Sorry, I wasn't very clear with my comment. I didn't mean to suggest that DT wouldn't make it because he was a 21st century player. I was thinking he probably wouldn't make it because Seau and Lewis played in the same era. I just also wanted to point out how they were excluding the more recent NFL players. So far no one on the list had started their NFL career after 1996. Very poor list.
Its a tough list to make. In reality, I think if today's guys payed yesterdays, they'd dominate the early guys. Training technology, strategy, nutrition etc have come such a long way. Along with that, the system is more complete from pee-wee through college making the talent pool significantly larger. The"best of the best" are coming from such a large pool, they are physically on a different level. That being said, the early guys were tough as nails and they carved the path. Forgetting that would be like putting down Einstein because today scientist know so much more than he did. You have to acknowledge that every great player shows the next great player what can be done. Take one perspective or the other, and your lists are vastly different. I would like to see a better mix though.
Sorry, I wasn't very clear with my comment. I didn't mean to suggest that DT wouldn't make it because he was a 21st century player. I was thinking he probably wouldn't make it because Seau and Lewis played in the same era. I just also wanted to point out how they were excluding the more recent NFL players. So far no one on the list had started their NFL career after 1996. Very poor list.
Its a tough list to make. In reality, I think if today's guys payed yesterdays, they'd dominate the early guys. Training technology, strategy, nutrition etc have come such a long way. Along with that, the system is more complete from pee-wee through college making the talent pool significantly larger. The"best of the best" are coming from such a large pool, they are physically on a different level. That being said, the early guys were tough as nails and they carved the path. Forgetting that would be like putting down Einstein because today scientist know so much more than he did. You have to acknowledge that every great player shows the next great player what can be done. Take one perspective or the other, and your lists are vastly different. I would like to see a better mix though.