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.

[Sandy Vagina]

My Chiefs excitement is right where it needs to be, but yeah.. most every other team matchup leaves me bored or not bothering to tune in at all this year. I can only imagine how unplugged other people with more going on in their lives than I are. I have all the time in the world, and still don't care to fill it with game after game.

Not a surprise that people are losing interest. Better things to do.

[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.

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by BWillie

So, the WORLD SERIES should trump a Week 6 or whatever avg reg season NFL game.

While the NFL ratings are declining its by far and away the highest rated sport in the USA. Regular season MLB Sunday Night baseball got DEMOLISHED by kids playing video games on TV.

Yet, MLB players make more money then the rest, but thats not the point. The NFL isnt the same as it used to be. Godell is running it into the ****ing ground. Its only going to get worse and worse as he implements more stupid ****ing rules.

[Red Dawg]

Players don't work as hard under the new cba. Only Bill demands his players study at home and when they mess up he embarrasses them. Collins was their best defender but just didn't get on board with his way so he sent him packing to the worst team in the league. Practice makes perfect and they don't practice enough in the off season so the product goes to bad.

[Dayze]

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.

that.

and, I'm REALLY ****ing tired of a player performing a routine play and getting up and screaming at the sky, or walking like a tough guy while looking at the fans/whoever etc. Its like dude...you just caught an 11 yard pass. Or dude, you just made a tackle on a 5 yd game. Kelce is one of the worst in this regard. Catch a 30 yd pass and take it to the house? Celebrate, that's awesome. catch a 15 yd pass on a dig route.....better get up and do some sort of signature look at me for the camera on such an amazing play.

tired of that shit.

[tx4chiefs]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Goodell will run this game into the ground.

Stop Thursday night football and ****ing London regular season games. Stop the subjective nonsense on flags and focus on real penalties. Bite the bullet and pay out on player safety so we aren't forced to watch fifth string rejects at key positions.

Agreed and quit pushing your political beliefs around. Let the players play and punish them for not being "professional".

[Hammock Parties]

When the league forces the Chicago ****ing Bears down our throat for 10 primetime games a year what do you expect.

New rule: you have to have actually gone to the playoffs to play in a primetime game game the following year.

[Spott]

I watch less, but mostly because of my work schedule. Sunday, Monday and Thursday night games are on too late on the east coast, not to mention the weekday matchups are usually terrible. I still watch football on Sunday's but I haven't seen a college football game in a few years because I have been working OT on Saturdays.

[GloryDayz]

I still watch the Chiefs, but that's about it. And if the Chiefs start getting their asses handed to them this week, I might rake leaves or golf.

At one time I think the Denver/Oakland match-up would have been a must-see for me (in hopes of a meteor), but I'm not sure that'll command my attention this week.

All that being said, I don't think KC, Cleveland, and Detroit fans are a good measure, we've been let down and abused in more ways than just the product taking a bit of a dive.

[BossChief]

One has to wonder how much more the ratings will fall when the old guard of QBs hang em up.

Eli
Brady
Rivers
Romo
Brees
Rothlisberger
Rodgers

Factor that in with the fact OLs aren't allowed to practice together as much as before the most recent CBA paired with the influx of pass rushing talent and you have a very dangerous position for a sport trying to compete for the best athletes with sports that give fully guaranteed contracts to their players and you can understand why the league is losing fans.

They need to stop being so greedy and put the whole "Thursday night football" travesty to rest and move the Sunday and Monday night games up an hour minimum.

How is a family with kids supposed to even watch a game that doesn't end till 10:30 or 11:00? Sorry, but my kids go to bed at 9 so they get enough rest for the next day. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that way.

[milkman]

They have over saturated the market.

Combine that the endless stream of commercials which turns a 60 minute game into a 3 1/2-4 hour marathon, officiating that is as bad as we've ever seen, and growing perception that officiating is slanted in favor of certain teams, people are becoming disenchanted with the product.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by BossChief

One has to wonder how much more the ratings will fall when the old guard of QBs hang em up.

Eli
Brady
Rivers
Romo
Brees
Rothlisberger
Rodgers

Factor that in with the fact OLs aren't allowed to practice together as much as before the most recent CBA paired with the influx of pass rushing talent and you have a very dangerous position for a sport trying to compete for the best athletes with sports that give fully guaranteed contracts to their players and you can understand why the league is losing fans.

They need to stop being so greedy and put the whole "Thursday night football" travesty to rest and move the Sunday and Monday night games up an hour minimum.

How is a family with kids supposed to even watch a game that doesn't end till 10:30 or 11:00? Sorry, but my kids go to bed at 9 so they get enough rest for the next day. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that way.

It's a QB driven league and honestly, if there have been quality games in prime time this season featuring big name QBs... I've missed it.

Brady was off 4 weeks, some are injured and/or on teams that suck.

We have a youth explosion that could be good, but it's all uknown. Hell, I was watching a promo for OAK/DEN on SNF... the first few scenes feature Lynch. (??) The casual viewer has to think "Who is David Carr - and are these both backups?"

I think there's been a lot of fail with the primetime games.

Packers, Saints, Panthers, Steelers, Colts... none of them are doing much of anything really. A few have decent records, but there's not a big story line or much drama at the midway point. The big thing is the success of the young QBs and I don't think that's really selling, which is weird.

The game I was most excited about watching recently was TEN/JAX... I don't see either team much, so while the game sucked early... I was enjoying it because I just don't get to watch those guys.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by milkman

They have over saturated the market.

Combine that the endless stream of commercials which turns a 60 minute game into a 3 1/2-4 hour marathon, officiating that is as bad as we've ever seen, and growing perception that officiating is slanted in favor of certain teams, people are becoming disenchanted with the product.

The refs swaying games is absolutely a legit factor.

It's completely obvious in some games.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by milkman

They have over saturated the market.

Combine that the endless stream of commercials which turns a 60 minute game into a 3 1/2-4 hour marathon, officiating that is as bad as we've ever seen, and growing perception that officiating is slanted in favor of certain teams, people are becoming disenchanted with the product.

I do think there's something to messing with the routine... TNF, SNF, MNF... London games... it's a mess.

[BlackHelicopters]

I find it almost impossible to sit and watch a 3+ hour game. Commercials and crooked refs add to my disdain. DVR us no help because scores are plastered all over the TV and internet. Have no interest whatsoever in any non Chiefs game.