It's NFL Sunday...but...

[Brad]

I always see old football programs where the previous NFL World Champions would play an exhibition game against College All-Stars and think "Is this really a competitive game?" I guess so. The Redskins have their own embarassing past (forget about the name). For decades, they were the furthest South of any NFL team and basically had a fan base that stretched all the way down to Florida and across the entire South. The original owner refused to sign a black football player until he was forced to in the 1960's That's how the Redskins ended up with Bobby Mitchell who went on to become a HOF player. I have heard him talk about the way he was treated by fans when he first joined the team and it is an embarassing piece of NFL history that often gets buried but is the unfortunate truth.

You're right. That pros vs college all star game always brought in big money comparatively! I think you and I could run an entire section on the NFL especially as it pertains to the history of the league and the teams.


I always guessed that the college players were better because they were more focused. They trained and practiced much more often. The pro game paid very little so those guys had other jobs and didn't train like they do now. It was so much different back then.

[MIB41]

I think the NFL of today is a class act. They really invest a lot in communities and try to make a difference. And the thing is, they don't have to. Fans are going to be there no matter what. The fact the league cares enough to take that extra step makes me love the sport that much more.

[Adam West]

You're right. That pros vs college all star game always brought in big money comparatively! I think you and I could run an entire section on the NFL especially as it pertains to the history of the league and the teams.


I always guessed that the college players were better because they were more focused. They trained and practiced much more often. The pro game paid very little so those guys had other jobs and didn't train like they do now. It was so much different back then.

True. I remember reading a superstar of the Redskins wanted a $200 a year raise and the owner let him leave the team (I know $200 was a lot of money back then) but really not an outrageous amount to ask.

I'm pretty sure the NFC East and NFC North are the teams of the early NFL. Redskins, Eagles, Giants, Bears, Packers, and Lions. The Cardinals have been around since the beginning and I was even surprised to find that the Steelers are one of the oldest teams around.

[Brad]

I think the NFL of today is a class act. They really invest a lot in communities and try to make a difference. And the thing is, they don't have to. Fans are going to be there no matter what. The fact the league cares enough to take that extra step makes me love the sport that much more.

That's a very good point! And I agree with you. Many players lend their name and time to good organizations. We tend to focus on the few trouble maker players and forget about all the good being done by so many in the league. Jay Cutler has not only turned down high paying endorsements (you can make a ton of money in Chicago as a sports figure) but he also does a ton of charity work. He does it the right way too. No publicity, all done very quietly. One of the many reasons I like Jay so much. Too bad so much of the media want to portray him to be something he is not. All that BS about him "quitting" when he was injured in the playoff game still bothers me. Not only were they wrong but it was a poor job of "reporting" to just jump onto a story without the facts.