Troy Aikman is worried about the NFL's future

[RealSNR]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-troy-aikman-20120218,0,1360250.story

Former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman expressed concerns about the NFL’s future Friday during a forum discussing “Is L.A. Ready for the NFL,” sponsored by Zócalo Public Square.

Aikman, who is in the college football and NFL Halls of fame, was on a panel that included UCLA Coach Jim Mora, UCLA economist Lee Ohanian and Los Angeles Times’ NFL columnist Sam Farmer.

When the subject of concussions was brought up, Aikman said the league may be at a critical point in its history.

League officials and owners are “very concerned about concussions,” said Aikman, who is now a television analyst. He added, “the long-term viability, to me anyway, is somewhat in question as far as what this game is going to look like 20 years from now.”

Aikman does not have a son, but said, “if I did, I wouldn’t tell him he couldn’t play football. If he wanted to, I would say ‘OK, great.’ But I don’t know if I would be encouraging him to play. Whereas, with the other sports, you want your kids to be active and doing those types of things.”

That, to Aikman, puts the NFL’s future as the most popular sport in question. He cited the book, “America’s Game,” which touches on the mistakes baseball made that allowed football to overtake it.

Aikman said that the league wants to continue to grow the pie, but cautioned, “I think we’re going to look back at this point in time and say these were the missteps that the National Football League took that kept football from being the No. 1 sport.

“I believe, and this is my opinion, that at some point football is not going to be the No. 1 sport. You talk about the ebbs and flows of what’s popular and what’s not. At some point, the TV ratings are not going to be there.”

Aikman admitted, “I can’t justify that because the numbers say otherwise, but I guess time will tell.”

The absence of football in Los Angeles was an indicator to Aikman that the NFL could have long-term issues.

“At one time, watching football was an event,” Aikman said. “Monday Night Football was a big event. Now you get football Sunday, you get it Monday, you get it Thursday and, late in the year, you get it on Saturday.

“People in Los Angeles realized, ‘You know what, life’s OK without the NFL.’ If I’m an owner, I don’t want any fan thinking that.”

Aikman realized this problem when the NFL Network was developed.

At first, he said, when “people couldn’t get [the channel] in the homes and, all of sudden, fans, me included, were saying, ‘I wasn’t getting the Thursday night game and I was OK with that.’ That’s not a good thing.”

[Saul Good]

I don't value the opinion of anyone who hawks Rent-A-Center.

[mikey23545]

I am worried about the future of Troy Aikman's brain.

[Demonpenz]

the meeting was cut short when a passer by wearing a lavar arrington jersey caused aikman to shit his pants.

[BigMeatballDave]

the meeting was cut short when a passer by wearing a lavar arrington jersey caused aikman to shit his pants.

ROFLLMAO

[Rain Man]

The last surviving member of the 1980s Steelers offensive line also stated his concern. Then he shot up Siegfried & Roy's house, led police on a high-speed chase, and died of heart failure while trying to hang himself.

[Rasputin]

He should be worried about it as Goodel pussification of the NFL to Flag football continues.

[Micjones]

I do think Goodell's gone John Madden on the league and often fixes what isn't broken.
I also think it's natural for the popularity of ANYTHING to wane.
The NFL won't exactly go into the shitter though. No matter what.
It'll always be Big 3.

[Titty Meat]

The last surviving member of the 1980s Steelers offensive line also stated his concern. Then he shot up Siegfried & Roy's house, led police on a high-speed chase, and died of heart failure while trying to hang himself.

Whoa what?

[Bugeater]

Meh...idiot...just because LA doesn't have an NFL team doesn't mean its residents are living without football.

I do wonder how much bigger they will be able to 'grow the pie'. It seems we're seeing the limits of what fans will pay to attend games in person, and at some point the networks are going to cry uncle, where they gonna go after that?

[keg in kc]

Oversaturation is a risk. I'm not sure the proliferation of sports radio and the internet will end up being a good thing either (for sports in general) in the long term. But the thing about games not being events anymore is I think valid.

[whoman69]

I don't think it can be considered oversaturation when fans still can't get the games they want. We have seen many are willing to pay up the wazoo for those games. I do think if they increase the schedule to 18 it would be a step in the wrong direction. They need to do more to make the games affordable for the average fan to actually attend the game and make the gameday experience one to remember.

[Otter]

I don't think it can be considered oversaturation when fans still can't get the games they want. We have seen many are willing to pay up the wazoo for those games. I do think if they increase the schedule to 18 it would be a step in the wrong direction. They need to do more to make the games affordable for the average fan to actually attend the game and make the gameday experience one to remember.

:clap:

[DTLB58]

I don't value the opinion of anyone who hawks Rent-A-Center.

:clap:

[crispystl]

I don't think it can be considered oversaturation when fans still can't get the games they want. We have seen many are willing to pay up the wazoo for those games. I do think if they increase the schedule to 18 it would be a step in the wrong direction. They need to do more to make the games affordable for the average fan to actually attend the game and make the gameday experience one to remember.

This. I mean we're a middle class family but man 150.00 for two tickets and then parking and concessions on top of that and you're looking at 250.00 for my son and I to attend a game. That's just crazy.

[Hammock Parties]

This. I mean we're a middle class family but man 150.00 for two tickets and then parking and concessions on top of that and you're looking at 250.00 for my son and I to attend a game. That's just crazy.

COMPLAIN ABOUT FOOD PRICES

SPEND MONEY ON FOOD

I hate fans like you.

[InChiefsHeaven]

I only make it down to the Chiefs once a year. If I lived in KC, I might make it a couple times, but I don't know how anyone can afford season tickets and going to every home game. That's alot of friggin' money.

[FAX]

The money doesn't bother me nearly as much as the fact that the offense can't cross the 50-yard line. You can't put a price on that.

FAX

[Molitoth]

If the NFL keeps getting pussified, it is going to be a loss of interest.

These players make millions of dollars knowing they could get a concussion. It's a sacrifice I'm sure they totally don't mind.

There are plenty of other white collar jobs that have injury risk, and those people are making minimum wage.

Keep the game hard hitting Goodell, you f*cking pussy.

[KCUnited]

It's not just the league, these guys don't even pad up and tackle in practice.

[FAX]

Aikman may be concerned, but if I had the talent and the body for the job, I would gladly risk a concussion in order to play professional football. Are you kidding? Hell, there was a time when I would happily volunteer for a knock on the head in exchange for a night with a good-looking girl or two.

Besides, proper brain activity is highly overrated. I mean, most non-concussed people act like they're skull-cracked daily.

FAX

[|Zach|]

“At one time, watching football was an event,” Aikman said. “Monday Night Football was a big event. Now you get football Sunday, you get it Monday, you get it Thursday and, late in the year, you get it on Saturday.



Couldn't agree more.

The product to me is simply not what it used to be. I used to be glued to all the NFL games now I pretty much just watch Chiefs games.

[|Zach|]

Meh...idiot...just because LA doesn't have an NFL team doesn't mean its residents are living without football.

I do wonder how much bigger they will be able to 'grow the pie'. It seems we're seeing the limits of what fans will pay to attend games in person, and at some point the networks are going to cry uncle, where they gonna go after that?

It can't grow the pie that much. That is why they are trying so hard to push this product overseas.

This is a whole website built to encourage and inform potential british fans.

http://www.nfl-360.com/

[Mr. Laz]

on one hand, you have players bitching about rules that don't let them hit.


on the other hand, you have players suing the league for letting them get concussions.


pick a dam position and make up your mind

[crispystl]

COMPLAIN ABOUT FOOD PRICES

SPEND MONEY ON FOOD

I hate fans like you.

Food is a necessity. I don't complain about food prices and I don't go to games. I'm not sure what your argument is?

[InChiefsHeaven]

Food is a necessity. I don't complain about food prices and I don't go to games. I'm not sure what your argument is?
Don't mind Clay. He's on his period. Again.

[Brock]

I agree with him as far as MNF not being the big event, but that's by design. MNF used to be marquee matchups, but now it's usually a B- level matchup, same as Thursday night. People aren't going to pay money to watch Seattle vs. Arizona or some shit like that.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

I agree with him in a sense. I'm worried about the future of the Chiefs due to concussions in the front office.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

COMPLAIN ABOUT FOOD PRICES

SPEND MONEY ON FOOD

I hate fans like you.

I refuse to spend money on food or drink at sporting events. Fug that. Eat before and after the game for better food at a better price.

[Rasputin]

Has anyone watch Jousting on the history channel last week? Now that is a contact sport & practice they get hit with a battering ram and baseball bats. Ok where do you sign up? Of course they are wearing midieval armor but still they don't seem to mind getting knocked off a horse with a lance.

[CoMoChief]

Aikman's full of shit.

[|Zach|]

I agree with him as far as MNF not being the big event, but that's by design. MNF used to be marquee matchups, but now it's usually a B- level matchup, same as Thursday night. People aren't going to pay money to watch Seattle vs. Arizona or some shit like that.

But doesn't it feel like the ratio of good to bad games that you are mentioning above seems a lot different than in the 90's?

[|Zach|]

I refuse to spend money on food or drink at sporting events. Fug that. Eat before and after the game for better food at a better price.

I will say this for Chiefs games...food options are better than other sporting events.

[morphius]

It is interesting, with the decline of the Chiefs my interest in the NFL has dropped as well, so I don't know if it is the NFL or just the fact that my team isn't very good.

The NFL has a lot of issues, cost for fans, TV coverage (How many NFC East Matchups must I suffer through), good teams getting blacked out, O/D balance...

[Brock]

But doesn't it feel like the ratio of good to bad games that you are mentioning above seems a lot different than in the 90's?

I don't think so. Half the games are and have always been crap, IMO.

[DJ's left nut]

But doesn't it feel like the ratio of good to bad games that you are mentioning above seems a lot different than in the 90's?

I don't think so; it only seems that way because of how down the Chiefs have been for about a decade now.

When I watch good teams go at it, I'm blown away by the skill and precision we see. Then I watch the Bears and Chiefs try to fuck the football for 60 minutes and want to kill myself.

I think the products as strong as it's ever been; we just aren't saturated by it because the product we follow most closely (the Chiefs), is dog-ass.

[Discuss Thrower]

Maybe the NFL's problem is the expansion teams of late have diluted the amount of skilled players on any roster..

[RealSNR]

It is interesting, with the decline of the Chiefs my interest in the NFL has dropped as well, so I don't know if it is the NFL or just the fact that my team isn't very good.

The NFL has a lot of issues, cost for fans, TV coverage (How many NFC East Matchups must I suffer through), good teams getting blacked out, O/D balance...
Let's also not forget the Tim Tebow baby generator that nfl.com had on its front page at the end of the regular season, where you can find out what Tebow's baby would look like if he porked various women.

I saw that and I wanted to fly to Bristol, CT and suicide bomb ESPN headquarters. They're absolutely responsible for that kind of garbage getting seeped into the NFL.

[morphius]

Let's also not forget the Tim Tebow baby generator that nfl.com had on its front page at the end of the regular season, where you can find out what Tebow's baby would look like if he porked various women.

I saw that and I wanted to fly to Bristol, CT and suicide bomb ESPN headquarters. They're absolutely responsible for that kind of garbage getting seeped into the NFL.
I missed that. The funny thing is that if Teebow would have created something like that, or an opposing player, Goodell probably would have suspended them.

[mikey23545]

Oversaturation is a risk. I'm not sure the proliferation of sports radio and the internet will end up being a good thing either (for sports in general) in the long term. But the thing about games not being events anymore is I think valid.

You know, weird as it may sound, I kinda miss the days when I was a kid and not being able to wait for the game of the week on whichever of the 4 channels we could get back then...Just getting to watch the NFL/AFL was a great joy! Hell, I didn't care if it was the Saint Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, or Boston Patriots against the Chiefs (not too often in my part of the country), it was an event...And once MNF started in 1970, me and my Dad and my little brother were in seventh heaven! I remember me and my brother popping the Jiffy Pop popcorn right before it was time for the game to begin, and all of us piling into my parent's king size bed to watch the game in the bedroom while my Mom watched her shows in the living room...

Now I have Sunday Ticket, the games are on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I have a whole channel dedicated to nothing but the NFL, and 3 different ESPN's...And I'd give anything to have that same feeling as when an NFL game was a special treat.

[HMc]

If you want to decrease concussions, remove the helmets and the body armour.

[Valiant]

It can't grow the pie that much. That is why they are trying so hard to push this product overseas.

This is a whole website built to encourage and inform potential british fans.

http://www.nfl-360.com/

Yeah, how did NFL-Europe turn out??

[Valiant]

If you want to decrease concussions, remove the helmets and the body armour.

I would love this..

Remove all plastic padding and helmets..

Go all leather, and not very big.. players can wear a flimsy protective shield for their eyes.. But we will have to outlaw stiff arms to the head and face and intentional tackles going for the head..

But if a QB ducks/cradles or dives head first his own fault.. It will also stop players throwing their body into each other full speed if they have to deal with a bit more bodily harm..

Certain players would probably also get a bit quicker..

[blaise]

The only thing that will kill it is if guys literally start dying on the field from hits.

And it's still a bigger event than any other US sport. Aikman must not realize how many millions of people play fantasy football.

[ClevelandBronco]

Maybe the NFL's problem is the expansion teams of late have diluted the amount of skilled players on any roster..

You can't reasonably blame the expansion Cleveland Browns for robbing much in the way of talent from the rest of the league.

[Discuss Thrower]

You can't reasonably blame the expansion Cleveland Browns for robbing much in the way of talent from the rest of the league.

No, but there could be blame sent Carolina, Jacksonville, and Houston's way along with Cleveland.

Or you could just say it's Modell's fault. Dude was a prick for moving the Baltimore anyway.

[InChiefsHeaven]

You know, weird as it may sound, I kinda miss the days when I was a kid and not being able to wait for the game of the week on whichever of the 4 channels we could get back then...Just getting to watch the NFL/AFL was a great joy! Hell, I didn't care if it was the Saint Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, or Boston Patriots against the Chiefs (not too often in my part of the country), it was an event...And once MNF started in 1970, me and my Dad and my little brother were in seventh heaven! I remember me and my brother popping the Jiffy Pop popcorn right before it was time for the game to begin, and all of us piling into my parent's king size bed to watch the game in the bedroom while my Mom watched her shows in the living room...

Now I have Sunday Ticket, the games are on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I have a whole channel dedicated to nothing but the NFL, and 3 different ESPN's...And I'd give anything to have that same feeling as when an NFL game was a special treat.

when I was a kid, we lived in Europe so we didn't get football at all because we didn't get American TV where we lived. My dad worked on the base, so as a special treat we would go into his office at like 10 PM or some shit to watch a football game...any football game. I remember seeing the Raiders play the Redskins and just loving it. It was a real treat, and event. We ordered pizza and watched the entire game, there was no such thing as a shitty game.

I miss that excitement, but in today's saturated football world, I don't get worked up the way I used to. Still love it, and I'm fortunate to be able to watch my Chiefs most of the time, but I can't tell you when was the last time I stayed up to watch SNF or MNF. I usually turn it off at the 4th quarter and go to sleep.

[|Zach|]

Yeah, how did NFL-Europe turn out??

Fan wise not that bad. Of course this is a different deal all together.

[Bearcat]

I don't think so; it only seems that way because of how down the Chiefs have been for about a decade now.

When I watch good teams go at it, I'm blown away by the skill and precision we see. Then I watch the Bears and Chiefs try to **** the football for 60 minutes and want to kill myself.

I think the products as strong as it's ever been; we just aren't saturated by it because the product we follow most closely (the Chiefs), is dog-ass.

How many times do you see that in the regular season? Sure, KC doesn't always get the best games because we get a lot of AFCW games, the Rams, etc... but, are there really that many teams or matchups you want to watch each week? I look down the schedule most weeks and think 'meh'... sure, a lot of games end up close, but it seems like it's due to mediocrity.

I watched the Packers/Giants late in the season and remember thinking, damn, it's been at least a month or two since I've seen a game nearly that good... and yeah, the good is really good. I just think in the past ~5 years it has seemed like it's stepped over the line of what I'd consider a good amount parity (like the NHL). I didn't even really start paying attention to the playoffs until the 2nd weekend this year. It's a QB league without nearly enough QBs.

[Discuss Thrower]

How many times do you see that in the regular season? Sure, KC doesn't always get the best games because we get a lot of AFCW games, the Rams, etc... but, are there really that many teams or matchups you want to watch each week? I look down the schedule most weeks and think 'meh'... sure, a lot of games end up close, but it seems like it's due to mediocrity.

I watched the Packers/Giants late in the season and remember thinking, damn, it's been at least a month or two since I've seen a game nearly that good... and yeah, the good is really good. I just think in the past ~5 years it has seemed like it's stepped over the line of what I'd consider a good amount parity (like the NHL). I didn't even really start paying attention to the playoffs until the 2nd weekend this year. It's a QB league without nearly enough QBs.

Exactly. Let's contract this bitch. Sorry Cleveland, Carolina, Houston, and Jacksonville. Ya'll are cut. Divide the remaining teams into two divisions per conference:

AFCE: New England, Miami, Buffalo, NY Jets, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Tampa Bay
AFCW: KC, Denver, San Diego, Oakland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Tennessee

NFCE: Dallas, NY Giants, Philly, Washington, Atlanta, Detriot, New Orleans
NFCW: Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Arizona

Scheduling might be a teensy-weensy bit of a bitch, but it could be workable if you throw out interconference play. 12 games in your division, one permanent cross divisional rival, then the three last games scheduled according to your finish in the conference (If above .500% in conference, two opponents in similar standing, if below, two opponents weaker or equal in standing. Possibility exists of playing a stronger team twice in a season if you finish above .500)

But think if it happened, guys like Andre Johnson, Schaub, Arian Foster, Cammy-Cam, MJD, Josh Cribbs can now take their talents to a better team and the overall product of the NFL is bettered for it.

[KCrockaholic]

Life's OK without the NFL in LA because they have the fucking Lakers.

[blaise]

Exactly. Let's contract this bitch. Sorry Cleveland, Carolina, Houston, and Jacksonville. Ya'll are cut. Divide the remaining teams into two divisions per conference:

AFCE: New England, Miami, Buffalo, NY Jets, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Tampa Bay
AFCW: KC, Denver, San Diego, Oakland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Tennessee

NFCE: Dallas, NY Giants, Philly, Washington, Atlanta, Detriot, New Orleans
NFCW: Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Arizona

Scheduling might be a teensy-weensy bit of a bitch, but it could be workable if you throw out interconference play. 12 games in your division, one permanent cross divisional rival, then the three last games scheduled according to your finish in the conference (If above .500% in conference, two opponents in similar standing, if below, two opponents weaker or equal in standing. Possibility exists of playing a stronger team twice in a season if you finish above .500)

But think if it happened, guys like Andre Johnson, Schaub, Arian Foster, Cammy-Cam, MJD, Josh Cribbs can now take their talents to a better team and the overall product of the NFL is bettered for it.

Contract Houston? Why would they want to do that?

[Discuss Thrower]

Contract Houston? Why would they want to do that?

Arbitrarily chose them because they were the latest expansion team and I figured going back to 28 teams seems logical.