President Trump says the N.F.L. has gone soft.

It’s true that yellow penalty flags now litter the field for vicious collisions that once were celebrated. Video clips of those jarring hits used to be collected and edited into a highlight reel for an ESPN prime-time segment called, “Jacked Up.”

The announcers, watching and anticipating the impact, would raise their voices in a jubilant roar at the climactic moment: “He got … jacked up!”

ESPN retired the segment several years ago. Times have changed.

Every season, more rules are passed to protect the players, and without the N.F.L. saying so, to inhibit some of the inherent violence. It’s undeniable that what had been part of the league’s appeal — big hits — are being incrementally marginalized.

And while no one on television still shouts about players getting “jacked up,” the sentiment that something has been lost persists. The president gave voice to that concept last week at the same rally where he encouraged N.F.L. owners to fire protesting players. He said that rules intended to increase player safety were “ruining the game.”