Having a lot of trouble remaining a paying fan...

RDS11 said:

I feel the same as the OP, but I'll reply based on my personal feelings.
I 'consume' the NFL as I consume any other type of entertainment : to get a momentary diversion from the 'real' world. Once I find that the entertainment does not provide that type of diversion anymore, I usually move away from it. Maybe not entirely or all-at-once, but I find myself consuming these things a lot less once I lose some interest.

Right now, I feel a lot less excited about the upcoming season as I usually would at this time of year. A certain indifference. I would count the number of days until the first preseason game, but this year, I don't even know when that is.

Being a Pats fans has provided tremendous highs over the past 15 years, even the last 20+, but if I can't enjoy the ultimate goal that is winning the Super Bowl without having some type of controversy that is taking most of the fun away, then why should I care ? I still care about the team, Belichick, Brady and the players, but the game itself has lost something.

I'm not just blaming deflategate for that; it's really the accumulation of things : cameragate and the ''story'' that broke the day before Super Bowl 42, the concussion lawsuit and seeing some of the players I have rooted for having hard times after their playing days are over (Kevin Turner and Ted Johnson, among others), the Ray Rice fiasco and now the the NFL trying their very best to tarnish the legacy of Tom Brady.

I'm sure I'll watch games this year...but will I watch them all ? I might find myself doing the same I do with hockey : I watch the box score the morning after, and that's good enough for me.

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Ice_Ice_Brady said:

My wife asked me yesterday if she should renew NFL Sunday Ticket. We've had it for six years here in California, and my Patriots games are my one real "guilty pleasure" since I've given up all other sports to be a provider and father. I told her to hold off, and I'm really, truly considering not doing it, or really, in any way watching the Patriots any more or even clicking on any NFL-based websites.

As much as I have enjoyed the pride that comes with being a Patriots fan, and I've certainly felt that during these last ten years filled with gut wrenching finishes that finally my catharsis had come with their championship, the Deflategate controversy is literally the most disgusting, nauseating thing I have ever seen. Commentors basically say that Goodell is bad, by oh well, Brady's reputation is ruined forever, too bad.

Why exactly did the NFL want me to be a fan again? To take pride in the accomplishments of the players I root for? To believe that I was actually rooting for something legitimate and real? And then, because of some political grudges and bad blood in the NFL office, they do everything they can to make me embarrassed to be a Patriots fan, dreading going to an annual road game with my wife and family, and ashamed to even talk about anything regarding the NFL to anyone who isn't a Patriots fan.

A wise man once said, better to let 10 guilty men walk free than to convict one innocent man. I feel that an entire fan base has taken the brunt of an alleged misdeed. I fully acknowledge, after watching the baseball scandals and basically every athlete lie when they are caught, that there is a possibility that Brady did something. That said, the steps taken by the league to ensure that the FANBASE, the paying customers of one of the largest and most successful franchises in the NFL, also gets treated fairly (since we are an extension of the team) has been the biggest example of a corporation ****ting on its own customers that I have ever seen. I have paid tens of thousands of dollars for the NFL and the Patriots over my lifetime, and the NFL is giving me the finger, basically mocking me as a fan, telling me that my enjoyment isn't worth a damn because they are going to destroy my favorite player (the same one who they've happily sold merchandise for and marketed for years) so that some a-holes in NY can avoid any type of scrutiny.

Football and the Patriots was supposed to be a relaxing past time. Roger Goodell doesn't give a **** if it now stresses me out or causes me more anxiety to follow the Patriots than to work the every day grind of life.

With every penny that I spend, for the Sunday Ticket or other purchases, a fraction of that purchase goes to Roger Goodell. A fraction goes to Ted Wells. To Mike Kensil. To Jeff Pash. To all of the scum bags in the league office who find it amusing that the "evil" Patriots are being brought down with their corrupt system.

I can't support that. It makes me nauseous. My stomach hurts thinking about it. I don't think I can remain a fan of the NFL, as much as I love the Patriots. How can you pay money to a group of corrupt suits who want nothing more than for you to be ashamed and embarrassed for buying into their product?

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Batman said:

I have canceled my subscription to NFL gamepass, I have been to the uk games at Wembley and normally travel from Scotland to see a pats game each year this year I have no plans to go to Wembley or Boston. I do intend to stream the pats games online and TYT them if they are night games. No more of my cash.

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grux said:

I got rid of direct tv entirely and don't view *NFL or espn websites (To bad because I like to read Mike Reiss's articles, but his employer is in bed with the *NFL). I live in Maine so I can watch the games locally for free. You could also do a google search and watch the games online for free. I will begrudgingly go to a few games this year but won't purchase any merchandise from the shop. Tough time to be a pats fan but remember it is never easy being on top.

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varjao said:

Thanks, this thread reminded me that I needed to cancel my gamepass subscription.

Look how these guys are a bunch of SOBs, this is a part of an e-mail I received:

-------------------------------

"Your NFL GAMEPASS SEASON SUBSCRIPTION is set to auto renew on 1 August 2015 and at that time, your account will be billed USD 129.99 and your access to NFL action will begin. Want to watch now? You can purchase NFL GamePass today at NFL.com/gamepass and your access will begin immediately.

If you no longer wish to continue your access to NFL Game Pass, you can cancel your subscription in one of two ways:
1. Sign in to your account at NFL.com/gamepass.
• Click the "My Account" link at the top of the page
• Click "Update Billing Information"
• Uncheck the box that indicates you would like to be auto-renewed for the 2015 NFL Season

2. E-mail [email protected] (please include your NFL.com username)"

------------------------------------

First, I had a problem last year with this automatic renewal they set on my account without my authorization, got a surprise bill in the credit card I used the year before, and I wanted to use a different credit card, had a lot of headache to get a refund for only then subscribing again using the credit card I wanted. In this process I made it clear I didn't want auto renew anymore, If I want to subscribe the service, I'd go there and buy it when I wanted.

What happens this year? again they're trying to charge me without my consent. A lot of people might pay without notice, and then having problems to cancel the subscription.

But that's not the better part, I tried to follow the instructions to cancel the subscription and there is no "My account" link on that site, look it up in all possible ways, there is no way to log into my account, the fields with user name and password are probably hidden. Fortunately there was a chat available and the attendant canceled for me. No Gamepass this time, I'll watch some games ESPN broadcasts here (if I maintain my cable tv that is also something I've been considering) and the others I'll use internet streams like firstrow.eu

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hwc said:

I'm done with the NFL across the board. I don't plan to watch any games this coming year.

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Ice_Ice_Brady said:

My wife asked me yesterday if she should renew NFL Sunday Ticket. We've had it for six years here in California, and my Patriots games are my one real "guilty pleasure" since I've given up all other sports to be a provider and father. I told her to hold off, and I'm really, truly considering not doing it, or really, in any way watching the Patriots any more or even clicking on any NFL-based websites.

As much as I have enjoyed the pride that comes with being a Patriots fan, and I've certainly felt that during these last ten years filled with gut wrenching finishes that finally my catharsis had come with their championship, the Deflategate controversy is literally the most disgusting, nauseating thing I have ever seen. Commentors basically say that Goodell is bad, by oh well, Brady's reputation is ruined forever, too bad.

Why exactly did the NFL want me to be a fan again? To take pride in the accomplishments of the players I root for? To believe that I was actually rooting for something legitimate and real? And then, because of some political grudges and bad blood in the NFL office, they do everything they can to make me embarrassed to be a Patriots fan, dreading going to an annual road game with my wife and family, and ashamed to even talk about anything regarding the NFL to anyone who isn't a Patriots fan.

A wise man once said, better to let 10 guilty men walk free than to convict one innocent man. I feel that an entire fan base has taken the brunt of an alleged misdeed. I fully acknowledge, after watching the baseball scandals and basically every athlete lie when they are caught, that there is a possibility that Brady did something. That said, the steps taken by the league to ensure that the FANBASE, the paying customers of one of the largest and most successful franchises in the NFL, also gets treated fairly (since we are an extension of the team) has been the biggest example of a corporation ****ting on its own customers that I have ever seen. I have paid tens of thousands of dollars for the NFL and the Patriots over my lifetime, and the NFL is giving me the finger, basically mocking me as a fan, telling me that my enjoyment isn't worth a damn because they are going to destroy my favorite player (the same one who they've happily sold merchandise for and marketed for years) so that some a-holes in NY can avoid any type of scrutiny.

Football and the Patriots was supposed to be a relaxing past time. Roger Goodell doesn't give a **** if it now stresses me out or causes me more anxiety to follow the Patriots than to work the every day grind of life.

With every penny that I spend, for the Sunday Ticket or other purchases, a fraction of that purchase goes to Roger Goodell. A fraction goes to Ted Wells. To Mike Kensil. To Jeff Pash. To all of the scum bags in the league office who find it amusing that the "evil" Patriots are being brought down with their corrupt system.

I can't support that. It makes me nauseous. My stomach hurts thinking about it. I don't think I can remain a fan of the NFL, as much as I love the Patriots. How can you pay money to a group of corrupt suits who want nothing more than for you to be ashamed and embarrassed for buying into their product?

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Gumby said:

Went to the STL Pats game at Wembley and have been a happy gamepass user here in Germany for several years now. Was a great product, (except for the difficulty of cross-saving your downloaded games).

WAS because I have figured I would not renew. Haven't figured out my next option to watch NFL patriots , but will only do it for free . I at least have the option to use AFN, but they only show about 7-9games a week of the 13-16 played. So, that is limiting and truthfully at the time of night shown, I prefer to watch over Internet than on the tv-satellite connection. Oh well.

THAT SAID, All of us who are making this dollar decision to vote with our feet need to do one more thing..... Write a letter to RK and if can cc/cf to the other 31 ( at least tell RK to pass it on to his buddies) that tells them What we are doing. And tell them that if they want the gravy train to restart, they need to FIRE GO-TO-HELL!!!

They may/may not notice the $s, but if they get enough letters they will look more closely and see what they are losing under this ****weed's reign of terror.

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RDS11 said:

I
I'm not just blaming deflategate for that; it's really the accumulation of things : cameragate and the ''story'' that broke the day before Super Bowl 42, the concussion lawsuit and seeing some of the players I have rooted for having hard times after their playing days are over (Kevin Turner and Ted Johnson, among others), the Ray Rice fiasco and now the the NFL trying their very best to tarnish the legacy of Tom Brady.

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AndyJohnson said:

Not to say my opinion should have any impact on yours, but to me you let them win when you do that.
I get great enjoyment from the Patriots. I would never let politics and bs take that away from me.
Just 2 different outlooks, I suppose.

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IllegalContact said:

buy a slingbox......I'll set it up for you here and I'll make sure you can watch the games

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