Has the NFL bubble burst?

[SkinBasket]

I think you're seeing the decline of the inflated interest that was generated by pushing fantasy football. Just like any other game, though, people move on, and there were a lot of people more invested in games because they had a fantasy stake in a player or two. Fuck, for the past few years, a majority of pre and post game shows were dealing almost exclusively with "fantasy" stats instead of analyzing what those stats meant to the team and their real future.

Combine that with people watching in less traditional ways, and you have a "decline," which I think is simply an end to a boost created by a very successful multi-year marketing tool. I do think there will a longer term slump, as focusing on individual players broke a lot of fans' "loyalty" to specific teams, and football was about the last major sport where team was still the focus. They may need some of those old NFL film type propaganda pieces to start rebuilding the image of what football should be.

[Rastak]

I think you're seeing the decline of the inflated interest that was generated by pushing fantasy football. Just like any other game, though, people move on, and there were a lot of people more invested in games because they had a fantasy stake in a player or two. Fuck, for the past few years, a majority of pre and post game shows were dealing almost exclusively with "fantasy" stats instead of analyzing what those stats meant to the team and their real future.

Combine that with people watching in less traditional ways, and you have a "decline," which I think is simply an end to a boost created by a very successful multi-year marketing tool. I do think there will a longer term slump, as focusing on individual players broke a lot of fans' "loyalty" to specific teams, and football was about the last major sport where team was still the focus. They may need some of those old NFL film type propaganda pieces to start rebuilding the image of what football should be.

I had a co-worker several years ago who talked football non-stop. He was an avid fantasy player. Week 17 of the season, and I see him in the cafeteria. We're engaging in small talk and he says "What are you doing this Sunday now that football is over?" , I said "You nuts? With a few playoff spots on the line it's gonna be great!", he said "Oh, once the fantasy year ends I'm done".

I was seriously thinking WTF. You can't possibly be serious, but he clearly was.

[vince]

I think you're seeing the decline of the inflated interest that was generated by pushing fantasy football. Just like any other game, though, people move on, and there were a lot of people more invested in games because they had a fantasy stake in a player or two. Fuck, for the past few years, a majority of pre and post game shows were dealing almost exclusively with "fantasy" stats instead of analyzing what those stats meant to the team and their real future.

Combine that with people watching in less traditional ways, and you have a "decline," which I think is simply an end to a boost created by a very successful multi-year marketing tool. I do think there will a longer term slump, as focusing on individual players broke a lot of fans' "loyalty" to specific teams, and football was about the last major sport where team was still the focus. They may need some of those old NFL film type propaganda pieces to start rebuilding the image of what football should be.

Good post. I never would have tied it to fantasy football but that's right on.