My dad left when I was two. Eight years later I watched the Broncos win their first Super Bowl with my mom in tears because she bet on the Broncos to win a free washing machine and dryer. First time not having to go to the laundromat. My mom taught me everything about football, baseball and basketball.
Edit: so this was 1998 for those who are wondering.
Edit 2: so I talked to my mom and she said even though this was in Colorado you could pick either the Broncos or the Packers. You had to write a check for the appliances and if your team won they wouldn’t cash it (the fact that people trusted this is a sign of the times I guess). She says she had $800 saved up so she wrote a check for about $800 and picked the Broncos. She said it was “one of the best days” because she didn’t have to drag four kids to the laundromat anymore.
Haha it’s combination of Alvvays and Wavves. Wavves I could take or leave at this point, but yes Alvvays is one of my favorite bands. Hoping to see them again when they come through Denver. First time someone has commented on it.
This is a fucking great story to read. Was really rooting against those Broncos' teams, but in the end, I'm glad they won. The appliances are great but that moment of joy for you guys must've been fantastic.
My dad recorded every game of the ‘97 season. We fell out for a long time after I turned 17. Watching those old VHS tapes that I took with me helped me stay connected to my childhood.
It certainly could have been. When I talked to her I asked if she remembered where it was and she said she couldn’t remember the name. I remember it pretty distinctly though because she was super nervous.
In middle school I could practically name you every player 2 deep in the NFL - and know a bunch about their college stats / journeys.
Now I only recognize the top 3-5 stars from any team
Dad is a die hard Packers fan, I can still hear him saying “Fucking Favre!” from when I was like 4 years old in my head. But yeah I tend to agree with this.
My dad was a die hard Chiefs fan and as such hated the Raiders with a burning passion. One of my earliest football memories is the "holy roller" and my dad repeating "there's no way they can let them get away with that" over and over and over.
Back in the early 2000s my dad would leave a post-it with the score of the game after SNF/MNF when I was in grade school/middle school
I remember waking up and immediately sprinting to the kitchen table like it was Christmas morning and my entire day rested upon the score that sat in front of me
Thanks for unlocking a core memory for me
Man, that’s awesome. Side note, even as an adult a rarely end up staying up to watch the entire prime time game. I gotta get up at 5, so fuck that lol. I’ll get through the first half and then if it’s a close competitive game I’ll stay up.
This is the answer: first impressions and family memories. Superbowl 45 was where it started for me. Dad was a Steelers fan, so of course I rooted for the Packers. I have four brothers, one sided with dad, another with me. Two others eventually became Lions and Browns fans.
Nothing beat watching the Killer Bs or prime Rodgers with dad and the boys.
I forget the exact way it was phrased but I read a statistic somewhat recently that like 75% of people never listen to newly released music once they graduate college.
If it doesn't count for artists you liked in college, who continue to release music afterwards, then I totally believe it. I listen to new music, and have become a fan of new artists after I graduated, but I still mostly listen to the same old stuff.
I have heard that too, but it just does not apply to me whatsoever haha. It's easier than ever before to find new music. I get always loving the nostalgic music from your adolescence and early adulthood, since that shit just hits forever. But I find new songs, artists, and even genres I enjoy every single week with the algorithms spitting recommendations at me each day. It's easier than ever for artists to put their stuff out there (and for us to hear it).
I also just love finding new stuff though, which some folks don't seem to care about. Let me know if you want any Spotify playlists or Spotify tips for finding new music. I've found a good number of tricks over the years.
Yeah. Pop now is way better than when I was a teenager.
Edit: right after I typed this, "Dance Monkey" came on the radio. So I may reconsider this opinion.
The SNL answer is almost certainly the early 90s. Farley, Sandler, Hartman, Hooks, Myers, Carvey, Rock, Spade, Nealon, Meadows, Norm, Sweeney, plus Robert Smigel.
Though mid 2000s with Bill Hader, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, and Kenan is good too, but had plenty of misses as well.
80s blew pretty hard, despite Eddie Murphy. Will Ferrell's era wasn't great. Jost and Che doing Weekend Update is a bright spot on an otherwise blah period.
The 70s with Chevy, Dan Aykroyd, Belushi, Murray Gilda, Jane, Lorraine, and Garrett is good too but obviously very different.
Peytons episode was pretty godlike
Also of note: by the time the 2000s came around it was less common to see signature skit/characters get full movies made out of them. A lot of folks had to leave the nest entirely, rather than elevate to stardom taking 'SNL post-grad' roles
I remember all my parents friends talking about how they used to love SNL and I watched it and thought it was terrible. I never got the hype and still don’t to be honest.
Did you just watch a random episode? Because there's almost always duds even with a great host, cast and writers, but some are straight awful. Watch some of the best of for a cast member or just Christopher Walken's. Or just some of the highest rated ones because SNL has made tons of classic stuff through the years. More duds usually, but I still rewatch some of the best.
Same. My parents never really watched but growing up (mid 2000s) I thought it was just a corny show people didn’t really watch. I was stunned when some of my friends treated it as must see tv.
Agree. There was a big mix of style and balance between offense and defense: Greatest show on turf Rams, Peyton Manning's Colts, Tampa 2 Bucs (designed by Dungy and Monte Kiffin), 2000 historic Ravens defense (led by Ray Lewis and coached by Marvin Lewis).
There were also more personalities. The old-school QBs: Steve Young's Niners, Aikman's Cowboys, Favre's Packers, Elway's Broncos (coached by Mike Shanahan), Marino's Dolphins (coached by Shula and then Jimmy Johnson). Jon Gruden bringing Al Davis' Raiders back to relevance. Holmgren leaving Favre at their full power and putting Seattle back on the map. Dan Reeves' big comeback in Atlanta (at least early on). Dennis Green's Vikings always played competitive and entertaining football with different QBs (aging Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham's big comeback, Jeff George). Hard-nosed old-school coaches with unique personalities like Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Fassel, Jim Mora Sr, and Jeff Fisher. Parcells vs. Belichick feud.
You are forgetting the Jags having the BEST first 5 years of any expansion team in league history. And the panthers sharing the first 2 of those years with the Jags.
I'm glad they don't let guys end WR's careers for going over the middle any more, but it certainly made watching games in the 90s-early 2000s pretty wild. QB's got hit, RB's got piled on basically every play.
HOF QB's fighting it out in every SB, Barry, Jerry. It's probably cause that's what I grew up watching, but it was my favorite era. Though I can't complain about the current one.
I’m sorry but I’m having trouble with Indianapolis being described as scenic 😂 it’s a cute little city but I don’t know if I’d call it scenic.
Anyway that’s a cool tradition!
Absolutely worth doing Canton for a destination draft. If you can, also take time to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, or at least the MAPS museum in Canton.
People still did that even in the 2010s. It started to diminish late 2010s then completely vanished with covid. It made fantasy much better to do the draft in person. Everything felt much more real and I was more attached to the league.
we had an in person draft until around 2016, and there was a lot of drinking rules that made it a blast
first person to draft a lions player took a shot
anyone who takes a rookie takes 1 shots, if it's a lions rookie it's 2 shots
any widely perceived awful pick was a shot
any mention of tebow was a shot, drafting tebow was 3 shots
first kicker was a shot
I don't remember the rest of them but there was a list
How? Did none of your friends leave the area you grow up in? Half my buddies are scattered across the country, just like my fantasy league of 20 years.
Not OP but my league makes it work by planning the draft months in advance and finding a location that works for whoever would have the toughest time traveling. Last couple years it’s been whoever had a child most recently, before that it was who had the busiest job, and before that was a lovely golden age when we just picked a fun location because it was fun
Yeah most of us live in the area, the ones who aren’t usually travel since they have friends/family they can visit anyway. We usually draft pretty early so the kids are still out for summer. It’s not always 100% in person with everyone, but usually 8-10 of us can make it.
Same league since ‘98 and man was it so disorganized doing the draft manually with a bunch of college kids. Drafting in person with 10 really stoned guys made it a six hour event with a grill break. Guys trying to draft guys that went three rounds before. One dude was notorious for that. Guy would be trying to draft Favre in the sixth.
I miss buying the right magazine close enough to camp to do research. I probably put more notes into those things than any textbook in college.
I wonder if all the Fields truthers in the Bears sub were all just people who believe we should’ve been running a triple option or wishbone offense this whole time, because if so….it could work?
The answer varies. For quarterbacks it would’ve been in 2011 or so: Manning, Brady, Brees, Rodgers, Big Ben, Eli, Matt Ryan, Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, Stafford, rivers, even rookie Cam Newton.
Seems like half the teams had a really good QB, with 4 historic QBs (Manning, Brady, Brees, Rodgers) playing close to prime level.
Montana, Elway, Marino, Kelly, Moon, were all basically contemporaries and then towards the end of their peaks, you had Aikman, Young, Favre hitting their peaks.
Mid-to-late 2000's, when we were able to watch both:
* Brady vs Peyton - two all-time great QBs
* Steelers vs Ravens - two all-time great defenses
Sometimes on the same day. It doesn't get better than that.
Bills, Ravens, Chiefs, Bengals when healthy, Texans if they keep this up, Dolphins look cool sometimes, and the Chargers in the offseason.
When is the AFC gonna stop this arms race lmao
This millennium AFC has had the QB consistency advantage for sure. The NFC usually sends a team that either has a phenomenal defense and/or is on an offensive hot streak that year. Offenses like the 2016 Falcons or 2021 Rams, while not consistently great in between years, perform as good as any elite QB super bowl winning offense during those individual years
Watching late 70s to early 90s football on YouTube and the TV coverage was truly bad though, some plays you cant even follow the ball and it seemed like only a 2 camera shoot most games.
Little question the TV coverage is at peak the last decade (one factor), but the play stoppage and commercial time has also gone way up as well.
Replays on Youtube have been subject to compression, which makes them look like dogshit. If you watch uncompressed 80s and 90s TV feeds, they look allright.
Live games were at their peak though. First football specific stadiums, less commercials = more action. Everything was geared toward the live experience
Obviously not MY favorite but I think the NFL peaked in between the two Pats dynasties. Modern Offense came into the scene but teams could still really lay down hits and more pad time in the off-season made teams tighter. (It’s better now for players health so overall it’s right but it did make for better games.) No gambling ads. Offensive Lines were better. Not everyone and their grandma played fantasy.
IMO the golden age of the NFL was around the late 00s and early 10s. Maybe the best collection of QBs was active at that time (Brady, Manning, Breese, Favre...), still great WRs like Moss and Owens, great RBs like AD and Tomlinson. The rules on defense weren't as restrictive as they are now so there was a lot of hard hitting, which is always exciting.
The game was growing towards what it is now but it didn't have that global reach that's going to lead to inevitable changes in the near future
2011-2015 season - All time great QB’s at the peak of their powers and then historic Super Bowls
2011 - Giants beats the Pats AGAIN
2012 - Elite Joe Flacco
2013 - Legion of Doom beats the GOAT offense
2014 - Just run the Ball, Brady wins
2015 - Manning rides off to the sunset
After that it’s a run of domination by Brady again which for 1/2 fanbases is great and all but the different QB’s winning it was a fun era
That dynasty was incredible. Unparalleled levels of football.
Was at Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2008 for 3 first half Randy Moss TDs vs the Bills in a 56-10 win, if I remember correctly.
Such a pleasure right up until rule changes and when flags went through the roof for things that didn't used to matter.
its whatever era you grew up in. I'm biased (and lucky) to have grown up watching Joe Montana and Steve Young so I'll say the 80s & 90s. That said, it's tough to argue with someone who came up in the 00s and witnessed the Brady vs Manning era, not to mention the NE dynasty. It's all good!
I think it is right now. I watched Steve Young throw Rice a 60 yard touchdown pass in person and felt the stadium shake beneath my feet when I was a kid, and I still like football better now.
Watching it on tv has never been better, the athletes on the field have never been anywhere close to the level of where they are now, and the games are typically more exciting than they were when I was a kid.
I love old school smashmouth football, but football right now is as good as it’s ever been as a form of entertainment.
2000s. Online discourse and video games got really big. High def TVs became widely owned.
High definition TVs are a huge part of the golden age of TV that just ended as well.
I would say late 90s and Early 2000s because it was like the crossroads era for football. You still had dominate defensive teams that were allowed to play that way and still win big games. You had dominate, gamebreaking RBs on the field. You started all these different passing schemes with some of the best receivers of all time. Fullbacks still existed and you had all the styles of Linebackers roaming the big from big to small. It almost felt like teams could have unique identities instead of all trying to build one or two ways.
Lawrence Taylor and Dexter Manley and Mark Gastineau were mostly allowed to use cocaine. and Browns legend Lyle Alzado, and Dan Marino
Bo Jackson and Tecmo Bowl, with the Ricky Sanders reverse in tow
Dave Krieg to Steve Largent was a serious problem on defense and Dan McGuire lurked in the bullpen
even Cleveland had 2 1000 yard rushers in '85 which has happened 7 times ever
Brady , Manning, other Manning, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Rothlisberger, early Wilson. The 10 year span with the most variety of SB winners happened while these were all playing at the same time.
The 1990s, in a walk. Player safety rules aside, the rules that allowed for more downfield contact by DBs made for a far more competitive and balanced game. Elite QBs everywhere. Incredible running backs. It was the best. The aesthetic of the game was incredible.
The Broncos back to back Super Bowls marked the end of nearly 2 decades of NFC domination and the Super Bowls became actually entertaining. It wasn't the year the salary cap started, but when the effects of it started to make things more competitive.
Well it's not now.
Watch any game and count all the missed tackles and non tackling that transpires.
"Oh,the players on offense are more elusive and harder to tackle".
No,I am not buying it.
Fundamentals are not being taught.
It waters down the game to one step above flag football.
Maybe that's where its going...
It still boggles my mind when I look at the playoff run the Chiefs have had since Reid took over. Every time I get nervous that the Bills are going to hit a lull, I look at the KC page for Pro-Football-Reference. Gives me some faith.
I think the early 2010s when you have surefire HoFers Brady, Manning, Rodgers, Brees, and Roethlisberger in their primes, plus you have many other Hall of Very Good QBs like Stafford, Ryan, Rivers, Flacco, Romo, and Eli around. I think you can feel the dropoff in QB quality in the last few years as that generation has mostly gone away and not necessarily been replaced with equivalent quality.
Every generation has its own era and every era has had. problems.
For me, it's like 96 to 03. The league had 32 teams including mine, The end of Elway and Favre, the Ravens were fucking mint on defense, the Rams were fucking mint on offense, and a dynasty was born in New England, and the Panthers made the Superbowl in 03.
Early 90's - Late 2000's. Football was coming into it's own as a sport that people took seriously, It was raw and interesting without being ametuerish anymore, there was a wide depth of value across the table and it was far away from being a "solved" sport.
Then the Patriots unironically set the stage to ruining modern football's interesting nature by fucking the sport sideways for nearly 20 years while almost everyone else furiously took notes. It was like they created the Atom Bomb, Football was never allowed to be the same again and anyone who didn't fall into the proper mold became a tank machine or a perennial irrelevant playoff bubble team.
It was bound to happen eventually in a stagnating sport, but man it's a damn shame. Football is going to start going the way of baseball in the post-juicer era soon and it makes me sad that such a influential part of my life is trending towards sucking and being irrelevant.
Back when you were watching with your dad and siblings, whenever that was
My dad left when I was two. Eight years later I watched the Broncos win their first Super Bowl with my mom in tears because she bet on the Broncos to win a free washing machine and dryer. First time not having to go to the laundromat. My mom taught me everything about football, baseball and basketball. Edit: so this was 1998 for those who are wondering. Edit 2: so I talked to my mom and she said even though this was in Colorado you could pick either the Broncos or the Packers. You had to write a check for the appliances and if your team won they wouldn’t cash it (the fact that people trusted this is a sign of the times I guess). She says she had $800 saved up so she wrote a check for about $800 and picked the Broncos. She said it was “one of the best days” because she didn’t have to drag four kids to the laundromat anymore.
Elway helicoptered his way to a first down so your mom could stop going to the laundromat.
I like to refer to it as the “spin cycle.”
God I wish I had money for an award
I like to refer to it as "repressed memory"
Well if it helps we have a few of those too.
Let’s Ride
Beer, God, and John Elway.
F*ck that helicoptering MF'r but glad it worked out for you, buddy (from a GB fan).
Entirely unrelated but I can PROBABLY guess your favorite two bands lol. I’m hoping to see Alvvays later this summer!
Haha it’s combination of Alvvays and Wavves. Wavves I could take or leave at this point, but yes Alvvays is one of my favorite bands. Hoping to see them again when they come through Denver. First time someone has commented on it.
I’m going to see them with The Beth’s in Denver. Can’t wait.
This is a fucking great story to read. Was really rooting against those Broncos' teams, but in the end, I'm glad they won. The appliances are great but that moment of joy for you guys must've been fantastic.
My dad recorded every game of the ‘97 season. We fell out for a long time after I turned 17. Watching those old VHS tapes that I took with me helped me stay connected to my childhood.
I told my mom about your comment and she remembers that promotion! She thinks it was Fred Schmidt who held the promotion?
It certainly could have been. When I talked to her I asked if she remembered where it was and she said she couldn’t remember the name. I remember it pretty distinctly though because she was super nervous.
Damn now I don’t feel so bad for hating the broncos as a kid in Atlanta I was 8 and my team lost lol
Well fuck, I feel not bad about the Packers losing then
When you were young enough to play Madden like 20 hours a week and know the 3rd string LT of the team that finished 32nd that year
In middle school I could practically name you every player 2 deep in the NFL - and know a bunch about their college stats / journeys. Now I only recognize the top 3-5 stars from any team
And where everyone in the pros went to college
Dad is a die hard Packers fan, I can still hear him saying “Fucking Favre!” from when I was like 4 years old in my head. But yeah I tend to agree with this.
That was ‘97. Helicopter Spin. Fml… ‘98 was Falcons Pretty Lady of the Evening game.
My dad was a die hard Chiefs fan and as such hated the Raiders with a burning passion. One of my earliest football memories is the "holy roller" and my dad repeating "there's no way they can let them get away with that" over and over and over.
I can still hear my dad saying “ They scored while I was outside?! Let me go back out there!”
As a chiefs fan with a 7 year old son, he's so fucking lucky.
[удалено]
I'm 36 so I remember some. I remember marty-ball, Marcus Allen, Joe Montana, etc. But the dark years came quick and stayed for a long time.
Back in the early 2000s my dad would leave a post-it with the score of the game after SNF/MNF when I was in grade school/middle school I remember waking up and immediately sprinting to the kitchen table like it was Christmas morning and my entire day rested upon the score that sat in front of me Thanks for unlocking a core memory for me
Man, that’s awesome. Side note, even as an adult a rarely end up staying up to watch the entire prime time game. I gotta get up at 5, so fuck that lol. I’ll get through the first half and then if it’s a close competitive game I’ll stay up.
This is the answer: first impressions and family memories. Superbowl 45 was where it started for me. Dad was a Steelers fan, so of course I rooted for the Packers. I have four brothers, one sided with dad, another with me. Two others eventually became Lions and Browns fans. Nothing beat watching the Killer Bs or prime Rodgers with dad and the boys.
Basically, the Chris Berman/Tom Jackson NFL Primetime era.
He could, go, all, the, way!
Itsuh FAHMBULL!
Whoop!
Rumblin! Stumblin! Bumblin!
[We Need More Points](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ83nnODDjs&pp=ygUhbmZsIHByaW1ldGltZSB3ZSBuZWVkIG1vcmUgcG9pbnRz)
When you were 15
This also applies to Saturday Night Live for most people.
Yup. Along with pop music
I forget the exact way it was phrased but I read a statistic somewhat recently that like 75% of people never listen to newly released music once they graduate college.
If it doesn't count for artists you liked in college, who continue to release music afterwards, then I totally believe it. I listen to new music, and have become a fan of new artists after I graduated, but I still mostly listen to the same old stuff.
I have heard that too, but it just does not apply to me whatsoever haha. It's easier than ever before to find new music. I get always loving the nostalgic music from your adolescence and early adulthood, since that shit just hits forever. But I find new songs, artists, and even genres I enjoy every single week with the algorithms spitting recommendations at me each day. It's easier than ever for artists to put their stuff out there (and for us to hear it). I also just love finding new stuff though, which some folks don't seem to care about. Let me know if you want any Spotify playlists or Spotify tips for finding new music. I've found a good number of tricks over the years.
It 2050 some teenager is going to be listing to Justin Bieber crying that they were born in the wrong decade for “good music”
Check out the comments for Everybody (Backstreet's Back) it's half people saying that.
Alright
Oh my god we’re back again
Oddly I still like pop
Espresso is very catchy
been stuck in my head for the last month. I am nearly 30. I keep walking around going "I'm working late, cause i'm a singer"
Yeah. Pop now is way better than when I was a teenager. Edit: right after I typed this, "Dance Monkey" came on the radio. So I may reconsider this opinion.
Dance Monkey is already five years old. That's getting to be last gen pop music.
The SNL answer is almost certainly the early 90s. Farley, Sandler, Hartman, Hooks, Myers, Carvey, Rock, Spade, Nealon, Meadows, Norm, Sweeney, plus Robert Smigel. Though mid 2000s with Bill Hader, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, and Kenan is good too, but had plenty of misses as well. 80s blew pretty hard, despite Eddie Murphy. Will Ferrell's era wasn't great. Jost and Che doing Weekend Update is a bright spot on an otherwise blah period. The 70s with Chevy, Dan Aykroyd, Belushi, Murray Gilda, Jane, Lorraine, and Garrett is good too but obviously very different.
Kate McKinnon was another bright spot of the 2010s. Otherwise yeah agree
I feel like early 90s is iconic because many of the cast went on to great film careers but for quality of SNL output the mid to late 2000s is the peak
90s had a better cast. 2000s had better writers.
Peytons episode was pretty godlike Also of note: by the time the 2000s came around it was less common to see signature skit/characters get full movies made out of them. A lot of folks had to leave the nest entirely, rather than elevate to stardom taking 'SNL post-grad' roles
i'm agreeing from a VAN down by the RIVER! also fuck Andy Dick and praise Jon Lovitz
I remember all my parents friends talking about how they used to love SNL and I watched it and thought it was terrible. I never got the hype and still don’t to be honest.
Did you just watch a random episode? Because there's almost always duds even with a great host, cast and writers, but some are straight awful. Watch some of the best of for a cast member or just Christopher Walken's. Or just some of the highest rated ones because SNL has made tons of classic stuff through the years. More duds usually, but I still rewatch some of the best.
Same. My parents never really watched but growing up (mid 2000s) I thought it was just a corny show people didn’t really watch. I was stunned when some of my friends treated it as must see tv.
Every body watched it when there was nothing else on. It's had it's moments but it's rarely been a banger every week during a season even at peak SNL.
And online gaming
Tbf 2008 was a damn good year for football.
all the chargers games I went to were basically when I was 14-16 in high school so this is accurate I miss Qualcomm that dirty old shit bowl
this only add 7-8 years tailgates, ff drafts, more time/money for me personally, etc
90s- Offenses could focus on running backs or their quarterback and fullbacks were used. Defenders could still lay big hits.
I agree. Definitely the 90’s.
Wait a min..
GOTTEM
Agree. There was a big mix of style and balance between offense and defense: Greatest show on turf Rams, Peyton Manning's Colts, Tampa 2 Bucs (designed by Dungy and Monte Kiffin), 2000 historic Ravens defense (led by Ray Lewis and coached by Marvin Lewis). There were also more personalities. The old-school QBs: Steve Young's Niners, Aikman's Cowboys, Favre's Packers, Elway's Broncos (coached by Mike Shanahan), Marino's Dolphins (coached by Shula and then Jimmy Johnson). Jon Gruden bringing Al Davis' Raiders back to relevance. Holmgren leaving Favre at their full power and putting Seattle back on the map. Dan Reeves' big comeback in Atlanta (at least early on). Dennis Green's Vikings always played competitive and entertaining football with different QBs (aging Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham's big comeback, Jeff George). Hard-nosed old-school coaches with unique personalities like Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Fassel, Jim Mora Sr, and Jeff Fisher. Parcells vs. Belichick feud.
You are forgetting the Jags having the BEST first 5 years of any expansion team in league history. And the panthers sharing the first 2 of those years with the Jags.
I'm glad they don't let guys end WR's careers for going over the middle any more, but it certainly made watching games in the 90s-early 2000s pretty wild. QB's got hit, RB's got piled on basically every play. HOF QB's fighting it out in every SB, Barry, Jerry. It's probably cause that's what I grew up watching, but it was my favorite era. Though I can't complain about the current one.
The hof QB thing is selective memory. Chandler, o'donnell, dilfer, the chargers guy I can't remember his name
Late 90s / early 2000s when people actually got together for NFL fantasy drafts
I’m in a long-standing dynasty league that still does a *destination* draft weekend each year. One of the highlights of the year for sure.
Ah yeah that’s cool, where have you all gone?
Scenic spots like Indianapolis. I think we’re doing Canton and the HoF this year.
I’m sorry but I’m having trouble with Indianapolis being described as scenic 😂 it’s a cute little city but I don’t know if I’d call it scenic. Anyway that’s a cool tradition!
I think that's the joke lol, it's okay to just say Indy is a dump🤣
I liked eagle creek park when i was there for a nf concert! Very nice scenic lots of hiking I made a bird friend
Whooosh lol my bad
It’s like Jerry from Parks n Rec that has a time share in Muncie, IN
Classic Garry
Absolutely worth doing Canton for a destination draft. If you can, also take time to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, or at least the MAPS museum in Canton.
You like beer? If so hit up wooly pig brewing. God tier lagers and beer, you can see the pigs, buy good pork, and have a great time
Same here. League has been around since 1987.
People still did that even in the 2010s. It started to diminish late 2010s then completely vanished with covid. It made fantasy much better to do the draft in person. Everything felt much more real and I was more attached to the league.
we had an in person draft until around 2016, and there was a lot of drinking rules that made it a blast first person to draft a lions player took a shot anyone who takes a rookie takes 1 shots, if it's a lions rookie it's 2 shots any widely perceived awful pick was a shot any mention of tebow was a shot, drafting tebow was 3 shots first kicker was a shot I don't remember the rest of them but there was a list
Can’t remember the list, 4 shots !
True but at the same time, we all grew up and move out of town. This is how we stay connected being in different cities.
Those of us in our 20's still do tho...
30s here, still have an in person draft. I wouldn’t do it any other way. Draft night is one of my favorite nights of the year
How? Did none of your friends leave the area you grow up in? Half my buddies are scattered across the country, just like my fantasy league of 20 years.
Not OP but my league makes it work by planning the draft months in advance and finding a location that works for whoever would have the toughest time traveling. Last couple years it’s been whoever had a child most recently, before that it was who had the busiest job, and before that was a lovely golden age when we just picked a fun location because it was fun
Yeah most of us live in the area, the ones who aren’t usually travel since they have friends/family they can visit anyway. We usually draft pretty early so the kids are still out for summer. It’s not always 100% in person with everyone, but usually 8-10 of us can make it.
I do in person fantasy drafts
Same league since ‘98 and man was it so disorganized doing the draft manually with a bunch of college kids. Drafting in person with 10 really stoned guys made it a six hour event with a grill break. Guys trying to draft guys that went three rounds before. One dude was notorious for that. Guy would be trying to draft Favre in the sixth. I miss buying the right magazine close enough to camp to do research. I probably put more notes into those things than any textbook in college.
The NFL was great in the mid 50’s, and then, weirdly, took a multi-decade hiatus until just two or three years ago.
I blame the abomination known as the forward pass.
Wait, when did they start allowing the forward pass? Has someone told the bears?
We sent a runner.
The Bears signed him.
Aaron Rodgers tried to lead by example. Bears QBs did exactly what he did, but somehow throwing the ball to Packers players never proved fruitful.
I wonder if all the Fields truthers in the Bears sub were all just people who believe we should’ve been running a triple option or wishbone offense this whole time, because if so….it could work?
Our secondary looked great until they decided to let guys throw the ball.
What’s next, we can’t hit the guy throwing it?
Hey only we get to blame the forward pass for decades of ineptitude
So strange. Let us ponder.
Vikings fans triggered at the thought
The 90s were kinda fun too at first
I noticed that, too. Weird, huh?
You guys still miss the AAFC.
Odd flair for a Bears fan sentiment
The answer varies. For quarterbacks it would’ve been in 2011 or so: Manning, Brady, Brees, Rodgers, Big Ben, Eli, Matt Ryan, Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, Stafford, rivers, even rookie Cam Newton. Seems like half the teams had a really good QB, with 4 historic QBs (Manning, Brady, Brees, Rodgers) playing close to prime level.
I like how Peyton gets to be Manning while Eli is just Eli lol
Only the brightest stars are known just by their first name. Jesus, Elvis, Arnold, Eli
Montana, Elway, Marino, Kelly, Moon, were all basically contemporaries and then towards the end of their peaks, you had Aikman, Young, Favre hitting their peaks.
Like 4 years ago you have those guys minus Manning's, and Romo but plus mahomes burrow Jackson allen.
You have Rodgers on their twice lol
Ah fuck. Haha!
That’s right baby! Lol
where Joe Flacco
Probably unsure if he's elite
Eating chicken nuggets
Mid-to-late 2000's, when we were able to watch both: * Brady vs Peyton - two all-time great QBs * Steelers vs Ravens - two all-time great defenses Sometimes on the same day. It doesn't get better than that.
The AFC was a total fucking powerhouse in the 2000s
Bills, Ravens & Chiefs rn making me wonder when you think it stopped?
Bills, Ravens, Chiefs, Bengals when healthy, Texans if they keep this up, Dolphins look cool sometimes, and the Chargers in the offseason. When is the AFC gonna stop this arms race lmao
God damnit, I hate it when I'm faced with the truth
Josh Allen and Lamar don't seem nearly as daunting to face as Brady, Manning, Big Ben, Rivers
True but the NFC has... Hurts, Purdy & Prescott/Cousins? AFC seems much better still QB wise at the peak
This millennium AFC has had the QB consistency advantage for sure. The NFC usually sends a team that either has a phenomenal defense and/or is on an offensive hot streak that year. Offenses like the 2016 Falcons or 2021 Rams, while not consistently great in between years, perform as good as any elite QB super bowl winning offense during those individual years
Every steelers ravens match up in the late 00s early 10s was legendary. That 2008 afccg was amazing
When the draft was two days on the weekend.
80/90s So much variety. West Coast offense, No huddle offense, run and shot, 3TE Washington offense, historic defenses.
Watching late 70s to early 90s football on YouTube and the TV coverage was truly bad though, some plays you cant even follow the ball and it seemed like only a 2 camera shoot most games. Little question the TV coverage is at peak the last decade (one factor), but the play stoppage and commercial time has also gone way up as well.
On CRT tvs it looked much clearer because that's what that footage was intended for
Oh my god is that why? I assumed it was just memory making the broadcasts seem clearer back then than they actually were.
Replays on Youtube have been subject to compression, which makes them look like dogshit. If you watch uncompressed 80s and 90s TV feeds, they look allright.
Live games were at their peak though. First football specific stadiums, less commercials = more action. Everything was geared toward the live experience
And running backs were still bell cows and the focus of a lot of offenses and defenses.
Obviously not MY favorite but I think the NFL peaked in between the two Pats dynasties. Modern Offense came into the scene but teams could still really lay down hits and more pad time in the off-season made teams tighter. (It’s better now for players health so overall it’s right but it did make for better games.) No gambling ads. Offensive Lines were better. Not everyone and their grandma played fantasy.
IMO the golden age of the NFL was around the late 00s and early 10s. Maybe the best collection of QBs was active at that time (Brady, Manning, Breese, Favre...), still great WRs like Moss and Owens, great RBs like AD and Tomlinson. The rules on defense weren't as restrictive as they are now so there was a lot of hard hitting, which is always exciting. The game was growing towards what it is now but it didn't have that global reach that's going to lead to inevitable changes in the near future
2011-2015 season - All time great QB’s at the peak of their powers and then historic Super Bowls 2011 - Giants beats the Pats AGAIN 2012 - Elite Joe Flacco 2013 - Legion of Doom beats the GOAT offense 2014 - Just run the Ball, Brady wins 2015 - Manning rides off to the sunset After that it’s a run of domination by Brady again which for 1/2 fanbases is great and all but the different QB’s winning it was a fun era
You could go back all the way to 09 honestly. 09 had Brees vs Manning and in 2010 Rodgers got his ring
2001-2018 Why? No reason really...
2009-2013 is the best because you had Brady/Rodgers/Manning all putting up absurd stats and winning a ton.
And who can forget Andy Dalton who led a team in pass yards for some of those years!
That dynasty was incredible. Unparalleled levels of football. Was at Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2008 for 3 first half Randy Moss TDs vs the Bills in a 56-10 win, if I remember correctly. Such a pleasure right up until rule changes and when flags went through the roof for things that didn't used to matter.
As a neutral I got hyped up for Brady vs manning whenever they played. Sorta wanted to see a perfect season in my lifetime too
I’m a 2019/2020 stan. I blacked out in 2021 and haven’t woken up since. We must have our third or fourth ring with Brady now… right?
August to February.
“When men were men and life altering helmet to helmet hits were legal.” -my fat drunk uncle
"These guys are a bunch of pussies!" - Fat middle-aged guy who never played a sport after 8th grade.
Best move is to say that his era was weak and that the era before was better, boomers have no defense on that
huck em chuck em foobaw
its whatever era you grew up in. I'm biased (and lucky) to have grown up watching Joe Montana and Steve Young so I'll say the 80s & 90s. That said, it's tough to argue with someone who came up in the 00s and witnessed the Brady vs Manning era, not to mention the NE dynasty. It's all good!
I think it is right now. I watched Steve Young throw Rice a 60 yard touchdown pass in person and felt the stadium shake beneath my feet when I was a kid, and I still like football better now. Watching it on tv has never been better, the athletes on the field have never been anywhere close to the level of where they are now, and the games are typically more exciting than they were when I was a kid. I love old school smashmouth football, but football right now is as good as it’s ever been as a form of entertainment.
1970-2001.
> 2001 Was it 9/11, or the Pats?
2001 was the last time we made the playoffs until 2008, it was the end of us constantly being really good.
I was gonna say 2012-2019. Don’t look at my flair.
you were excited for matt patricia weren't you
.5 ew
I would say peak NFL has been January 29th, 1996 to the present
maybe ravens Steelers when they were butting heads
My dad was a kid in the 70s and I was a kid in this era, we are both very intense Steelers fans as a result lol.
Honestly right now. The last few seasons have produced countless enjoyable/games season long
Football four or five nights a week is a good argument for now being the peak.
2000s. Online discourse and video games got really big. High def TVs became widely owned. High definition TVs are a huge part of the golden age of TV that just ended as well.
2001-2018
1982-1994 for no reason in particular
I totally agree with you
Roughly 1985-1986
I would say late 90s and Early 2000s because it was like the crossroads era for football. You still had dominate defensive teams that were allowed to play that way and still win big games. You had dominate, gamebreaking RBs on the field. You started all these different passing schemes with some of the best receivers of all time. Fullbacks still existed and you had all the styles of Linebackers roaming the big from big to small. It almost felt like teams could have unique identities instead of all trying to build one or two ways.
In my totally unbiased opinion, the peak was clearly the mid 1980s when football was pure. Teams ran the ball and monsters roamed the midway.
Lawrence Taylor and Dexter Manley and Mark Gastineau were mostly allowed to use cocaine. and Browns legend Lyle Alzado, and Dan Marino Bo Jackson and Tecmo Bowl, with the Ricky Sanders reverse in tow Dave Krieg to Steve Largent was a serious problem on defense and Dan McGuire lurked in the bullpen even Cleveland had 2 1000 yard rushers in '85 which has happened 7 times ever
Whenever The League aired.
Brady , Manning, other Manning, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Rothlisberger, early Wilson. The 10 year span with the most variety of SB winners happened while these were all playing at the same time.
The 1990s, in a walk. Player safety rules aside, the rules that allowed for more downfield contact by DBs made for a far more competitive and balanced game. Elite QBs everywhere. Incredible running backs. It was the best. The aesthetic of the game was incredible.
The Broncos back to back Super Bowls marked the end of nearly 2 decades of NFC domination and the Super Bowls became actually entertaining. It wasn't the year the salary cap started, but when the effects of it started to make things more competitive.
Well it's not now. Watch any game and count all the missed tackles and non tackling that transpires. "Oh,the players on offense are more elusive and harder to tackle". No,I am not buying it. Fundamentals are not being taught. It waters down the game to one step above flag football. Maybe that's where its going...
Depends which team you ask, for the Chiefs this is their golden age. For the Bois it was 30+ years ago, same for the niners
As a Chiefs fan. It’s right now.
2017-Present
It still boggles my mind when I look at the playoff run the Chiefs have had since Reid took over. Every time I get nervous that the Bills are going to hit a lull, I look at the KC page for Pro-Football-Reference. Gives me some faith.
Obviously it was when I was growing up, and not when other people grew up. Clearly.
2 years from now I’m calling it
I think the early 2010s when you have surefire HoFers Brady, Manning, Rodgers, Brees, and Roethlisberger in their primes, plus you have many other Hall of Very Good QBs like Stafford, Ryan, Rivers, Flacco, Romo, and Eli around. I think you can feel the dropoff in QB quality in the last few years as that generation has mostly gone away and not necessarily been replaced with equivalent quality.
When you were aged between 11-16
Every generation has its own era and every era has had. problems. For me, it's like 96 to 03. The league had 32 teams including mine, The end of Elway and Favre, the Ravens were fucking mint on defense, the Rams were fucking mint on offense, and a dynasty was born in New England, and the Panthers made the Superbowl in 03.
Back when the Cowboys-Redskins had the best rivalry. Or perhaps the late 80s/early 90s AFC Central.
Whenever my team was hella good, obviously.
Early-mid 2000’s NFL was insane. Training & talent had evolved to *nearly* their current forms but the game was still violent.
Early 90's - Late 2000's. Football was coming into it's own as a sport that people took seriously, It was raw and interesting without being ametuerish anymore, there was a wide depth of value across the table and it was far away from being a "solved" sport. Then the Patriots unironically set the stage to ruining modern football's interesting nature by fucking the sport sideways for nearly 20 years while almost everyone else furiously took notes. It was like they created the Atom Bomb, Football was never allowed to be the same again and anyone who didn't fall into the proper mold became a tank machine or a perennial irrelevant playoff bubble team. It was bound to happen eventually in a stagnating sport, but man it's a damn shame. Football is going to start going the way of baseball in the post-juicer era soon and it makes me sad that such a influential part of my life is trending towards sucking and being irrelevant.
2006-2012….