NFL in 2022

[Reaser]

Oh, the real societal changes. I think Kaepernick opened up a Pandora's box with his protest of the National Anthem (leaving the politics out of it) and it has seriously damaged the brand of the NFL, and alienated a big chunk of it's audience. I don't know if or when or how the NFL recovers it's audience from this.

It's odd that the NFL and some fans try to deny the link between declining ratings and things like taking a knee for the anthem. Direct correlation. Though there's probably a little more to it than that. Overall, the NFL -specifically coverage of the NFL- has become about everything off the field and nothing on it, unless it relates to fantasy football. For example, today the story was football and CTE being used as an excuse for what Aaron Hernandez did. While the primary story of the first three weeks has been whether or not Elliott would play and it was less about playing for the Cowboys than it was about people needing to know if they should draft him in fantasy football or when he would be out and hurt their fantasy team. The other big story was Michael Bennett's ridiculous account of allegedly being racially profiled by LVMPD.

It's the same thing with society, the weekly protests, picking sides, and so on. It's infiltrated football and thus football becomes less of a standalone entity and more blends into being just another thing/pawn to be used in the nonsensical debates of modern society in America.

Which means that for people that ignore that stuff, football is still meaningful to them but they're annoyed that now they can't ignore idiocy because it's part of football now. For the people that spend their days picking a side football is less meaningful to them because it just blends into everything else, football is no different from debating the merits of a statue. It now simply is that days/weeks/months/years pick-a-side debate of the day/week/month/year. Then back to the people that want to ignore that type of stuff, now it's part of football so they can't ignore it while watching football so they instead now ignore football itself.

As for baseball, I still watch the Mariners but I stopped following the rest of MLB gradually over time starting with the strike then the game devolving into unnatural people hitting HR's. Also, that timeframe between the strike and McGwire/Sosa covers when I stopped playing baseball -- despite being the best pitcher in my class. Which would probably be the main concern regarding football. All this nonsense making kids not want to play at all. It doesn't matter to me if other people watch because I'll always watch football. But if no one is playing then there is no one to watch. I'm not overly concerned about that because football is huge in a lot of parts of the country and isn't just going to die out, even if #'s decline there will still be enough players. Though I think something like D2 college football could see more schools drop football and eventually lead to the elimination of the entire level (1AA/FCS could/would just take the D2 name then?). But I'm not too worried about it, just if there is to be any concern that would be it, for me. Kids/teenagers not playing.

[Bryan]

It's odd that the NFL and some fans try to deny the link between declining ratings and things like taking a knee for the anthem. Direct correlation. Though there's probably a little more to it than that. Overall, the NFL -specifically coverage of the NFL- has become about everything off the field and nothing on it, unless it relates to fantasy football.

I like my football to be simple. I want to watch the games, then I want to talk about the games. It seems like so much of the coverage of the NFL is about things unrelated to the action on the field. Even fantasy football is like this, where the focus is on the final result (how many garbage TDs did your QB throw for after being down 34-0?) as opposed to what actually happened in the game. It seems like its more of a 'chore' to watch a football game than it used to be, but maybe its just me.

I think Goodall is his own worst enemy. The NFL keeps all of these domestic abuse stories in the news, because Goodall has his own investigations and his own rulings that are outside of (and usually contradictory to) the legal system. On one hand, I get that some NFL players are prone to violence and a few are flat out criminals. On the other hand, I accept this and want to enjoy watching a game on TV. Ben Roethlisberger most likely raped someone, but please keep throwing TDs on Sunday. I like Roethlisberger as a QB. I wouldn't want my daughter dating him. Two different things, in my mind.

It doesn't matter to me if other people watch because I'll always watch football. But if no one is playing then there is no one to watch. I'm not overly concerned about that because football is huge in a lot of parts of the country and isn't just going to die out, even if #'s decline there will still be enough players. Though I think something like D2 college football could see more schools drop football and eventually lead to the elimination of the entire level (1AA/FCS could/would just take the D2 name then?). But I'm not too worried about it, just if there is to be any concern that would be it, for me. Kids/teenagers not playing.

I am surprised that college football still exists at the small college level. Most of these programs are lucky to break even financially. I figure the first thing to go will be that small college level, followed by certain smaller high schools dropping the sport as well.

Youth tackle football is a tricky subject to me. When I was a kid, our local youth football had terrible equipment and played on terrible fields. I guess it got me familiar with the sport, but I don't think it really enhanced my 'development' as a player had I not played youth football. Not really worth the risk in retrospect, IMO. I think if someone is a good enough athlete to play at the NCAA and/or NFL level, then they can pick up the sport in high school and still excel. I don't view youth football as a 'necessary' element to becoming a great player, but I might be in the minority on that viewpoint.

[JeffreyMiller]

I agree that I just want my football without the frills. I just want to watch the games and not have to worry about all the off-field stuff. Now, having said that, I think it was a great occurrence when the AFL All-Stars protested in 1965 and forced the sport to take a long hard look at its practices. But I don't need to know each players' stance on race or any other subject. Some athletes feel they are slaves (seriously!) to a system that pays them millions for playing a sport which occupies maybe six-seven months out of their life for a window of (on average) 3-4 years ... I don't need to hear that. I find it insulting. And while I think it's right that a player be respectful of the national anthem, I believe taking a knee is NOT REALLT disrespectful. We are making more out of it than needs to be ... to the point where all of the pre-game shows and talking heads blather incessantly and the program no longer seems to be about football. Shut up and play the game!

And don't get me started about fantasy football (or the DH and inter-league play in baseball ...)

[Rupert Patrick]

I agree that I just want my football without the frills. I just want to watch the games and not have to worry about all the off-field stuff. Now, having said that, I think it was a great occurrence when the AFL All-Stars protested in 1965 and forced the sport to take a long hard look at its practices. But I don't need to know each players' stance on race or any other subject. Some athletes feel they are slaves (seriously!) to a system that pays them millions for playing a sport which occupies maybe six-seven months out of their life for a window of (on average) 3-4 years ... I don't need to hear that. I find it insulting. And while I think it's right that a player be respectful of the national anthem, I believe taking a knee is NOT REALLT disrespectful. We are making more out of it than needs to be ... to the point where all of the pre-game shows and talking heads blather incessantly and the program no longer seems to be about football. Shut up and play the game!

And don't get me started about fantasy football (or the DH and inter-league play in baseball ...)

I agree that sports has a place in helping force the national narrative on racial issues; the 1965 AFL All-Star game is a perfect example. Jackie Robinson's integration of Major League Baseball definitely helped along the integration process in America, and Muhammad Ali's refusal to join the Army due to religious issues helped spur a national anti-Vietnam war narrative at the cost of four prime years of his athletic career.

Now, three NFL players and a retired NFL player (Anquan Boldin) are advancing the concept of the NFL having a "Social Activism" month, just as they have "Breast Cancer" month when they wear the pink shoes:

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/09/21 ... memo-says/

These four guys even "penned" the following 10-page memo to Roger Goodell laying out their agenda:

https://sports.yahoo.com/memo-4-players ... 18178.html

I started reading the memo, and stopped reading at the point when it mentioned the criminalization of poverty. I am not sure how you criminalize poverty.

Michael Bennett of the Seahawks was one of the players who was behind this, and I feel sorry for his treatment at the hands of the Las Vegas police in August. But as I understand the facts, the police were responding to an active shooter in a casino and he was targeted not because of his skin color but because he was openly carrying a gun but the police apologized and he was released within 10 minutes. If I were openly carrying a gun in public in an active shooter situation I would expect the police to take me down and detain me until they knew who I was, or until the situation was neutralized. It makes common sense. People's lives were potentially at stake.

I do agree that one thing I liked about football is that it was one refuge from the divisiveness and politicization that we have increasingly seen in America over the past 15 or so years. It has so permeated everything in this country that I have lost friends because I voted for this person, or because I didn't vote for that person, or because I didn't vote at all in this election due to the fact that not voting was actually a vote for so and so, and blah blah blah blah blah. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. Football was an escape from this. It no longer is any more.

[James]

I do agree that one thing I liked about football is that it was one refuge from the divisiveness and politicization that we have increasingly seen in America over the past 15 or so years. It has so permeated everything in this country that I have lost friends because I voted for this person, or because I didn't vote for that person, or because I didn't vote at all in this election due to the fact that not voting was actually a vote for so and so, and blah blah blah blah blah. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. Football was an escape from this. It no longer is any more.

Rupert, You said in a few sentences what would have taken me a paragraph or two to say the same thing. Football is no longer an escape, maybe that's why I've been getting in to hockey - NHL - big time. A buddy of mine said he read an article with Franco Harris and Franco stated that if anyone on the Steelers team back then, who would have knelt during the national anthem, that two players, Lambert and Mean Joe would have taken care of them right away.

[Rupert Patrick]

A buddy of mine said he read an article with Franco Harris and Franco stated that if anyone on the Steelers team back then, who would have knelt during the national anthem, that two players, Lambert and Mean Joe would have taken care of them right away.

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/09/06 ... amer-says/

When this story broke, I didn't see a response in the media from either Mr. Greene or Mr. Lambert with respect to Mr. Harris' comments.

[74_75_78_79_]

Funny but these past two weeks, although I've had NFL Network amongst news and weather on for my morning breakfast/joes, I've caught Yours Truly not being as into these past two weeks as any other first two weeks of any NFL season since I started following in that esteemed (despite it signaling an end to a certain Dynasty) 1980 campaign. A good amount of it is simply due to Steelers not being on TV and simply me not making it out to the neighborhood watering hole, but still. Caught a bit of NYG/Big D Sunday Nighter and also last Sun's Packers/Falcons, but that's really it. Actually did do laundry last Sun for the early games and got a strong feeling that I missed out on a (as Reaser said) heck of an Eagles/Chiefs game (have a feeling Week #3's Atl at Det may be another to look out for).

Just the same, for pretty much (more-or-less) all the reasons you all give, following NFL football is not what it used to be. It, perhaps, has..."jumped the shark" for some time now. I long for the time when I first started following and especially regret not simply at least catching it a few years earlier. A sci-fi geek in early elementary school, I remember some 'game' that all four of my grandparents were over for; but I simply played Star Wars figures all day in the dining room and up in my room. I did have a bedspread I've had for quite some time with 26 NFL teams (looking back, those logos reeked of turn-of-decade '60s-into-'70s; liked the art but it wasn't enough to get me into it yet). All I cared for was tonight's 'Battlestar Galactica' episode. The 'game' in the living room, btw...Super Bowl XIII.

Then again there are those older than I who don't look back quite as fondly of even Howard Cosell & Co on MNF as me and enough of my fellow-Gen-Xers. I believe it was Pat Summeral in a cult-classic Super Bowl X pre-game documentary (Bill Murray a big part of it) saying even then that he felt NFL was getting too much exposure ("too much exposure" in...Jan '76?? No cable, ESPN, NFL Network, radio talk shows galore, etc). Home from Church/Sunday School on a late-morning/very-early afternoon in the early-'80s, the Sun shining through every single window (or at least seeming like it was even on a cloudy day), hearing the opening trumps of a certain show hosted by a 'fab four' in their own right: a pure-broadcaster, a great commentator as well and also a former NFL player, a former Miss America, and a Vegas KIng...yes, great stuff!

Everyone who does, indeed, feel that the NFL is at least in a temporary coma and should soon enough reawaken, or think it's jumped that shark and there's no hope...when do YOU feel that the Greatness of following NFL football breathed its (so-far, at least) 'last-breath'?

As for my answer...I'll give it some thought, but I'll say this (right or wrong amongst some of you), I still was rather excited about NFL ball late-'90s going into the new millenium. This despite my team in a bit of a 'coma' itself. Super Bowls actually becoming great games! '98 Vikings & Broncos and the 'contrast-in-styles' Classic that never was; but then the 'Greatest Show on Turf' vs the NFL's version of Nebraska/Tommie Frazier/Lawrence Phillips 'contrast-in-styles' Classic that actually WAS! Big Super Bowl party at a friend's house in the snow for that very Jan '00 event! Halftime broughtout the kids in all us late-'20/early-30somethings. Snowball fights and tackle football at halftime then simply throwing the football with each other for hours - in the snow - afterwards. The game still had a pulse with me. NFL Primetime still not past its peak (nor at least with me and my friends), no NFL Network taking over with its saturation. I believe Sunday Night games every week by then but at least not every Thursday if not mistaken. I guess every Sun Night not that bad although I'd rather it'd be circa '81 (just one mid-season). Either way, '99 or at least briefly into 21st was it for me. And that not may be very popular amongst most of you who may feel it happened earlier if not much, much earlier.

[Reaser]

I don't believe in over-saturation, or at least that's not a negative for me. For examples; tonight I watched all or part of 10 different high school games, 2 colleges games, one CFL game and listened to a a high school game on the radio (via PC). Also watched a 30-min HL show on WA HS football and just am finishing up a 2-hour show on TX HS football (a 125-122 six-man game?!)

And as some of you know, and just like I have for who knows how many years now I literally watch every play of every NFL game every season. Yes, including preseason. I watch more football every year, because that's what I like to do. I love that fact that if I want to watch a D3 college game tomorrow I can, and essentially any and every game I would want to watch is available. I remember when I was a kid and there was Saturday's without Huskies and Cougars games on TV! That was ridiculous, to me.

The amount of football available is perfect, it just would have been roughly 100% better had I been able to choose from all these games in the 90's, or of course had I been alive the 50's, 60's, 70's. And that's the problem. The sport (specifically pro and major college, though trickles down to small college, high school, etc) is awful currently and has been for a while now. It's 100% the worst on-the-field era in my lifetime (and making that even worse is that it's ALSO the worst off-the-field era in my lifetime) and since I've seen a lot of film going pretty far back, I'd say it's the worst quality it's ever been. Though maybe the 1890's were bad? Who knows? But I'd rather read books about the 1890's than read about the 2010's. The actual football being played now at the professional level is bad. A level down something like the Big XII, that conference is nothing short of a disgrace to the sport. So you have bad football, which Bryan mentioned earlier about it being a "chore" to watch the NFL now, that's probably what I would go with. Then you throw on top of the bad football all the nonsense -- media coverage, off-the-field, suits that have no business being involved in the sport dictating rules and regulations, ridiculous uniforms, etc. It's just bad.

I mentioned all the high school football I watched tonight (no different from any other Friday night during football season), and this is some of what I saw.

-- A wing-T offense against a 4-4 ... and the game was 33-29 and the team that lost had a shot at the endzone with 2 seconds left from the 9-yard line. There was no horrible penalties, teams were wearing their traditional colors/logos/uniforms, just generally no nonsense good football being played.

-- A 9-6 game that until late in the 4th Quarter had been 3-0 all game. Not low scoring because of incompetence or poor play but because actual football was being played.

-- A 48-41 double-OT rivalry game. Won't go into it because so much happened and it'd be paragraphs long trying to explain how great this game was.

-- A game that featured a team running the single-wing, yes the single-wing! That ended 35-21 (28-21 but on 4th and 5 when a 1st down would end it the QB broke it for a long TD run instead to put it away. Closer game than the score.)

-- And finally a team from WA beat a team from Colorado because of course they did, because we all know where the best HS football is played.

So football can be and still is great. Though even HS was better in previous decades. But the odds of a day like tonight in WA HS football happening in the NFL? Refs letting the players play, no ridiculously long delays, no one talking about who isn't standing for the anthem, seeing numerous different offenses and defensive schemes, seeing players today in the same looking uniform that you saw that team play in 20 years ago, seeing mud and muddy uniforms, seeing people actually try to complete a hail mary at the end of the first half instead of being worried about an int going on their stats, seeing a team run the ball 40 times, seeing a team run the same play 8 times in a row because it gained 4-5 yards every time and ran it until they got stopped for a loss of 2, seeing people devastated that they lost and generally care about the outcome of the game, and so on ...

That happening in the NFL? No, because the football being played in the NFL is garbage. From rules, to x's and o's, to execution, to everything off the field and everything that the media brings with it. Even the spectacular in the NFL isn't impressive. Alleged amazing catches which are the product of the gloves being worn more than the athlete wearing them, monster statistical games that are solely a product of this horrible era and not because a player actually had a legendary performance, and so on.

Specifically the NFL started getting worse in the mid-2000's, for me. There's no specific year since it was gradual, probably started 2003/2004, worse by the year through the 00's, pretty bad at the end of the 00's then complete trash from 2010 to current. And I say that being a Seahawks fan and the best era in Seattle's history is from 2010 to current.

[sheajets]

I do agree that one thing I liked about football is that it was one refuge from the divisiveness and politicization that we have increasingly seen in America over the past 15 or so years. It has so permeated everything in this country that I have lost friends because I voted for this person, or because I didn't vote for that person, or because I didn't vote at all in this election due to the fact that not voting was actually a vote for so and so, and blah blah blah blah blah. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. Football was an escape from this. It no longer is any more.

Rupert, You said in a few sentences what would have taken me a paragraph or two to say the same thing. Football is no longer an escape, maybe that's why I've been getting in to hockey - NHL - big time. A buddy of mine said he read an article with Franco Harris and Franco stated that if anyone on the Steelers team back then, who would have knelt during the national anthem, that two players, Lambert and Mean Joe would have taken care of them right away.

[Reaser]

Hockey is great.

In other news, can't even avoid the NFL's/media's nonsense during college football. All day scrolling across the bottom with breaking news updates on owners and players responses to Trump. Can't wait for tomorrow . . .