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.

[headsnap]

Originally Posted by 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...

Though there are many reasons for my now almost non-interest in the NFL, this is #1 for me. Yes, all penalties are judgement calls, and that I am very confident is by design. Flags determine the outcome of the games, and certain calls can be made on virtually any play, holding for example. There is too much (Vegas)$ at stake to leave the outcome of the games to chance or the players hands, best to leave that to the independent contractor referees hands.


The NFL is just the WWE for adults...

[headsnap]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

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.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by headsnap

Yeah, now that it's "there", it isn't likely going to change

[jennygump]

The minute they made players wear pants, the sport was toast.

[Randallflagg]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The amount of commercials doesn't bother me. The pace of the game doesn't bother me.

What's turned me off this year (which began in 2014) is the hypocrisy of the League Office, especially when it comes to Domestic Violence. Ray Rice wasn't suspended until video footage emerged. Greg Hardy wasn't suspended, despite the fact he had a cache of weapons and beat up his girlfriend. A guy like Tyreek Hill isn't immediately put into a program and suspended to begin his career.

Then of course, there's Roger Goodell's smug ass, the stupid and baseless Deflate-gate, the over officiating of games while moving serious judgment calls to the League Office in NY, which has even more control over the outcome on the field than the refs in the stadium. The non-calls on Alex Smith and Cam Newton and other QB's. Phantom penalties on kick off and punt returns. Absolutely ridiculous PI penalties.

The league has become boring, stagnant and predicutable. When Jeff Fisher is the coach of a team in the #2 market in the US, while having only 6 winning seasons out of 21 (heading for 22), it's clear that it's a "Good Ol' Boys" network. There's no offensive innovation, despite the fact the game is heavily slanted towards the offense in terms of rules and penalties.

There's too many worthless head coaches (Gus Bradley? Fisher? Marvin Lewis? CRAP!). The players aren't allowed to celebrate. The officiating ****ing sucks. Marcus Peters receives a 15 yard Unsportsmanlike penalty for waving his finger, yet I see it time and time again, across the league, and no one's been penalized.

As much as I loved talking about the game, it's just not the same anymore. The Prime Time matchups are awful, as are Sunday Night and Thursday Night games, not to mention London, possible games in Mexico and China along with Saturday games in December.

There's too much over-exposure as well, be it ESPN, Fox and the NFL Network's daily and 'round the clock coverage. Too many players featured in TV commercials.

There's no "mystique" any more.

I'll continue to watch the Chiefs each time they're on the air but as for the rest of the league, I'm just not interested.

BINGO! to everything you wrote.

I would also like to add Free Agency, as well. I came up during a time when "teams" kept players forever (or at least as long as they could) and they became a part of that city.

Those days are gone forever and so is "loyalty" to a certain team or city. So, rather than watching "our guys" - we watch players that are millionaires who move from team to team to team - not saying that that is necessarily a bad thing (for the players) but it does seem to take away from the idea of "team".

[Danguardace]

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 this, even if replay gets it right on Turnovers and Catches lets not pretend that the plethora of penalties and instances that cant be reviewed aren't just as impacting on the game. Defensive PI and Holding call in key situations are just a powerful as Turnovers and catches.

[WhiteWhale]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It will be interesting to see how history remembers Kaepernick. Ali was once the most hated person in America.

(Cue "You're comparing Kaepernick to Ali" posts in T-minus five)

I don't think it will be interesting. It will be predictable.

Nobody will remember him.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fair point to bring up that Ali was largely reviled for his actions. He also had to face real consequences for his actions. Ali didn't just say things. He went to prison. He stood on his convictions knowing he would go to prison. He did that at the height of a very successful career, and was willing to sacrifice it. THAT is why he's remembered differently now.

Kaepernick is just grandstanding. He risked nothing. His career was spiraling down a drain. Benched for Blaine Gabbert. Yikes.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

I don't think it will be interesting. It will be predictable.

Nobody will remember him.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fair point to bring up that Ali was largely reviled for his actions. He also had to face real consequences for his actions. Ali didn't just say things. He went to prison. He stood on his convictions knowing he would go to prison. He did that at the height of a very successful career, and was willing to sacrifice it. THAT is why he's remembered differently now.

Kaepernick is just grandstanding. He risked nothing. His career was spiraling down a drain. Benched for Blaine Gabbert. Yikes.

This. Context is everything.

[keg in kc]

Try putting decent games on in primetime and the ratings will improve. Assuming we're not talking the 4th New York/Washington/Dallas area games of the month.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

I don't think it will be interesting. It will be predictable.

Nobody will remember him.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fair point to bring up that Ali was largely reviled for his actions. He also had to face real consequences for his actions. Ali didn't just say things. He went to prison. He stood on his convictions knowing he would go to prison. He did that at the height of a very successful career, and was willing to sacrifice it. THAT is why he's remembered differently now.

Ali was convicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison but never spent a day inside while his conviction was in the appeal process.

[Raiderhater]

Between the neutering of the defense and the social crap I'm nearly finished with the league.

If an offense can put up 35 points on a defense that is actually allowed to play defense that is great. If you have bend the rules in favor of the offense it loses its appeal.

Wether it is Kap sitting through the anthem or St. Louis players running onto the field in the false "hands up don't shoot" narrative or Costas spewing his take on the gun issue, I just have no desire to see or hear about it during the game. For me sports is an escape FROM all of the problems in the real world. It's my opportunity to take a small break from all of it. It had become less and less of a break. And I doubt I am the only one who feels this way.

[tomahawk kid]

I feel like I no longer "know" what a catch is.

Based on my 25 years of watching football, I would have thought Kelce's play this past weekend was a "catch" as he maintained control of the ball until he was out of bounds.

This "going to the ground" BS wouldn't apply, as he wasn't diving to make a catch, while maintaining control, in bounds.

Do I stand alone?

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by tomahawk kid

I feel like I no longer "know" what a catch is.



Based on my 25 years of watching football, I would have thought Kelce's play this past weekend was a "catch" as he maintained control of the ball until he was out of bounds.



This "going to the ground" BS wouldn't apply, as he wasn't diving to make a catch, while maintaining control, in bounds.



Do I stand alone?

The catch or no catch thing is such a joke.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by tomahawk kid

I feel like I no longer "know" what a catch is.

Based on my 25 years of watching football, I would have thought Kelce's play this past weekend was a "catch" as he maintained control of the ball until he was out of bounds.

This "going to the ground" BS wouldn't apply, as he wasn't diving to make a catch, while maintaining control, in bounds.

Do I stand alone?

Nope, I had to ask and have it clarified. Evidently it has to do with running East/West and being near the sideline when you make the catch.

[GloryDayz]

I'm thrilled I got to coach kids at hockey practice tonight. Not just because it's awesome, but because tonight's NFL match SUCKS...