Health of the NFL

[Tsunami]

I have to say I am watching more football this year than ever in the past. I don't understand how people can say that there is a QB shortage which is causing a lack of competitiveness this week of all weeks, when the top 5 fantasy QBs were Cousins, Goff, Beathard, Keenum, and Kizer. McCown and Brissett didn't make the list this week but it seems to me a lot of backups and young QBs are playing well this season.

It does seem like there are less upsets this season, or maybe I've just gotten better at pick 'em. But they aren't blowouts, the games are all competitive. I still feel like any team can beat any other team on a given week, with maybe a few exceptions. Everyone thought the Jets were going to be historically bad, and they aren't. And nobody is coming close to a perfect season either. The league competitiveness is fine, and compared to other sports is actually one of the NFL's best features.

I do dislike the Thursday games, but mostly because of fantasy football. I like that they brought back celebrations, and that they are shortening the commercial breaks, and I even like the new player safety rules, though I think that will be ultimately what kills the sport.

[Never Veto1]

Going to a game is overpriced

[Goddard]

"Health"-wise, the NFL might be a little under the weather right now, but it'll recover and be just fine.

[joeday]

"Health"-wise, the NFL might be a little under the weather right now, but it'll recover and be just fine.

Yep.

[AZK]

I do wish they would get rid of Thursday Night Football, and to a lesser degree the London games. Keep it to Sunday and one MNF game.

Thursday night games should be limited to season opener, Thanksgiving and maybe a couple of select dates that they can really hype the game up. Limit it only to teams coming off a bye. Setting some parameters around the dates can give it a premium feel while presumably improving quality with teams getting adequate rest.

While I agree that Thursday night football is getting less desirable personally, I forget who it was on Sirius NFL Radio talking about the revenue from Thursday night games but the point was very interesting. The point that they brought up was that the NFL is making somewhere around $400m from those games and the players get their 49% cut (or whatever the number is) from that revenue. While some of the high profile players are whining about the injuries and lack of rest prior to, the majority of those players are relying on those additional revenue game checks; ie. the majority of players that are in the NFL for a short time and trying to maximize their earning potential. Basically stating that while some players don't like it, they don't think they are going away because the majority of players really want the extra cash.

[palevermilion]

I have to say I am watching more football this year than ever in the past. I don't understand how people can say that there is a QB shortage which is causing a lack of competitiveness this week of all weeks, when the top 5 fantasy QBs were Cousins, Goff, Beathard, Keenum, and Kizer. McCown and Brissett didn't make the list this week but it seems to me a lot of backups and young QBs are playing well this season.

Beathard and Kizer are terrible NFL QBs, as is McCown. Also, the statement "a lot of backups are playing well this season" buries the lead of "a lot of backups are playing".

[slaughterrt]

I have to say I am watching more football this year than ever in the past. I don't understand how people can say that there is a QB shortage which is causing a lack of competitiveness this week of all weeks, when the top 5 fantasy QBs were Cousins, Goff, Beathard, Keenum, and Kizer. McCown and Brissett didn't make the list this week but it seems to me a lot of backups and young QBs are playing well this season.

Beathard and Kizer are terrible NFL QBs, as is McCown. Also, the statement "a lot of backups are playing well this season" buries the lead of "a lot of backups are playing".

I don’t think you can judge two rookie QBs on two very horrible teams so quickly. And as far as McCown, he is a journeyman that teams must think is above average since he keeps getting signed. Not saying he is great but he certainly isn’t terrible.

And the fact that “a lot of backups are playing” is due more to the amount of significant injuries this year than anything else. I mean you have Savage, Keenum, Brisset, Hundley, etc etc playing due to injuries, and several rookie QBs playing on rebuilding teams. I don’t think you can say that the NFL is losing viewers because of the lack of solid QBs. I think that most of these backups have played solid QB and the jury is still out on the rebuilding rookie QBs.

[palevermilion]

I have to say I am watching more football this year than ever in the past. I don't understand how people can say that there is a QB shortage which is causing a lack of competitiveness this week of all weeks, when the top 5 fantasy QBs were Cousins, Goff, Beathard, Keenum, and Kizer. McCown and Brissett didn't make the list this week but it seems to me a lot of backups and young QBs are playing well this season.

Beathard and Kizer are terrible NFL QBs, as is McCown. Also, the statement "a lot of backups are playing well this season" buries the lead of "a lot of backups are playing".

I don’t think you can judge two rookie QBs on two very horrible teams so quickly. And as far as McCown, he is a journeyman that teams must think is above average since he keeps getting signed. Not saying he is great but he certainly isn’t terrible.

And the fact that “a lot of backups are playing” is due more to the amount of significant injuries this year than anything else. I mean you have Savage, Keenum, Brisset, Hundley, etc etc playing due to injuries, and several rookie QBs playing on rebuilding teams. I don’t think you can say that the NFL is losing viewers because of the lack of solid QBs. I think that most of these backups have played solid QB and the jury is still out on the rebuilding rookie QBs.

From a casual fan perspective, the ones tuning out, I think it could be hurting. The casual fan doesn't want to watch the majority of those QBs. They want to see Rodgers, Luck, Watson. Not Hundley, Brisset, Savage. And your point about significant injuries is literally the point I was making.

[Cult of Dionysus]

The NFL is facing a perfect storm of events. Some are unavoidable (like CET and injuries), others are very much self-inflicted (bad officiating, too many penalties, Inflategate, Zekegate, etc.). Then there's Kapgate.

CET. No fix for this. They are down shi!s creek and without a paddle.

Injuries. See CET above. The non contact injuries are really gut wrenching. ACLs, Achilles... Really sucks to see these.

Too many penalties. Allow offensive holding penalties. Eliminates about 50% of all penalties. Gives QBs a little more time. Makes plays longer and more fun. Maybe balance it out by easing up on DBs and pass interference calls.

Inflatgate/Zekegate: Fire Goodell and bring in someone who won't generate this kind of bad press. Perhaps change punishments from suspension to play without pay. Whatever it takes to get this off the front page of sports sections and keeps the players on the field.

The Thursday Night Game isn't too bad actually. The thing that bugs me is that the NFL won't solve the short week issue. If they added a 2nd bye week to the season, then they could easily schedule so that teams come off a bye to play Thursday. Also, this would add another week of tv revenue. Such a simple fix!

Re Kapgate. Find a solution so that all players stand during anthem, or keep teams in the locker until after the anthem. All about giving players as much of a platform as possible. Just don't do it during the 2 minutes when you might actually drive away a good part of your base. Bad business for all involved, owners and players.

[Dynasty DeLorean]

Some things have nothing to do with the NFL specifically. For example, many people are simply canceling their cable for various reasons.

Thursday night games have definitely watered things down. As for the revenue numbers, how much of that is revenue above what the players would have made if the game was on Sunday, and also just how much is the average nfl player profiting after taxes etc.. I suspect it’s not as much as 400 million sounds.

A big thing for me was the obsessive amount of commercial breaks. They actually did a good job to fix that this year but overall their greed has most certainly turned away many fans.

[slacker]

I think there is reason to be worried. In May of 2016 I noticed I was a lot less interested than I used to be, and someone else started a thread stating the same thing. When the kneeling started it accelerated the process for me. I have not watched a game since week 2 and I am planning on on quitting fantasy football after the season is over. I mentioned this to a few of my leaguemates since I need to find someone else to be commish, and they said they were thinking of quitting too. The funny thing is I am am having a good year in both my leagues and stand a very good chance to win the ship in both, but it just feels like a chore more than something enjoyable. Bottom line is it is just not fun anymore and I would rather do something else with my time.

[joshb]

The interest just isn't there like it used to be. We're looking for all these specific reasons, but I don't think there's any one factor. People just aren't as interested.

And yet it's still the most popular sport in the US by far and the ratings still show that, even if they've dropped some. This is the first year in however many that a world series game beat a regular season NFL game for ratings. Is that a good sign? No, but that should put in context how popular the NFL still is. The next most popular sport? College football. The interest is still there and will be for quite some time. There is a future where the NFL isn't king, but we're not there yet. Where we are is a downtrend and a lot of analyzing ad nauseum. If the trend continues for 5 years with no changes by the NFL, then I'll be more worried.

[Servo]

Wonder if there are any numbers as to how many blowouts there have been so far this year. Almost every week a team is getting obliterated 40-14.

[abecksta]

The real problem is that the youth are moving away from the sport. Don't be surprised if in the next 30 years the NFL is seriously considering shutting down. The rise of e-sports is happening. Lets pray we don't end up playing fantasy Overwatch...

[Never Veto1]

The real problem is that the youth are moving away from the sport. Don't be surprised if in the next 30 years the NFL is seriously considering shutting down. The rise of e-sports is happening. Lets pray we don't end up playing fantasy Overwatch...

Good god I hope not!