Has the NFL bubble burst?

[Harlan Huckleby]

But are revenues shrinking? The contracts with the networs have 5 and 6 years yet to run

OK, but we don't need no stinkin facts. If viewership is dropping, revenue has to follow soon enough. We need gut-level insight, not some pointy-headed bureaucrat. Believe me.

[gbgary]

That's right, you don't. Your heavy-handed moderating has resulted in fear and loathing. You need to develop a more community policing approach. It wouldn't kill you to learn peoples names, ask about people's families, etc.

stop being mean to what's-his-name!

[channtheman]

stop being mean to what's-his-name!

Joe the moderator?

[gbgary]

Joe the moderator?

whoever he was telling to learn people's names. (was a joke)

[channtheman]

whoever he was telling to learn people's names. (was a joke)

Oh I know, just playing along.

[gbgary]

Oh I know, just playing along.

dang it! went over my head. crapped on my hat as it went by.

[NewsBruin]

It seems weird to talk about bad online streaming as a reason ratings are down.

Fantasy got me interested in other teams I wouldn't have watched otherwise and matchup strategy, but it's also (after 15 years) made players feel even more anonymous and replaceable.

Also, for gamblers and non-gamblers, I wonder whether FF is still a draw. For gamblers, FF has gone the way of online poker, where more folks saw the wins concentrated in the wallets of whales harvesting newbies' money (and then all being shut down by the feds). For non-gamblers, like me, maybe a lot of them have "figured out" the game to where the time investment in players is no longer worth the thrill of victory. When my league drafted this year, most of my players were whomever Yahoo had at the top of their position, with me shrugging and saying, "Sure, why not?"

For me, I feel like I've aged out of following players younger than me, playing out the same drama lines I've seen before. At least the kneeling protests are something novel.

[pbmax]

This was peak NFL:





I loved that team.

[red]

Could be the downturn have anything to do with almost 10% of teams in the last year either leaving or trying to leave their loyal fan bases in the quest by their owners for more money?

[ThunderDan]

How about there is only so much time a week I can watch football?

It doesn't matter how many primetime games they put out there. I am going to watch the Packers and maybe a half of the Sunday or Monday night game before doing household chores. The lawn don't mow itself.

[George Cumby]

+1, Dan.

Kids, wife, job, house, dogs, chickens, kids.

I don't have 30 minutes of discretionary time, let alone three hours.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Fantasy got me interested in other teams I wouldn't have watched otherwise and matchup strategy, but it's also (after 15 years) made players feel even more anonymous and replaceable.

I hadn't thought about this angle. Everybody has their own ax to grind on why the NFL is losing interest; mine is that players have become interchangeable parts. Fantasy football probably contributes as much to that perception as the constantly churning rosters.

[George Cumby]

Plus, how many dick-pill and shitty beer commercials does one have to endure if watching a game live? I sure as shit don't need dick pills and I don't drink that goat urine that passes for mass market "beer".

[Fritz]

This was peak NFL:





I loved that team.

I lived in Maryland at the time of the weird loss in what, the AFC Championship game, was it? Was that the one against the Broncos? Where the Brownies had the game, and somebody fumbled or some damn thing after Marty decided to sit on the lead. I liked the Browns - the tradition, y'know? But after they lost, it kinda broke their spirit, like Houston's spirit got broken after the Bills' comeback playoff game.

Mike Pruitt. I loved that guy. He was shifty and quick.

Packers could use a Mike Pruitt.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Plus, how many dick-pill and shitty beer commercials does one have to endure if watching a game live?

I've found the marathon games are more endurable if you interact with the dicks and pills on the packerrats game thread during commercials. In fact, it is the greatest benefit of your packerrat membership.