Amazing how a life as a professional athlete treats you opposed to the old days.

[Kblaze8855]

https://www.hostpic.org/images/2203221841130366.jpeg

https://www.hostpic.org/images/2203221842050373.jpeg

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Ken Stabler at 37 and YA Tittle at 38. This is Ronaldo and Brady at 37 and 44:








https://www.hostpic.org/images/2203221848000370.jpeg













Unlimited budgets for self care, teams of trainers, nutritionists, and doctors, machines that didn’t exist, surgical procedures to make former career ending injuries an 8 month recovery, core strengthening emphasis, Gatorade and body armor instead of water, flying around the world for advice on the best stretching programs, healthy food provided to your exact specifications by the teams, chartered flights on planes built for your comfort, 4 seasons hotels instead of 2 star 2 to a room game day travels by shitty planes and trains, a society that has all but made it illegal to smoke anywhere but your own home, security guards and handlers to make sure nothing gets out of hand if you do go out, coaches that embrace rest time, enforce rules that put a cap on physical practice, give time off for any reason, and leagues that eject people for plays that used to be routine.



Im shocked people keep being surprised longevity is up so much. These are the most physically pampered people on the planet and the good ones can approach billionaire status off extending their careers instead of even the best of them retiring with like 12 million in career earnings after taxes 8 of which was spent in the 12 years.

The support and financial motivation for modern athletes to stay closer to the prime version for longer really can’t be compared to previous eras. Used to have to have the genes, the luck, and the will. Modern technology, training, nutrition, and medical advances have reduced the impact of the first two to a point you can almost play forever if you want it.

It really isn’t apples to apples. Not that it’s news….but it’s worth mentioning I think.

[HoopsNY]

https://www.hostpic.org/images/2203221841130366.jpeg

https://www.hostpic.org/images/2203221842050373.jpeg

https://www.hostpic.org/images/2203221844530355.jpeg



Ken Stabler at 37 and YA Tittle at 38. This is Ronaldo and Brady at 37 and 44:








https://www.hostpic.org/images/2203221848000370.jpeg













Unlimited budgets for self care, teams of trainers, nutritionists, and doctors, machines that didn’t exist, surgical procedures to make former career ending injuries an 8 month recovery, core strengthening emphasis, Gatorade and body armor instead of water, flying around the world for advice on the best stretching programs, healthy food provided to your exact specifications by the teams, chartered flights on planes built for your comfort, 4 seasons hotels instead of 2 star 2 to a room game day travels by shitty planes and trains, a society that has all but made it illegal to smoke anywhere but your own home, security guards and handlers to make sure nothing gets out of hand if you do go out, coaches that embrace rest time, enforce rules that put a cap on physical practice, give time off for any reason, and leagues that eject people for plays that used to be routine.



Im shocked people keep being surprised longevity is up so much. These are the most physically pampered people on the planet and the good ones can approach billionaire status off extending their careers instead of even the best of them retiring with like 12 million in career earnings after taxes 8 of which was spent in the 12 years.

The support and financial motivation for modern athletes to stay closer to the prime version for longer really can’t be compared to previous eras. Used to have to have the genes, the luck, and the will. Modern technology, training, nutrition, and medical advances have reduced the impact of the first two to a point you can almost play forever if you want it.

It really isn’t apples to apples. Not that it’s news….but it’s worth mentioning I think.

Or how about Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, Bob Feller, and the other 495 baseball players that were enlisted during World War II. Ultimate sacrifices for our country which resulted in shorter careers and or peak prime years.

Guys used to have jobs in the offseason. I remember Don Larsen selling his glove from his World Series perfect game in order to get money for his grandchildren's college education.

[Kblaze8855]

Just for my own amusement I’d like to point out how this was not a penalty of any kind:

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FriendlyIdioticJunco-size_restricted.gif







But this is roughing the passer now:



https://youtu.be/zElfbC6zzC4





And the league had already been softened quite a bit in the first clip.





The nfl and NBA both protect the absolute **** outta their investment in these players which makes great business sense….I’m just saying. We really need to compare how long they last to old guys who didn’t even have flagrant fouls or armies of trainers to marvel at relative longevity?

[Kblaze8855]

Or how about Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, Bob Feller, and the other 495 baseball players that were enlisted during World War II. Ultimate sacrifices for our country which resulted in shorter careers and or peak prime years.

Guys used to have jobs in the offseason. I remember Don Larsen selling his glove from his World Series perfect game in order to get money for his grandchildren's college education.


Yea the money side really is a factor. The difference between living like a party animal and taking care of yourself used to be like 400k-1 million dollars for your career vs 3 million. Now it’s maybe 20 million vs 300. Just staying clean, in shape, and showing up will get you generational money a dozen times over. And much of that is made late 20s into your 30s now when guys used to be winding down.

[Akeem34TheDream]

I think top 1% athletes of their sports benefitted more than the average ones. Also almost every sport limits physical defense and protect their stars even more today so there is also that. Goat arguments attract casual low iq fans so it makes sense financially. This forum is a pretty good summary of our society.

[8Ball]

Social media and cable TV exploded their popularity.

It's why a lot of the old timers are bitter that they didn't make as much money or have as much recognition as the guys today. They are partially correct about that. They paid it forward for the dudes today.

[FilmyCogTurner]

I agree with your post but I also notice the average person is aging a lot differently then when we were kids. Back in the day a man in his 60's was on deaths door and now I see guys of that age who look 40 and are still balling. Literally after one of my basketball runs is another group of older boys and they're all still holding it down and I promise you they all do not have millions in their bank account to stay healthy.

[ralph_i_el]

I agree with your post but I also notice the average person is aging a lot differently then when we were kids. Back in the day a man in his 60's was on deaths door and now I see guys of that age who look 40 and are still balling. Literally after one of my basketball runs is another group of older boys and they're all still holding it down and I promise you they all do not have millions in their bank account to stay healthy.

Yeah there's a guy at my run who just hit 60 and he looks like a 5'9" version of 1992 Larry Bird (mustache and all). I think it's because less folks smoke these days.

[FilmyCogTurner]

Yeah there's a guy at my run who just hit 60 and he looks like a 5'9" version of 1992 Larry Bird (mustache and all). I think it's because less folks smoke these days.

I'm a couple decades off but that's the goal mustache included. We had one of those guys at my run too, I swear he shot 80% from just inside the three and it was a bank shot it was 100% going in.

[iamgine]

It balances out I think. Used to be the pool of players were limited. Now, it's worldwide. The best young players now enters the game instead of becoming an accountant or a mechanic. The older players need all the help they can get to stay competitive.

[post]

do they get more v a g i n a too?

wilt probably holds the record

[Kblaze8855]

I agree with your post but I also notice the average person is aging a lot differently then when we were kids. Back in the day a man in his 60's was on deaths door and now I see guys of that age who look 40 and are still balling. Literally after one of my basketball runs is another group of older boys and they're all still holding it down and I promise you they all do not have millions in their bank account to stay healthy.


It absolutely goes over to society in general. People are a lot healthier even while eating more processed shitty foods because modern medicine has overcome natural selection. People have heart problems fixed at birth that used to kill you and be discovered in your autopsy at 50. Humanity has never been better at keeping the weak alive and procreating and we will get weaker as a species….but our athletes will last longer.