The NFL is becoming more disturbing than appealing, and TV viewers are tuning out

[tk13]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...b06_story.html

Excerpts:

The NFL is becoming more disturbing than appealing, and TV viewers are tuning out

By Sally Jenkins Columnist October 31

The NFL’s firm grip on the psyche is based in the fact that it’s the most real, live event on live television. Every game is a character-driven story and a high-speed chase in which the action and the stakes of a collision are genuine. But lately the NFL has seemed formulaic and lacking in a certain kind of authenticity. It’s no great mystery as to why the NFL’s ratings have been dropping: Viewers don’t especially like the stories they’re watching.

The numbers are striking. Through seven weeks, ratings were off for every prime-time incarnation of the NFL: “Sunday Night Football” by 19 percent, “Monday Night Football” by 24 percent and the dreaded Thursday night game by 18 percent. A variety of factors may be contributing to this dive, from the election to so-called “fragmentation” of mass media. But none of the explanations make as much sense as the simplest one: The NFL has put less appealing and more disturbing action on the screen, and viewers are turning it off.

Historian Michael Oriard has observed that the great attraction of the league is that it’s “the true reality TV,” in its most vital form. But the NFL is beginning to seem over-managed and over-staged. Constant commercials and interruptions by refs waving their arms do not produce “appointment viewing;” rather, they produce punts, ties and stasis. Look at the standings: A cluster of 18 teams, indistinguishable save for the colors of their shirts, are at .500 or worse and five more at 4-3. In other words, 23 teams are not must-see-TV to anyone but their most fervent fans. The constant advertisements and hail of yellow flags from overly officious officials make a PBS series seem fast-moving, with a clearer story line.

When rookie quarterback Dak Prescott led the Dallas Cowboys over the Philadelphia Eagles with his touchdown pass to Jason Witten in overtime late Sunday night, it was clear how much animation the league has been missing. But even that terrific game, which had high divisional stakes and featured a bright new star, was crushed in the ratings by Game 5 of the World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. It’s the first time since 2011 that a World Series game beat “Sunday Night Football.”

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Obviously, viewers are not finding the NFL as meaningful and important as they have in other seasons. Games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday, plus a handful of overseas trips for novelty games in London, have numbed the viewer. Only a handful of contests this past weekend felt like difference-makers, and those were disrupted by flags. One was between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills, which was marred by five penalties in the first 10 minutes. When the Pats led 38-17 in the third quarter, where was the viewer to go? To Jets-Browns? Lions-Texans? Raiders-Buccaneers was close, but that meant suffering through a league-record 23 penalties against the Raiders for 200 yards.

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The NFL ratings malaise is being puzzled over by everyone from media executives to stock analysts, who offer a variety of speculative causes. Everything from fantasy football to Twitter live-streaming to the shorter attention spans and habits of millennials has been cited. But none of these entirely add up. Other sports aren’t suffering precipitous drops; NBA and Major League Baseball ratings have strengthened over the past year.

In looking for a difference, it’s hard to dismiss the coexisting facts that the NFL has ruined the flow of its on-field stories while experiencing a spate of deeply negative stories off the field — most of them self-inflicted and perpetuated, from the Deflategate four-game suspension of Tom Brady, to the spousal abuse case of place kicker Josh Brown. Donald Trump has blamed Colin Kaepernick for dissing the national anthem for the fall in ratings. If that’s a factor, then undoubtedly so are narratives involving concussions and domestic violence.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by kcxiv

outside of the Chiefs, i dont even watch football anymore. Its gotten stale. It has nothing to do with Colin Kaepernick either. It has to do with the ref's making horrible calls. It has to do with the defense not being able to play football. I see a pass on sunday where the Defensive back LET the WR catch the ball because he was scared to make the hit due to the fines. Im sorry, thats not football for me. I dont find that shit entertaining.

nailed it, I haven't watched other teams in years. Kaepernick deal did piss me off though, Trump was right again.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

Under the current rules, if the player catches the ball while going to the ground, they have to maintain control even after they hit the ground regardless of whether they have gone out of bounds or are in the endzone.

In your example, I don't think you could run that far and still be considered going to the ground. Although I don't want to pretend that I know how long somebody could be stumbling along and still be considered going to the ground. But Kelce was going to the ground.

On a different note: as I commented in the other thread, I think the NFL should tweak the rule so that control, two feet down, and then touching out of bounds is a catch (same with endzone) and you no longer need control so Kelce would have been a catch.

Thanks, makes sense.

Still disagree with the call, but I'm a Chiefs fan..

[Buck]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

FREE?

Free equals zero revenues, which means the salary cap will decrease, players with options in baseball and basketball will turn to other sports and the league will fade away.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, right?

Ad revenue will still be there, it's not like you can't advertise on the internet.

The more people that you have watch, the more money you make, so opening yourself to a wider audience can only help.

You can watch games for Free on CBS, NBC and FOX already, it's not like it's that earth-shattering, what I'm suggesting.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I would 100% be fine with doing away with instant replay at this point, yes. It's pretty clear that having instant replay doesn't mean we'll have correct calls every time.

I can understand the argument for getting rid of it. Overall I like it but it definitely has tradeoffs.

[DaNewGuy]

Originally Posted by jjjayb

I have no doubt the Chiefs will go to the Superbowl this year. That's just the way my life works. You guys can thank me for it later.

You're doing a good thing

[BlackOp]

Until they make PI calls reviewable ..at least over 20 yards or late in games, then there will always be people skeptical of fixing games. The NFL has never provided a suitable response to why a game-changing "judgement" penalty resulting in 40-50 yards cant be reviewed. Block in the back calls on returns should be reviewable too...

All ****ing penalties are "judgement" calls...

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Buck

There's no such thing as a free lunch, right?

Ad revenue will still be there, it's not like you can't advertise on the internet.

The more people that you have watch, the more money you make, so opening yourself to a wider audience can only help.

You can watch games for Free on CBS, NBC and FOX already, it's not like it's that earth-shattering, what I'm suggesting.

If you put all of the games on the internet, the NFL isn't getting $1 billion from Direct TV per year, they're not getting $2 billion per year from ABC/Disney for Monday Night Football nor are they getting an additional $500 million for Thursday night football.

It's overexposed as it is and putting games on the internet for free would dilute the product further.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

I will pinpoint the most accurate time of death:

When they fined Harris and he said "**** this shit, maybe I just won't ****ing play anymore".

Yep, that was it.

[DaneMcCloud]

As for Replay, I'm at the point where I believe it should be used for scoring plays only.

Stop the ridiculous overturning of catches.

[Buck]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

If you put all of the games on the internet, the NFL isn't getting $1 billion from Direct TV per year, they're not getting $2 billion per year from ABC/Disney for Monday Night Football nor are they getting an additional $500 million for Thursday night football.

It's overexposed as it is and putting games on the internet for free would dilute the product further.

The most popular video games in the world are free, and they also make the most money by far.

It's a new world out there. I could be wrong, sure, but in 10 years, Cable could be dead for all we know.

If the NBA beats out the NFL to widespread, free, internet streaming...then RIP NFL being the king.

[HonestChieffan]

The turn off grows....NFL will soon make a choice. Fans? Loon Players? Who writes the checks?

[GoChargers]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

This view of what has happened is completely bizarre.

Do you get a Google Alert every time someone mentions the Patriots cheating so you can log in and do damage control?

[petegz28]

Prime time sucks because most of the prime time matchups this year have been terrible....like the Titans v. Jags......or the constant NFC v. NFC, particularly east coast teams.

It gets old

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

As for Replay, I'm at the point where I believe it should be used for scoring plays only.

Stop the ridiculous overturning of catches.

I agree with the catches but scoring only? No. The Refs suck too much for that.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I agree with the catches but scoring only? No. The Refs suck too much for that.

I'd rather put the game in the hands of the refs, especially when they call a catch, a catch, than turning over the calls to a New York "Czar" that's more concerned with the Point Spread than the game itself.