Unreal

[AtlantaDan]

Teegre nailed the viewership thing. Everything is down. The NFL is less down than other things. The viewers just went away because they have no desire to watch TV and consume content under the traditional forced pay cable packaging that the NFL operates under.

Great post.

The contention all ratings are down certainly is the official NFL party line to explain ratings turning downward significantly since 2015. Unfortunately for a league trying to convince broadcasters they are getting a good return on their investment and hoping that the next round of broadcast rights sales will result in even more $$$, it may have to explain why declining ratings are the new normal for every sport given the growing popularity of the NBA, which operates under the same TV distribution system.

At the end of the 2017-18 regular season, NBA ratings were up across all four networks when compared to last season. ABC led the way at +17%, while TNT was +13%, ESPN +4% and NBA TV +1%. It was the NBA’s highest-rated season in five years. The audience growth was led by hard-to-reach young adults, with ratings for 18-34 demographic up by 14% and the 18-49 age group up by 15%. The median age of the NBA viewer is relatively young at 42, compared to the NFL (50) and Major League Baseball (57)....

There are a number of reasons why the NBA is gaining in popularity, especially with young adults. One reason is the games are not too long. An average NBA game in regulation lasts around 2 hours and 15 minutes. The 48-minute game has end to end action, looks good on television and has a lot of scoring. By comparison, in 2017, an average nine-inning Major League Baseball game lasted a record high three hours and five minutes. MLB is now trying to address this with rules changes including limiting manager, coach and player visits to the pitching mound. The average length of an NFL game in regulation (60 minutes of game clock time) is even longer at three hours and seven minutes, with only 11 minutes in which the football is actually in play. A televised NFL game now has an average of 70 ads.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadg.../#580ec7b32ecb

As the article embedded in this tweet states (if you click on the link in the tweet it should get around the WSJ paywall), some NFL owners may be considering whether franchise values are close to a market top and that it might be time to start considering cashing out.

I am old enough to remember the shift from baseball to the NFL as the most popular U.S. sport. For a variety of reasons, including attention spans, more boys (& girls) playing basketball than football when growing up, and football participation being impacted by the sport potentially causing brain damage, a similar shift from the NFL to the NBA may be coming in the U.S. The NBA already leaves the NFL in the dust outside of the U.S. (although both sports trail far behind what the rest of the world calls football).

[Mojouw]

Send me a good link Bro, I'm done paying for this crap.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nflstreams/ -- and any sub-threads that show up on game-day. At most you have to close 2-3 ad pop-ups and then switch at half-time because someone goes down.

Google "Wiziwig" and there will be 2-5 sites (.to, .ru., .co, etc) that come up. Part of a larger community of streamers that fractured after someone arrested the folks running the servers (or at least threatened to sue them). Used to require software. Now is just streaming links. Quality and availability varies. Typically 2-5 links per Steelers game -- gotta just find the one that works best on your internet rig. Tons of pop-ups.

Google search "sports are free" used to be a couple great streaming sites based around that term. Always stable. Always high quality. Now, hit or miss.

USTVNOW - typically has one or two games a Sunday and very frequently the Steelers are one of them.


Are all of these great quality? Nope. But I can't even watch the ESPN stream legally via their app (used to split the cost with my brother) because it crashes under the load of an NFL game. The illegal ones almost never crash and only tend to go offline when the NFL decides to care.

My point, build an app where I can watch the game I want and it actually works for the entire game and doesn't stutter, lag, and crash -- I will gladly pay a fee to use it. But since the NFL and its broadcast partners are too short-sighted to do that, I'm gonna pirate everything I can.

Honestly, all you have to do is be a bit internet savvy about viruses and whatnot, but a search term of "NFL FREE STREAMING" is going to find you some manner of feed for the game you want every-time.

I've been watching the Steelers like something described above for over 12 years -- screw giving the NFL and the Networks tons of $$$. They don't show you the games you want and their technology doesn't work when they do. ESPN and NFL network streams are almost unwatchable.

- - - Updated - - -

Great post.

The contention all ratings are down certainly is the official NFL party line to explain ratings turning downward significantly since 2015. Unfortunately for a league trying to convince broadcasters they are getting a good return on their investment and hoping that the next round of broadcast rights sales will result in even more $$$, it may have to explain why declining ratings are the new normal for every sport given the growing popularity of the NBA, which operates under the same TV distribution system.

At the end of the 2017-18 regular season, NBA ratings were up across all four networks when compared to last season. ABC led the way at +17%, while TNT was +13%, ESPN +4% and NBA TV +1%. It was the NBA’s highest-rated season in five years. The audience growth was led by hard-to-reach young adults, with ratings for 18-34 demographic up by 14% and the 18-49 age group up by 15%. The median age of the NBA viewer is relatively young at 42, compared to the NFL (50) and Major League Baseball (57)....

There are a number of reasons why the NBA is gaining in popularity, especially with young adults. One reason is the games are not too long. An average NBA game in regulation lasts around 2 hours and 15 minutes. The 48-minute game has end to end action, looks good on television and has a lot of scoring. By comparison, in 2017, an average nine-inning Major League Baseball game lasted a record high three hours and five minutes. MLB is now trying to address this with rules changes including limiting manager, coach and player visits to the pitching mound. The average length of an NFL game in regulation (60 minutes of game clock time) is even longer at three hours and seven minutes, with only 11 minutes in which the football is actually in play. A televised NFL game now has an average of 70 ads.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadg.../#580ec7b32ecb

As the article embedded in this tweet states (if you click on the link in the tweet it should get around the WSJ paywall), some NFL owners may be considering whether franchise values are close to a market top and that it might be time to start considering cashing out.

I am old enough to remember the shift from baseball to the NFL as the most popular U.S. sport. For a variety of reasons, including attention spans, more boys (& girls) playing basketball than football when growing up, and football participation being impacted by the sport potentially causing brain damage, a similar shift from the NFL to the NBA may be coming in the U.S. The NBA already leaves the NFL in the dust outside of the U.S. (although both sports trail far behind what the rest of the world calls football).

The other major thing is that TV made the NFL overtake baseball. The internet will help the NBA overtake the NFL.

NFL tailored itself to TV but has failed to embrace the internet. The NBA has went all in on the internet. Go to Youtube and see the highlight and discussion videos about the NBA that are not licensed. The NBA allows them to exist because all press is good press kinda thing. The NFL actively seeks and destroys these types of things on the internet. Gee, wanna guess which is more popular with young people globally? Maybe the sport you can instantly find on your phone for free.

I could rant about this all day. The NFL is governed by a bunch of folks that fundamentally do not understand the technological and cultural shifts that are underway in how people consume media/entertainment. Adapt or die. They are not adapting very well.

[st33lersguy]

The NFL would be wise to get rid of this rule. It will make it difficult for defenders to play, refs to call, and fans to watch

[AtlantaDan]

We are watching the destruction of the game of football.

When officials are forced to have this many judgement calls at high speed.....and the leading point of any human making a tackle is squaring the head to dead center of the target.....disaster will ensue.

No worries

Penalties under the new use of helmet in tackling rule may be subject to replay review by Al Riveron - that will fix everything

“That was discussed by the Competition Committee,” Riveron said regarding the possibility of using replay review for helmet rule calls. “I know it’s been brought up again. But as you know we have rules and bylaws that we have to adhere to. Can that change before we go into the regular season? I don’t know but that’s part of what the Competition Committee will discuss as we go along here, and there’s always the possibility.”

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...r-helmet-rule/

"We have rules and bylaws that we have to adhere to" - until we don't adhere to them because we just keep making stuff up on the fly

[EzraTank]

Just give them a belt with two flags already.

[pczach]

No worries

Penalties under the new use of helmet in tackling rule may be subject to replay review by Al Riveron - that will fix everything

“That was discussed by the Competition Committee,” Riveron said regarding the possibility of using replay review for helmet rule calls. “I know it’s been brought up again. But as you know we have rules and bylaws that we have to adhere to. Can that change before we go into the regular season? I don’t know but that’s part of what the Competition Committee will discuss as we go along here, and there’s always the possibility.”

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...r-helmet-rule/

"We have rules and bylaws that we have to adhere to" - until we don't adhere to them because we just keep making stuff up on the fly

[teegre]

Send me a good link Bro, I'm done paying for this crap.

Just come on over to my parents’ house.

Your choice: couch, chair, or on the floor amongst the smorgasbord of Legos.

[stillers4me]

[stillers4me]

The price of Sunday Ticket has skyrocketed. We got our bill and they were charging us (longtime customers) 6 payments of $66! Just shy of $400! By the time Russ got done with them, we are are paying one payment of $89. Way less than driving a 60 mile round trip to Martino's and buying food/drink every Sunday.

[86WARD]

NFL teams are teaching players to tackle like rugby players with their head behind the player. That tackle was text book what they are teaching. Far from any sort of penalty...lol.

[AtlantaDan]

The price of Sunday Ticket has skyrocketed. We got our bill and they were charging us (longtime customers) 6 payments of $66! Just shy of $400! By the time Russ got done with them, we are are paying one payment of $89. Way less than driving a 60 mile round trip to Martino's and buying food/drink every Sunday.

Time for me to have my annual conversation with DirecTV to threaten to cancel DirecTV unless they cut a deal (which they always do). This time I will actually mean it since I stream far more on Netflix and Amazon Prime than what I rarely watch these days on DirecTV. If DirecTV sold a Sunday Ticket + college football standalone package for a reasonable fee I would dump DirecTV ASAP.

[teegre]

If DirecTV sold a Sunday Ticket + college football standalone package for a reasonable fee I would dump DirecTV ASAP.

#truth

[AtlantaDan]

Coaches joining players in criticizing the new helmet rule

Some, including Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, even believe it might end up leading to how games are decided.

"It's going to cost some people some jobs -- playoffs, jobs, the whole bit I'm guessing," Zimmer said. "We haven't had any called on us so far. It's just hard to figure out. No one has ever said to me, 'Hey. Don't worry about it, we're going to call it less or we'll get it straightened out in the regular season. Or we're going to come up with a revised rule.' No one has ever said that."

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2...me-people-jobs

As the league office plans to add to the confusion

The league will also assemble an updated video tutorial that will be distributed to game officials, coaches and players once the final preseason games are played and in time for teams preparing for their regular-season openers, according to sources....

The revised video will be prepared by Al Riveron, the league's vice president of officials, with assistance from other league executives. It will include proper and erroneous applications by game officials, which one source said has generated a "predictable hysteria" because it is the first time the new rule is being officiated....

One influential league source said the NFL is looking at a "probable three-year" adjustment to the new emphasis that will change behavior with consistent application.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2...onference-call

Characteristically arrogant touch with the snide remark that anyone not on board with this change is engaging in "predictable hysteria"

Back in the day when it could do no wrong the NFL could ride out a three year period of discontent on something like this - the league probably does not get it but after the multiple screwups since Goodell became commissioner there is no goodwill left and those days are long gone

[Mojouw]

Like the Wu-Tang Clan said - Cash.Rules.Everything.Around.Me.

The segment of fans that care enough to complain and worry about the rules adjustements are at most a third of the people who watch and spend money on the NFL and the products advertised during NFL games.

To attract and retain advertisers (which is the most important part of all this) AND ensure continued participation in youth football — the league has to be able to sell that the game is safe. Viola! Dumbass rule changes.

The NFL can survive multiple debated calls that decide games far far easier than it can survive another Ryan Shazier or Mike Utley type of injury.

This is not to say that the rule changes actually accomplish anything, but they appear to be doing something. That’s all that matters.

We can post all the video clips, quotes from those directly involved in the game, and whatever else we want and the NFL central offices DO NOT CARE. Because the current way the game is played leads to a slow death of the league as growth industry due to people being turned against the violent consequences. Changing the game runs the risk of a fast death by too much change too quickly, but it also has a far greater chance at “saving” football - at least as a money making enterprise.

C.R.E.A.M.

[AtlantaDan]

Like the Wu-Tang Clan said - Cash.Rules.Everything.Around.Me.

The segment of fans that care enough to complain and worry about the rules adjustements are at most a third of the people who watch and spend money on the NFL and the products advertised during NFL games.

To attract and retain advertisers (which is the most important part of all this) AND ensure continued participation in youth football — the league has to be able to sell that the game is safe. Viola! Dumbass rule changes.

The NFL can survive multiple debated calls that decide games far far easier than it can survive another Ryan Shazier or Mike Utley type of injury.

This is not to say that the rule changes actually accomplish anything, but they appear to be doing something. That’s all that matters.

We can post all the video clips, quotes from those directly involved in the game, and whatever else we want and the NFL central offices DO NOT CARE. Because the current way the game is played leads to a slow death of the league as growth industry due to people being turned against the violent consequences. Changing the game runs the risk of a fast death by too much change too quickly, but it also has a far greater chance at “saving” football - at least as a money making enterprise.

C.R.E.A.M.

Of course the 1/3 that cares are the league's base - as a NASCAR fan has explained to me, when NASCAR attempted to broaden the sport's appeal by diversifying from its Southern roots and constantly rejiggering the rules for how to win the championship, it lost the base and its popularity (in both attendance and ratings) went into free fall after the 2008 depression. That economic hurt caused fans to cut back on going to the track, which became permanent as fans realized they did not miss the experience that much. Once a habit is broken it often is not resumed.

Agreed having players paralyzed is not a good look for the NFL, but as has been discussed here and elsewhere, football is a violent game and players get hurt. Here is Mike Utley's description of how he was paralyzed, which apparently had nothing to do with the improper use of a helmet under the new rule

The Lions were playing the Los Angeles Rams at the Pontiac Silverdome. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Lions’ quarterback Erik Kramer threw a pass over the outstretched arms of the Rams’ David Rocker.

Utley moved forward to block Rocker at his mid-thighs to take his legs out.

“He has to defend himself,” Utley recalls. “His hands have to come down…

“He caught me, and he pulled me down. I hit my head on the turf and broke my neck at C-5, -6, -7, and became instantly paralyzed.”

https://magazine.wsu.edu/2010/10/27/living-for-a-cure/

IMO the helmet rule and other cosmetic changes are efforts to nibble at the problem of football injuries, but are not going to stop the decline in youth participation for parents who are aware of what even the league has finally conceded is the link between playing football and brain damage.

Of course there are other PR steps to take. Maybe current and former players will now quit saying they would not let their sons play football and attribute their change of heart to the new helmet rule - or if it is just a matter of better PR maybe the league should direct that any current player saying that will be suspended and any former player saying that will lose their pension.

[Mojouw]

Of course the 1/3 that cares are the league's base - as a NASCAR fan has explained to me, when NASCAR attempted to broaden the sport's appeal by diversifying from its Southern roots and constantly rejiggering the rules for how to win the championship, it lost the base and its popularity (in both attendance and ratings) went into free fall after the 2008 depression. That economic hurt caused fans to cut back on going to the track, which became permanent as fans realized they did not miss the experience that much. Once a habit is broken it often is not resumed.

Agreed having players paralyzed is not a good look for the NFL, but as has been discussed here and elsewhere, football is a violent game and players get hurt. Here is Mike Utley's description of how he was paralyzed, which apparently had nothing to do with the improper use of a helmet under the new rule

The Lions were playing the Los Angeles Rams at the Pontiac Silverdome. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Lions’ quarterback Erik Kramer threw a pass over the outstretched arms of the Rams’ David Rocker.

Utley moved forward to block Rocker at his mid-thighs to take his legs out.

“He has to defend himself,” Utley recalls. “His hands have to come down…

“He caught me, and he pulled me down. I hit my head on the turf and broke my neck at C-5, -6, -7, and became instantly paralyzed.”

https://magazine.wsu.edu/2010/10/27/living-for-a-cure/

IMO the helmet rule and other cosmetic changes are efforts to nibble at the problem of football injuries, but are not going to stop the decline in youth participation for parents who are aware of what even the league has finally conceded is the link between playing football and brain damage.

Of course there are other PR steps to take. Maybe current and former players will now quit saying they would not let their sons play football and attribute their change of heart to the new helmet rule - or if it is just a matter of better PR maybe the league should direct that any current player saying that will be suspended and any former player saying that will lose their pension.

That could all be true. But when has the NFL ever been farsighted and logical under the leadership of Goodell, Jones, Kraft, and other new guard owners? Never.

So they will continue to apply cosmetic adjustments in an increasingly desperate and scattershot attempt to ensure advertisers keep paying enough so the TV deals go through. Everything else is secondary.

It’s just sad that the owners and people who grew the NFL into the success it was are being pushed aside in favor of owners and officials whose only motivation is increased revenue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AtlantaDan]

That could all be true. But when has the NFL ever been farsighted and logical under the leadership of Goodell, Jones, Kraft, and other new guard owners? Never.

So they will continue to apply cosmetic adjustments in an increasingly desperate and scattershot attempt to ensure advertisers keep paying enough so the TV deals go through. Everything else is secondary.

It’s just sad that the owners and people who grew the NFL into the success it was are being pushed aside in favor of owners and officials whose only motivation is increased revenue.

Agreed - even with far sighted leadership IMO the league probably would be screwed. This is how the league has been marketed since its rise that surpassed baseball, starting in the late 1950s with the New York Giants in the nation's media capital, until the wave crested with the Steelers-Ravens AFC championship game around the time the CTE connection could no longer be ignored.




By trying to run away from the violence now Goodell and the owners are essentially replaying this scene from Casablanca - cannot unring the bell of what made the game so popular

[Mojouw]

Agreed - even with far sighted leadership IMO the league probably would be screwed. This is how the league has been marketed since its rise that surpassed baseball, starting in the late 1950s with the New York Giants in the nation's media capital, until the wave crested with the Steelers-Ravens AFC championship game around the time the CTE connection could no longer be ignored.




By trying to run away from the violence now Goodell and the owners are essentially replaying this scene from Casablanca - cannot unring the bell of what made the game so popular

I actually think that you could and should decouple the marketing, enjoyment, and evaluation of football from the violence. But that is part of another larger and very intangible discussion.

The things coming out of the Maryland program right now, the idiot at one of the Carolina schools (I think) that argues head injuries aren't happening, the numerous college coaches that talk of "building men" and "creating warriors" and on and on conspire to create the perception that football at the NCAA and NFL levels has a violence problem.

Many casual or non-football fans/followers perceive the game as suffering from a toxic culture that glorifies violence and injury for their own sake. In other words, tons of people figure that Burfict isn't the exception, but rather the inevitable outcome of the whole system.

I truly believe that this is what the NFL is attempting to respond to, but since they are a bunch of morons and out of touch billionaires they are totally bungling the operation.

- - - Updated - - -

Everyone used to think this was cool and awesome:



Now a majority of the population that the NFL's advertisers are targeting reject just about everything in this image. And therein lies the rub.

[Mojouw]

Takes forever to load, but here are all 50 helmet hits flagged so far this preseason:

https://deadspin.com/heres-every-hit...hel-1828494909

33 games and 50 penalties - that's about 1.5 per game.

Maybe it won't really be much if that drops to less than one a game in the regular season?

[AtlantaDan]

I actually think that you could and should decouple the marketing, enjoyment, and evaluation of football from the violence. But that is part of another larger and very intangible discussion.

The things coming out of the Maryland program right now, the idiot at one of the Carolina schools (I think) that argues head injuries aren't happening, the numerous college coaches that talk of "building men" and "creating warriors" and on and on conspire to create the perception that football at the NCAA and NFL levels has a violence problem.

The coach/moron in CTE denial was Larry Fedora from UNC. And this is the stuff that goes public - imagine the mindset in the coaches rooms at some programs

[BnG_Hevn]

Look at the defender's right shoulder, he clearly tries to "drive it into the QB". I agree with the call. He could have laid the hit and not driven the shoulder as though he intended to hurt him.

[Mojouw]

The coach/moron in CTE denial was Larry Fedora from UNC. And this is the stuff that goes public - imagine the mindset in the coaches rooms at some programs

Well considering the coaching staff at Maryland just killed a kid, I’m certainly m it’s pretty horrific.

That’s the stuff that needs to change regardless of anything else.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mojouw]

https://www.nationalfootballpost.com...change-for-us/

The Hoodie likes it...

[steelreserve]

Look at the defender's right shoulder, he clearly tries to "drive it into the QB". I agree with the call. He could have laid the hit and not driven the shoulder as though he intended to hurt him.

I mean, it's not even about whether or not he tried to drive his shoulder into the QB.

It's that you SHOULD be able to do that.

Fuck this shit.

[Dwinsgames]

I mean, it's not even about whether or not he tried to drive his shoulder into the QB.

It's that you SHOULD be able to do that.

Fuck this shit.

it is still tackle football isnt it ?

or is it ?

[Dwinsgames]

for those of you who thought these "bad calls" will be relaxed once the season starts .....


what if I told you these " bad calls" are now also receiving fines from the league office ?

would you still feel as though they will be greatly relaxed in a few weeks when the season starts ?

well here is this penalty worthy let alone fine worthy ?

game has gone to hell and I have been witness to it happening

[Dwinsgames]

how much the game has changed in my lifetime alone ....

[HollywoodSteel]

how much the game has changed in my lifetime alone ....

I think the call on that play is pretty clear: down by contact. No fumble.

[Hawkman]

I think the call on that play is pretty clear: down by contact. No fumble.

All they needed was the chair.

[Steeldude]

Maybe this will help the younger fans understand what the older fans mean by football isn't the same as it was in the past.