Sports Then and Now

One of the cool parts of the NFL celebrating 100 years in 2019 is remembering the great moments and players that have helped shape the history of the game.

The NFL Network has been sharing their selections for the top moments, game-changers, teams and characters. Soon they will be unveiling their list of the top 100 players in NFL history.

In a sport that has seen great change and evolution over 100 years, creating any comprehensive all-time list is going to be subjective and open to interpretation.

That is likely even more pronounced when trying to choose the top 100 players of the NFL’s first 100 years.

Some will certainly rely heavily on statistics as a guide, but my opinion is that while individual season statistics and the number of seasons leading the league in a statistical category can help identify greatness, career and all-time statistics are not as helpful and can be misleading when trying to pick an all-time team.

Whether it is related to the number of games played each season, move from playing both ways to position specialization or rule changes that impact offensive production, there has been enough change over the history of the game that I believe reduce the importance of career statistics.

 That is why for the Sports Then and Now list of the Top 100 Players in NFL history we chose to give greater emphasis to other factors. The things we looked at when choosing our top 100 included All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections, number of times leading their league in statistical categories, how they compared to other players from within their era and peak performance. Team success was given greater weight in ordering quarterbacks, but played only a minor role in selecting players from other positions.

The result is a Sports Then and Now Top 100 list that I fully expect to look very different than the list that will be unveiled on the NFL Network beginning on November 22^nd. For our list, we made sure not to forget those players from the 1920s-1950s whose career statistics are well below players from future decades, but who were clearly all-time greats.

The distribution of players by era for the ST&N Top 100 is very interesting: 1920s-1930s: 8; 1940s-1950s: 13; 1960s: 24; 1970s: 15; 1980s: 12; 1990s: 12; 2000s: 8; 2010s: 7. However, 14 of our top 20 played a majority of their career after 1980.

This is the first of four posts over the next couple weeks announcing the ST&N Top 100. This one includes players 100-76.

100. Larry Wilson – St. Louis Cardinals – 8 Pro Bowls; 5 time 1^st Team All-Pro: The creator of the safety blitz, Wilson was a hard-nosed player who was one of the top defensive players of the 1960s. He registered 52 career interceptions and scored seven defensive touchdowns during his career.

99. J.J. Watt – Houston Texans – 5 Pro Bowls, 5 time 1^st Team All-Pro: When healthy, J.J. Watt has clearly distinguished himself as an all-time great. He has earned first-team All-Pro in each of the five seasons in which he has been healthy throughout the year and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times in his first four years. Unfortunately, a recent injury that has ended his 2019 season marks the third time in the last four years that he has played in eight or fewer games.

98. Adrian Peterson – Minnesota Vikings (primary team) – 7 Pro Bowls; 4 time 1^st team All-Pro: A three-time NFL rushing champion, Adrian Peterson was the most dominant running back in the NFL during his 10 seasons in Minnesota. After suffering a major knee injury in 2011, the next season he rushed for 2,097 yards, which is the second highest single season total in NFL history.

97. Derrick Brooks – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 11 Pro Bowls; 5 time 1^st team All-Pro: Often over-shadowed by more flamboyant teammates, Derrick Brooks was the steady leader of a Tampa Bay defense that was among the best in the league for nearly a decade. In their Super Bowl winning season in 2002, Brooks was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year as he returned three interceptions for touchdowns during the regular season and had another score in the Super Bowl.

Introduction

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Sponsorship in sports has changed the way athletes, fans, and coaches look at sports, which has now turned fiercely competitive than ever before. With huge money flowing into sports events, the expectations of fans have skyrocketed. Sportsmen and coaches are trying to win all the time because today winners take it all. Recognition, scholarships, and dream contracts await the winners, while there the second places are just gallant losers. Coaches must keep on winning to hold on to their jobs or else lose it. Consequently, athletes and coaches are ready to go to any extent for winning and do not mind taking high risks like using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs to gain a competitive edge through enhanced performance. 

Winning at any cost

The urge to succeed with an eye on the largesse of rewards and contracts that run into millions of dollars drive sportsmen to up their risks very much because they want to win at any cost. 98% of athletes admit that they are open to using steroids and similar drugs to enhance performance, provided they do not face any penalty. In another interesting disclosure, 50% of athletes were even ready to put their lives at stake in the long run if drugs help in winning without penalty. They are ready to use drugs even if they know that they could die after 5 years.

After every two years, Australia and England gear up for head to head clashes in one of the biggest test competitions in the international cricket; The Ashes. It’s a unique test series and also one of the longest-running rivalries in the history of cricket. Whosoever wins the Ashes take the trophy away. The series is held alternatively between Australia and England. This time, it was the latter who hosted the tournament. 

Why is the series called The Ashes?

“In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29th August 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances, RIP. NB The body will be cremated, and The Ashes were taken to Australia.” Reginald Shirley Brooks, a young journalist, wrote this mockery that appeared in the Sporting Times in 1882. He had to do so because Australia marked their first victory over the full strength England team at the Oval. It was shocking for everyone, especially for the English audience. 

Choosing the perfect gift for an avid football fan is easier than you think. And no, you do not always have to stick to getting him a replica of the world cup. There are so many gift ideas that you can consider for that diehard football lover you know. You can get him the jersey of his favorite team or buy chairs online for him to relax and watch the game. Here are the top six ideas that will help you choose the right gift for that football fan you are planning to surprise on his birthday or on your anniversary.

1. Tickets to the next big game

Of course, the best thing that you can gift a football fan is the tickets to the next game he is waiting to watch. You can surprise him by getting the tickets early and gifting it to him on his birthday, or as a token of appreciation for his achievements in college or at work. He will be overjoyed at the opportunity to get to watch his favorite team in action.

2. The jersey of his favorite team

One of the most popular gifts for a football fan is the jersey of his favorite team. Get a custom made team jersey by printing his name and lucky number on the back. Or, you can also get him a similar jersey to the one that his favorite player wears, with the name of the player on it. Either way, he will be really happy to watch the game wearing that tee-shirt.

Elite athletes are extremely detail-oriented which allows them to improve at much faster rates than their peers. While talent does play a role in this, the consistent work ethic of athletes also needs to be noted. Working hard is not always enough as working intelligently is just as if not more important. Far too many athletes complete workouts due to them being “hard” even though they have no practical application to their sport. This can help an athlete mentally as they got through a tough workout so these workouts are not valueless. The following are tips that can help an athlete push their game further than their peers have imagined about going.

Utilize Video Feedback

The luxury of having great feedback through video is one that this generation of athletes can take advantage of. Being able to play this back to correct form while lifting weights or showing an athlete what happens when they drop their hips or do not bend their knees during gameplay. Most friendly people at the gym are going to be willing to tape you once or twice. Some tools can help you prop up your phone making it easy to record themselves. Getting feedback is as easy as posting the video on social media with certain hashtags. Social media sports “experts” do not always have great advice so it will be something an athlete has to sift through to find the valuable feedback.

Use Kickboxing Or MMA For Conditioning

There is a vast number of athletes that use kickboxing or MMA as a form of conditioning. The need for flexibility can make it perfect for athletes of any sport with various NFL stars utilizing a form of martial arts as an offseason training tactic. Elite MMA that offers Houston Jiu Jitsu classes notes martial arts can help a person “Learn to use body mechanics such as footwork, core mobility, and blazing hand speed in a safe and fun-filled environment.” Grip strength is immensely important in many sports which can be trained through wrestling and ground work done at MMA classes. If you are an athlete and have not considered adding martial arts for mental/physical training it is time to go check a class/gym out.