NFL 2016/2017

[DivotMaker]

I'd rather the the NFL go back to the days when guys didn't get penalized for hurting each other's feelings.

I'm a Bills' fan, but that might have been the most ridiculous call I've seen in my life. Couldn't believe it when I watched the game.

Miller and Taylor are buds. This was clearly in jest; both were laughing.

They called a foul on Miller for that?

[Aristo]

Not only did they call it, it pretty much cost the Broncos a shot at coming back. There was 7:43 left, and after a third down incompletion at the Bronco 46. So instead of a punt, Buffalo had 1st and 10 from the 31, and ran another 4:30 off the clock before kicking a FG to go up 10.

[pk500]

I'd rather the the NFL go back to the days when guys didn't get penalized for hurting each other's feelings.

I'm a Bills' fan, but that might have been the most ridiculous call I've seen in my life. Couldn't believe it when I watched the game.

Miller and Taylor are buds. This was clearly in jest; both were laughing.

They called a foul on Miller for that?

15 yards, unsportsmanlike conduct, when both guys clearly had fun with it. Hell, Taylor even pointed at Miller in admiration. Preposterous, even though I was happy it helped the Bills.

NFL = No Fun League.

[DivotMaker]

Man, the league has become a joke and I am finally in XXXIV’s camp that Goodell is an incompetent buffoon. His decisions are killing the golden goose.....

[Danimal]

Kind of a stretch to blame that on the commish, the official was clearly overstepping his role and hopefully will be admonished.

[DivotMaker]

Kind of a stretch to blame that on the commish, the official was clearly overstepping his role and hopefully will be admonished.

I’m not blaming that particular incident on Goddell, but the general state of the league and the ratings plummet.....

[Wilk5280]

The problem is the owners have never been richer so good luck getting him ousted.

[pk500]

Kind of a stretch to blame that on the commish, the official was clearly overstepping his role and hopefully will be admonished.

I’m not blaming that particular incident on Goddell, but the general state of the league and the ratings plummet.....

Ratings for all sports are dropping. Goodell is a twit and has handled many player conduct situations and the CTE/concussion situation poorly. But I think it's too easy to pin all of the NFL's "problems" on him.

People are repelling a bit from football because of head injuries, stories about the toll the game has taken on retired players' bodies, boring offenses, sterile presentation, terrible TV announcers, cliched, stale pre-game shows, etc. Not all of that is on Goodell.

Find me one major league sport that has climbing season-long ratings. Not baseball, other than the Cubs' World Series run. Not the NBA, other than The Finals last year. Not hockey. Not NASCAR. Not UFC. Not golf, except for a late-season surge.

Probably English Premier League and MLS soccer. Boxing also is enjoying a slight uptick in its previously abysmal ratings. That's it.

I work in the sports industry. I read this blog every morning, along with the SBJ: http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/

The NFL still is far and away the most profitable, popular pro sports league in North America. Every other pro sports league would love to have its "problems" and "terrible leadership."

[DivotMaker]

Kind of a stretch to blame that on the commish, the official was clearly overstepping his role and hopefully will be admonished.

I’m not blaming that particular incident on Goddell, but the general state of the league and the ratings plummet.....

Ratings for all sports are dropping. Goodell is a twit and has handled many player conduct situations and the CTE/concussion situation poorly. But I think it's too easy to pin all of the NFL's "problems" on him.

People are repelling a bit from football because of head injuries, stories about the toll the game has taken on retired players' bodies, boring offenses, sterile presentation, terrible TV announcers, cliched, stale pre-game shows, etc. Not all of that is on Goodell.

Find me one major league sport that has climbing season-long ratings. Not baseball, other than the Cubs' World Series run. Not the NBA, other than The Finals last year. Not hockey. Not NASCAR. Not UFC. Not golf, except for a late-season surge.

Probably English Premier League and MLS soccer. Boxing also is enjoying a slight uptick in its previously abysmal ratings. That's it.

I work in the sports industry. I read this blog every morning, along with the SBJ: http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/

The NFL still is far and away the most profitable, popular pro sports league in North America. Every other pro sports league would love to have its "problems" and "terrible leadership."

Respect your opinion PK. However, we are being told that TV ratings for the NFL are declining rapidly and one look at Gillette stadium Sunday appeared that half of one side of the upper deck was empty.

I’m also not blaming Goodell for all of the NFL’s ills, but he is highly paid and IMO is a horrible leader and has no backbone when it comes to most critical social issues. But as we know, it’s all about the Benjamins and to hell with everything else.

[wco81]

Ticket prices are rapidly outpacing people's earning power.

All these new stadiums they build, they try to come up with ways to lure fans to the games, like Wifi so people can check their FF scores and so on.

A handful of winning teams are able to command high dynamic prices but the rest are struggling to fill the stands.

Same is true in the NBA.

[Rodster]

Ticket prices are rapidly outpacing people's earning power.

Bingo we have a winner !

When I lived in Jacksonville in 2003 I ran into a Nascar fan who at the time had to pay close to 4 grand to attend the Daytona 500. He had to buy a block of seats and it included the different races during the weekend. Nascar could do that at the time as the popularity of the sport was sky-high. Those days are long gone but every sport will push the limit on ticket prices because it's the fans and Joe six pack who pay the multimillion dollar salaries.

I remember going to the Orange Bowl back in '78 to watch the Dolphins play in end zone seats for $8. In '94 I watched the Dolphins play on MNF at Joe Robbie Stadium and I bought a pair of seats for $45 each and they were primo 50 yd line seats. Those same seats cost the season ticket holder around $350 per seat. It's tough for the average person to buy tickets to watch any sporting event sans baseball. They still appear to have the lowest prices.

[pk500]

Respect your opinion PK. However, we are being told that TV ratings for the NFL are declining rapidly.

Told by whom? A certain Twitter feed emanating from Washington?

A steep ratings drop is a myth. Slight declines, no more than any other major sport.

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/09 ... s-packers/

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/09 ... s-nbc-fox/

[Danimal]

Respect your opinion PK. However, we are being told that TV ratings for the NFL are declining rapidly and one look at Gillette stadium Sunday appeared that half of one side of the upper deck was empty.

Well it was 90 degrees there and they ran out of water and charged $4.50 for tap water. Solider field it was like 94 and pretty empty, most people don't want to do anything in that heat, never mind watch football.

Ratings could be declining for any number of reasons. Consider most millennials don't care about watching sports and that is one reason.

[dbdynsty25]

Ticket prices are rapidly outpacing people's earning power.

Bingo we have a winner!

Yup. Wanted to see Chargers/Dolphins at the tiny Stub Hub Center in LA...but no way am I paying $300+ for my 5 year old and I to see a game together. I spend money on stupid sh*t, but that's WAY out of whack. Especially when they can't even fill a 25k seat stadium.

[pk500]

Ratings could be declining for any number of reasons. Consider most millennials don't care about watching sports and that is one reason.

I'm trying to tiptoe around the political ban here, but maybe the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. should look at the TV ratings of his beloved, star-spangled NASCAR. Down about 60 percent from the sport's high water mark 10 years ago and down about 30 percent just over the last three or four years.

That makes the NFL's slight ratings dip look almost buoyant.

[DivotMaker]

Respect your opinion PK. However, we are being told that TV ratings for the NFL are declining rapidly.

Told by whom? A certain Twitter feed emanating from Washington?

A steep ratings drop is a myth. Slight declines, no more than any other major sport.

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/09 ... s-packers/

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/09 ... s-nbc-fox/

By virtually every news source regardless of political persuasion. Guess it is all fake news?

I’ll stop here as I too do not feel like getting into political comments or discussions, though it is seemingly impossible today since it seems virtually EVERYTHING in the news (sports or otherwise) has a political tone to it and that just is NOT necessary, IMHO.

[DivotMaker]

Respect your opinion PK. However, we are being told that TV ratings for the NFL are declining rapidly and one look at Gillette stadium Sunday appeared that half of one side of the upper deck was empty.

Well it was 90 degrees there and they ran out of water and charged $4.50 for tap water. Solider field it was like 94 and pretty empty, most people don't want to do anything in that heat, never mind watch football.

Ratings could be declining for any number of reasons. Consider most millennials don't care about watching sports and that is one reason.

Charging for tap water? Damn, did not know that.

[pk500]

By virtually every news source regardless of political persuasion. Guess it is all fake news?

Tim: I posted two links to a blog that is one of the leading and most respected observers, reporters and analyzers of North American TV sports ratings. It's not some dude in his basement writing in between episodes of "South Park."

Both links indicated the NFL ratings are down slightly, not drastically. The drop is parallel with the gradual ratings decline of nearly every other pro stick-and-ball sport in America.

I think that's pretty solid, well-sourced evidence to the contrary. I could look to other news outlets, but SMW is a pre-eminent source for ratings information in the sports business. So I'm on solid ground sticking with that.

As for attendance, 13 of the 32 NFL teams played home games to at least 100 percent of capacity through Week 3. In 2016, 13 teams played to 100 percent capacity or higher at home for the entire season. So NFL attendance is running right where it was last year.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/attendance/_/ye ... rt/homePct

Finally, there is absolutely no way to directly tie the NFL's ratings drop with the anthem flap. Reasons could range from millennials tuning out to sports other than soccer, poor quality of play, NFL RedZone pulling people away from watching full games (I'm definitely in that camp), increasing aversion to head injuries and the game's violence, lousy announcing and cliched pre-game shows.

[Rodster]

Respect your opinion PK. However, we are being told that TV ratings for the NFL are declining rapidly and one look at Gillette stadium Sunday appeared that half of one side of the upper deck was empty.

Well it was 90 degrees there and they ran out of water and charged $4.50 for tap water. Solider field it was like 94 and pretty empty, most people don't want to do anything in that heat, never mind watch football.

Ratings could be declining for any number of reasons. Consider most millennials don't care about watching sports and that is one reason.

Charging for tap water? Damn, did not know that.

That's pretty f##cked up. I didn't know that either.

[DivotMaker]

By virtually every news source regardless of political persuasion. Guess it is all fake news?

Tim: I posted two links to a blog that is one of the leading and most respected observers, reporters and analyzers of North American TV sports ratings. It's not some dude in his basement writing in between episodes of "South Park."

Both links indicated the NFL ratings are down slightly, not drastically. The drop is parallel with the gradual ratings decline of nearly every other pro stick-and-ball sport in America.

I think that's pretty solid, well-sourced evidence to the contrary. I could look to other news outlets, but SMW is a pre-eminent source for ratings information in the sports business. So I'm on solid ground sticking with that.

As for attendance, 13 of the 32 NFL teams played home games to at least 100 percent of capacity through Week 3. In 2016, 13 teams played to 100 percent capacity or higher at home for the entire season. So NFL attendance is running right where it was last year.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/attendance/_/ye ... rt/homePct

Finally, there is absolutely no way to directly tie the NFL's ratings drop with the anthem flap. Reasons could range from millennials tuning out to sports other than soccer, poor quality of play, NFL RedZone pulling people away from watching full games (I'm definitely in that camp), increasing aversion to head injuries and the game's violence, lousy announcing and cliched pre-game shows.

Not doubting you or your sources and I also admit your knowledge of this is far superior than mine. I’m just hearing it a lot from other sources, so it’s all good.

I do think this anthem controversy is very polarizing and has the potential to do some serious damage to the league if they aren’t careful.

[pk500]

I do think this anthem controversy is very polarizing and has the potential to do some serious damage to the league if they aren’t careful.

Agree.

I don't think the NBA will face as much backlash as it is more progressive, with younger, less conservative ownership than the NFL. I also think the NBA appeals to a younger, less conservative demographic.

I also think this anthem "controversy" will fade just as quickly as almost anything else in our three-second attention span news cycle. It's the "flap of the week" in a never-ending churn of "controversies" driven by the polarized echo chambers of news media and social media.

[wco81]

Respect your opinion PK. However, we are being told that TV ratings for the NFL are declining rapidly.

Told by whom? A certain Twitter feed emanating from Washington?

A steep ratings drop is a myth. Slight declines, no more than any other major sport.

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/09 ... s-packers/

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/09 ... s-nbc-fox/

NFL games, especially prime time games, are still among the most-watched shows in a given week.

Heard that the MNF game last night got higher ratings. Not sure higher relative to what. The previous week or last year? But it was mentioned in the context of reporting on this whole controversy over the weekend.

[10spro]

Charging for tap water? Damn, did not know that.

That's pretty f##cked up. I didn't know that either.

Gee Weez, what's next a charge to go to the Loo?

[DivotMaker]

I do think this anthem controversy is very polarizing and has the potential to do some serious damage to the league if they aren’t careful.

Agree.

I don't think the NBA will face as much backlash as it is more progressive, with younger, less conservative ownership than the NFL. I also think the NBA appeals to a younger, less conservative demographic.

I also think this anthem "controversy" will fade just as quickly as almost anything else in our three-second attention span news cycle. It's the "flap of the week" in a never-ending churn of "controversies" driven by the polarized echo chambers of news media and social media.

DirecTV offering refunds to NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers if they mention the anthem issue.

[DivotMaker]

Respect your opinion PK. However, we are being told that TV ratings for the NFL are declining rapidly.

Told by whom? A certain Twitter feed emanating from Washington?

A steep ratings drop is a myth. Slight declines, no more than any other major sport.

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/09 ... s-packers/

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/09 ... s-nbc-fox/

NFL games, especially prime time games, are still among the most-watched shows in a given week.

Heard that the MNF game last night got higher ratings. Not sure higher relative to what. The previous week or last year? But it was mentioned in the context of reporting on this whole controversy over the weekend.

Last year’s game was competing with a Presidential debate, so you might take the uptick in last nights ratings with a grain of salt. And Dallas was playing....