*No Real Title*

Maybe it was the era I grew up in.  Not just as a person, but as a football fan.  The 70s and 80s were full of tough guys playing the game.  If you were a back up, you didn't complain about it to the public.  You never talked about it in an interview.  You did your back up duties and learned so that when (and if) the time came for you to be the starter, you could easily pick up where the starter left off.

It wasn't easy being the back up to greats.  Ask Neal Anderson how easy it was to back up Walter Payton or LeRoy Kelly how easy it was to back up Jim Brown.  We all know the difficulty Steve Young had backing up Joe Montana.

But, they never complained.  They went on with the game.  They studied and they not only did it the way the starter did it, but they did it their own way as well.

I am writing this because I was thinking about a lot of things the other day as I watched the Bears play the Giants (I know.  I was a little late, but life got in the way) and once again, the whole Giants/Patriots rivalry (is there really one outside of the Super Bowl?) came up.

And, of course, my feelings about Tom Brady and how much of a wimp he is as compared to QBs of the past (and compared to some of today's QBs).  And, I'm sorry.  I don't think you should cry because you were lower on the draft chart than you think you should have been (Did Aaron Rodgers cry?  No.  He manned up.) and you shouldn't have to see a sports psychologist because you're the back up's back up's back up.  That's weakness.

This isn't a complete bash on Brady.  It's a complete bash on the game today.

Tom Brady would never have stood a chance against some of the toughest defenses in the history of the NFL.  Like I said: There is maybe one who could.

Today's rules have changed.  In watching NFL Network's "NFL's Top 10" of the top 10 defenses of all time.  (I still don't understand why "The Grits Blitz" was on the list, but not "Gang-Green" or "The No-Name" defense.)

I know that the rules have changed to protect the players, but in doing so, we have created a generation of wimpy players, both on offense and defense.

I will be honest in saying that I miss the days when it was "Anything goes" defenses and "Just try and stop us" offenses. 

While I want player safety, I want to see Chris Conte knock the living crap out of Calvin Johnson and to see Matt Forte stiff arm Clay Matthews and gain yardage.

But, those days, I fear, are far behind us.  *Please insert a sad face here*