Florio: Early Season Ratings Decline Continues for NFL

[The Gr8est]

I see that with Goodell. Even people who were cheering him on for getting the Pats and Brady knew that he is playing by his own rules and he will stack the decks to get the outcome he wants. He is destroying the integrity of the game he claims all the time he is trying to protect.

Even the most rabid anti-Pats hater, if they had a shred of objectivity, had to be concerned with Goodell's lies and moving the goalposts in his Defamegate prosecution, even if they firmly believe Brady was guilty.

 

[s3antana5757]

Not much different from a television series. Many of them appear to be great, and based on the character and writing, they seemingly can't go wrong. Then to appeal to a larger audience, the producers promote the show in every way imaginable so it becomes an inescapable pop culture craze that fizzles out, and the writing becomes more and more far-fetched in an attempt to wow. Few shows haven "gotten big"and avoided this (Breaking Bad, for example.). Put simply, the NFL is in the process of jumping the shark. It was cool when the game was about football. Let's remember that a lot of the rule changes occurred not due to player safety but for more emphasis on the passing game and less contact on WRs. What was the reason for that? Same reason for the league invented home run explosion in MLB 20 years ago. That worked great for the ratings then. Long-term, it cost the league its status as the national pastime. NFL now carries the torch of greed and awaits the same fate. The hypocrisy of player safety is asinine when you consider only the most marketable players (QBs) are more protected than other positions, since their injuries would reduce revenue. We are already starting to hear about the 18 game schedule, adding playoff games, etc. Same garbage for why I completely stopped watching pro baseball.

It's the same thing with basketball and the hand checks and the ability to play defense. This is the first year that I've really enjoyed watching college football more than the NFL. It really seems there's more parody at the atmospheres are so much better. The NFL is just becoming too stale and turning into a circus. As others have said, it's trying to squeeze every last dollar from every corner.

 

[IllegalContact]

Even the most rabid anti-Pats hater, if they had a shred of objectivity, had to be concerned with Goodell's lies and moving the goalposts in his Defamegate prosecution, even if they firmly believe Brady was guilty.

Many people around here found joy in the bountygate punishments handed out

The artistry in punishments like these is that every time it happens, there is an overwhelming majority that is actually glad it is happening

None of us would be complaining if the jets were wrongly punished....hell, we would admit it is wrong but we would still be glad it happened

 

[Observer]

It's the same thing with basketball and the hand checks and the ability to play defense. This is the first year that I've really enjoyed watching college football more than the NFL. It really seems there's more parody at the atmospheres are so much better. The NFL is just becoming too stale and turning into a circus. As others have said, it's trying to squeeze every last dollar from every corner.

At this point the NFL is a parody of a real sport anyway .

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Going against the grain, my wife is jacked and pumped to watch the Patriots play today. I am too but past years I'd be posting in or having started a Who Do We Want To Win Today thread, but this season I have no clue whatsoever which other teams are playing today. Gonna go look it up now because its fun to watch a mindless 4PM EDT game at the gym while working out after the Pats game.

 

[micronin127]

There are too many terrible teams. The product is essentially 256 regular season games.

Last year they led with Broncos-Chiefs. Two playoff teams including the eventual Super Bowl winner. This year they lead with Jets-Bills.

Just a quick scan of today's schedule includes some truly awful games. Would you tune in for Jacksonville-San Diego? I guess Jacksonville is improving, but San Diego is a classic bad franchise, wasting Philip Rivers remaining years.

I'm not surprised that ratings are down in aggregate. But, I'll still watch a good game, or any game involving the Patriots. The other game I really want to watch is Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh, but it conflicts with the Patriots game, so I won't see it.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Last year they led with Broncos-Chiefs. Two playoff teams including the eventual Super Bowl winner. This year they lead with Jets-Bills.

Two 9-7 teams from last year, one coming from the largest market in the US. Numbers reflect their games from opening week as well.

 

[ALP]

this is the only language they understand...good let them drop, nothing else has taken down Goodell, this will

 

[GodBrady]

FANTASY has also changed the way fans view this sport. Instead of focusing on the action, people have their heads buried in their devices. If my kid is anything like the new norm for fans, all he cares about are fantasy points and his adrenalin rush has more to do with how well his "flex" personnel are doing than the Patriots. Sure, the NFL still owns his attention but Red Zone is his choice to view.

You totally hit the nail on the head here. I play Fantasy Football because it's a way to stay in touch with my friends from high school, but overall it's a mediocre experience. I hate having to constantly manage my team, it just feels like another chore in my life.

Anyway, here's where I'm going with this: I used to invite my friends over on Sunday to watch football with me. I have Sunday Ticket, so I have access to all of the games. However, they're not welcome anymore; every time, without fail, that I had friends over, they would constantly nag me to jump around to different games to see how their fantasy team was doing. I just got sick and tired of it.

I like watching football games. I like seeing the high's-and-low's, watching momentum shift back and forth, etc. I think channels like Red Zone bastardizes that experience. And for sure, asking me to switch to a lopsided Browns-Steelers game because you "want to see if Antonio Brown can pick up another 2 points" is a surefire way to annoy me.

For me, Fantasy Football is just an ancillary benefit of the NFL season. For many, though, it's the reason to watch.

 

[GodBrady]

There are too many terrible teams. The product is essentially 256 regular season games.

Last year they led with Broncos-Chiefs. Two playoff teams including the eventual Super Bowl winner. This year they lead with Jets-Bills.

Why is Broncos-Panthers not considered the season-opening Thursday night game?

 

[GodBrady]

Florio is a damn good writer...love the witty one liners. I wonder if he writes his own stuff. It's ironic that PFT had become one of the few places to get a straight story these days.

Florio is a decent writer, but Pro Football Talk is notorious for clickbait. That place is a cesspool and represents everything that is wrong with modern day sports reporting. It's like the Skip Bayless of sports websites.

 

[borg]

this is the only language they understand...good let them drop, nothing else has taken down Goodell, this will

The notion that Goodell is the "Face of the NFL" is beyond disturbing....it's asinine. What sport operates this way ....besides FIFA and the International Olympic Committee? LMFAO
It's a given that greedy ownership will always value Roger's revenue production over his self created PR /leadership disasters....but the Full 32 needs to redefine his role and get him the f*%k off our TV screens and out of collective conscience.
Out of sight, out of mind....let the sport and its players become the focal point again.

 

[DaBruinz]

Why is Broncos-Panthers not considered the season-opening Thursday night game?

Asking myself the same thing..

 

[borg]

Florio is a decent writer, but Pro Football Talk is notorious for clickbait. That place is a cesspool and represents everything that is wrong with modern day sports reporting. It's like the Skip Bayless of sports websites.

Agreed....but PFT has improved substantially. The formula has been modified and is less about the aggregation of NFL news with the addition of the OpEd element. Personally, I am grateful a national voice is willing to use his forum to challenge the cartel.

 

[DaBruinz]

I don't think the players who are "protesting" realize how much harm they are doing to themselves in the long run. Games are not the venue for their protests. If they want to protest, they should be having press conferences and doing things about the issues.. Not drawing attention to themselves during the time that is set aside as a remembrance to the men and women who have given their lives for this country.

The #NFLBoycott is growing. And it's something that Goodell, the owners and players should ALL be weary of. If they ignore it, it will cost them millions.. And as soon as they start feeling it in the pocketbook is when they'll figure out they need to change..

 

[micronin127]

I believe they consider the Kickoff Classic with the Super Bowl banner to be its own thing. Ratings were down for Carolina-Denver compared to New England-Pittsburgh.

Can still recall the butt hurt from Tomlin about "headset gate". Good times.

 

[Koma]

The notion that Goodell is the "Face of the NFL" is beyond disturbing....it's asinine. What sport operates this way ....besides FIFA and the International Olympic Committee? LMFAO
It's a given that greedy ownership will always value Roger's revenue production over his self created PR /leadership disasters....but the Full 32 needs to redefine his role and get him the f*%k off our TV screens and out of collective conscience.
Out of sight, out of mind....let the sport and its players become the focal point again.

That's a really important point. Goodell is talked about, written about and featured far too much. What was the reasoning behind his heavily advertised Today interview with Matt Lauer? There was no announcement to make or major change to reveal. It wasn't enough to have pro football back, the commissioner had to had have a televised interview?

I know he's been on the job for a much shorter time period, but I have to stop and think sometimes who the MLB commissioner is. Then I remember that it's Rob Manfred and I realize I barely know what he looks like. That's not a bad thing. People follow the sport for their favorite teams/players and because they like the game. No one is a fan of a sport because of who the commissioner is.

 

[RobertWeathers]

That's a really important point. Goodell is talked about, written about and featured far too much. What was the reasoning behind his heavily advertised Today interview with Matt Lauer? There was no announcement to make or major change to reveal. It wasn't enough to have pro football back, the commissioner had to had have a televised interview?

I know he's been on the job for a much shorter time period, but I have to stop and think sometimes who the MLB commissioner is. Then I remember that it's Rob Manfred and I realize I barely know what he looks like. That's not a bad thing. People follow the sport for their favorite teams/players and because they like the game. No one is a fan of a sport because of who the commissioner is.

Goodell is a narcissistic, megalomaniac who is so insecure about himself he manufactures opportunities for to demonstrate his level of importance in our lives. Manfred, Betteman, even Silver keep a relatively low profile but they are secure individuals and do not want to be the story. They want their respective sports to be.

....and Matt "Softball" Lauer is the WORST interviewer ever. Get Diane Sawyer or Charlie Rose on Goody but hes too much of a chickenshit.

 

[BradyFTW!]

The greed of the league has turned me off. Besides the excessive costs to buy tickets, park, eat and drink....what has kept me away from stadiums is the commercial breaks between action. There is no flow in games and fans are forced to sit there stupidly waiting for TV commercials to finish hawking pizza and beer before running the next play. Life is too short to live under the NFL's terms.

Then there is the in your face 24 / 7 / 365 non stop NFL news cycle the league creates to remain relevant during their 7 months of down time....down time filled with arrest reports, news of tax payer funded stadiums, league sanctions verses players and teams, the butchering of sport's rule book...too much. LEAVE SOME MYSTERY.

FANTASY has also changed the way fans view this sport. Instead of focusing on the action, people have their heads buried in their devices. If my kid is anything like the new norm for fans, all he cares about are fantasy points and his adrenalin rush has more to do with how well his "flex" personnel are doing than the Patriots. Sure, the NFL still owns his attention but Red Zone is his choice to view.

People who are paying attention to their fantasy team while the Pats are playing are doing it wrong.

That said, fantasy football gives me a reason to give a **** about games I otherwise couldn't care less about. It's the sole reason why I cared what happened in Packers/Vikings last night, example.

 

[JMC00]