The Age of Aquarius Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Great thread, thanks for starting it. A few things that have turned me off, and away, from the game I grew up loving: 1) Instant replay. Mistakes happen: GMs draft bad players, coaches call the wrong plays, players drop the ball, refs miss calls. They are the only ones that get a "do over". I know it's nitpicking, but go watch the Bills/Oilers wildcard game (aka, the Comeback). It would have been The Blowout if it was played today--the Bills got so many favorable calls in the second half. "But they shouldn't have gotten those calls in the FIRST place lol". I get the counter-argument, I really do, but without instant replay, you can have momentum. The crowd gets into it, and it influences the refs whistles. But now? Every scoring play is reviewed. PSHHHH. Let em play Rog. 2) Scheduling. Time to realign the divisions, or at least mixup the scheduling formula. I can tell you who the Bills are playing for the next 50 years, save 2 games. And the kicker is, it's the same slate of games as the Pats/Dolphins/Jets. No wonder the same teams win every year. Give us a damn last place schedule, and let the Pats play a first place schedule. There are too few games, and too many teams, for this much scheduling homogeneity. I proposed in another thread a 4 division format, I won't get into it here, but the NFL is long due for realignment. 3) Cheating. This really should be number 1... But the owners are more concerned with revenue sharing than the integrity of the game. Pats got busted for cheating a decade ago, and hammered for it, then cheated again. Brady and Beliceck should be banned for life, their accomplishments should be stripped, and the Super Bowl losers should be crowned de-facto champs OR no title awarded that year. They will never do this, because of VEGAS and all the money they make, but the Pats gamed the system and got caught. Players, coaches and fans HATE that it happened, but you wouldn't know that because sites like PFT manipulate comment sections and post votes to make it look like "no one really cares about this". bull ****. Everyone cares, and it's why people are tuning out. The "greatest" team of this generation are cheaters, and owners want it to go away quickly so the profit margins stay high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 It's odd because they were the most irrelevant team in the league 15 years ago. No one in New England knew anything about football. They were Red Sox fans awaiting spring training. They are still some of, if not the, least informed fans in the entire NFL. It's a shame that they have had these 15 years of excellence. It couldn't have happened to a less deserving fan base. The sense of entitlement and the condescending manner in which they handle themselves is why they are despised around the league. I lived there for college from '99 - '03. My uncle had lived there the previous 15 years. He used to tell me to ask a Pats fan to name 3 starting QBs between their 1st and 2nd Super Bowl appearance. There were about 1 out of 5 of them that could answer it. I agree. A lot of my family were born and raised near Boston and I spent a lot of time in NE growing up and it always was a baseball/basketball/hockey area that just happened to have a football team in the general vicinity. I won't knock their passion for the other sports........Red Sox fans were about as beaten down as humanly possible and they still followed the Sox the way we do the Bills..........but if the Sox still hadn't won a WS yet they would trade every ounce of Patriot success for one WS win and that pretty much sums it up, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanNH Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 (edited) It's odd because they were the most irrelevant team in the league 15 years ago. No one in New England knew anything about football. They were Red Sox fans awaiting spring training. They are still some of, if not the, least informed fans in the entire NFL. It's a shame that they have had these 15 years of excellence. It couldn't have happened to a less deserving fan base. The sense of entitlement and the condescending manner in which they handle themselves is why they are despised around the league. I lived there for college from '99 - '03. My uncle had lived there the previous 15 years. He used to tell me to ask a Pats fan to name 3 starting QBs between their 1st and 2nd Super Bowl appearance. There were about 1 out of 5 of them that could answer it. Lol Does Grogan count since he played in the first SB and I do believe Eason started the next year as well. Tony Eason was ruined by that SB, he had a lot of promise but became shell shocked after the Bears SB. I remember the Raymond Berry song that year lol.. Also technically Zolak was a starter for a game along with I think Miller in 92.. Also your question should also depend on the age of the fan your talking to. What 30 year old is going to know much about anything before Parcells? Edited September 27, 2016 by PatsFanNH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeding Bills Blue Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 1) Instant replay. Mistakes happen: GMs draft bad players, coaches call the wrong plays, players drop the ball, refs miss calls. They are the only ones that get a "do over". I know it's nitpicking, but go watch the Bills/Oilers wildcard game (aka, the Comeback). It would have been The Blowout if it was played today--the Bills got so many favorable calls in the second half. "But they shouldn't have gotten those calls in the FIRST place lol". I get the counter-argument, I really do, but without instant replay, you can have momentum. The crowd gets into it, and it influences the refs whistles. But now? Every scoring play is reviewed. PSHHHH. Let em play Rog. I agree. College does have more replays. But they are all booth and go much quicker. The ref puts on a headset, listens to them explain the call, then explains it himself. No running off the field, no 2 minutes watching footage to decide. Someone in a booth decides. ALso you don't have to challenge plays - they just let the refs know of questionable calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xsoldier54 Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 I think the fact that NFL football is everywhere is the reason that interest is waning. Too many games on too many days and nights for me get to be boring and so I just don't tune in on Sunday or Monday or Thursday nights. Sunday afternoons work fine for me and then I move on to other things. I believe that there are many others who feel the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatdrinks Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 The coverage of the protesting to me is very strange. This guy kneeled during the anthem. This guy raised his hand. These guys locked arms. I don't understand the plight of the African-American community - and I won't pretend to - but it isn't newsworthy to me who is protesting. Shouldn't it be more about why? It's more about the media continuing the narrative that there is systemic racism involved in these incidents. Talking about the why would take too long for a sports broadcast and they really don't want the facts to be out there as they really don't support the argument very well. I wouldn't even show them on film during the anthem if I was the network. I change the channel briefly now if the network shows the anthem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybee Posted September 27, 2016 Author Share Posted September 27, 2016 I wouldn't even show them on film during the anthem if I was the network. Excellent point. According to Ben Maller; the NFL has indeed told the networks to show less of the Antics. I cant confirm or deny this but he did mention this on last nights broadcast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 (edited) Lol Does Grogan count since he played in the first SB and I do believe Eason started the next year as well. Tony Eason was ruined by that SB, he had a lot of promise but became shell shocked after the Bears SB. I remember the Raymond Berry song that year lol.. Also technically Zolak was a starter for a game along with I think Miller in 92.. Also your question should also depend on the age of the fan your talking to. What 30 year old is going to know much about anything before Parcells? You got it!! This was not age specific. It was a game that he started within his circle and I just carried it on. He is 64 now. New Englanders are GREAT baseball fans (and I'm a diehard Yankee fan). They are knowledgeable, passionate and ride or die. Pats fans were nonexistent pre Brady. They support the team now but its not a game that they know a lot about. New England isn't exactly a football hotbed pumping out talent. By the same token if you were to ask someone my age (35) from Buffalo, Pittsburgh, KC, Chicago, etc.. about the history of their team the knowledge were far date the mid 90's (Parcells era). We wouldn't be experts but could certainly name the QBs, best players and strengths and weaknesses of teams of different eras. By the same token a Red Sox fan that is my age can speak intelligently about Bucky F'in Dent. Edited September 27, 2016 by Kirby Jackson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Linen Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 I wouldn't even show them on film during the anthem if I was the network. Exactly. Not because they don't have the right to protest but they don't have the right to force the consumer to be ok with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanNH Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 You got it!! This was not age specific. It was a game that he started within his circle and I just carried it on. He is 64 now. New Englanders are GREAT baseball fans (and I'm a diehard Yankee fan). They are knowledgeable, passionate and ride or die. Pats fans were nonexistent pre Brady. They support the team now but its not a game that they know a lot about. New England isn't exactly a football hotbed pumping out talent. By the same token if you were to ask someone my age (35) from Buffalo, Pittsburgh, KC, Chicago, etc.. about the history of their team the knowledge were far date the mid 90's (Parcells era). We wouldn't be experts but could certainly name the QBs, best players and strengths and weaknesses of teams of different eras. By the same token a Red Sox fan that is my age can speak intelligently about Bucky F'in Dent. I hear ya the old Sullivan stadium was empty almost every week till Kraft bought the team. The Sullivan's were god awful owners that rarely put a good squad out there in their 30 years of owning the team, and when they did I think it was dumb ass luck. I mean they traded Jim Plunkett!! (Face palm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Another huge point - the amount of media space to fill ensures that most of it is absolute crap I'm older now but there was NOTHING more exciting to me than flipping on the TV Sunday morning and hearing Brent Musberger say with passion: You are looking live! Then John Madden and Pat Summerall would call the lead game on CBS…pure class. And teams that were developed and crafted over many drafts with many of the same returning players would play their BITTER rivals (Think Bills /Fins in the Kelly Marino years)….and if it were a Monday nighter…those players would have the game circled for months ahead as a reminder to absolutely bring it for the national crowd. It was sacred. ESPN got involved and, before Disney, they advanced the experience big time….we got Berman and Tommy and it became the gold standard for pre-game. They also became the place to be for the evening highlights. It's unwatchable now. We do not need 19 co-hosts trying to out dress each other. It used to be an offshoot of journalism. Like everything else it's now glam and celebrity. Berman keeping it real: he looks sh-ttier every year and I love him for it. It peaked for me somewhere in the late 90s Man you nailed it. The NFL gets less & less interesting to me every year. I very rarely watch all day anymore. I will watch the Bills(don't ask me why) & maybe some of the 4 oclock game but that is it. Rarely watch the Sunday night game & never watch the Monday night game unless the Bills are playing. Same teams that are good every year have really ruin this for me. Sick of watching NE, tired of the Broncos/Packers/Steelers. It is just not interesting. I will watch college football all day on Saturdays. I know Alabama is a juggernaut but I find the college ball so much more interesting. First time in 14 years I don't have the ticket(direct tv wouldn't give me anything off on it this year) & I got to say I really dont miss it at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Can we add this to things that I HATE about the No Fun League? http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17658848/pittsburgh-steelers-wr-antonio-brown-says-refs-threatened-sideline-custom-cleats p.s. I didn't see it on here and if it is I apologize for the duplication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 (edited) The NFL is as popular as it has ever been but I think the slight dip in ratings can be attributed to Goodell's horrible handling of the leagues affairs, bad Monday Night Football Matchups (As well as last nights debates), and The Anthem protests have all chipped away at the NFL's image which is likely turning away casual fans that make the difference between 19 million and 22 million people. There is one reason & one reason why the NFL is more popular than ever & that is fantasy football. Without that the NFL would be in some serious trouble right now with the lousy high cost product they are putting out. Lol Does Grogan count since he played in the first SB and I do believe Eason started the next year as well. Tony Eason was ruined by that SB, he had a lot of promise but became shell shocked after the Bears SB. I remember the Raymond Berry song that year lol.. Also technically Zolak was a starter for a game along with I think Miller in 92.. Also your question should also depend on the age of the fan your talking to. What 30 year old is going to know much about anything before Parcells? Tony Eason was overdrafted. He didn't have a big enough build to withstand the constant hits that QBS faced back in that era. A decent college QB that just wasn't strong enough to withstand the pounding that a Qb took in the mid 80's. His career would of stunk with or without playing in the Super Bowl. Edited September 28, 2016 by Gordio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 People are getting bored with the product. I'll add one to McNasty's fine list: It's football 24-7 now. Too many talking heads, too many shows, too much coverage. Too many national games with the same teams and the playoffs always have the same teams. There's no newness, no suspense. Oh wow. Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in a Super Bowl ?! Absolutely astonishing. I put on NFL network and there were 3 regular guys and the token 1 hot female talking fantasy football.......very useless TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Wagon Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 I have to wonder if the crack down on daily fantasy sports has had an impact on the ratings as well. Last year companies like Fanduel & Draft Kings were raking in cash as interest in fantasy sports was at an all time high. In the last 12 months several states have banned the games and others are talking about proposing legislation. I'm sure more than a small amount of people who enjoyed these daily games and consumed all the football they could in order to get an edge might not stick around for the games if they can't play fantasy. Also, look at the star power that was lost this offseason as Peyton is gone and Tom Brady hasn't played, in their place you have Simien and Jimmy G. It wouldn't shock me if more casual fans who used to tune in because they knew Manning & Brady are not feeling the need to watch these guys they barely know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Wagon Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 I also believe the gap between good teams and bad teams is widening and people realize it. For a long time we were fed the "parity" line about how any team could win in the league, but it's at the point now where people know the Steelers / Patriots / Packers / Broncos etc. are going to be good while the Bills / Browns / Jaguars etc. are going to suck. Going of the Brady - Peyton item I mentioned above, teams are also getting much younger. This is really hurts the feel of division rivalry games. It's one thing for the casual fan when you've got Ray Lewis & Hines Ward going against each other for a decade, it's quite another when it's Bud Dupree and Crockett Gilmore. Along with the division rivalries feeling like they are losing some luster, we are still getting force fed them in national games, specifically the NFC East or big market teams like the Bears. If 70% of Sunday / Monday night games are going to feature the Giants / Cowboys / Bears or the 2nd & 3rd best teams in divisions battling for the next best loser, people are going to turn the channel. Monday night in particular has lost almost all luster as we've been fed boring matchups over and over while CBS and Fox guard the ones we really want to watch for the 4 o'clock timeslot. Bottom line, the NFL has acted as if they are an unstoppable entity the entirety of Goodell's reign, but there's only so much fans are going to take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanNH Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Tony Eason was overdrafted. He didn't have a big enough build to withstand the constant hits that QBS faced back in that era. A decent college QB that just wasn't strong enough to withstand the pounding that a Qb took in the mid 80's. His career would of stunk with or without playing in the Super Bowl. That is probably very true, I was 16 so I didn't notice that much. But I don't think the SB helped him at all.. I remember the next year he just started yurt king even with no one around him.. He was shell shocked from the Bears treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dulles Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 They probably don't count people watching it illegally. They definitely don't. The other factor is that new media distribution doesn't always show up in these "apples to apples" comparisons. It is not necessarily harder for them to track the eyeballs in the internet, but their survey mechanisms might not be asking the right questions. This can result in statistical anomalies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billsrhody Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 I wonder if there is always a slight drop off during an election year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filthymcnasty08 Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 If the TV audience continues to diminish, I fear at what knee-jerk panicky decisions are to come. Some of these owners and this Commissioner are downright scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts