[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.