Is anyone else starting to feel the way I do about the NFL?

[Got_Wood]

The entire league, including the owners and players, are filled with greed. I mean, it's getting to the point where I can't stand these people. I've been a Bills fan, and football fan in general, for my entire life. And the league as it stands is threatening to take football away from the average fan, even if they decide to take the field this year. Ticket prices continue to rise (not so much in Buffalo as other cities), parking lot fees are expensive, stadiums seats are being replaced with luxury boxes, beer and food is unaffordable, etc etc. Players aren't as loyal to their teams anymore because they want the best paycheck they can find. Cities can't keep their stadiums anymore, because they don't have enough luxury seating, jumbo trons, or tourist attractions. And the average tax payer is expected to foot a good percentage of the bill for a new stadium to support the wealthy that the league wants attending these games.

 

If they think fans care about the billionaires vs. millionaires battle going on right now, they can stuff it.

 

I'd be pissed if there wasn't football this year, but it won't ruin my year by any means. These guys need a reality check. "Growth" has it's limits. And the NFL can't forget the fans that made the league what it is today. The average, blue collar, hard working man.

 

This article has some great insight into the current state of the league...

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/117500703.html

Edited March 9, 2011 by Got_Wood

[Pete]

I am with you. Football is almost unwatchable with all the commercials. I remember games used to start at 1:00 and would finish sometimes at 3:30. Now 1:00 games sometimes are on past 5, trying to squeeze every advertising $ they can. I didn't go to a live football game for years then went to a Sunday night game- and could not believe how much the players stood around during tv timeouts.

 

Money is the ruiner of all things good

[Captain Hindsight]

I am with you. Football is almost unwatchable with all the commercials. I remember games used to start at 1:00 and would finish sometimes at 3:30. Now 1:00 games sometimes are on past 5, trying to squeeze every advertising $ they can. I didn't go to a live football game for years then went to a Sunday night game- and could not believe how much the players stood around during tv timeouts.

 

Money is the ruiner of all things good

I have seasons and i remember my first game wondering why they stood around so much. Its silly really but what can you do? They know they have a great product

[....lybob]

Almost every facet of life has been financialized, sports is just an obvious example.

[Pete]

Me and my friends would always talk about how cool it would be if we could organize fans and have a fan union. And if we could cooridinate with NFL fans all across the country- we could all not go into the stadium until the second quarter. Wow. What a statement that would be! In the age of the internet that makes it possible. I would love to see fans stand up to owners and corporations and be noticed. !@#$ greed and !@#$ greedy people

 

Almost every facet of life has been financialized, sports is just an obvious example.

Money is the ruiner of all things good

[Got_Wood]

Its silly really but what can you do? They know they have a great product

 

They have a great product that is deteriorating the more they allow commercial interests to taint the fabric of what makes football great. It's a tough mans game, an endurance game, and a display of sheer athleticism. We still have great athletes, but their increasingly more worried about not getting injured. And the endurance part of the game is gone. This may come as a shock to some of you... but the average NFL game has 11 MINUTES OF ACTION. See this article in the WSJ as evidence. So that 3 1/2 hours of game we're watching is filled with timeouts, commercial breaks, and running clock.

[Captain Hindsight]

Me and my friends would always talk about how cool it would be if we could organize fans and have a fan union. And if we could cooridinate with NFL fans all across the country- we could all not go into the stadium until the second quarter. Wow. What a statement that would be! In the age of the internet that makes it possible. I would love to see fans stand up to owners and corporations and be noticed. !@#$ greed and !@#$ greedy people

 

The US is becoming an oligarchy sadly. The only thing that will change the world now is a group of fed up pissed off people that can't be bought off. I'm just not sure people cant be bought off

[Ramius]

I am with you. Football is almost unwatchable with all the commercials. I remember games used to start at 1:00 and would finish sometimes at 3:30. Now 1:00 games sometimes are on past 5, trying to squeeze every advertising $ they can. I didn't go to a live football game for years then went to a Sunday night game- and could not believe how much the players stood around during tv timeouts.

 

Money is the ruiner of all things good

 

while i agree with a lot of what you said, i've never seen a 1pm start time game last until after 5, unless it goes deep into OT. The latest i've ever seen a regulation game finish was about 4:20pm.

[Direhard Fan]

It's unreal how long the breaks are in a game. I used to think the Ref called the time outs. Not so. It's a guy down the side line with bright gloves on working for the network who calls the time outs by signaling the Ref. The Ref is always watching that guy. Ever notice when you try to switch to the other game it has the same commercial on. Its the networks who pay the big bucks and call all the shots.

[dwight in philly]

I am with you. Football is almost unwatchable with all the commercials. I remember games used to start at 1:00 and would finish sometimes at 3:30. Now 1:00 games sometimes are on past 5, trying to squeeze every advertising $ they can. I didn't go to a live football game for years then went to a Sunday night game- and could not believe how much the players stood around during tv timeouts.

 

Money is the ruiner of all things good

i have been saying that for years. the NFL has become the "mtv" of sports. hate the pre-game shows also. i am old enough to remember the half-hour pre-game shows that focused entirely on the game or games to be played. now we watch michael irvin interview T O. Who, with half a brain, gives a sh-t about what T O thinks. the whole game is very much a "me" spectacle. the chest thumping after a routine tackle, etc. i will still watch, just not happy where the game has gone.

Edited March 9, 2011 by dwight in philly

[reddogblitz]

I see the whole thing as selfish greed.

 

There are a lot of Joe Schmucks out there that's income at least in part depends on the NFL. Most concession stands at NFL stadiums are now run by charities to raise money. Hotels, vendors, suppliers are all hurt if there is a lockout/strike. The guy that sells detergent to the teams to wash socks and jocks will feel it if there's a lockout.

 

My father was a commission printing salesman in Dallas and sold to the Cowboys. In the strike year he didn't get paid for the games that were canceled. In college I worked for a small time tortilla manufacturer that sold nacho chips to Texas Stadium. When the games were canceled they felt it big time.

 

During the last strike I saw school teachers picketing in support of the players union. What are those players doing now that unions are under attack to lose collective bargaining rights in some states that have NFL teams? Sorry, they're too busy trying to get more millions.

 

I don't care which side wins, they're both greedy selfish knuckleheads who need to have their head banged together.

 

Appears to me anyway, that the players don't care about the fans. If all the little guys who help make NFL football what it is are hurt, tough beans.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

I love football, and I love it at the highest level. I think that there are many people like me who will continue to front the Money despite the NFL. A second league that could compete with the NFL in the Spring would be the best way to combat the NFL. A league like the USFL. It will scare the NFL especially if they start getting players like the USFL did. Thats the only way.

[PromoTheRobot]

The Bills are the only reason I care about the NFL. No Bills and the NFL no longer exists to me.

 

PTR

[Guest three3]

it's practically wrestling..how about player weight limits

[BUFFALOKIE]

Me and my friends would always talk about how cool it would be if we could organize fans and have a fan union. And if we could cooridinate with NFL fans all across the country- we could all not go into the stadium until the second quarter. Wow. What a statement that would be! In the age of the internet that makes it possible. I would love to see fans stand up to owners and corporations and be noticed. !@#$ greed and !@#$ greedy people

 

 

Money is the ruiner of all things good

 

I'm in.

 

I suggest beginning a new thread to state your goal and solicit a boycott for the first quarter. If it is met with support on this board, step it up a notch and take it to other team message boards. Before you know it PFT will catch wind of it and it will make MSNBC.

 

If Facebook can be used to overthrow governments, then surely the lil ol NFL will hear us too?

Edited March 9, 2011 by Buffalokie

[Acantha]

Me and my friends would always talk about how cool it would be if we could organize fans and have a fan union. And if we could cooridinate with NFL fans all across the country- we could all not go into the stadium until the second quarter. Wow. What a statement that would be! In the age of the internet that makes it possible. I would love to see fans stand up to owners and corporations and be noticed. !@#$ greed and !@#$ greedy people

I don't get it. You'd pay for a full game, pay parking, pay for 3 quarters of concessions, and that's supposed to teach someone a lesson? Why pay all that money and lose out on watching the whole game? Doesn't that really hurt the fan more than anything else?

 

I could see if the idea was to boycott one game a year...only season ticket holders show up.

 

Edit: I'll add that in order for this to really make any difference, it would have to be done at home as well. Everyone shuts their TV's off, nobody goes to sports bars, etc...

Actually, using the first quarter boycott for television would work FAR better. I still don't think it would do much, but it would be better than the stadium.

Edited March 9, 2011 by Faustus

[Buftex]

I love football, and I love it at the highest level. I think that there are many people like me who will continue to front the Money despite the NFL. A second league that could compete with the NFL in the Spring would be the best way to combat the NFL. A league like the USFL. It will scare the NFL especially if they start getting players like the USFL did. Thats the only way.

 

 

Sounds good on paper, but it didn't work for the USFL, or the WFL before it.

 

Only the AFL, in the 60's had any success...the market for pro-football was more open then. There were still plenty of un-tapped markets back then, and the AFL helped itself by crossing the color/race line that still existed in 1960.

 

The NFL is pretty much at the saturation point, IMO. How many markets in America could sustain a pro-team, that lured away top NFL and college talent?

 

What I mean is, if, say, the Raleigh-Durham Devils, of some competing league, drafted Cam Newton, and another franchise lured Drew Brees to sign with them, all of the sudden, ticket prices start going up...it isn't Arena leauge, where you can take a family of 5 to a game for $50...the NFL has the market tied up. You either have pro-football, NFL style, or college football...also, to start a new leauge to compete with the big boys, you would need 8-12 wealthy men or women, who don't mind losing a bunch of money...while the USFL made some strides, in the end, guys like Trump ruined it. Deep down, they just wanted to be invited to sit at the big kids table of the NFL.

 

I love football. I don't really follow college ball all that closely. Sure, I still watch a college game (or at least part) almost every week...but, I want to see the very best compete...not just a bunch of guys playing a game. I don't want to see Jim Kelly or Steve Young breaking every pro-football passing record, against guys who are no longer eligible for college football, and not talented enough to make an NFL roster. It would take so much time, and money, for a competing league to succeed. I just don't think there is enough of either.

Edited March 9, 2011 by Buftex

[Mr. WEO]

 

I'd be pissed if there wasn't football this year, but it won't ruin my year by any means. These guys need a reality check. "Growth" has it's limits. And the NFL can't forget the fans that made the league what it is today. The average, blue collar, hard working man.

 

The average blue-collar fan gets his football for free--on TV, just like over 90% of every teams fan base does. It was free decades ago and still is. Not much "growth" in free.

 

Also, the majority of stadium concessions are run by large catering corporations or chain restaurants.

 

 

 

Me and my friends would always talk about how cool it would be if we could organize fans and have a fan union. And if we could cooridinate with NFL fans all across the country- we could all not go into the stadium until the second quarter. Wow. What a statement that would be! In the age of the internet that makes it possible. I would love to see fans stand up to owners and corporations and be noticed. !@#$ greed and !@#$ greedy people

 

 

Like LA fans!

 

It's unreal how long the breaks are in a game. I used to think the Ref called the time outs. Not so. It's a guy down the side line with bright gloves on working for the network who calls the time outs by signaling the Ref. The Ref is always watching that guy. Ever notice when you try to switch to the other game it has the same commercial on. Its the networks who pay the big bucks and call all the shots.

 

You just noticed this?

 

"TV time outs" have been around in the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, etc...for many years, so it's not quite as wildly incredible as your descripiton paints this regular telecast function. The network is guaranteed 20 commercial breaks throughout a game. 10 in each half. The vast majority of these come during necessary stoppages in play--injury, TD, FG, turnover, end of quarter, two minute warning and during replay.

 

 

 

I love football, and I love it at the highest level. I think that there are many people like me who will continue to front the Money despite the NFL. A second league that could compete with the NFL in the Spring would be the best way to combat the NFL. A league like the USFL. It will scare the NFL especially if they start getting players like the USFL did. Thats the only way.

 

Go ahead and start that league. Find the poster who claimed there are "billionaires lining up" to buy NFL teams". Or, better yet, team up with the above posters and redirect your money towards a league of Green Bay-type "fan owned" teams". Let us know how it goes.

[el Tigre]

I have lost most of my enthusiasm for the NFL over the past few years as well,for all of the reasons the OP stated and more. It is such a cookie cutter league. You can turn on a game on Sunday and if it weren't for the uniforms being different,you wouldn't be able to tell one team from another. With few exceptions,all the stadiums are the same,they all run similar offensive and defensive systems and the players are just mercenaries playing for a paycheck.Not that I blame them,they are professionals and are just looking out for their best interests.I would do the same. For me college football is where it's at. After watching college ball all day Saturday,NFL Sundays are boring in comparison.

[Buftex]

I have lost most of my enthusiasm for the NFL over the past few years as well,for all of the reasons the OP stated and more. It is such a cookie cutter league. You can turn on a game on Sunday and if it weren't for the uniforms being different,you wouldn't be able to tell one team from another. With few exceptions,all the stadiums are the same,they all run similar offensive and defensive systems and the players are just mercenaries playing for a paycheck.Not that I blame them,they are professionals and are just looking out for their best interests.I would do the same. For me college football is where it's at. After watching college ball all day Saturday,NFL Sundays are boring in comparison.

 

 

I agree, on a certain level...but for me, the disparity between talent levels in college football make it far less interesting than the NFL.