There is a lot of talk about player safety right now.  If you’ve read my blog, you know that I am all about making this game as safe as we possibly can. As researchers find more and more medical evidence linking playing football (and the injuries that result from playing) to serious medical conditions, the pressure to change the game has rapidly increased. Along with the pressure to change, also comes the fear that the game could be ruined or made too “soft.” However, this dilemma is nothing new and the below video clip is proof of that. Art Donovan, former Baltimore Colts defensive tackle, talks about his playing days on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. As funny as his comments are, the game of football that he’s describing sounds more like a game from the Roman Gladiators than it does our modern football.  I believe that Art Donovan’s comments are a reflection of that fear that changing the rules will take away the intensity and competitiveness of the game.  Well… the NFL has continued to thrive in the past 30 years (despite rule changes). Perhaps this is reassurance that whatever the future changes may be, the quality of play and intensity will be upheld.