Oh definitely. I’d say the evolution of football in the last 20 is just as dramatic as MMA, and I can’t think of another sport even in the conversation. It’s totally different.
If you look at the top 20 all time passing yards in a season, 19 of them have happened since 2011. Dan Marino somehow passed for 5,000 yards in 1984 but nobody did it again for almost 30 years. 2 QBs did it last year, and a 3rd was less than 100 yards short.
So yeah, football isn’t the clawing and scratching for every inch game it once was, and what I think rugby still largely is. I know rugby has evolved too but doesn’t have the air attack stuff that the NFL has pretty much built their whole model around now. Running backs used to be the stars of the league and not that long ago. Not anymore.
And yes I do get whet you’re saying. If they actually took all pads and helmets out of football but continued to play, the game and players would adjust and ultimately it would be safer and there would be fewer traumatic injuries I’m sure.
And the league would probably have like 6 teams and they’d show the games at 10pm on Tuesday nights after reruns of Walker Texas Ranger.
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