I've always admired and respected Earl for his career and what he meant to this city.
But, that said, he comes off as a bitter old man in this one.
Keep Texans Talk Google Ad Free!
Venmo Tip Jar | Paypal Tip Jar
Thanks for your support! 🍺😎👍
NFL legend Earl Campbell still hits hard, compares current NFL to wrestling
- Thread starter Double Barrel
- Start date
I've always admired and respected Earl for his career and what he meant to this city.
But, that said, he comes off as a bitter old man in this one.
Always kinda cringe worthy when the older guys (greats) start the back in my day talk.
Yes the game has had changes, some good some bad. And it's never quite the extreme anyone paints it as.
To be fair, if I walked like Campbell does now for the money he got paid compared to today's athlete, I'd probably have a little salt to spare too.
Ultimately though, everything from the way the game differs nowadays through to critical words like Campbell's here just begs for context.
Yes the game has had changes, some good some bad. And it's never quite the extreme anyone paints it as.
To be fair, if I walked like Campbell does now for the money he got paid compared to today's athlete, I'd probably have a little salt to spare too.
Ultimately though, everything from the way the game differs nowadays through to critical words like Campbell's here just begs for context.
TexasCowboy
Straight Talker
He does have a legit point
Campbell's time in the NFL was during an era, where you knew what it meant
and felt like getting your brains smashed in week/out. Players today?? don't
know half of what that feels like. Because of the NFL's implemented safety
measures to ensure athletes are kept relatively safe while preserving their
right to endorsement deals
Campbell's time in the NFL was during an era, where you knew what it meant
and felt like getting your brains smashed in week/out. Players today?? don't
know half of what that feels like. Because of the NFL's implemented safety
measures to ensure athletes are kept relatively safe while preserving their
right to endorsement deals
Campbell admits that he does not watch pro football. So how can he possibly be informed to talk about it?
Case in point. Search YouTube for NFL big hits, and you immediately get a bunch of recent compilations, like this one:
So you watch this and see players get the living crap knocked out of them. Defenders are bigger and faster in today's NFL than ever before. Earl never had to deal with defenders that are regularly the size of J.J. Watt and train 12 months a year.
I get that things change. That's life. But, basically implying that today's NFL is staged outcomes and completely fake like wrestling? That's utter B.S. and I'm calling him out for this nonsense.
Case in point. Search YouTube for NFL big hits, and you immediately get a bunch of recent compilations, like this one:
So you watch this and see players get the living crap knocked out of them. Defenders are bigger and faster in today's NFL than ever before. Earl never had to deal with defenders that are regularly the size of J.J. Watt and train 12 months a year.
I get that things change. That's life. But, basically implying that today's NFL is staged outcomes and completely fake like wrestling? That's utter B.S. and I'm calling him out for this nonsense.
Been saying this for yrs, loved to watch Tatum play, he would be kicked out of the league these days.
God'ells rule changes took the fear out of the game. Crown of helmet rules, (Earl would have been penalized on almost every run.) Defenseless WR rule, (What the hell is that) Cant hit a WR too hard. Etc....
Almost every hard hit is followed by a referee conference, followed by an unnecessary roughness penalty.
The game has no flow and isn't nearly as fun to watch as it used to be. No wonder TV ratings/Fan attendance is in decline.
God'ell is doing his best in many ways to kill the golden goose.
You tell'em Earl
God'ells rule changes took the fear out of the game. Crown of helmet rules, (Earl would have been penalized on almost every run.) Defenseless WR rule, (What the hell is that) Cant hit a WR too hard. Etc....
Almost every hard hit is followed by a referee conference, followed by an unnecessary roughness penalty.
The game has no flow and isn't nearly as fun to watch as it used to be. No wonder TV ratings/Fan attendance is in decline.
God'ell is doing his best in many ways to kill the golden goose.
You tell'em Earl
It's not staged, but the new rules allow the refs to determine the outcomes of games. Kinda like the WWE determines the outcomes of matches.
BTW, I think the hit in that video, the players was fined and suspended. When Earl played he would've been congratulated on a great game saving play.
You can like the style of play if you like, but I don't and there are many fans out there like me.
Showtime100
Got JJ?
Yeah, even the Hall Of Fame would have a completely different look to it if the game were always played like it is today. Nobody outside of USC would even know the name Ronnie Lott. In fact, the HOF would have decisively fewer defensive inductees under today's game.
One quote from that article I did like.......
Bum would never, ever have said that, but it sure sounds like a Bummerusky, doesn't it?
WWE is completely scripted. Wrestlers practice before the show to make sure they understand the moves and roles they pay. They are just actors.
We can point to referee calls, but give me a break if you are actually advocating a line of thought that outcomes of NFL are somehow predetermined. If you can provide even a shred of credible evidence to support such a thing, I will be completely done with the NFL.
As far as the style of play, let's be honest here: in previous decades players were ignorant of the long-term health ramifications that results from playing the game. Jack Tatum would still be a badass in today's NFL. He would just adjust his style accordingly. You think J.J. Watt or Von Miller are some kind of wussies? They would fit in any era of football.
With regards to fans, the NFL has more fans now than at any point in its history. We can old school it all we want, but time is not going backwards. Today's fans are getting the product they want as evidenced by the 100+ million people that will be watching the Super Bowl this weekend.
Just quoting this to echo every word of it and because I'm only allowed to like it once.
You're right it's not going to change. But Earl has this one right. I really don't care what the ratings say. The SB is an event. The regular seasons ratings are down for a reason. The golden goose is in the process of being killed.
Brady being suspended with the NFL admitting they had no Concrete evidence is a start of admitting God'ell trying to rig parity. The Bryant catch that wasn't comes to mind. Officials calling bogus pi penalties etc...
I know people will disagree With me but do you truly believe that the bookies are right 80% of the time?
Bad referee calls are nothing new. We should know from the 1979 AFC Championship game when Renfro was in bounds.
You seem to be mixing a lot of different issues together, though. Earl is straight up calling the NFL fake. Do you really agree with this take? And if you really believe the league is rigged, how can you even watch it?
And I mean absolutely no disrespect toward Earl, but the man does not even watch pro football. How can he be trusted to really evaluate today's game? Hangnails and pedicures? C'MON MAN! That's just silly curmudgeonly "in my day everything was better" nonsense from old people.
As far as Goodell, we are in agreement. However, I know that he fully represents the interests of 32 owners and gets paid $44 million/year to be that point man. He is just a mouthpiece for them.
Your disdain should be directed at owners, which is weird since you don't put your money where your mouth is and continue to be a season ticket holder.
What does this have to do whatsoever with rigging anything?
The answer is in your sig
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
I think Earl Campbell played with Saints and retired around the time I was wearing diapers and just started to watch the NFL. I wish I had experienced his glory days with the Houston Oilers!
Showtime100
Got JJ?
Some people disagree with me, but Earl was never quite the same after that hit by Jack Tatum. But yeah, watching Earl was so amazing. Knowing what kind of person he was made it all the more fun.
austins23
Hall of Fame
HAHA!! I graduated High School the year before! To quote @JB, you are a baby!! And yes JB, we are that old!
I got to meet Earl in 1991, more or less. My buddy was/is a Travis County Deputy at the time and had access to the UT football field. Took me on a tour and on the way out, Earl was walking in. My buddy and Earl were on first name basis. My first thought after meeting Earl was, "holy crap, his legs are HUGE!" No wonder he was hard to tackle. Literally tree trunks for thighs. Just a very, very large man.
Last edited:
Scooter
Funky
Jack Tatum would've been fined into oblivion. How many 'great' safeties are playing today? The Seahawk's Cam and Earl are the closest I can think of. While really good I don't think I can put them with John Lynch who IMO will be the last of the safeties. Tatum might be able to adjust, but he absolutely wouldn't be a badass (you're literally telling him to STOP being a badass), he'd be somewhere around Earl Thomas or Glover Quinn IF he can adjust successfully.
It was an amazing thing to watch. This city was alive with Luv Ya Blue. Earl was as close to a real life superhero as it got for me. He was truly one of a kind.
Unfortunately, as a kid, I never knew that these would be the best days of my life as a Houston pro football fan. *sigh*
That's fine, man. I have no problem with individual perceptions that old school football was better than the modern game (or visa versa). I won't argue perception. It's all a matter of opinion.
However, do you honestly think that modern NFL games are rigged and outcomes are predetermined? This is where I completely think Earl has lost his marbles. To compare the NFL to what is essentially a stage show like wrestling is to be completely disconnected from reality, IMHO.
You can love Earl but disagree with his take. I do.
Scooter
Funky
Did you watch the Mexico game? I want to put the sarcasm cat picture here, but cant.
cuppacoffee
Resident Grouch
Do you think the Texans fans will ever line up the road from the airport and fill up NRG stadium to welcome the team home after a loss?
Will we ever have the "luv you blue" feeling again.
For me, not even close yet. I don't know why, but something is just missing.
And I wasn't a kid then either. Married and had two young'uns at that point in time.
Seems like just one let down after another since our first ever "game", a victory over the hated boys.
Ramblings of an old man. And I miss the 50's.
Time to get a refill of Seaport dark roast.
Heath Shuler
SPEED KILLS
Do you think the Texans fans will ever line up the road from the airport and fill up NRG stadium to welcome the team home after a loss?
Will we ever have the "luv you blue" feeling again.
For me, not even close yet. I don't know why, but something is just missing.
And I wasn't a kid then either. Married and had two young'uns at that point in time.
Nope. That was a much different time and place. The city, the people, the game have all changed. Also, the whole Luv You Blue phase was extremely short lived.
That's all in the past.
badboy
Hall of Fame
At least two years does not seem extremely short lived..for a Houston team.
texanhead08
All Pro
Houston was a different place back then it was a big city, but it was a new city and hadn't escaped the small town ways yet. Those teams were a lot different that a team would be today because they weren't the millionaires that most star NFL players are today and they lived around the fans so the community had a bigger bond with them than they do today's athletes.
Probably not, but Texans fans will sell out NRG Stadium for 123 straight games (15 seasons), which is something the Oilers could only dream of... (Bud would have loved him some PSLs, which I have no doubt he got in Tenn.)
Will we ever have the "luv you blue" feeling again.
For me, not even close yet. I don't know why, but something is just missing.
Yeah, that was a special time, where the stars aligned and we had the vibe of 'local' heroes with Earl and Bum and the whole atmosphere of Houston was just different than now.
While I don't want to disrespect the Texans and stuff, they are very much a corporate vibe along with the rest of the modern NFL. We lost our roots when the Oilers were murdered, and in that void came a very produced, and very market surveyed, entertainment corporation with lots of whistles and bells, but not so much heart and soul.
And I wasn't a kid then either. Married and had two young'uns at that point in time.
Seems like just one let down after another since our first ever "game", a victory over the hated boys.
Ramblings of an old man. And I miss the 50's.
Time to get a refill of Seaport dark roast.
Houston only seems to get scraps from our pro football teams. An 'above average' regular season victory here or there, but really nothing but heartbreak and letdown when the games really matter. And that's been the story of my life as a Houston pro football fan without a single exception.
Texecutioner
Hall of Fame
You are killing it in this thread man. Bravo to you.
I agree totally. I think they hit harder now days because the athletes are faster and stronger, and we could argue that the athletes can even absorb more based on all of the medical advances on how to heal and treat injuries better.
Imagine JJ Watt or Miller playing in Earl's era?? Lol!
People can argue about the rules allowing violence more from that era, but that doesn't mean that these guys aren't smashing the crap out of each other just as much. Hell, we barely ever see a RB make it through a 16 game season without missing games and look at the lifespan of RB's as well. Damn near every team has to platoon their RB committee, due to injury concerns. The league has just gotten more informed about player safety so they've dialed back the rules which is good for them on a lot of stuff. I don't see that the game is what some of these describe it as sometimes though. There are still guys like Polomolu that would light guys up ferociously. Hell, imagine Polumolu playing in the 70's and how good he would have been.
Texecutioner
Hall of Fame
You are killing it in this thread man. Bravo to you.
I agree totally. I think they hit harder now days because the athletes are faster and stronger, and we could argue that the athletes can even absorb more based on all of the medical advances on how to heal and treat injuries better.
Imagine JJ Watt or Miller playing in Earl's era?? Lol!
People can argue about the rules allowing violence more from that era, but that doesn't mean that these guys aren't smashing the crap out of each other just as much. Hell, we barely ever see a RB make it through a 16 game season without missing games and look at the lifespan of RB's as well. Damn near every team has to platoon their RB committee, due to injury concerns. The league has just gotten more informed about player safety so they've dialed back the rules which is good for them on a lot of stuff. I don't see that the game is what some of these describe it as sometimes though. There are still guys like Polomolu that would light guys up ferociously. Hell, imagine Polumolu playing in the 70's and how good he would have been.
I think the truly great players would be great in any era. Earl, LT, Reggie White. MJ, Wilt, Hakeem. Ruth, Ted Williams, Mays. But of course, athletes are getting bigger and stronger every year. I would cut Earl some slack, every oldtimer is nostalgic to their era.
Texecutioner
Hall of Fame
It all depends for me. I don't think certain old players would be all that great in this era where the speed is totally unreal and the explosiveness from certain dudes is just crazy.
Hakeem - I think he was the best center of all time in his prime. From 93 to 96, I don't think any center could hold him at all.
Wilt - He'd still be a good player, but thats about it to me. Him and Russell are perfect examples of guys who I think wouldn't be superstars now. Wilt played with a bunch of slow white guys who would be loan officers today. If Wilt played in the 90's. I think he'd be just another guy, but I could be wrong of course. Just my opinion based on his game that I saw, and who he went up against. You and I might have given some of those slow white guys a run for their money on the court back then.
Earl - Could play in any era easily.
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
You've got to factor in all the training available and the information of taking care of the body in each era too. Today's NFL training is almost year round where say the 70's they really didn't train until camp started.
I've heard arguments that Babe Ruth wouldn't have been great in today's game because he was a chubby booze hound. But had Babe Ruth lived in this era, that might not have been the case. Better training available, better info of what to put into your body, workouts, supplements, etc, etc.
That's why it's so hard to compare players from different eras. Fran Tarkenton, Bart Starr, even Johnny U had an INT % between 4 and 5%. That doesn't get you close to Mark Sanchez, Ryan Fitzpatrick territory today. But those QBs of yesteryear didn't have all the protection rules there are today, not just for QBs but for receivers as well, not to mention the year round training there is today.
So HOFers like Bobby Layne, who threw 47 more INT than TD in his career (which was quite common for the great QBs of that era to throw more INT than TD), and had a career completion percentage of 49%, could he have been Manning/Brady/Rodgers successful in today's game? With the training and different rules they have today, he very well could have been. So you can't look at Y.A Tittle's 55.2% completion percentage with 242 TD/248 INT and say he's not in the same ballpark as Rodgers or Brees.