what a red,white, and blue football is worth these days?
'bout the same as aba r, w & b basketball.
'bout the same as aba r, w & b basketball.
Well now I must be misremembering things because I searched online and can't even find a pic of one, but I remember a friend having one and us passing it in his yard. And I do also remember the ABA basketballs.
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I don't remember any r/w/b footballs...
I've seen old film of white footballs used for night games.
"When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196 -
I don't remember any r/w/b footballs...
I've seen old film of white footballs used for night games.
-
Well....again, nothing about the AFL-NFL merger changed how the game was played. Not at all. No more than the AAFC/NFL merger likely changed the game. Maybe that is the time that the "modern era" of football started. It was at that time that Paul Brown brought a lot of innovations in the way the game was run/managed/played.
Or, maybe it is not 1970....but 1960 when the modern era began....that is when the AFL was formed...and the bidding wars began.
And 1970 was when the bidding wars ended. True there were no major rules changes that year but that was the beginning of the unified TV deals and so forth, that led to the NFL being the billion dollar industry it is today. And that has changed the game as much as any rules change.
And 1970 was when the bidding wars ended. True there were no major rules changes that year but that was the beginning of the unified TV deals and so forth, that led to the NFL being the billion dollar industry it is today. And that has changed the game as much as any rules change.
It just changed the money.....and how it was divided into divisions.....it didn't change the way the game per se was changed.
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Rule changes to promote the passing game and a 16 game schedule? That's it?
Well duh...doesn't anyone see that perhaps rule changes in 1978 to promote the passing is why these supposedly greatest QB's played after, well...1978!
What if these changes were made when Otto played?
He would have won a dozen titles. Part of the 1978 rule changes included much greater QB protection...in addition to the elimination of the bump and run. Though note: OG did run what was the precursor of the West Coast Offense.
It only makes sense that the modern era would have started with the formation of the new league in 1970 and the emergence of the championship game that became known as the Super Bowl 3 years earlier.
Plus...
Gallup polling shows the NFL became America's #1 sport in 1972; it's been #1 ever since, and currently beats baseball about three to one when people are asked what their "favorite sport" is.
The merger and the creation of the Super Bowl, to me, had nothing to do with the way the game was played per se, on the field. All that did was add a level to the playoffs and change division structures. The game in the early 70s was really not much different that the way the game was played going back to WWII. Another level of playoffs was instituted later as well.
The 1978 rules changes DID far more to change the game itself...in how it was played...on the field. I think that is the point here of this article.
Ok, so this discussion is based on the premise that changes in the way the game is what defines "the modern era".
I was debating what the "modern era" actually means.
This writer is of the opinion that the modern era started in 1960 which of course would include the browns.
https://fansided.com/2015/02/21/nfl-top-30-teams-modern-era/
Wiki alludes to 1970, then talks about changes in the game later in the decade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_National_Football_League
Ok, so this discussion is based on the premise that changes in the way the game is what defines "the modern era".
I was debating what the "modern era" actually means.
I don't think that "modern era" actually means anything....or conversely...it can mean anything anyone wants it to mean.
In terms of sea changes in they way the game is played on the field, the 1978 rules changes were as significant as any....but of course they were not the only important changes. I think that the game has gradually evolved in that regard...its just that the 1978 rule changes may have been on the order of the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. While significant, it is not the only event leading to the evolution of the game.
This writer is of the opinion that the modern era started in 1960 which of course would include the browns.
https://fansided.com/2015/02/21/nfl-top-30-teams-modern-era/
Wiki alludes to 1970, then talks about changes in the game later in the decade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_National_Football_League
And while 1970 is also a significant moment in terms of league structure....it is by no means the only one. The creation of the NFL in 1920 defines a major change in the way professional football was presented in this country. In 1933 the league first began a playoff system. WWII created changes in structure. The creation of the AAFC and the subsequent merger was important. It was the AAFC that allowed African Americans to play where the NFL didn't. The NFL did follow up...but that certainly was another sea change event. The creation of the AFL in 1960.....the change to a new playoff structure in the NFL later in the 60s. (remember the Capitol and the Century etc. divisions..this brought the change from just 2 teams making the playoffs to more teams making it), The 1970 amalgamation changed the divisions again and added another layer of playoffs. The 1978 changes not only included the rules changes to open up the offenses, but also saw the expansion to a 16 game schedule, plus the addition of more wild cards to the playoffs.
Later in the 1990s and early 2000s with the addition of 4 expansion teams (Jags, Panthers, Ravens, Texans), they made a major structural change again in creating 8 divisions/8 division winners, plus another team to the playoffs.)
As far as some other aspects of things that seemingly "changed" the game, you have things like the 1958 Colts/Giants game that brought the game into the foreground of American sports. Certainly the Jets defeat of the Colts was a significant event....in terms of legitimizing the AFL as a competitive league.
October 22, 1939 might in fact be the most important date in NFL history: It was the date that an NFL game was first broadcast on TV. 500 people in the NYC area could watch a football game.
How about the creation of Monday NIght Football?
In 1961...the NFL is granted an Antitrust Exemption by Congress regarding the broadcast of the game on TV and revenue sharing. (nothing may be more important than that in terms of the way money is earned). Shortly after that NFL Properties was formed....again calling for revenue sharing over sale of paraphenalia.
Go back to the creation of the NFL draft in 1936...clearly a stellar moment in how the league acquires talent.
The institution of instant replay....another vital moment.
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Good for ESPN. I'm sure that they will tell you that the US Constitution is an old era document and should be scrapped in favor of a new era. BULLSHIT I SAY!!! The NFL is still the NFL. There have been many changes to everything, yet the record remains the same. Otto Graham is and always will be the best. Same for Jim Brown. ESPN basically sucks.
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I don't remember any r/w/b footballs...
I've seen old film of white footballs used for night games.
This must be what I remembered, but it is not red white and blue, just white panels with brown leather. Must have combined it with memories of an ABA basketball. Of course I also remember Jiffy peanut butter, which did not exist, but is my brain combining Jif and Skippy......I don't remember any r/w/b footballs...
I've seen old film of white footballs used for night games.
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lol... a peanut butter mind meld...
I watched very little AFL football as a kid. It was that "inferior", other league.
Had an Uncle tho that loved it. Fall Sunday visits to his house included Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis... who I had never heard of.lol... a peanut butter mind meld...
I watched very little AFL football as a kid. It was that "inferior", other league.
Had an Uncle tho that loved it. Fall Sunday visits to his house included Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis... who I had never heard of.
Yep, it was still a joke all the way up until Namath to Sauer and 4 defensive interceptions proved otherwise.
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lol... a peanut butter mind meld...
I watched very little AFL football as a kid. It was that "inferior", other league.
Had an Uncle tho that loved it. Fall Sunday visits to his house included Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis... who I had never heard of.
Yep, it was still a joke all the way up until Namath to Sauer and 4 defensive interceptions proved otherwise.
Yep, it was still a joke all the way up until Namath to Sauer and 4 defensive interceptions proved otherwise.
I remember Paul Lowe and Keith Lincoln and Big Cat Ernie Ladd..and a few others from that early Chargers team. And Jack Kemp and Cookie Gilchrist from the Bills. And thinking they were all the shit.
That is why I still have somewhat of a soft spot for those two teams.
That, and the fact that neither has won a title since those AFL days.
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lol... a peanut butter mind meld...
I watched very little AFL football as a kid. It was that "inferior", other league.
Had an Uncle tho that loved it. Fall Sunday visits to his house included Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis... who I had never heard of.
Yep, it was still a joke all the way up until Namath to Sauer and 4 defensive interceptions proved otherwise.
lol... I grew up near the Parmatown Shopping Center on Ridgewood Dr. Behind the shopping center was Day Dr. and on Day Dr. were the studios of WUAB Channel 43 (IIRC), one of the first UHF channels I can remember.
Anyway... Every Saturday WUAB had a wrestling show and one of the strongest rivalries was between Ernie Ladd and Johnny Powers.
Yep, it was still a joke all the way up until Namath to Sauer and 4 defensive interceptions proved otherwise.
Don't forget Snell... 100+ yards rushing and the Jets only TD.
My Uncle loved the AFL's higher-scoring, air game. And when the league breaks thru in SB III they do it with a ground attack and D... go figure.
Beverly had two of the INTs and didn't sniff the MVP.
"When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196 -
lol... I grew up near the Parmatown Shopping Center on Ridgewood Dr. Behind the shopping center was Day Dr. and on Day Dr. were the studios of WUAB Channel 43 (IIRC), one of the first UHF channels I can remember.
Anyway... Every Saturday WUAB had a wrestling show and one of the strongest rivalries was between Ernie Ladd and Johnny Powers.
Yep, it was still a joke all the way up until Namath to Sauer and 4 defensive interceptions proved otherwise.
Don't forget Snell... 100+ yards rushing and the Jets only TD.
My Uncle loved the AFL's higher-scoring, air game. And when the league breaks thru in SB III they do it with a ground attack and D... go figure.
Beverly had two of the INTs and didn't sniff the MVP.
lol... I grew up near the Parmatown Shopping Center on Ridgewood Dr. Behind the shopping center was Day Dr. and on Day Dr. were the studios of WUAB Channel 43 (IIRC), one of the first UHF channels I can remember.
Anyway... Every Saturday WUAB had a wrestling show and one of the strongest rivalries was between Ernie Ladd and Johnny Powers.
Don't forget Snell... 100+ yards rushing and the Jets only TD.
My Uncle loved the AFL's higher-scoring, air game. And when the league breaks thru in SB III they do it with a ground attack and D... go figure.
Beverly had two of the INTs and didn't sniff the MVP.
And Namath didn't throw a pass in the 4th quarter. They knew how to beat the Colts who embarrassed the BROWNS in the previous game.
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lol... I grew up near the Parmatown Shopping Center on Ridgewood Dr. Behind the shopping center was Day Dr. and on Day Dr. were the studios of WUAB Channel 43 (IIRC), one of the first UHF channels I can remember.
Anyway... Every Saturday WUAB had a wrestling show and one of the strongest rivalries was between Ernie Ladd and Johnny Powers.
Yep, it was still a joke all the way up until Namath to Sauer and 4 defensive interceptions proved otherwise.
Don't forget Snell... 100+ yards rushing and the Jets only TD.
My Uncle loved the AFL's higher-scoring, air game. And when the league breaks thru in SB III they do it with a ground attack and D... go figure.
Beverly had two of the INTs and didn't sniff the MVP.
lol... I grew up near the Parmatown Shopping Center on Ridgewood Dr. Behind the shopping center was Day Dr. and on Day Dr. were the studios of WUAB Channel 43 (IIRC), one of the first UHF channels I can remember.
Anyway... Every Saturday WUAB had a wrestling show and one of the strongest rivalries was between Ernie Ladd and Johnny Powers.
Don't forget Snell... 100+ yards rushing and the Jets only TD.
My Uncle loved the AFL's higher-scoring, air game. And when the league breaks thru in SB III they do it with a ground attack and D... go figure.
Beverly had two of the INTs and didn't sniff the MVP.
The other UHF channel was 61 Call letters WKBF
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lol... I grew up near the Parmatown Shopping Center on Ridgewood Dr. Behind the shopping center was Day Dr. and on Day Dr. were the studios of WUAB Channel 43 (IIRC), one of the first UHF channels I can remember.
Anyway... Every Saturday WUAB had a wrestling show and one of the strongest rivalries was between Ernie Ladd and Johnny Powers.
Don't forget Snell... 100+ yards rushing and the Jets only TD.
My Uncle loved the AFL's higher-scoring, air game. And when the league breaks thru in SB III they do it with a ground attack and D... go figure.
Beverly had two of the INTs and didn't sniff the MVP.
The other UHF channel was 61 Call letters WKBF
The other UHF channel was 61 Call letters WKBF
Ah... plus the local PBS channel was UHF, too... wasn't it? Channel 25?
Random brain cell alert: Just flashed back to watching the Akron Goodyears, a men's semi-pro, basketball league on Sundays around noon.
Thanks for the link. Open reel tape of TV audio... gotta love it. Once upon a time I had audio of a few Ghoulardi shows that I recorded of an Olsen Electronics open reel.
"When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196 -
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