GA BILLS FAN Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 I cancelled Sunday Ticket for first time in 12 years. I've only watched two Thursday night games (I hate NFL on Thursday nights !). I've also gone from watching 4-5 hours on Sunday to closer to 1-2 hours. I've also gone from being in 4 fantasy leagues to 2. For me, it's a combination of things: 1- Bills perpetual mediocrity 2- Saturation (was ok with Sunday night games, Thursday is over kill and Sunday am is joke) 3- Too many commercials, breaks in game. Soccer/hockey is actually better system, put billboards around field and cut commercial time in 1/2. 4- other options that are better, college football, hockey and yes, even soccer. 5- quality of games itself is worse. New passing rules have made franchise QB a requirement for winning. (again, I'm sure I'm biased given Bills haven't had a franchise QB in two decades), but nonetheless, the rules favor passing and have changed game significantly
bbb Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 Good find. Just heard this on the radio. They claimed its the 1st time in 30 years ? Football is broken. Prime time games......I tried to watch last night but the commercials did it in for me and I bailed. At least you can go back and forth if there is more than one game but not so in Prime time. I find the series more dramatic than (NFL)football. Not many beer commercials any more either it seems? Makes total sense. The NFL used to not play any night games vs. the World Series. When I was young, I thought it was due to mutual respect. Turned out it was just that they would get trounced. 30 years ago, 1986, Game 7 of the WS got rained out and had to be played on Monday. It was the famous Mets-Sox series. It went up against the already scheduled MNF game of I'm pretty sure Skins-Giants, a big game, and destroyed it. Then, as per the article, the NFL decided to flex it's bully muscles: Six years ago, the first time the NFL opted to challenge MLB’s marquee event, Steelers at Saints won decisively in a matchup against the Rangers and the Giants, 11.8 vs. 10.4. I am sooooooo glad baseball won last night!!!
vorpma Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 I think there's something to it…but it has been something developing slowly in the background over a long time….and I think there will be a quickening if they keep things going the way they have FWIW: Here are some things that I feel may have contributed Too many commercials Too much over-production of the telecast…robots, country singers and stupid intro's, extra special reports from female reporters (Fox and ESPN are main culprits). Everything over the top. Too many nationally televised games (MNF used to be a huge format and an event…too hard to get the marquis match ups and many games are blowouts...everything has a watered down feel now yet they still broadcast it like it's a huge event) Too much tinkering with the game for the purists With the CTE backstory, many parents no longer want to glorify this game to their kids Too corporate and too political: this game is part of people's weekends and they don't need to cross the streams Disney/ABC/ESPN: Dancing with the freaking stars being plugged on the NFL telecast. The pink bow was enough for awareness…now it's a joke. Game is regressing, Talent is watered down…just not enough top quality QB's to go around. We know that too well. FANTASY: those with fantasy teams only want to watch NFL Red Zone…they do not care about engaging a single game - just stats I travel across the country quite a bit, and while all your comments are valid do not discount the anthem protests. Many are disgusted by it and turning it off; Sports Bars with NFL ticket are being impacted.
dorquemada Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 Good find. Just heard this on the radio. They claimed its the 1st time in 30 years ? Football is broken. Prime time games......I tried to watch last night but the commercials did it in for me and I bailed. At least you can go back and forth if there is more than one game but not so in Prime time. I find the series more dramatic than (NFL)football. Not many beer commercials any more either it seems? It's unwatchable because of the flags and commercials. I was waiting for a wedding to start yesterday and the Jets/Browns game was on. There was at least 3x more commercial minutes than game broadcast minutes, and I don't even mean actual game play, I mean, time on the TV when it wasn't a commercial. I think my dissatisfaction has been percolating for a while now, and the Colin Kaepernick stuff just put it over the top. Now you're putting a shtty product on the field, and packaging it in such a way to make it even less enjoyable, then you're shoving it in my face how admirable you find a spoiled rotten millennial's 'protest' against law enforcement? OK whatever, it turns out there's lots of other things to do. If I didn't get the Sunday Ticket for free, I doubt I'd renew it next year when I can just look on the web for the 2 minutes of actual highlights that come out of each game. Realizing that, and having easy access to those highlights, it becomes a fairly simple calculation, basically the only part of pro football I enjoy are those highlight reels because they've ruined the rest of it. I travel across the country quite a bit, and while all your comments are valid do not discount the anthem protests. Many are disgusted by it and turning it off; Sports Bars with NFL ticket are being impacted. Yup. Get outside of the lib echo chamber and a lot of the middle of the country are pretty pissed about it, and voting with their remotes.
GRHater69 Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 The commercials don't help at all. Yesterday during the 1pm games I had the Sunday Ticket channel on where you can see 4 games at once....ALL of them were in commercials at the same time. You could watch a movie during a game these days.
dave mcbride Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 It's unwatchable because of the flags and commercials. I was waiting for a wedding to start yesterday and the Jets/Browns game was on. There was at least 3x more commercial minutes than game broadcast minutes, and I don't even mean actual game play, I mean, time on the TV when it wasn't a commercial. I think my dissatisfaction has been percolating for a while now, and the Colin Kaepernick stuff just put it over the top. Now you're putting a shtty product on the field, and packaging it in such a way to make it even less enjoyable, then you're shoving it in my face how admirable you find a spoiled rotten millennial's 'protest' against law enforcement? OK whatever, it turns out there's lots of other things to do. If I didn't get the Sunday Ticket for free, I doubt I'd renew it next year when I can just look on the web for the 2 minutes of actual highlights that come out of each game. Realizing that, and having easy access to those highlights, it becomes a fairly simple calculation, basically the only part of pro football I enjoy are those highlight reels because they've ruined the rest of it. Yup. Get outside of the lib echo chamber and a lot of the middle of the country are pretty pissed about it, and voting with their remotes. The commercials were never an issue before, but I'm starting to think that people's changing viewing habits (pretty much all streaming for me when it comes to shows) make them FAR less tolerant of the constant assault of ads. I watch a lot of baseball, and the time spent on ads is significantly worse in football. It is ridiculous in football. There is no need for an ad break for a replay challenge.
Wagon Circler Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 Without stating the obvious, what Mr. kaepernick is doing is protected by the first amendment and any effort by the league to curtail it would lead to more litigation up to the supreme court which they would probably lose. Tough to blame the league for this one. Commercials on the other hand...
dorquemada Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 The commercials were never an issue before, but I'm starting to think that people's changing viewing habits (pretty much all streaming for me when it comes to shows) make them FAR less tolerant of the constant assault of ads. I watch a lot of baseball, and the time spent on ads is significantly worse in football. It is ridiculous in football. There is no need for an ad break for a replay challenge. Yeah, the world has changed and the NFL model hasn't, or only gotten worse. I won't watch commercials any more, if there's any possible way to avoid it. Again, not to get on a soap box about it, but sometime maybe in the 90s, it became the cool and edgy thing to make the adult male be an idiot in every single commercial. Welp, if that's what you think of me, maybe this idiot will just skip your commercial, and the rest of them while I'm at it, because I have the tech to do so, and there's nothing happening in the football game that's so critical that time shifting it by 2 hours will make any difference whatsoever. Without stating the obvious, what Mr. kaepernick is doing is protected by the first amendment and any effort by the league to curtail it would lead to more litigation up to the supreme court which they would probably lose. Tough to blame the league for this one. Commercials on the other hand... While that's true, i have to imagine if the league asked the networks to avoid coverage of it, they would. There's no promise of free nationwide tv coverage for your idiotic protest in the constitution. The NFL is way too far up their own azz to realize this, so we'll continue to get wall to wall coverage of players sitting out the national anthem.
D. L. Hot-Flamethrower Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) I cancelled Sunday Ticket for first time in 12 years. I've only watched two Thursday night games (I hate NFL on Thursday nights !). I've also gone from watching 4-5 hours on Sunday to closer to 1-2 hours. I've also gone from being in 4 fantasy leagues to 2. For me, it's a combination of things: 1- Bills perpetual mediocrity 2- Saturation (was ok with Sunday night games, Thursday is over kill and Sunday am is joke) 3- Too many commercials, breaks in game. Soccer/hockey is actually better system, put billboards around field and cut commercial time in 1/2. 4- other options that are better, college football, hockey and yes, even soccer. 5- quality of games itself is worse. New passing rules have made franchise QB a requirement for winning. (again, I'm sure I'm biased given Bills haven't had a franchise QB in two decades), but nonetheless, the rules favor passing and have changed game significantly Excellent! I would also add that even thought you are a Bills fan and they haven't had a franchise QB that alot of other franchises feel the same way. And, that is the heart of the problem. In the NFLs wisdom of trying to change things for the better <debatable> the law of unintended consequences kicked in. I would also echo that the rules/officiating create and mostly unwatchable, except for Bills games and fantasy folks, entertainment event. Edited October 31, 2016 by The Thurmanator
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) The NFL hasn't changed in years. Flags, commercials, and off field issues. It is possible some fans are protesting the NFL because of players kneeling for the National Anthem. This country is basically at a crossroads when it comes to race. People are angry, on both sides. I just hope this election passes without any violence. Scary times. Edited October 31, 2016 by TheTruthHurts
CountDorkula Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) I find myself watching less and less. Too much commercialization for me. Touchdown and XP - Commercial Come back read the affiliate ad This Kickoff is brought to you by...... Kickoff is a touch back Replay of kickoff is brought to you by..... Commercial break Come back read affiliate ad three to five plays and punt. Few "Brought to you by" sprinkled in Commercial break Come back and read an affiliate ad. Resume play for a minute or two and repeat. hopefully there is no timeout or challenge/review in that above sequence or else more commercials. Also, the product is so watered down. Every play is a flag, the rule book is so complicated the officials dont even know it. The instant satisfaction of a touchdown is no more because now you have to wait to make sure it was a catch which who the hell knows? Edited October 31, 2016 by CountDorkula
Buffalo_Stampede Posted October 31, 2016 Posted October 31, 2016 I find myself watching less and less. Too much commercialization for me. Touchdown and XP - Commercial Come back read the affiliate ad This Kickoff is brought to you by...... Kickoff is a touch back Replay of kickoff is brought to you by..... Commercial break Come back read affiliate ad three to five plays and punt. Few "Brought to you by" sprinkled in Commercial break Come back and read an affiliate ad. Resume play for a minute or two and repeat. hopefully there is no timeout in that above sequence or else more commercials. Been this way for a long time, its not the reason for ratings drop this year.
bbb Posted November 2, 2016 Posted November 2, 2016 I find myself watching less and less. Too much commercialization for me. Touchdown and XP - Commercial Come back read the affiliate ad This Kickoff is brought to you by...... Kickoff is a touch back Replay of kickoff is brought to you by..... Commercial break Come back read affiliate ad three to five plays and punt. Few "Brought to you by" sprinkled in Commercial break Come back and read an affiliate ad. Resume play for a minute or two and repeat. hopefully there is no timeout or challenge/review in that above sequence or else more commercials. Also, the product is so watered down. Every play is a flag, the rule book is so complicated the officials dont even know it. The instant satisfaction of a touchdown is no more because now you have to wait to make sure it was a catch which who the hell knows? The first time they started with instant replay - at least 25 years ago (it seems that they did it, then got rid of it, then brought it back with a vengeance), I kept saying this is going to be the case. If you watch any highlight film from the 70s or whatever, it's such a breath of fresh air that the play is going to stand as is. There have been at least two times at the stadium this year that I didn't cheer for a Bills touchdown or big turnover because I thought for sure it was getting overturned - so I missed out on the moment. And, when the TV guys, etc. say one thing and the ref under the hood says another, who knows if they really got it right in the end anyway. Wasn't Mike Carey actually making those calls under the hood for years, before he got exposed on TV.
Tierlifer Posted November 2, 2016 Posted November 2, 2016 Makes total sense. The NFL used to not play any night games vs. the World Series. When I was young, I thought it was due to mutual respect. Turned out it was just that they would get trounced. 30 years ago, 1986, Game 7 of the WS got rained out and had to be played on Monday. It was the famous Mets-Sox series. It went up against the already scheduled MNF game of I'm pretty sure Skins-Giants, a big game, and destroyed it. Then, as per the article, the NFL decided to flex it's bully muscles: Six years ago, the first time the NFL opted to challenge MLB’s marquee event, Steelers at Saints won decisively in a matchup against the Rangers and the Giants, 11.8 vs. 10.4. I am sooooooo glad baseball won last night!!! As a die hard Met fan who was 11 years old that night what I can tell you about that MNF game was when the Mets won the WS and it was announced on the PA system and put it up on the 'Jumbotron'. at then Giants Stadium, the place got so loud that the Skins got called for a false start.
Gordio Posted November 2, 2016 Posted November 2, 2016 Excellent! I would also add that even thought you are a Bills fan and they haven't had a franchise QB that alot of other franchises feel the same way. And, that is the heart of the problem. In the NFLs wisdom of trying to change things for the better <debatable> the law of unintended consequences kicked in. I would also echo that the rules/officiating create and mostly unwatchable, except for Bills games and fantasy folks, entertainment event. I totally agree. This is going to come off as sour grapes but I am sick of seeing Brady. There is no way in hell that he should be this good & be this effective at this stage of his career. He has been in the league for 18 years & will be 40 next year. Sorry but after spending the past 2 decades watching him kick the crap out of the team I love I am just tired of it. It is not fair. I think a lot of other fan bases feel the same way.
JPicc2114 Posted November 2, 2016 Posted November 2, 2016 (edited) People watch TV and entertainment differently today than years past. We watch streaming shows, the attention span of people is much shorter now a days as well Edited November 2, 2016 by Mr. Negative
May Day 10 Posted November 2, 2016 Posted November 2, 2016 I totally agree. This is going to come off as sour grapes but I am sick of seeing Brady. There is no way in hell that he should be this good & be this effective at this stage of his career. He has been in the league for 18 years & will be 40 next year. Sorry but after spending the past 2 decades watching him kick the crap out of the team I love I am just tired of it. It is not fair. I think a lot of other fan bases feel the same way. I agree. A lot of the luster/mystery of the NFL is gone due to the Patriots. People scoff at this, but the fact is there is a very shady pattern of cheating and unsavory methods there too. It does exist and to many it brings the results into question. If the Bills were in any other Division, seasons would be much more fun and interesting later into the year. The fact that they have little to no margin for error every season stinks. One slip up and no chance to catch the Patriots by the end of October. Then you have to look at the Wild Card, which is 2 spots between 12 teams.... as opposed to 1 in 4, which most teams have to contend with.... in a more evenly matched Division with a team who doesn't systematically cheat. This has been going on for an eternity too. The Bills "glory years" seemed to be so long, but in reality it lasted 8 years (88-95) That includes a non playoff season and 2 Wild Cards. This is already year 16. They only missed 1st place 2 times and finished in 2nd place... and one of those seasons was 11-5, and the other 9-7. It is bad sauce as a fan of a team in the AFC East and I find myself tuning out earlier and earlier every season. I have said as much in the past, but I am pretty 'bored' with the NFL's alignment regardless. They have had the same format for 15 years now which is an eternity for any sport. I am really sick of not only the Patriots, but I am sick of the Jets and Dolphins as well. I am sick of 8 4-team Divisions where it is not equitable for playoff qualification.
dorquemada Posted November 2, 2016 Posted November 2, 2016 People watch TV and entertainment differently today than years past. We watch streaming shows, the attention span of people is much shorter now a days as well There's tons more choices too, everything from Netflix to Youtube, and im sure a bunch of stuff I'm not even aware of. The NFL's model of selling commercials to a captive audience is out of date, and the way the league is run, they're built to stay that way. They're blockbuster video a couple years after people started to get on the internet, which is to say, still making money hand over fist, but the seeds of their destruction are already here. My kids, scions to 2 families heavily into football, will never sit through a game, or even if they're sitting there with me, they're on their phones or pads, not paying any attention whatsoever. When you look at the future, people aren't going to sit willingly and be advertised to, and the NFL model of 3 minutes of commercial for every minute of gameplay doesn't stand a chance with that group
bbb Posted November 3, 2016 Posted November 3, 2016 There's tons more choices too, everything from Netflix to Youtube, and im sure a bunch of stuff I'm not even aware of. The NFL's model of selling commercials to a captive audience is out of date, and the way the league is run, they're built to stay that way. They're blockbuster video a couple years after people started to get on the internet, which is to say, still making money hand over fist, but the seeds of their destruction are already here. My kids, scions to 2 families heavily into football, will never sit through a game, or even if they're sitting there with me, they're on their phones or pads, not paying any attention whatsoever. When you look at the future, people aren't going to sit willingly and be advertised to, and the NFL model of 3 minutes of commercial for every minute of gameplay doesn't stand a chance with that group Everything I watch, other than sports, is commercial free, via DVR..............And, then I listen to podcasts instead of the radio. So, when I see or hear commercials, it's a little worse for me.............But, the NFL triples down and it seems that radio does, too. I don't know if radio is trying to make the most out of a dying industry, but it seems like they play more commercials than ever. Sometimes I get in the shower, after turning the radio on, and then I'm done, and realize I haven't heard one damn song. MLB at least doubled commercial time during the postseason, but at least during the regular season, it's only a minute or so between innings.
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