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RIP Chuck Bednarik


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RIP indeed. It was nearly RIP for Gifford on that play.

IIRC Giff was out the entire next season because of that hit.

 

edit: posted that before I watched the clip.

I got a mind like a steel trap, I tell ya.

Of course, it's rusted shut, but it's a steel trap!

Edited by Nanker
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it's only fitting, that Bednarik played in Philadelphia - the city that witnessed Pop Warner's 1907 Carlisle Indians usher in the forward pass as a legitimate offensive weapon by out gaining an undefeated and unscored upon Penn team 402 yards to 76, and beating them 26-6.

 

soon after this, the responsibilities of the pre-passing era line-backer included the need to defend potential pass receivers. the position grew in prominence as the passing attack evolved. the linebacker position was filled by your quickest, strongest, most competitive defenders. eventually, offenses were able to attack any area of the field in multiple ways, so it was necessary to design another dimension to an already physical unit - the concept of defensive intimidation. good form and technique weren't enough. defenses had to hit offensive players so hard that their first thought was where the hit was coming from. in an age that conceived the phrase 'he heard footsteps' - those footsteps were those of men like Bednarik.

 

he was the prototypical intimidator. playing a position that enabled him to recognize and hunt down plays before they had a chance to develop - flat out scaring men from trying to execute their coach's play. the aggressive manner in which he played the position became the model for what every defensive coach wanted at the position - at least in the era i grew up in.

 

now, most of that style of play is being legislated out of every level of football.

the current idea is to make the football field a safer place.

 

but tonight i'll raise a pint to Bednarik, who had a different idea.

Edited by BackInDaDay
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See, just shows you that the NFL is too tough for some, like Chris Borland. Bednarik was one of the all time tough guys and lived to 89. The sky is not falling, just some guys are going to be scared off by possibilities that have come to light recently. But they are not certainties. The NFL will still have plenty of talent to draw from. But you won't hear much about this from the hyper media of today. RIP Chuck Bednarik, one of the toughest and best to play the game.

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See, just shows you that the NFL is too tough for some, like Chris Borland. Bednarik was one of the all time tough guys and lived to 89. The sky is not falling, just some guys are going to be scared off by possibilities that have come to light recently. But they are not certainties. The NFL will still have plenty of talent to draw from. But you won't hear much about this from the hyper media of today. RIP Chuck Bednarik, one of the toughest and best to play the game.

RIP Chuck Bednarik.

BTW Chris Borland is a very tough dude and a totally class act.

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BTW Chris Borland is a very tough dude and a totally class act.

Borland may be a class act and a tough dude, but he decided the NFL was too tough for him. After one year, he was afraid he would get many concussions playing at that level. He didn't want to risk it. That's fine and his choice, but there is no arguing that he decided the game was just too physical at that level and he didn't find it worth the risk. People are making it like he will be starting the decline of the NFL. I don't agree. Maybe a few more guys will drop out before they get that far along in the game, and not wait until they reach the NFL to think " holy s@!t , this is brutal in this mutha. I just might get hurt doing this! Get me outta here! " NFL LB is no lace for anyone who's just going to be thinking about not getting dinged.

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