Short the NFL?

[jaybee]

Agree pretty much with all of you derelicts.  Aside from my beloved Buffalo Bills, none of the games interest me at all, or just barely anymore.  Another thing that just bugs the hell out of me...pre-game shows.  I used to love the pre-games, getting me pumped for an afternoon of good entertainment.  They've gotten so over-the-top stupid (IMHO) its 100% un watchable.  Thanks to the WCMF pre-game radio I've managed to not take the cliff...yet !  Lol !

 

GO BILLS !

[Jrb1979]

9 minutes ago, jaybee said:

Agree pretty much with all of you derelicts.  Aside from my beloved Buffalo Bills, none of the games interest me at all, or just barely anymore.  Another thing that just bugs the hell out of me...pre-game shows.  I used to love the pre-games, getting me pumped for an afternoon of good entertainment.  They've gotten so over-the-top stupid (IMHO) its 100% un watchable.  Thanks to the WCMF pre-game radio I've managed to not take the cliff...yet !  Lol !

 

GO BILLS !

Games being unwatchable or not interesting is all do to Parity. IMO PARITY is ruining sports. Instead of making most teams better its done the opposite. Its brought the best teams down to a mediocre level with everyone else. If more teams played offense like the Rams and Eagles do I think the league would be much better. I am sorry to say but I think most fans want to see QB's throw for close to 300 yds a game. Instead we get a lot of boring football with little offense.

[coloradobillsfan]

For those who hate the announcers, if you have 5.1 audio try this:  turn off the center channel!

 

You may need to also turn down the bass/subwoofer to get rid of the 'muffled' voice sounds, and turn the overall volume up.  

 

I've been doing this for years now, it has been a revelation.  You get ALL of the sounds of the game, and can even pick out individual voices from the crowd.  The World Series sounded *spectacular* it was just like I was at the game.  Commercials will be weird - some sounds will be silent while others blare but it's a small price to pay in my opinion for a much closer to being at the game experience.  Hope others find this useful as well. 

[Bullpen]

4 minutes ago, coloradobillsfan said:

For those who hate the announcers, if you have 5.1 audio try this:  turn off the center channel!

 

You may need to also turn down the bass/subwoofer to get rid of the 'muffled' voice sounds, and turn the overall volume up.  

 

I've been doing this for years now, it has been a revelation.  You get ALL of the sounds of the game, and can even pick out individual voices from the crowd.  The World Series sounded *spectacular* it was just like I was at the game.  Commercials will be weird - some sounds will be silent while others blare but it's a small price to pay in my opinion for a much closer to being at the game experience.  Hope others find this useful as well. 

This is a great hack for watching sports, I wish I had thought of that sooner!

[nedboy7]

Maybe you just can’t make more money every year. You know the normal corporate expectations that ruin most businesses or drive them to produce cheaper products and treat their employees like crap. 

[BADOLBILZ]

1 hour ago, dave mcbride said:

CTE is the biggest issue of all, in my opinion. Another take: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/11/08/the-cracks-in-the-foundation-are-there-bob-costas-imagines-a-future-without-football/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.20593835bcd0

 

Agreed.

 

And one of three things needs to happen:

 

1) Equipment that GREATLY prevents brain injuries developed (unlikely because concussions are more about the limitations of the body than the equipment)

2) Advancements in medicine to repair brain damage (more likely than 1, IMO,  but far off)

3) The development of a much less physical, non-tackle version of the game (most likely)

 

The less physical game would have to be a much more high speed, exciting version of what we see now.

 

Football won't go away like boxing basically has.........too much money to be made in it.

 

 

[Nick the Greek]

22 hours ago, Jauronimo said:

You create a synthetic short on the NFL by short selling BUD, F, and U.S. Treasuries.

So short the NFL’s major sponsors? Actually not a bad idea. I recall reading an article recently in which Papa John has blamed the NFL for its bad quarterly revenue numbers. This had more to do with kneeling for the anthem vs CTE though.

 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21250448/nfl-sponsor-papa-john-not-happy-anthem-protests

[mjd1001]

I don't watch the NFL as much as I used to either, but it isn't because of too many commercials..and the protest don't bother me either.

 

-There is nothing I see now that I haven't seen before.  In my first 10 year or so of watching the NFL, it seemed like everytime I watched a game there would be something new. A run unlike any other...a great catch...a comeback that I had never seen before. But now, simply because of watching so many games...it all seems the same.  Different names on the back of the uniforms, but that is all.

 

-I do not like the media coverage.  No-one in particular (maybe ESPN, but everyone is doing it), but I'm tired of the shows that have to have 2 guys yelling and arguing over a topic. I'm tired of every discussion about who is the 'best QB ever' or every 5 or 6 years someone says "this is the best Defense ever'.  I KNOW that stuff actually GETS ratings, but if I do sit down, I just want to watch the game and listen to some in-depth analysis (I liked the old "NFL matchup" with Jaworski and Hoge, where they actually broke down the film and talked strategy---90% of the media coverage is going away from that and to arguments/discussions or fantasy football related.

[xRUSHx]

5 hours ago, Jrb1979 said:

IMO the reason its like that now is cause of the lack of blackouts now. Its NFL's way of getting some of that money back they lost in forcing fans to go to the game if they want to see their team play if the game wasn't sold out. I am sorry but you can't have it both ways. Fans bitched about the blackout policy so it was gotten rid of but now you have to pay for some out of town games. I would prefer blackouts if it meant being able to see better out of town games.

Yeah I see what your saying.

I would like to see the NFL give back to the people who buy season tickets though by giving them the NFL Sunday ticket for all the other games. IMO more people would buy the package to get season tickets and also never miss a game on TV/Radio from other teams. Just my opinion on it, I would think it would increase TV/Radio ratings to a much higher level then while maybe increasing season tickets sales.

Edited November 9, 2017 by xRUSHx

[TheFunPolice]

The thing about CTE is that there have been dramatic changes to the way head injuries are dealt with and new rules have been put in place about hitting players high. There is no way to tell how much of an impact this will have in the future in terms of reducing CTE.

 

We are all talking about cases from back when the game was very different, and more about huge hits and headshots, as well as guys playing with concussions on a weekly basis. This is not the same game as it was, and that must be taken into account before we pronounce football a dying sport.

 

What will fill that void? Soccer is just too boring, although people still actually pay to watch baseball, so I suppose anything is possible...

 

 

[LA Grant]

NFL Football is a game designed for television, but the difference is that now there's too many other things. There's a ton of great TV, not to mention every other screen and entertainment option. I think it's entirely possible to fix a few things and revamp the show a bit, basically, the question is will they even recognize the product is deteriorating while they're still making money hand over fist? Probably not, but you never know.

 

Games needs to be faster, look better, and there should be a reason to care about who wins. 

 

Easy way to get faster = eliminate replay challenges. Officials call the play as they see it and that's it. People are always going to disagree with calls, and even with IR, they're still getting it wrong or calling things inconsistently, so the only thing it does in practice is delay games and ruin momentum. 

 

Easy way to look better = The pylon cam is great, why did they stop there? you can have cameras anywhere on the field, so go nuts. cameras all along the bench. small smartphone/go pro sized cameras built into the uniforms/helmets or the tip of the ball so you could see the POV perspectives on replays. Imagine seeing a one-handed TD grab from the ball's perspective. This isn't anything insanely futuristic with the tech, but it would make for a very different feeling product of television.

 

Since you've eliminated instant replay reviews, the only replays you're showing are of the exciting plays - and between those cameras, one of them probably has a great shot of it.

 

Easy way to make people care = You need star players, and they can't keep getting injured. Adding and emphasizing TD celebrations was a good move, it's one of the few things that's not a mess. Find better ways to spotlight players like this. There's a lot to like about the young, emerging stars. Wentz, Goff. Deshaun Watson, his injury sucks. Kareem Hunt. JuJu Smith-Schuster is a good player and he's probably the best at the celebration stuff since he's like 20 years old, he's just an excited kid. I can't wait for the Rivers, Ben R., Eli, Dalton, Flacco types -- that second tier level of QBs who are all past their prime -- to move on. Honestly, if the Bills make the playoffs, Tyrod Taylor has a chance to be a "face" of the league. His highlight plays are all exciting and dynamic. He's pretty even-keeled but thoughtful, kind of shy in an only child way, but he's not a weird dork like Russell Wilson. Good fashion sense without being ridiculous like Cam. And Tyrod would never have gotten into that whole thing with a female reporter, that's just not in his character. 

 

I also think the London games are a bad idea but they're going to expand there anyway,  and TNF is a bad joke, (even though some of the games have been good actually this year, and Romo is genuinely good), it's so stupidly callous with the players schedules that you either need to drop it, or like I suggested earlier, add more bye weeks. 

 

Edited November 10, 2017 by LA Grant

[reddogblitz]

21 hours ago, GETTOTHE50 said:

 

Absolutely. Id even be willing to take away the tv scoreboard. I just want to see the field and stadium. Is that so much to ask? 

 

I agree completely. When I watch old games on internet and TV it's cool that they don't have that dumb scoreboard there ALL THE TIME.  I'm watching the game. I know what the down and distance is. 

 

16 hours ago, Bullpen said:

 

. There's just no flow to the game anymore.

 

 

Instant Replay challenges and booth reviews ruined that years ago.  Used to in the last 2:00 if you didn't have time outs, there was no game stoppage. Now they have to review a lot of plays and teams get free time outs.  

 

I also remember that Mike Martz was the king of challenging something dumb to slow a team momentum when the opponent was on a roll.

 

Really, the only way to watch football now days is to TiVo the game and start watching it about an hour after it starts. Then you can just fast forward through all the BS. Although that is difficult for people who can't stay off their smart phones for a couple of hours

Edited November 10, 2017 by reddogblitz

[Iron Maiden]

I think the NFL " demise " is greatly exaggerated.....yes, the ratings are down...but the NFL still completely destroy the competition....it was/is/and for at least the near future, will be king of American sport...nothing ( NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR etc,,) comes close....

 

It's like Bill Gates losing a million bucks...he probably wouldn't like it, but also wouldn't lose any sleep over it....The NFL owns the #1 spot and that won't change for a while...their lead is so big, it would take several years of " decline " to really make a difference....

Edited November 10, 2017 by Iron Maiden

[BADOLBILZ]

9 hours ago, LA Grant said:

NFL Football is a game designed for television, but the difference is that now there's too many other things. There's a ton of great TV, not to mention every other screen and entertainment option. I think it's entirely possible to fix a few things and revamp the show a bit, basically, the question is will they even recognize the product is deteriorating while they're still making money hand over fist? Probably not, but you never know.

 

Games needs to be faster, look better, and there should be a reason to care about who wins. 

 

Easy way to get faster = eliminate replay challenges. Officials call the play as they see it and that's it. People are always going to disagree with calls, and even with IR, they're still getting it wrong or calling things inconsistently, so the only thing it does in practice is delay games and ruin momentum. 

 

Easy way to look better = The pylon cam is great, why did they stop there? you can have cameras anywhere on the field, so go nuts. cameras all along the bench. small smartphone/go pro sized cameras built into the uniforms/helmets or the tip of the ball so you could see the POV perspectives on replays. Imagine seeing a one-handed TD grab from the ball's perspective. This isn't anything insanely futuristic with the tech, but it would make for a very different feeling product of television.

 

Since you've eliminated instant replay reviews, the only replays you're showing are of the exciting plays - and between those cameras, one of them probably has a great shot of it.

 

Easy way to make people care = You need star players, and they can't keep getting injured. Adding and emphasizing TD celebrations was a good move, it's one of the few things that's not a mess. Find better ways to spotlight players like this. There's a lot to like about the young, emerging stars. Wentz, Goff. Deshaun Watson, his injury sucks. Kareem Hunt. JuJu Smith-Schuster is a good player and he's probably the best at the celebration stuff since he's like 20 years old, he's just an excited kid. I can't wait for the Rivers, Ben R., Eli, Dalton, Flacco types -- that second tier level of QBs who are all past their prime -- to move on. Honestly, if the Bills make the playoffs, Tyrod Taylor has a chance to be a "face" of the league. His highlight plays are all exciting and dynamic. He's pretty even-keeled but thoughtful, kind of shy in an only child way, but he's not a weird dork like Russell Wilson. Good fashion sense without being ridiculous like Cam. And Tyrod would never have gotten into that whole thing with a female reporter, that's just not in his character. 

 

I also think the London games are a bad idea but they're going to expand there anyway,  and TNF is a bad joke, (even though some of the games have been good actually this year, and Romo is genuinely good), it's so stupidly callous with the players schedules that you either need to drop it, or like I suggested earlier, add more bye weeks. 

 

 

I agree with all of that........there are inexplicable things too........like the ridiculous inability to find anything entertaining for fans to do at halftime of games.   Marching bands in 2017?  WTF?

 

I think long term there is a market correction coming in pro sports.   It's happened in other forms of enterainment for similar reasons.........musicians for instance saw a bubble where they were making more money than ever in the 1990's because CD's were dirt cheap to make........then the bubble burst, mainly because of file sharing.    No pro athlete is worth $30M per season in this entertainment saturated market......it is bound for correction.   Declining NFL ratings and ad revenue will eventually lower the value of TV deals and then the cap will drop and salaries will drop, IMO.  

 

If the NFL doesn't become much more fan friendly/inclusive I could see the NFL game eventually played indoors in smaller arenas........much less violence.........maybe bigger rosters.....fast paced no-huddle type action.....more games.

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

21 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

CTE is the biggest issue of all, in my opinion. Another take: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/11/08/the-cracks-in-the-foundation-are-there-bob-costas-imagines-a-future-without-football/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.20593835bcd0

 

I'm not sure many fans calculate concern for possible player injury into the decision to watch sports---particularly football, where injuries are anticipated....even long term significant ones.  Look a the meteoric rise of MMA, which is far more brutal than boxing.  Fans don't care that those MMA fighters may end up with symptomatic CTE some day.  They are paying to be entertained by professional athletes who fully understand and accept the risks of their profession.  Same is true for football.

 

As for Costas, I don't recall him bringing up the scrambling of players brains when he annually fawns over and eloquently rhapsodizes the game in his annual Super Bowl broadcasts...

 

And the main problem for those who view CTE as the main demise in the future for football is that it is obvious that the vast majority of players (and certainly the "many players" Costas personally knows) have not and do not suffer neurologic effects of CTE.

 

Americans love watching sports on TV.  They have shown that they not interested in watching the NHL, that they watch the NBA and MLB occasionally and at playoff time.  So, despite the recent dip in numbers of viewers, the NFL is overwhelmingly the favorite choice of pro sports viewing in this country.  I don't see what will supplant it.

[stevewin]

It's funny, in terms of saturation, they probably should get rid of the Thurs night games - but I still am interested and watch them every week.  The problem is how many times teams look like crap during them.  Maybe only scheduling teams coming off bye would help - but now it's obvious that the majority of times teams just aren't ready.  I would watch multiple games on Mon too.  The problem for me isn't that there are too many games on - but how many times when I tune them in the games are not good.  

 

Like some others, CTE and protest mean nothing to me.

 

I've always thought they should reduce the play clock.  Especially when you watch a condensed version of the game you realize how much of the game is just guys standing around.  There's no reason why teams can't be ready to snap the ball in much less time.  How much more exciting is a game when teams are running no huddle.  It is not a matter of players not being able to do it, it is just that teams would have to make some adjustments - substitute more, hustle up after plays end, be better conditioned, etc.  It would make the game go faster, guys hustling on the field between plays instead of walking/standing, likely involve more of the roster, add more strategy, and make it much more fun to watch IMO.

Edited November 10, 2017 by stevewin

[GunnerBill]

24 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

I agree with all of that........there are inexplicable things too........like the ridiculous inability to find anything entertaining for fans to do at halftime of games.   Marching bands in 2017?  WTF?

 

I think long term there is a market correction coming in pro sports.   It's happened in other forms of enterainment for similar reasons.........musicians for instance saw a bubble where they were making more money than ever in the 1990's because CD's were dirt cheap to make........then the bubble burst, mainly because of file sharing.    No pro athlete is worth $30M per season in this entertainment saturated market......it is bound for correction.   Declining NFL ratings and ad revenue will eventually lower the value of TV deals and then the cap will drop and salaries will drop, IMO.  

 

If the NFL doesn't become much more fan friendly/inclusive I could see the NFL game eventually played indoors in smaller arenas........much less violence.........maybe bigger rosters.....fast paced no-huddle type action.....more games.

 

 

 

Lot of very sensible predictions in this Badol, will be very interesting to see how the next 10-15 years pans out.  

[Damian]

Nielsen ratings just started this year to work with AT&T/DirecTv and Hulu, so maybe we will actually start seeing some more accurate viewing figures.

Especially since Sunday Ticket is on DirecTv.

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

6 minutes ago, Damian said:

Nielsen ratings just started this year to work with AT&T/DirecTv and Hulu, so maybe we will actually start seeing some more accurate viewing figures.

Especially since Sunday Ticket is on DirecTv.

 

 

 

Good point.

 

If saturation is a problem, get rid of the ratings laggard....MNF.

[BADOLBILZ]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Lot of very sensible predictions in this Badol, will be very interesting to see how the next 10-15 years pans out.  

 

I don't see it going away.......too much money and tradition.  I do hope the Bills hold off on a stadium for at least 5-7 years though.......I don't think a venue like the Ralph will be suitable for the game of the future, the fans are going to need to be closer to the action and more engaged and connected.

 

 As for it becoming less physical.........it's kinda' unrecognizable from a few years ago now, IMO...........so a virtual flag football style developing would hardly surprise me.   The last great real football game played in the style I grew up with was probably that Niners/Seahawks NFC title game a few years ago.......that was a thing of beauty........heated rivalry with players totally selling out physically to get to the SB.  

 

Is soccer having any issues like this in Europe?.........I know it's even more deeply ingrained into the culture but the on-field product just doesn't seem to suit modern tastes........the crowds are more interesting than the games, by A LOT, IMO.