When did the NFL peak for you?

[Citizen]

The FG kicking is off-the-charts great as well.

I maintain that no position in team sports has evolved over the past 40 years the way placekicker has. Mason Crosby hit two 52-yarders last Sunday like they were free throws.

[JohnH19]

For all the carping about what's wrong with the game now, the skill level of the athletes is simply off the charts, especially in the passing game. Plays that would have been legendary 50 years ago are routine now. I guess that bothers some people, but I try to appreciate the beauty in the talent and poise that's on display.

No doubt that the athlete of today is better than ever but many of today's seemingly unbelievable plays are made by receivers wearing tackified gloves that make those incredible one-handed receptions possible.

[Jay Z]

For all the carping about what's wrong with the game now, the skill level of the athletes is simply off the charts, especially in the passing game. Plays that would have been legendary 50 years ago are routine now. I guess that bothers some people, but I try to appreciate the beauty in the talent and poise that's on display.

No doubt that the athlete of today is better than ever but many of today's seemingly unbelievable plays are made by receivers wearing tackified gloves that make those incredible one-handed receptions possible.

But however much they are spending for shoes doesn't help them do the toe touches. All of the receivers are simply aware exactly where they are on the field at any time. Unless the defender shoves them out, the feet are getting down in bounds. It's just more practice time, more repetition, starting at an earlier age.

[sheajets]

The FG kicking is off-the-charts great as well.

I maintain that no position in team sports has evolved over the past 40 years the way placekicker has. Mason Crosby hit two 52-yarders last Sunday like they were free throws.

NHL goaltending is another one. From the beleaguered skinny, small helpless keepers of the mid 80's to the super padded butterfly robo goalies we have now. You can just go from 1986-1999. By 1999 they were all Michelin men.

Regarding kickers what's also helped is the conditions around them improved dramatically. Astroturf and field turf. More domed and retractable roof stadiums. No more kicking from infield dirt. No more open ends of the stadium where the wind plays tricks on you. The fields no longer turn into sloppy pig pens when it rains (I miss that)

[RRMarshall]

One of the biggest factors helping kickers are the K-balls. Chris Bahr's son told him after attending a kicking camp that the new balls easily add 10 yards of distance to the kicks. Retired NFL kickers marvel at the distance today's kickers achieve, but I refuse to believe it is because their legs are so much stronger than say, Jan Stenerud's.
The NFL's best era? That is so subjective but for someone who grew up with late 60s and 1970s era football my vote would be for the 1980s before the age of specialization took hold to the point where the game has evolved today. Despite the 49ners Dynasty it seemed new contenders emerged each season,and there teams with dominant air attacks like SD's Air Coryell and the ground-and-pound attacks with backs like Earl Campbell, Walter Peyton, and John Riggins. The contrast in styles made for interesting match ups and viewing.

[RyanChristiansen]

My waning passion for the modern game has been a slow progression coupled with increased coverage, weeklong schedules, and the advancement of technology. My interest peaked in the 1980s when you could only watch three games a week because of the broadcast schedule. My weekly indulgence was Inside the NFL with NFL Films highlights and narration. As I learn more about football before the 1980s, I pine for the post-war years when roster limitations meant less specialization and teams were still figuring out the passing game. As for rules, the wider hashmarks would make both the passing game and kicking game more interesting, but the two-point conversion is a must in my book. Make artificial turf and indoor stadiums illegal and never ever consider replay officiating. In fact, limit replay on broadcasts because who the hell wants to listen to endless discussions about whether a catch is a catch?

There's so much football, it's available anywhere instantly, and every great moment is played again and again until it's not thrilling anymore, to the point that it's even hard to recognize the great moments for what they are. I mean, there are some great plays every week, stuff that in years past you would ask someone while waiting in line at the DMV, "Did you see that play?" It's not even worth asking the question anymore, because of course they did, a hundred times.

Because everyone has seen everything, there’s no need to write about and describe the play after the game, to tell the story. Everyone just sees all the football in its cold, technical splendor, but nobody documents the romance of the game anymore - except for NFL Films, of course, but that theater gets drowned out by all the rest. Thank goodness for A Football Life, but that’s not the same theater.

[Citizen]

One of the biggest factors helping kickers are the K-balls. Chris Bahr's son told him after attending a kicking camp that the new balls easily add 10 yards of distance to the kicks. Retired NFL kickers marvel at the distance today's kickers achieve, but I refuse to believe it is because their legs are so much stronger than say, Jan Stenerud's.

That's an odd theory. Kickers have hated the K ball since it was introduced 20 years ago, saying it's too hard, too slick and actually cuts down on distance. It could be that the league has made K balls more forgiving (I honestly don't know), but even if that's the case, accuracy and average distance for placekickers have done nothing but go up since the 1960s -- with the lone exception of the first year the K ball was used.

[rhickok1109]

One of the biggest factors helping kickers are the K-balls. Chris Bahr's son told him after attending a kicking camp that the new balls easily add 10 yards of distance to the kicks. Retired NFL kickers marvel at the distance today's kickers achieve, but I refuse to believe it is because their legs are so much stronger than say, Jan Stenerud's.

That's an odd theory. Kickers have hated the K ball since it was introduced 20 years ago, saying it's too hard, too slick and actually cuts down on distance. It could be that the league has made K balls more forgiving (I honestly don't know), but even if that's the case, accuracy and average distance for placekickers have done nothing but go up since the 1960s -- with the lone exception of the first year the K ball was used.

Yeah, I was wondering about that myself.

Here's a story from 2007:

http://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2726072

[JWL]

I do agree that some of the penalties are tough to take now but I also can understand what the league is attempting to achieve and avoid. I don't like the NFL as much now as I once did but I still watch it as much as ever. I'd rather do that than take up knitting or follow soccer or something.

I thought the league was great in the early 2000s. A bunch of rugs were removed. HD TVs made watching games at home better than ever. Passing statistics were not yet outrageous like they are today.

I think the coverage today is fine. If some show bugs you, there are hundreds of other channels to watch. As far as TV clowns are concerned, again, one can change the channel. Also, watching a football show is not supposed to be like getting a root canal. Having some stiff guy just read scores and dictate what happened is not in anymore.

[RyanChristiansen]

The latest Sports Illustrated landed in my mailbox today and it has a good article on the effects of the new rules changes. It’s clear we’ll never have defensive play like we saw in past decades. I’m interested to see if the league might institute the CFL rule of keeping the defensive line a full yard off the line of scrimmage to give the quarterback that much more time and to give the offensive line more time to stand up before knocking heads.