Mark Cuban: "The NFL is 10 years away from an implosion."

[tk13]

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/...away-implosion

Cuban: With TV deal, NFL is 'hoggy'
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com


DALLAS - Mark Cuban, the outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner, predicts a drastic decline in the popularity of the NFL over the next decade due to the league's greed.

"I think the NFL is 10 years away from an implosion," Cuban said Sunday evening when his pregame conversation with reporters, which covered a broad range of topics, swayed toward football. "I'm just telling you, pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. And they're getting hoggy. Just watch. Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. When you try to take it too far, people turn the other way.

"I'm just telling you, when you've got a good thing and you get greedy, it always, always, always, always, always turns on you. That's rule number one of business."

Cuban is specifically referring to the NFL expanding their television package. He considers it a poor business decision for the NFL, which consistently dominates TV ratings, to play games on days other than Sunday and Monday.

In February, the NFL announced a one-year deal with CBS and NFL Network partnering to televise Thursday night games. CBS, which won the bidding for the Thursday night package over NBC, ABC, Fox and Turner, will air the games during the first eight weeks of the season, simulcasting them with the NFL Network. The league's cable network will exclusively show six Thursday night games later in the season with CBS' top announcing tandem of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms in the booth. The NFL Network will also have a Saturday doubleheader in Week 16.

The NFL started a limited package of Thursday night games in 2006. The NFL Network showed 13 Thursday night games last season.

"They're trying to take over every night of TV," Cuban said. "Initially, it'll be, 'Yeah, they're the biggest-rating thing that there is.' OK, Thursday, that's great, regardless of whether it impacts [the NBA] during that period when we cross over. Then if it gets Saturday, now you're impacting colleges. Now it's on four days a week. ...

"It's all football. At some point, the people get sick of it."

Cuban said the NFL is making a mistake by valuing television money over the convenience of fans who are used to planning for their NFL teams to play on Sundays with the occasional Monday night game. He compared it to the decline in popularity of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" after the game show expanded to air five days a week.

"They put it on every night," Cuban said. "Not 100 percent analogous, but they handled it the same. I'm just telling you, pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered."

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

For every person that is "turned off" of the NFL because of fantasy football, 10 more are turned on to it because of it.

I am pleased people enjoy playing fantasy football. I enjoyed it at one time as well. I understand the draw. I'm happy for those people. It doesn't bother me that fantasy football exists. It's easy for me to ignore....

UNTIL, real players start concerning themselves with their own fantasy production. Then the game is dead to me. I'm not interested in watching that kind of sport.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I am pleased people enjoy playing fantasy football. I enjoyed it at one time as well. I understand the draw. I'm happy for those people. It doesn't bother me that fantasy football exists. It's easy for me to ignore....

UNTIL, real players start concerning themselves with their own fantasy production. Then the game is dead to me. I'm not interested in watching that kind of sport.

I don't know that it started with FF though. Guys get paid from stats, so they've always wanted the numbers.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

1) Oversaturation in the United States.
2) Impossible to grow support for the game of football, let alone a professional league, in both the developed world outside of the US and Canada as well as the developing world.
3) One on-field death will force the NCAA and NFL to radically change the rules of play to non-collision as well as scare parents into forbidding their children from playing the sport.

Cuban's absolutely right on this.

Bullshit.

If he actually thought that, he would never have tried to purchase a team.

Butthurt.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by blaise

I don't know that it started with FF though. Guys get paid from stats, so they've always wanted the numbers.

Attention from fantasy => more public visibility => bigger endorsement deals

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

1) Oversaturation in the United States.
2) Impossible to grow support for the game of football, let alone a professional league, in both the developed world outside of the US and Canada as well as the developing world.
3) One on-field death will force the NCAA and NFL to radically change the rules of play to non-collision as well as scare parents into forbidding their children from playing the sport.

Cuban's absolutely right on this.

1) Disputed.

2) Irrelevant

3) No, they won't. (both the NCAA/NFL and the parents)

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Which was....

There aren't many games aired nationally during preseason.

Postseason games are only played on the weekends.

So, you have 4 months in which games are played on Monday and Thursday.

Originally Posted by blaise

I don't know that it started with FF though. Guys get paid from stats, so they've always wanted the numbers.

I know there are a lot of selfish players that want stats. Lots of guys want stats. Doesn't bother me. But it does bother me when they start apologizing to Fantasy managers because they had a slow game in post-game interviews. That leaves a real poor taste in my mouth, unfortunately.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Attention from fantasy => more public visibility => bigger endorsement deals

Yeah, but what I'm saying is guys have always chased stats. Maybe it's a little more with FF but it's always taken place.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I know there are a lot of selfish players that want stats. Lots of guys want stats. Doesn't bother me. But it does bother me when they start apologizing to Fantasy managers because they had a slow game in post-game interviews. That leaves a real poor taste in my mouth, unfortunately.

Well fortunately you hear dudes saying "F your fantasy team," more often than you hear them say they're sorry.
Seems that way to me, anyway.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by alnorth

1) Disputed.

2) Irrelevant

3) No, they won't. (both the NCAA/NFL and the parents)

1) Then why are the owners trying like hell to get so many games in London?

2) Pretty damned relevant. What's the most popular sport in the world? More importantly, in the developing world? Why? How can a sport that calls for expensive equipment and playing fields compete with a sport that can be played on pavement, dirt or scrub grass?

3) Notice the reactive rules designed to stave off criticisms involving CTE. Imagine the host of changes to the game if some poor bastard's next get snapped on live television... let alone the backlash from busybody government / activist types.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

1) Then why are the owners trying like hell to get so many games in London?

2) Pretty damned relevant. What's the most popular sport in the world? More importantly, in the developing world? Why? How can a sport that calls for expensive equipment and playing fields compete with a sport that can be played on pavement, dirt or scrub grass?

3) Notice the reactive rules designed to stave off criticisms involving CTE. Imagine the host of changes to the game if some poor bastard's next get snapped on live television... let alone the backlash from busybody government / activist types.

1) This has nothing to do with the NFL being "saturated" in America. I for one, argue that it is not saturated and that the market would welcome an additional day of NFL, and would probably even accept an 18-game season.

As for why though, why not? Hey, free money.

2) No, not relevant at all. The NFL is welcome to try to grow their game internationally, but if they don't, who gives a damn? Whether the sport makes 8 billion, or 12 billion, or 28 billion a year, it is, and will continue to be, a wildly successful business. Remember, the thread is about the NFL possibly declining, not having to settle for being "fabulously wealthy" after failing to be "hilariously Bill Gates Rich", or having to settle for being "king of America" instead of "king of the world".

3) People die playing or practicing football every year. If a high-profile incident happens there may be a small handful of weiner parents who react, but for the most part nothing will happen. Kids will still want to play, and parents will let them.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

More comparable to the UFC. I went from watching every event to not even knowing when it's on (last night) and the UFC is more popular than ever.

The UFC's surge in popularity was easy to spot just by noticing the rise in Midnight Vulture looking douchebags wearing ring gear. There is a positive correlation there.

[Steron]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

1) Then why are the owners trying like hell to get so many games in London?

2) Pretty damned relevant. What's the most popular sport in the world? More importantly, in the developing world? Why? How can a sport that calls for expensive equipment and playing fields compete with a sport that can be played on pavement, dirt or scrub grass?

3) Notice the reactive rules designed to stave off criticisms involving CTE. Imagine the host of changes to the game if some poor bastard's next get snapped on live television... let alone the backlash from busybody government / activist types.

2. Futbol?

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by alnorth

1) This has nothing to do with the NFL being "saturated" in America. I for one, argue that it is not saturated and that the market would welcome an additional day of NFL, and would probably even accept an 18-game season.

As for why though, why not? Hey, free money.

2) No, not relevant at all. The NFL is welcome to try to grow their game internationally, but if they don't, who gives a damn? Whether the sport makes 8 billion, or 12 billion, or 28 billion a year, it is, and will continue to be, a wildly successful business. Remember, the thread is about the NFL possibly declining, not having to settle for being "fabulously wealthy" after failing to be "hilariously Bill Gates Rich", or having to settle for being "king of America" instead of "king of the world".

3) People die playing or practicing football every year. If a high-profile incident happens there may be a small handful of weiner parents who react, but for the most part nothing will happen. Kids will still want to play, and parents will let them.

The league and the NCAA's wealth is threatened by CTE lawsuits.

I have no faith that the owners' won't settle at being the Kings of America. They seem to me to have Rockefeller-levels of greed that isn't suited to choosing sustainability over the risk of astronomical levels of wealth if consequence is failure of the league.

And this is why I stress a high profile player death as being the harbinger of football's end: rule changes that turn the game into flag football will probably not be well-received if they're brought in on the heels of a tragedy. I'd put money on the fact that tackling will be legislated out of the game within the next quarter century but I'm guessing that point the NFL, NCAA/NFHS will have made such gradual changes over this coming decade that only the most die-hard fans of football as a sport will complain and therefore turn away from the product.

However, if a player like Drew Brees is killed on Sunday Night Football with millions watching it will be impossible to play the game under current (and already compromised, in my opinion) rules and the rule-making bodies will have to accelerate this shift in the game without the same level of acceptance in fans.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Dick Bull

The UFC's surge in popularity was easy to spot just by noticing the rise in Midnight Vulture looking douchebags wearing ring gear. There is a positive correlation there.

Off-topic, but the funny thing about combat sports is how people tend to view UFC as some kind of crazy bloodsport, but think Boxing is a noble activity. Its actually the opposite, boxing is barbaric and the health of the fighters is not really a consideration at all, while MMA seems to be more like a civilized sport.

In MMA, once a guy is beat they try hard as hell to end the fight and keep him from getting hurt. No one is usually going to stop a fight if a boxer gets hurt, it doesn't stop unless you are knocked the hell out or you are so badly damaged that you can't stay on your feet. Longtime MMA fighters can retire in relatively good health, while longtime boxers suffer debilitating injuries more often.