Long ago, when N.F.L. pregame shows lasted 30 minutes and sports arguments were more common in barrooms than on cable television, former players did not cause many ripples from the broadcast booth.

Some players turned broadcasters, like Don Meredith, were bubbly and charming. Others, like Tom Jackson, were mild-mannered and conservative. Many, like Joe Montana, were bland and uninformative. A few were almost monosyllabic. None were confrontational.

Times have changed, and today’s former player spouts criticism, even of former teammates, as if he were paid by the snap judgment. This new generation of talking heads subscribes to a bellicose corollary of Cartesian metaphysics: I rip, therefore I am.

Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs miss games because of injury, and their former Giants teammate Antonio Pierce diagnoses them from a radio studio, accusing them of “taking it easy.” Tony Romo throws three game-killing interceptions, and the former Cowboy Deion Sanders says that fans are sick of a quarterback whom they cannot trust. Chad Ochocinco compliments Tom Brady on Twitter, and the former Patriot Tedy Bruschi tells a Boston radio audience that Ochocinco must “drop the awe factor” and “get with the program.” Michael Vick complains about a possible late hit, and Trent Dilfer — during a television segment on Romo, not Vick — makes a sarcastic remark about quarterbacks who whine.