What would it take for you to stop watching football?

[PATS16N0]

The NFL doesn't believe they can kill the golden goose, and apparently consider themselves too big too fail. I don't think they are, I just think they're too big too fail overnight.

The new rules are worrisome but the broader direction is more so. I suspect they have a new game in mind and they're just gradually getting us there with added layers of offensive minded rule adjustments every season so it's not such a shock to the system.

I was disappointed with the changes that made Rodney Harrison play in the back field seem impossible, but after the players got more used to adjusting their hits, I was slightly more okay with it, though it makes me think peoples knees are in much greater danger now.

Point is, the game was still very tolerable. It was still pretty much football.

The description of the new rules seem potentially game changing. It seems like the direction they want to head in is one where the defender basically just trails the receiver to make the tackle, or gets the pick, and the usefulness of physicality in a corner becomes a thing of yesterday.

And who knows what they'll add next season.

So how much is too much? Is the NFL simply so great you would watch it no matter how watered down it could hypothetically become over the next ten years? Will you be able to watch far less talented offensive players bury the legacy of NFL legends in a game recreated for stat-compiling?

Assuming the NFL continues to layer on these rules that are crushing to the entire concept of defense, where do you realistically think your red line is that, if crossed, would just naturally lead you to more and more look for something else to do on your Sunday after a genuine lack of interest?

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

When manning is on every single commercial between the game...and i would NEVER watch another game again.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I'm onboard with the LEGIT changes to substantially improve player safety from concussions.
Things like the "point of emphasis" restricting hand checking by DBs irritate me. I'm not a fantasy football fan. I grit my teeth & tolerate it, but it diminishes the game. Were it my league, the rule would allow contact beyond 5 yards.

Fantasy rules like this if they expand greatly will likely make me watch less but not lose total interest.

What would wean me from football is simple. Were I ever come to seriously believe that there was a substantive concerted effort by the league biased towards enabling a team or player to win, I'd lose interest.

EDIT: I forgot. Were football to go all MLB and drop the cap so that players flitted about like sparrows perching with a team a short time before flying off to a bigger food source, I'd be gone in a flash.

 

[Wheelman]

When they finally admit they rigged the NFL for Manning and he was too stupid to take advantage of it.

 

[Danger Zone]

Fireman Ed was asked this same question.

... and I think we all know what his answer was.

 

[Wheelman]

Fireman Ed was asked this same question.

... and I think we all know what his answer was.

I don't think this post can be topped!

 

[Danger Zone]

I don't think this post can be topped!

Oh man. I reworded it too. Noone should quote me for a good ten minutes after I post..

 

[PatFanCraig]

I don't think the NFL will fall off its perch at the top but they could regress financially to the point owners profits dwindle and franchise values depreciate fairly significantly.

They will always have hardcore fans who but what if that fan base does not rank as a very profitable audience. Water the game down enough and enough over exposure and casual fans interest could partially go elsewhere. There have been seasons I doubt I watched enough to make 5 games. Luckily for them its mostly a winter sport and even casual fans use football as an opportunity to get together. Or else fans could start finding new things to do on Sunday afternoon. Still there could be a season or 2 where casual fan interest in football lacks. And things like that seem to happen at once. Where it seems many fans seem to lose interest simultaneously. Especially sore losers like myself when they know their team isn't performing to their standards and the game isn't as fun. I can't just like another team and if patriots suddenly went 6-10 when I hoped for a title I would turn couple games off lol But keep rooting for the patriots.

Fantasy football helps fans root for players as well but players retire and if new ones aren't as exciting even FF could lose interest. NFL is probably always top sport in america liked WWE with wrestling but water it down enough and overexpose like they do with PPV's and NFL could lose $. Wrestling thought they would continue to increase profits. One is out of business and the other losing millions. Due to so much ppv and a watered down rated PG product to clean up excessive violence and behavior. Sounds familiar to the NFL. Watering it down and considering full ppv.

 

[hwc]

Mike Mayock as the color commentator on televised games would probably make me stop watching football. The entire NFL Network crew is unbearable.

 

[Hart Lee Chung]

Fantasy Football is driving a big part of "maintaining" the popularity. So...prepare for lots of flags this year. Boo.

 

[SB39]

A London Super Bowl would lead me to stop watching the NFL.

 

[Joker]

A London Super Bowl would lead me to stop watching the NFL.

YOU wearing a Goodell mask before a Halloween game would be the final straw for me...

 

[shmessy]

I'm really waivering this week because the Boston Globe told me I should stop watching football.

 

[eom]

sharp stick in the eye

 

[Nikolai]

Maybe it's my old age or something or maybe I'm becoming an irreconcilable homer partisan, but I'm finding it harder to watch football already if I don't have an active rooting interest. I'll always watch the Patriots, and perhaps a really great headlining game, but gone are the days when I could just watch whatever game happened to be right in front of my face.

I think it's part the rules (and the abundance of flags for ticky-tack plays), and part the oversaturation of the product. It's not to baseball levels where I feel I could skip 150 games in a season, but once the Patriots are done or before a late game, I'm busy with my kids or finding something else to do with my time.

EDIT - If the Patriots ever moved or folded, I'd be done.

 

[Captain Cool]

Probably when the NFL allows receivers to run up to the line of scrimmage pre-snap as in the Arena and CFL. The way the game is going, I think it could happen.

 

[mrbean]

Personally, my love for watching the game has been waivering for awhile now due to the rule changes that favor the offense. Judging by the frequency of flying flags so far this preseason, it just looks to be only getting worse. I think we are only a couple of years away from QB's and WR's wearing red "no contact" jerseys on game days.

There is also no journalistic integrity or originality in the way the sport is covered these days. There's all these shows on all these networks reporting on the same 5 or 6 main stories throughout the league. Nobody even reports on actual football stuff anymore; it's all Manziel this, who's the best cb?; is this person elite?;top 10 this or that; this person tweeted this; etc.. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a good story on the actual game of football instead of the antics of those who actually play or coach the sport. Then gametime finally comes and announcers are STILL rehashing stories from throughout the week.

And good lord, what has happened to good tackling? It used to be an integral part of the game, and now it looks like an almost lost art form.

 

[deters]

Team outside of North America. Super Bowl outside of North America. Out of control bs flags making game unfair, and more hitting restrictions.

 

[Joker]

Team outside of North America. Super Bowl outside of North America. Out of control bs flags making game unfair, and more hitting restrictions.

Really?...so you're saying you're gonna stop next season, eh? I'll join you, brother.

 

[RecoveringCowboy]

If a Jerry Jones bought the Patriots.