Business and drama sells tickets the game is a circus act now

There is no drama. The games are all too predictable when they involve certain teams and players. It's literally only about business and ducking lawsuits nowadays, Goodell and the owners have lost sight of why people watch and play the game.

I don't think the fantasy dorks like it either. No stats are gained for a PI call--those are just yards your player can no longer get. And the increased passing is killing the RB position. There's only a few real, solid, RB plays and even fewer "studs." Most teams have a committee, but even featured backs don't get 25 carries. More like 10-20.

And the increased focus on concussions is makes starters missing games much more likely.

Lots of drama its always better when there is a story line to feed to the millions to build up the games , brothers against brothers, or QB's that been run out of town, lots of story lines you know feel good outcomes

Best match ups for our bottom line its a business that works well and makes $$$$$$$ there is drama a lot of it Refs are the best act

Loved to play the game its changed so much

Whats even crazier is the Chiefs were like the 6th ranked team in scoring points.

Last weeks clunker against the Colts dropped us, we were 2nd before that.haha

Yet it is better to be lucky than good. For example, his own brother

It would be ineteresting to see some sort of chart that either tracks total points scored per year; or average passing yardage over the last 15 years. With a bullet point that indicates when certain penalties were either more strictly enforced etc.

Total wild assed guyss, but I would think there would be a fairly large and rapid inrease in those averages beginning in probably 2004.

Like Rainman, I'm almost to the point where he is. Hell, I got NFLST for free this year and literally only 'used' it maybe once. I've probably caught a collective 60 minutes of the other prime-time games (which is 90% Manning). The NFL is really really disappointing me. I never remember it being so much of a story-line driven league - at least in terms of the games they hype. THey'd rather have 2 shit teams on national TV with an interesting back story than two good teams fighting it out.

This is the first year that I haven't thought "Man, I can't wait for X game this week". It doesn't matter. Game chagning penalties are occuring way too often each week, each game. Those penalties are the 'new' Kick Off Returns for TD.

Don't care, you guys are still watching in record numbers

/ The NFL
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As a Patriots fan, I'm glad Peyton didn't get any special treatment from the media this year, and the Broncos got blasted for running up the score just like the Pats did... oh, wait...

Just like the Pats, Denver will find out that a record offense doesn't automatically mean a Lombardi. Manning isn't as good in the winter elements, Denver's D is a question mark without Miller, Welker is one hit away from ending his season... One and done is not put of the realm of possibility.

I can't speak for anyone else on this board, but I know of the friends that I have that like the Broncos - none view any of this regular season greatness as anything to consider as a 'given' for postseason success.

Play time is over now, it's the playoffs...

And yet, the NFL is more popular than ever.

People (for the most part) love offense and points... not defensive slugfests that result in baseball scores.

I wish the defenses weren't so limited by all the rules changes quite honestly, but it is what it is and my love of the game hasn't fallen - and no, I wouldn't be singing a different tune if Denver didn't have Manning throwing for more than 10K yards and 92 TDs the last 32 regular season games.

My theory is that they're broadening the base while narrowing the foundation. They're dumbing down the game and making it more popular among non-fans, because it's cool to go to a Super Bowl party and wear official NFL-branded merchandise.

However, this approach is hurting the core of the fan base, those people who will go fill a stadium on Week 15 when the two teams are 6-8.

On its current path, I think the NFL will continue to see TV ratings rise for big games, but they'll see stagnation and then a decline in TV ratings and attendance for teams that aren't winning. The NFL-branded casual fans that the NFL is courting aren't going to care about those games, and the hardcore fans are being driven away. In the end, I think there'll be a business crisis in the NFL as a result of the marketing-driving approach that's being used right now.

You can use marketing to grow the NFL just like you can with any other business. But at the same time you have to recognize that it's a bit different than other consumer goods, and increasing short-term sales at the cost of long-term loyalty carries a price.

Eh. Still love watching games on Sunday. I'm really sad that we only have a few more weeks of this left.

It's gonna be that much sweeter when that record setting offense is sitting at home watching the Superbowl come February. **** the Donks