DMan
Posts:0
 |
| 11/01/2007 3:33 PM |
 Alert
|
This thread is being laid out there to gather you guys thoughts on the comparisons of athletes from the "Good Ole Days" to the "Modern Day" guys.
I get tired of old codgers saying Babe Ruth could out hit Barry Bonds or Bob Cousy could outplay Kobe Bryant. They scream "Red Grange!" and many other players from days gone by. I mean no disrespect to the older generation, I simply do not see the comparison atal. Hell, Cousy couldn't even dribble with his left hand, Kobe -vs- Cousy in heydey's and it's 10-0 Kobe by ones and make it, take it. Jim Brown -vs- Barry Sanders, now this one tends to bring some realistic comparison, however, I still take the modern day guy.
And while I understand that in 25 years the guys will be even bigger and faster, thus reinventing the wheel. What do you guys think? Is there even a reason to have the conversation comparing the athletes of the past to the current ones? I think it is not a fair comparison.
Modern Day Athlete - Hands Down. |
|
|
|
|
Logan
Posts:2506
|
| 11/01/2007 4:07 PM |
Alert
|
| babe ruth only had alcohol and narcotics, he didn't have steriods. |
|
dwight, refuting reality one post at a time. |
|
|
The Hilton Family
Posts:85
|
| 11/01/2007 4:28 PM |
Alert
|
| Notre Dame new or old are the best |
|
|
|
|
vranged
Posts:2673
|
| 11/01/2007 4:31 PM |
Alert
|
While it's impossible to definitively say, I tend to think the modern athlete destroys the older generation too. Jim Brown, as you alluded to, might be the exception. I'm a little younger than most of you, but based on old highlights, he seemed to be so much more dominant than everyone else on the field. I see that carrying over a couple generations. I'd include other exceptions, like Chamberlain (who would still be one of the best centers) and Bill Russell.
In an attempt to make this an even more abstract, hypothetical, impossibly solved question, -- if the old timers, in their prime, had all the advantages of the modern athlete, do you think he'd compare? I say that he does, without question. If you gave Willie Mays body armor, steroids and modern medicine, I think he'd eclipse Bonds in everything.
Unless you think there's been some genetic evolution in athletes (which maybe has happened), I think they all started from square one. THe modern athlete just has more tools to be dominant. |
|
After acknowledging that he was desperate, Dwight said "people will resort to saying things they know aren't true when they are desperate." That about sums it up! |
|
|
Logan
Posts:2506
|
| 11/01/2007 4:58 PM |
Alert
|
| the modern athlete has better nutrition and training. |
|
dwight, refuting reality one post at a time. |
|
|
Blackshirt
Posts:547
|
| 11/01/2007 7:56 PM |
Alert
|
You have to look at how each player was, relative to the time in which they played.
There are advances in training techniques and medicine, the legitimate kind. The exponential explosion in pay means the modern day team sports athlete is a full-time athlete. They don't have to work offseason jobs.
Babe Ruth was far better than the competition than Bonds was in his, when you factor the pharmaceutical help Bonds had.
It's true Ruth played when the color barrier was still in effect.
On the other hand, Bonds played in an era were the talent pool was thinned by expansion and the addition of other sports taking away athletes. The NFL and NBA hadn't really taken off in the 1920s. |
|
"Perhaps the worst thing that can happen is to reach into the refrigerator and come out with something that you cannot identify at all. You literally do not know what it is. Could be meat, could be cake. Usually, at a time like that, I'll bluff. "Honey, is this good?" "Well, what is it?" "I don't know. I've never seen anything like it. It looks like...meatcake!" "Well, smell it." (snort, sniff) "It has absolutely no smell whatsoever!" "It's good! Put it back! Somebody is saving it. It'll turn up in something." Thats what frightens me. That someone will consider it a challenge and use it just because it's in there." -- George Carlin |
|
|
egami
Posts:5038
|
| 11/02/2007 7:34 AM |
Alert
|
Posted By Logan on 11/01/2007 4:58 PM
the modern athlete has better nutrition and training.
Better competition, better coaching, better technology, better facilities, better opportunities...
To me, this is no-brainer. I think there are a few athletes in each sport whose talent may transcend their era, but the truth is take any sport in their evolution 10, 20, 30 or more years ago and overall the athletes have become better.
Conversely, I think some people probably underestimate and undervalue the actual talent from year ago too.
And how old are you vranged? I am more curious how old you think I am (even though I've basically given it away a time or two here).  |
|
Go Blue! |
|
|
Crit40
Posts:2332
|
| 11/02/2007 8:22 AM |
Alert
|
Talent - advantage modern day
Heart - advantage old guys
|
|
Counting the Herd one hoof at a time. |
|
|
vranged
Posts:2673
|
| 11/02/2007 8:49 AM |
Alert
|
| Egami, I'm 31. I would guess you were in your mid-40's, but hadn't ever really thought of it. You're all just names on a computer. |
|
After acknowledging that he was desperate, Dwight said "people will resort to saying things they know aren't true when they are desperate." That about sums it up! |
|
|
egami
Posts:5038
|
| 11/02/2007 8:53 AM |
Alert
|
I hadn't too much until recently with Dman getting his real life Oprah story off his chest followed by his recent pendulum swing toward a facade of psuedo-Pope-like utterings.
I am 32. |
|
Go Blue! |
|
|
vranged
Posts:2673
|
| 11/02/2007 8:59 AM |
Alert
|
| 32? You're an old man. You must get tired of young whipper snappers like me thinking we know everything. |
|
After acknowledging that he was desperate, Dwight said "people will resort to saying things they know aren't true when they are desperate." That about sums it up! |
|
|
egami
Posts:5038
|
| 11/02/2007 9:32 AM |
Alert
|
| I have 3 kids and one on the way...there are days I feel that way. |
|
Go Blue! |
|
|
Logan
Posts:2506
|
| 11/02/2007 9:59 AM |
Alert
|
| let me get you 2 a towel so you both can dry off behind the ears. |
|
dwight, refuting reality one post at a time. |
|
|
egami
Posts:5038
|
| 11/02/2007 10:00 AM |
Alert
|
| Logan must be 33. |
|
Go Blue! |
|
|
Logan
Posts:2506
|
| 11/02/2007 10:09 AM |
Alert
|
| no, higher. |
|
dwight, refuting reality one post at a time. |
|
|
egami
Posts:5038
|
| 11/02/2007 10:22 AM |
Alert
|
| Now you're scaring me... |
|
Go Blue! |
|
|
Logan
Posts:2506
|
| 11/02/2007 10:26 AM |
Alert
|
| i'll be the big 4-0 in february. |
|
dwight, refuting reality one post at a time. |
|
|
egami
Posts:5038
|
| 11/02/2007 10:29 AM |
Alert
|
| May your friends not burden you with all the tired, overblown idiocy associated with that number. |
|
Go Blue! |
|
|
Logan
Posts:2506
|
| 11/02/2007 10:31 AM |
Alert
|
| what friends? |
|
dwight, refuting reality one post at a time. |
|
|
vranged
Posts:2673
|
| 11/02/2007 10:31 AM |
Alert
|
3 1/2 kids. Good for you. My wife and I are going to start trying next year. She's 25, so we have time. Although, I have this nighmarish vision of me being the 90 year old dad at the college graduation of my firstborn. You're lucky you don't have to worry about that.
|
|
After acknowledging that he was desperate, Dwight said "people will resort to saying things they know aren't true when they are desperate." That about sums it up! |
|
|