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Does anyone else get tired of people saying the old time athletes are better???

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by eddiewinslow, May 7, 2012.

  1. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

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    Hand-eye coordination hasn't improved in modern times. Ted Williams would still beast in today's baseball and so would Tony Gwynn. Some people are just born with the ability to see the seams of a fastball coming at them.
     
  2. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

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    I also want to add that Nolan Ryan could still probably strike out a player at his current age and he could definitely kick some people's asses.
     
  3. gwayneco

    gwayneco Contributing Member

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    The primary reason FG% has gone down in the NBA is because teams are shooting a much higher percentage of 3 pointers. The shooting in the 1960s and 1970s was nothing to write home about.
     
  4. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    Where would they all stand versus the Roman Gladiators?

    Rocket River
     
  5. Joshfast

    Joshfast "We're all gonna die" - Billy Sole
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    Nolan Ryan could probably still kick Robin Ventura's ass too.
     
  6. AirBud#10

    AirBud#10 Member

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    There is a huge difference between the 30's and the 90's. Stockton would not get destroyed by Rose or Williams. He was like a better Nash with Defense.
     
  7. DonkeyMagic

    DonkeyMagic Member
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    [​IMG]
     
    1 person likes this.
  8. plutoblue11

    plutoblue11 Member

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    There's not going to be huge difference from 25-30 year gap. Anything over that, it gets questionable.

    We know in the NFL that most skill players and lineman from the 40s and 50s would get eaten alive against modern players (modern equates last 30 years).

    An average offensive lineman might have weight somewhere from 230-260, during the 40s - 70s.

    The average offensive lineman nowadays probably around 305-315.

    The average offensive lineman from the 40s - early 70s is the about size of many skill players right now, or some.


    If we had some wicked time machine, where you could make import the players from their time periods, I doubt a Super Bowl champion from the 50s could even beat most modern NCAA powerhouse teams. Let alone a team like 85 Bears, 86 Giants, 88-89 49ers, or 92-95 Cowboys. Honestly, it would take a couple of defenders to bring down a player, like Rob Gronokowski, Michael Turner, or Jason Whitten. Modern players have a hard time, bringing them down. You think smaller players with less athletic ability and physical strength is going to pose any more trouble against them. For the most part, definitely not.

    The NBA has notorious gap as well, you could take a bench warmer, right now who could probably have been a hall of fame caliber player in 70s and earlier.


    On the same token, the higher end players or exceptional talents, like Wilt Chamberlain, Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, or Jim Brown. A hall-of fame player or marginal all-star who may have been undersized, lacking optimal physical ability, and an ok skill set would not have lasted in a league of superior athletes.
     
  9. ItsMyFault

    ItsMyFault Member

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    Jordan was also more skilled and more popular than Hakeem. I think that would have a lot to do with why people bought Jordan's over Hakeem's aside from your point.
     
  10. AXG

    AXG Member

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    Olde tyme athletes...
     
  11. moestavern19

    moestavern19 Member

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    Robert E Lee would have crushed Hannibal and his elephants, yo.
     
  12. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

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    Ruth continues to be amazing.

    If Babe Ruth were playing baseball today, they would never let him off the pitcher's mound. No matter how well he did at batting practice, no current team would move a young, dominant, left-handed pitcher to an everyday position.

    One year Ruth had 40 starts/23 complete games and finished with at 23-12 record and a 1.75 ERA (not to mention 0 home runs allowed). The next year, he had 38 starts/35 complete games and went 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA (and 2 HRs allowed).

    He didn't really start hitting regularly until 4 years into his career. In his 6th year, he had 1 1/2 times the number of HRs he had his first 5 years combined.
     
  13. tinman

    tinman 999999999
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    Not more skilled. He was more popular and Nike was a bigger brand than Etonic or LA Gear.

    Nobody buys shoes endorsed by centers like Shaq or Dream.

    People relate more to guards or forwards than centers.
     
  14. Grandpappy

    Grandpappy Member

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    Yep also often overlooked is the fact that he was a career .341 hitter.
     
  15. ItsMyFault

    ItsMyFault Member

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    Sorry but yes, he was more skilled.

    Tired of the homerism on this board.
     
  16. eddiewinslow

    eddiewinslow Member

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    This has more to do with agents and 100 pitch counts today. Agents worry abt clients contracts, many pitchers Nolan Ryan included would pitch well into extras regularly with no pitch count worries....coaches fear gm and agents s
     
  17. dharocks

    dharocks Member

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    And pitchers throwing more, sliders and more splitters, pitching from a lower mound, facing hitters more willing to work the count, the emphasis on strikeouts, etc., etc.

    Maybe teams baby pitchers too much nowadays, but it's better than allowing what happened to Fernando Valenzuela or Doc Gooden. Pitchers got hurt all the time in the past too. Koufax was done at 30. Drysdale was basically shot around the same age. Throwing a baseball overhand takes a huge toll on the arm.
     
  18. Yonkers

    Yonkers Member

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    Genghis Khan is so overrated as a conquerer. Maybe Alexander the Great would translate nowadays but how would a little guy like Napoleon deal with Kim Jung Un much less Joseph Kony?
     
  19. Phillyrocket

    Phillyrocket Member

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    Can you imagine Ruth on a strict modern diet and training regimen? Dude was out drinking and smoking half the night and still put up numbers that only Maris and some PEDs were able to match.
     
  20. meh

    meh Member

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    Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought it was simply that pitchers didn't throw as hard back in the old days. At least that's what I remember reading.

    As for Ryan, there are certain pitchers with rubber arms. Livan Hernandez is another guy that comes to mind. They are not the norm. Try doing the same thing with most other pitchers and they'd quickly be out of the game.
     

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