Is anyone else's interest in the NFL dwindling?

[Diivox]

Yeah, I've turned into an NBA fan mostly (and I'm a Suns fan, so that's saying something). I still didn't miss a minute of Packer football, but I didn't even bother with almost every other game.

1) I hate the way it's covered. This could be a thread all of its own. We read a Tebow / Jets article literally every week the entire fucking offseason last year. The human interest stories, the manufactured drama, the "this guy said this HOW DARE HE" and the pathetic fake laughter of the pregame shows. It feels like they are going out of their way to turn football into wrestling ; I ain't got time for fucking drama. I fell in love with football because of the deep strategies and the intelligence displayed. None of this is covered. Also, take your pick of these 3 groups of 2 words: Phil Simms, Joe Buck, Rob Riggle.

2) Fantasy Football. Fuck everybody who came up to me looking for an explanation of why Rogers did this or that. "WHY COULDN'T HE GET ANOTHER TOUCHDOWN?" Fuck your fantasy football team, nobody cares about it but you and your leaguemates, and 50-75% of them won't give a shit halfway through your season either. Especially fuck you if you won your league and can't stop telling me about it - it didn't require any skill or anything on your part. you got lucky on a draft order or maybe some free agents. Don't try to sell this to me as some coup of intelligent thought.

3) Every single game now, there is 3-4 times where everyone stands around arguing about a call. I would be watching the game and be like "oh cool its referee time where everyone pretends to know what the fuck they are doing" which were cool only for extended beer runs / piss breaks. The calls are so close that sometimes you just don't know. Most of the time, even after the ref explains it, you still don't know. The anouncers have to awkwardly explain things. Why does Mike Pereira still have a job? why do you have to have a fucking "rules expert" studio guy in the first place? They overcomplicated the rulebook. This is worsened when you are watching the game with other people, which used to be my favorite thing ever. At the bar, you will get 30 people who don't know what they are talking about yelling and screaming. It's like listening to your 14 year old cousin go off about politics ; shut the hell up, you don't know what you were talking about, and you were probably too busy arguing to hear the verdict.

Or maybe I just grew up a little. maybe its too hard to like what you did as a kid. For example, Nine Inch Nails. First concert i ever went to. love the band more than I do some family members. entire discography on my hard drive, and i never listen to them anymore. Just kinda played it out.

I also havent owned a console in many years, so I don't play madden. NBA2k13 I play daily still, because they make it for PC.

[mgoblue2290]

Definitely agree with you on your first point. My mention of manufactured drama goes for off the field stuff as well. I find it hilarious when all these personal rivalries get played up before the game and everyone gets excited for a couple specific players to go at it or get revenge.

I also don't like fans that will blindly defend a guy just because he plays for your team. Or when people get so upset they can't function because their team lost (that goes for all sports really). I might be upset for maybe 15-30 minutes after the game but then I'm over it. I'm not going to let something I have no control over seriously affect me.

I think I may just be getting tired of how sports are such a large part of our lives and that they can command every day attention and non stop discussion. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching and playing a variety of sports because I enjoy competition, but the things that take place outside of the actual game are getting more and more annoying.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

Diivox point 1 and 2 made me conscious of something I never tried to figure out but felt. I used to spend alot of time looking up stats and reading articles and books on football strategies, and old stories. I find that my interest in doing so is next to nothing today. But it's not because I don't love the game, but because it feels like I have noone worth talking to about it. I know more people now that *talk* about football then ever before but every single one of them save one or two is a fuckin F. Football hack. They can't hold any football conversation that doesn't include "bullshit call".." sucks" .. Or "points".

[Warner2BruceTD]

Third or fourth thread on this topic since myself and a few others predicted over exposure would hurt fan interest and Zoneblitz vehemently disagreed. Hmm, wonder where he is today...

http://www.adweek.com/news/televisio...-season-146305



NFL ratings are down from last year, however slightly. But they have increased as a whole over the years. Also, they did their best regular season game in the past 16 years with the Cowboys vs Skins in Week 17. But they appear to be leaps ahead of all other sports products out there (although the article didnt provide numbers for it).

I really, really, really wish Zoneblitz was here to take his comeuppance.

FOX, CBS, ESPN all down between 1%-5%.

Thanksgiving games down.

NFC Championship Game was down.

Super Bowl was up, but that was thanks to the blackout. NFL Network Thursday was up, but that was to be expected with more homes getting the network, leading to a novelty factor for many people.

Tried to tell that m'fer that any form of entertainment reaches a breaking point, and the NFL was greatly expediting that breaking point with some of their decisions. Tried to tell that m'fer that the rules changes would wear down fans patience and change the fabric of game.

Ratings will drop again next year. If they start doing dumb shit like widening the field, and eliminating the three point stance, and eliminating hits below the waist, and eliminating kickoffs (all are real possibilities), they will drop dramatically and not incrementally. The league has peaked, only so many people were going to get into the NFL, and some were obviously going to lose interest at some point. CFB powers would be wise to expand playoffs now. I've said for years that CFB is a good playoff system away from at least challenging the NFL as king of the mountain.

[Villain]

My fandom did not fizzle. I had a lot of fun watching the NFL this past season.

[Hasselbeck]

Not at all. I think the game has never been more exciting quite frankly. Goodell does some weird shit from time to time, but all in all it's a very exciting game. And after the 2012 draft, lots of new young stars to watch for the next several seasons and get excited about.

[Hasselbeck]

http://www.adweek.com/news/televisio...-season-146305



NFL ratings are down from last year, however slightly. But they have increased as a whole over the years. Also, they did their best regular season game in the past 16 years with the Cowboys vs Skins in Week 17. But they appear to be leaps ahead of all other sports products out there (although the article didnt provide numbers for it).

Reading this article points out two things to me..

- The AFC all in all, really wasn't that great this season even though the champ came from the conference. As a result, the ratings for CBS took a hit while FOX didn't see much of a drop at all.. understandable since the NFC collectively was the better conference this season (and arguably last season as well).

- If interest in the NFL was waning, NBC's ratings would have taken the biggest hit. Compared to 2011, it's again practically the same.

[Hasselbeck]

I really, really, really wish Zoneblitz was here to take his comeuppance.

I don't.. because that means ZB is here on the boards..

FOX, CBS, ESPN all down between 1%-5%.

Thanksgiving games down.

NFC Championship Game was down.

Again I think you're over analyzing this.. to break it down.

FOX was down a measly 1%. FOX also lost two big marquee games to NBC in weeks 16 and 17 (SF at SEA, DAL at WSH).. if they had one of these games they probably match or beat out their 2011 numbers.

CBS had a ratings hit because the AFC was generally awful. The majority of terrible teams in the NFL played in the AFC.. and the few times a good AFC matchup was present, it was on either NBC or ESPN, save for a few contests.

The NFC Championship was down in large part because it featured the Falcons. Apologies to the Falcon contingency here at VSN.. but to the casual viewer, no one really cares about Atlanta. San Francisco is a big draw in itself though. Really though I think every possibly matchup this season would have a hard time beating out last years draw of Giants-Niners - a game which btw happened in primetime too.

Super Bowl was up, but that was thanks to the blackout. NFL Network Thursday was up, but that was to be expected with more homes getting the network, leading to a novelty factor for many people.

The Super Bowl has become such an event in itself that it will draw massive ratings no matter what. The blackout didn't do anything for the draw... though in the long term it may have helped slow down the Ravens momentum which in turn led to a closer game and better finish. But, no, people didn't suddenly tune into the Super Bowl because the lights were off. NFLN's coverage was up because they doubled the games they showed from 2011.. a true barometer will be comparing 2013 to 2012. However, THIS is where I agree with you that Goodell is overexposing and watering down his own product. These games were simply not good.. for a whole host of reasons. The main ones being these teams were playing on short weeks, thus making the game sloppy and otherwise hard to watch.. coupled with the fact they put every team in the league on in primetime when the NFL has more poor teams than interesting ones. There's a reason NBC isn't throwing the Jaguars and Cardinals on SNF... no one cares.

Tried to tell that m'fer that any form of entertainment reaches a breaking point, and the NFL was greatly expediting that breaking point with some of their decisions. Tried to tell that m'fer that the rules changes would wear down fans patience and change the fabric of game.

Ratings will drop again next year. If they start doing dumb shit like widening the field, and eliminating the three point stance, and eliminating hits below the waist, and eliminating kickoffs (all are real possibilities), they will drop dramatically and not incrementally. The league has peaked, only so many people were going to get into the NFL, and some were obviously going to lose interest at some point. CFB powers would be wise to expand playoffs now. I've said for years that CFB is a good playoff system away from at least challenging the NFL as king of the mountain.

I kind of disagree here. I think you will see similar ratings to this season with maybe a spike on NBC's end as they will showcase the young QB's this season (RG3, Luck, Wilson, Kaepernick will all be on NBC at least twice.. book it) .. not to mention the AFC will probably improve a little bit from the previous year to help out CBS.

Regarding college football's playoff.. unless they run the games against the NFL, I don't see how they will hurt the NFL's rating draw at all. The National Title game is never going to draw conference championship numbers and forget Super Bowl numbers. Has the NFL peaked? Maybe.. but I am inclined to believe this new youth movement at QB is going to only help the league grow even more.

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

The league has peaked, only so many people were going to get into the NFL, and some were obviously going to lose interest at some point. CFB powers would be wise to expand playoffs now. I've said for years that CFB is a good playoff system away from at least challenging the NFL as king of the mountain.

Regarding college football's playoff.. unless they run the games against the NFL, I don't see how they will hurt the NFL's rating draw at all. .

Thats the dangerous thing about the NFL. Other sports just have competition from other sports.The U.S has an immense college football following. In no other sport is ones alma mater even relevant or spoken about yet in the NFL guys are told to state there name and school during the intro. NCAA is a legitimate substitute for the NFL if people grow tired of it. The old adage "people will watch anyway, its the NFL" maybe true but its also very possible people will realize the game has changed too much and spend 200$ less a year on Sunday Ticket and 150$ less on authentic jerseys and dedicate there saturdays instead of Sundays to football watching.

Has the NFL peaked? Maybe.. but I am inclined to believe this new youth movement at QB is going to only help the league grow even more.

Honest question , did the NFL ratings go up after the 83 class ? NFL ratings dont sway as much by individuals as they do by teams. Its the way its been packaged for decades but I do wonder if bulk upgrades at QB have helped before.

[wr50l]

I only care about it because I gamble and play fantasy football. The event as a whole is actually shit - not enough action, and too many inconclusive moments regarding the rules, half of which I definitely couldn't explain.

[NAHSTE]

:hmm:

[FirstTimer]

I have very little interest in the NFL anymore.

[Houston]

The Texans not pursing Kaepernick after the Watson injury last year was pretty much the nail in the coffin.

I'll tune in every now and then just to watch the late game antics and hilariously bad play calling the league has to offer, but that's about it.

[BazookaJoe5]

Sorta. But more to do with the Ravens being about as fun to watch in recent years as Madden has been to play than anything else. Which is to day I'd rather have nails hammered into my eyes.

Maybe this year will be better.

The officiating is of course horrendous on a regular basis as well which doesn't help.

[ram29jackson]

The older you get, the more you watch it, you realize you're watching the same redundant crap over and over. I still like the aesthetics of football but I'm not emotionally involved.