Originally posted by the_dynasty:
I disagree. Football players always hit the weights.
The game has simply moved from being a strength game to more of an agility and speed game. Players are faster and change direction better and more violently than ever and give more force in efforts on every play.
Human body isn't made to withstand such sudden movements. Hence the ligament injuries and soft tissue injuries that are often non contact injuries.
Players are generally more athletic than they were 30-50 years ago. Back in those days players took more vicious hits that would leave impact on their brain or their ribs etc. But they didn't move as fast or cut on a dime as well. Few exceptions of course, but they're exceptions like Barry Sanders dancing.
If you look across other sports, injuries are also a big thing. That's why load management is a thing in basketball. That's why Haliburton snapped his Achilles in game 7 and so did Tatum earlier. It's not just the NFL or football for that matter.
I didn't say they never hit the weight room. They certainly did, but it was nowhere near central to their preparation as it is today.
It's just that aspect in today's sports world - the weights, the training regimen, the advanced surgical, medicinal and nutritional programs, the off-season workouts, etc.- far and away supercedes the specific attention given to the sport itself.
In the end, it reduces the product severely.
