Alright, so you wanna know when them football fellas stopped wearin’ them knee pads, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, it ain’t so straightforward. It’s like tryin’ to figure out when the rooster started crowin’ at sunrise – it’s always been kinda there, then kinda not, you know?
First off, what them knee pads was for. Them things weren’t nothin’ fancy, just some cushiony stuff to keep your knees from gettin’ all bruised up and banged when you hit the ground or smack into another fella. You know, like when you fall on your behind in the garden, it hurts less if you got a thick cushion, right? Same idea with them knee pads.
- Protect ya from bumps and bruises
- Keep ya kneecap safe from gettin’ smashed
Now, back in the day, seems like everyone wore ’em. You see them old-timey pictures, fellas all padded up like they’re goin’ to war. But then things started changin’. Some of them speedy fellas, the ones catchin’ the ball and runnin’ fast, they started thinkin’ them pads was slowin’ ’em down. Said it made ’em clumsy, like tryin’ to run with rocks in your pockets. They wanted to be light and quick, like a squirrel dodgin’ a cat.
So, the rules, they changed too. For a while, the big football bosses, they said everyone had to wear knee pads. Said it was for safety, keepin’ them boys from gettin’ hurt. But then, after a while, they kinda eased up. Said, “Alright, alright, you speedy fellas don’t gotta wear ’em if you don’t want to.” That was back in the 90s, I reckon. Around the time my grandson started playin’ pee-wee football, though they still made those little tykes wear the pads. Said it was safer, and I reckon it was.
And you know what? It ain’t just about speed, neither. Some of them boys, they just think them pads look ugly. Like wearin’ your grandma’s old flowered dress to a barn dance. They wanna look sleek and cool, like them fancy racehorses. So, they ditch the pads, even if it means takin’ a little more risk.
But here’s the thing, it ain’t like nobody wears knee pads no more. Some fellas still wear ’em, specially the ones who do a lot of hittin’ and gettin’ hit. Them big linemen, the ones who wrestle in the dirt like pigs in mud, they still like the extra protection. And the rules, they still say some pads are mandatory for some leagues, even though not everyone likes to wear them, they have to or they don’t play. It’s like wearing your seatbelt in the car – you might not like it, but it’s there to keep you safe.
Plus, they got new rules now, tryin’ to keep them boys safe in other ways. Less head-on collisions, less of them dirty hits. So, maybe, just maybe, them knee pads ain’t as important as they used to be. But I tell ya, seein’ some of them hard hits, I still think a little extra cushion wouldn’t hurt nobody.
So, there ain’t no one day when everyone stopped wearin’ knee pads. It was more like a slow fade-out, a little bit at a time. Some fellas stopped ’cause they wanted to be faster, some ’cause they wanted to look better, and some ’cause the rules changed. And some, well, they never stopped wearin’ ’em at all.
It’s a whole mix of reasons, you see? Just like makin’ a good stew, it ain’t just one ingredient, it’s a bit of this and a bit of that. Speed, looks, rules, safety – they all play a part in why them fellas wear what they wear on that football field. And I reckon it’ll keep changin’ too. Maybe someday they’ll come up with somethin’ new, somethin’ better than them old knee pads. Who knows? Only time will tell.
But one thing’s for sure, football’s a rough game. And them boys, they’re gonna keep lookin’ for ways to stay safe and play their best, whether it’s with knee pads or without ’em.
Tags: [Football, Knee Pads, NFL, Safety, Football Gear, History of Football, Sports Equipment, Athlete Safety, Rule Changes, College Football]
