FIFA World Cup 2026

[LC]

1 hour ago, Castanza said:

Sports across the board are getting soft. I think it's more engrained in the generation than any specific sport. NFL, MLB, NBA, Tour de France etc. all getting soft. 

 

It's all about $$$...avoiding injuries is the #1 goal of every pro athlete today.

 

There's a reason Lebron didn't pursue football. 

 

Whenever I get annoyed about a dive or flop, I remember to thank capitalism!

[Eldad]

1 hour ago, Castanza said:

 

Messi has an old school mentality. High IQ, incredible skills, and tenacity. There is zero flop in Messi's game. He's like an NFL running back when he has the ball and will run through just about anything if he can. The game would be so much better if people had his tenacity instead of the flop tendency. 

 

Sports across the board are getting soft. I think it's more engrained in the generation than any specific sport. NFL, MLB, NBA, Tour de France etc. all getting soft. 

Agree. MLB systematically killed the old school retaliation/revenge/bench clearing brawl culture over the past 10-15 years. This had been part of baseball for 100 years prior. All the while MMA gained tons of share. 
 

“Sometimes fans want to see a fight” - Pete Rose

[whiskybravo]

11 minutes ago, LC said:

 

It's all about $$$...avoiding injuries is the #1 goal of every pro athlete today.

 

There's a reason Lebron didn't pursue football. 

 

Whenever I get annoyed about a dive or flop, I remember to thank capitalism!

I remember when I think of the over 1 billion people who have escaped extreme poverty! 

Edited yesterday at 04:10 PM by whiskybravo

[whiskybravo]

4 minutes ago, Eldad said:

Agree. MLB systematically killed the old school retaliation/revenge/bench clearing brawl culture over the past 10-15 years. This had been part of baseball for 100 years prior. All the while MMA gained tons of share. 
 

“Sometimes fans want to see a fight” - Pete Rose

I enjoy hockey better without the momentum killing one on one fights 

[Gregmal]

2 minutes ago, Eldad said:

Agree. MLB systematically killed the old school retaliation/revenge/bench clearing brawl culture over the past 10-15 years. This had been part of baseball for 100 years prior. All the while MMA gained tons of share. 
 

“Sometimes fans want to see a fight” - Pete Rose

Yup I was showing my 9 year old some old Yankees Red Sox rivalry footage and he couldn’t believe how much baseball has fallen off 

 

Football guys get paid to play a physical game, yet can’t hit half the time without getting dumb flags with huge penalties. As such, the Dick Butkus, LT, James Harrison, Ray Lewis awesome factor is totally gone. 

[LC]

9 minutes ago, whiskybravo said:

I remember when I think of the over 1 billion people who have escaped extreme poverty! 

 

By playing footy? 

[whiskybravo]

31 minutes ago, LC said:

 

By playing footy? 

Whiskybravo shakes fist

[Castanza]

1 hour ago, Gregmal said:

Football guys get paid to play a physical game

 

It's all about entertainment value and brand building now. Agents want to protect their assets hence all the rule changes imo. Look how quick star players fall from the limelight these days. There is no shortage of talent to pull from these days. The idea of a franchise player is done. Players realized they have to get what they can while they can because things can change quick with a 6 month sideline injury and well advertising moves on, agents move on, teams move on. There is a long list of "what happened to <insert name>" out there. 

[cubsfan]

10 minutes ago, Castanza said:

 

It's all about entertainment value and brand building now. Agents want to protect their assets hence all the rule changes imo. Look how quick star players fall from the limelight these days. There is no shortage of talent to pull from these days. The idea of a franchise player is done. Players realized they have to get what they can while they can because things can change quick with a 6 month sideline injury and well advertising moves on, agents move on, teams move on. There is a long list of "what happened to <insert name>" out there. 

 

Not sure that's right for NFL quarterbacks. The great ones are rare, and unfortunately, need to be protected.  Today's defensive players are almost lethal.

 

So kinda depends - I like the NBA in the 80/90's with the more physical play. Maybe not as physical as the Pistons... but they were sure fun to watch.

[Gregmal]

It's a shame. Even something that was once super exciting; the dead spring between a forward and a defenseman to negate an icing call in an NHL game, ruined by stupid rules(no touch icing) that promote laziness in the name of "player safety". 

[Castanza]

15 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

 

Not sure that's right for NFL quarterbacks. The great ones are rare, and unfortunately, need to be protected.  Today's defensive players are almost lethal.

 

So kinda depends - I like the NBA in the 80/90's with the more physical play. Maybe not as physical as the Pistons... but they were sure fun to watch.

 

NFL - The game has completely changed due to rule changes. The game is far less violent today than it used to be 15-20 years ago. 

 

NBA - The game and how it's played is just completely different. It's much more dynamic today than when Jordan played in the 90s. You can see the transition of the game by watching early 2000's- 2010's. Nothing wrong with it, just a different game. But the focus on individual skill  vs team IQ has exacerbated the flopping.

[DooDiligence]

3 hours ago, Castanza said:

 

Messi has an old school mentality. High IQ, incredible skills, and tenacity. There is zero flop in Messi's game. He's like an NFL running back when he has the ball and will run through just about anything if he can. The game would be so much better if people had his tenacity instead of the flop tendency. 

 

Sports across the board are getting soft. I think it's more engrained in the generation than any specific sport. NFL, MLB, NBA, Tour de France etc. all getting soft. 

 

When I worked in Brasil this guy (king of the floppers) was grinning on damn near every TV commercial.

 

[cubsfan]

56 minutes ago, Castanza said:

 

NFL - The game has completely changed due to rule changes. The game is far less violent today than it used to be 15-20 years ago. 

 

Correct - and that is precisely why you can keep a franchise quarterback healthy these days.  IF those rule changes had not been enacted - you would go through quarterbacks like diapers - and the NFL would be destroyed.  Today's defensive players are far stronger, faster and bigger.

 

56 minutes ago, Castanza said:

NBA - The game and how it's played is just completely different. It's much more dynamic today than when Jordan played in the 90s. You can see the transition of the game by watching early 2000's- 2010's. Nothing wrong with it, just a different game. But the focus on individual skill  vs team IQ has exacerbated the flopping.

 

Different strokes I guess.

 

I still enjoy the game, but those 80/90's Knicks/Celtics battles, Bulls/Pistons battles were so fun and so physical.  Players like Rodman, Ewing, Malone, Oakley, Mahorn, Mason - they would foul out every game.

 

Those were really fun games for fans.

 

More like Canadian Hockey!

[Castanza]

1 minute ago, cubsfan said:

 

Correct - and that is precisely why you can keep a franchise quarterback healthy these days.  IF those rule changes had not been enacted - you would go through quarterbacks like diapers - and the NFL would be destroyed.  Today's defensive players are far stronger, faster and bigger.

 

 

Different strokes I guess.

 

I still enjoy the game, but those 80/90's Knicks/Celtics battles, Bulls/Pistons battles were so fun and so physical.  Players like Rodman, Ewing, Malone, Oakley, Mahorn, Mason - they would foul out every game.

 

Those were really fun games for fans.

 

More like Canadian Hockey!

I agree on the NBA enjoyment, was just highlighting the game is played different today and requires different types of players. You don’t see Shaq like players anymore and instead have more athletic leaner more dynamic players Wemby….all started with Dirk and Durant pushing limits. 

[cubsfan]

22 minutes ago, Castanza said:

I agree on the NBA enjoyment, was just highlighting the game is played different today and requires different types of players. You don’t see Shaq like players anymore and instead have more athletic leaner more dynamic players Wemby….all started with Dirk and Durant pushing limits. 

 

Agree, I do love the impact of the Euro players on the league. Their footwork and ball handling skills are amazing.

[Spekulatius]

20 hours ago, Gregmal said:

Yup I was showing my 9 year old some old Yankees Red Sox rivalry footage and he couldn’t believe how much baseball has fallen off 

 

Football guys get paid to play a physical game, yet can’t hit half the time without getting dumb flags with huge penalties. As such, the Dick Butkus, LT, James Harrison, Ray Lewis awesome factor is totally gone. 

Rugby is what football should be like. I recall them hauling players of the field with stretchers while the game continues.

Edited 10 hours ago by Spekulatius

[RichardGibbons]

On 7/16/2026 at 11:13 AM, Gregmal said:

It's a shame. Even something that was once super exciting; the dead spring between a forward and a defenseman to negate an icing call in an NHL game, ruined by stupid rules(no touch icing) that promote laziness in the name of "player safety". 

 

100% disagree with this, after watching hockey for 40 years. Icing races aren't particularly exciting, and I have no desire to see someone suffer a season- or career-ending injury on a meaningful play, let alone a meaningless play (and 98% of the time it was meaningless).

 

It's just really stupid to have arguably the most dangerous part of hockey be something that's relatively meaningless.  No-touch icing has been a rule change without any downside, as far as I'm concerned.