Why I can't get into the NFL too much this year...

[wdm1219inpenna]

At the risk of "poo-poo"ing on the boards, I am just trying to flesh out some things, or maybe flush out some things, from my mind, to try to figure out why I cannot get into the NFL as much this season.

While parity is good in some regards, a small part of me still longs for the days when the Cowboys, Rams, Vikings, Dolphins, Steelers & Raiders almost always won division titles, and the Colts & Redskins always seemed to be near the top too. I don't know if that's one reason why I'm not as into it this year or not.

It saddens me, that a game that I grew up watching as a kid, now features violent video game ads such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Saints Row 2 and the like. I have a 9 year old and I cannot in good conscious allow him to watch because of these ads, which seems really silly I suppose when you consider the game of football itself is violent, although with so many tinkers made on the rules over the past 30 plus years, it seems far different now, but it's necessary to keep the players safe, especially with the huge sums of money they are paid. It just doesn't feel the same anymore to me. A seemingly endless amount of commercials seem to continually influence any natural flow of the game on the field, which more and more spoils it for me. Even the Super Bowl commercials have been far more subpar than in years past.

Many of the match-ups this year do not seem very interesting to me. And those that do seem interesting, tend to be blowouts. The NFL, which once was like a colorful carnival, now seems just "vanilla" somehow to me. Also key injuries to key stars, this year Tom Brady, makes the league a bit less interesting.

I hate the 2 point conversion, always have in the pros. College needs it as half the kickers in the NCAA seem like they kick with one eye covered but I dislike it in the pros, always have, always will. I even hated it when the USFL had it.

In January 2008, ESPN Radio was no longer available to me at work. I always loved listening to Mike & Mike and especially Colin Cowherd on Fridays and Mondays, to get their input on games. The station switched formats, so I no longer am able to have the luxury to listen to these shows while at work, and an absence of having these shows I believe has diminished my feelings toward the NFL.

Another big thing is the fact that due to the bad news every day, every week, and the news of the "real world" getting worse and worse all the time, and with this election coming up etc., sports just doesn't seem as fun, or as important anymore, and I feel depressed that I feel this way. I resent feeling this way because I've always been pretty passionate about the NFL, and I pray that things can change for the better, at least some of these things listed, and that someday I can feel good again about the NFL. I don't hate it, but I just don't have the same passion and intensity for it that I used to, and I worry that it's because I'm growing older (almost 42), and those who I used to watch with seem far less into it too for many of the same reasons that I have cited in this essay.

I also feel a bit disenchanted by the commissioner having 1 regular season game played outside of the U.S., and now it will be two since Buffalo will be playing a game in Toronto. I'm also frustrated because 2 years in a row, I was knocked out of a survivor pool in week 4, being done in both times by divisional games, which I swore I would never pick for these pools. When will I ever learn? Also, 3 years in a row a fantasy team that my cousin and I created fell very short of the mark. The first year we went 9-5, had Edge & Shaun Alexander both as runners, and still did not make the playoffs. That was in 2005. 2006 and 2007 we fared much much worse. Again, parity, not to mention dreaded bye weeks, has a negative impact on even fantasy football, and that's one reason why we have elected to not have a team this season.

Do any of you feel this way, or have other reasons why you might feel more lukewarm toward the NFL now than you did last year, or in the past?

I feel like a cranky middle-aged man going through menopause. Help.

Bill

[tj4eck]

i say pick up college football

every week is fun to watch plus players aren't being paid so they are out there for pure enjoyment

[floydnimrod]

i say pick up college football

every week is fun to watch plus players aren't being paid so they are out there for pure enjoyment

Well, most players aren't paid.

I'm not into the NFL as much as I used too, maybe because the Bengals suck, but I wasn't that interested during the 2005-06 playoff run either.

But, yeah college football is way more exciting to me.

[FiddySicks]

While parity is good in some regards, a small part of me still longs for the days when the Cowboys, Rams, Vikings, Dolphins, Steelers & Raiders almost always won division titles, and the Colts & Redskins always seemed to be near the top too. I don't know if that's one reason why I'm not as into it this year or not.

It's basic competition. I love seeing new teams who have never/only been there once/ect win. Sure I miss the days when the Niners won EVERYTHING (Well, I sorta miss it), but progression is what makes football great.

[TFoA]

I loved the old days of football. I still watch NFL Films on a regular basis (thanks to NFLN & a mini-library of old NFL Films stuff that my dad owns), and I just think that it would've been great to be a NFL fan back in the days of the dynasties.

But, with that being said, I wouldn't trade today's NFL for anything. It's bigger as an event, and the play is faster, stronger, and for the most part, IMO, better. Yeah the tackling's kinda bad, but it's great.

Plus, parity has me more interested than ever before. I'm tired of seeing the same teams win.

[tBBP]

I loved the old days of football. I still watch NFL Films on a regular basis (thanks to NFLN & a mini-library of old NFL Films stuff that my dad owns), and I just think that it would've been great to be a NFL fan back in the days of the dynasties.

But, with that being said, I wouldn't trade today's NFL for anything. It's bigger as an event, and the play is faster, stronger, and for the most part, IMO, better. Yeah the tackling's kinda bad, but it's great.

Plus, parity has me more interested than ever before. I'm tired of seeing the same teams win.

Yep...parity sho' aids your cause as a Falcon fan. But then, who am I to talk...you see who my #1 team is.

Yeah, I remember the days of the dynasties, as well. (I think I became a full football fanatic right around the time the Cowboys beat up on the Bills the second time in the SB.) Then came San Fran's title right after that...followed by the 'Boys again. Then there were all those epic (in my mind) battles between the 'Boys and the Niners. (Yeah, I came into fandom as a Cowboy fan only because their star RB hails from the same town I do--assjack that he was.) I still have fond memories of the names Derek Loville, Chris Warren, Jay Novacek, George Teague, Derrick Deese, and such.

This is to say nothing of the "Battle of the Bays" that became more interesting once the Bucs turned Warren Sapp loose.

In present day, parity definitely makes for better plotlines...no one can ever really tell who'll win the whole shebang these days. What's more, teams that may be laughingstock doormats this year could turn around and win it all next year. If it can happen to the Rams (back in '99), it can happen to anyone...except maybe the Lions...

[oz615]

Do any of you feel this way, or have other reasons why you might feel more lukewarm toward the NFL now than you did last year, or in the past?

I do per se,Because i feel the game not is getting castrated because tptb are trying to get more women into it w/ all those women's football clinics also women 18-35? are the advertisers' most coveted demographic,therefore tptb will try to do everything to appease them so they can get that $$$.

edit: sorry i'm kinda sorta having issues these days myself

[infrared41]

I think maybe it's an age thing. The same thing happened to me at about the same age. Not for the same reasons but the result was the same. I just don't find myself caring much about NFL football. This is going to seem like a complete contradiction but I think as the athletes get bigger and better the quality of play suffers. I enjoy college football more than the NFL because to me the games just seem more entertaining. I still watch the NFL but I am nowhere near the fan I used to be.

I miss the old days too. Better uniforms, higher quality of play, and no one seemed to take The NFL nearly as seriously as they do now. Add to that the skyrocketing cost of attending a game, PSLs, teams moving, etc. and it's easy to see why geezers like me Mr. Penna are lamenting the state of today's NFL. Back in our day teams were a part of the community and wearing a hat or jersey was a badge of civic pride. Now wearing gear just reminds me of how corporate the game has gotten. We could afford things like season tickets and even the occasional road game. Now it costs almost as much to attend a single game as it did to get season tickets in the Dawg Pound back in the 80's. Being a fan "back in the day" felt more like you were a part of something than it does now which I suppose is why I gravitated towards college football. There is certainly more money involved in college football than there was in the 80's but the sense of community never left the sport.

I imagine in 20 years some of the young folks here will be saying the same thing that Penna and I are saying today. You'll look at this and think "no way this ever happens to me." I felt the same way when I'd listen to my Dad talking about how much better it was in the 60's. As I said, I think it's just part of getting older.

[floydnimrod]

If I find myself being somewhat interested, it's only for fantasy purposes. In a league on Yahoo (my first for money), there is no updated scoring for free. So I watch games (like Arizona vs. Dallas) just to see what my guys are doing.

[Still MIGHTY]

I feel kind of the same, especially when you described it as "vanilla"

When people relate back to the old days, its like old war stories. It just seems more like a mythological legend than anything else. THere was more legacy and grandeur to it all I think. It just seems like an untouchable "golden age"

yeah

[jr79]

1) Too many teams. Expansion fatigue doesn't always kick in immediately. It can take a few seasons for the talent dilution to wear you down.

2) The hype machine wearing thin. You'd think the NFL had cured cancer and fed the starving poor in Africa if you listened to the media too much. At some point you just realise "its only football". I'm sick of hearing about the NFL and I'm half a world away so I don't know how you all cope with it. (see point 4)

3) The quarterbacks aren't as cool to watch. They're becoming "game managers" rather than "game breakers".

4) The behaviour of the players off the field, or perhaps having it shoved in our faces by the media.

5) Steroids. You know football's turn in the spotlight is coming. Its long overdue.

[BlueSky]

I'm still into the NFL as much as ever but there are things that really grate on me. In no particular order:

- The officiating has seemed to really go downhill. The Hochuli call in Denver was the tip of the iceberg. More and more I find myself saying, "How can they possibly miss THAT?" Like Romo's fumble yesterday, not the stupid tuck rule deal in the end zone, the other one (if you saw it, you know what I'm talking about). Or several weeks ago in the Eagles-Cowboys game, Brian Westbrook scored and two Eagles receivers were blocking Cowboys DBs near the goal line. Both were blatantly holding, ridiculous hands-full-of-jersey-pulling-the-guy-away-from-the-ballcarrier holding, either DB probably makes the stop without the holding, there's an official standing right there and he doesn't call it. In the MNF game last week, a Viking twisted Reggie Bush's head around by the facemask...no penalty, but the guy gets fined $7,500. But they'll turn around and call some ticky-tack BS penalty on the far side of the field. Then there's the inconsistency on the same foul - one time somebody brushes the QB's facemask and they're called for 15 yards, another a guy takes two steps after the ball is thrown and crushes the QB and there's no call.

There are two possibilities, both bad: either they're really that incompetent or the refs are attempting to control the game.

- "Protecting" the players. I'm all for calling the blatant spearing and so on, but as Rod Woodson said on NFL Network, now if you hit a guy too hard you get 15 yards and a fine, and maybe a suspension.

- The push towards "internationalization" as discussed by others.

- Exclusive deals. Nobody wins (except those with the deals) when DirecTV alone is given Sunday Ticket. I have to 1) be a subscriber and 2) buy every game for the entire season in order to watch one frickin' game. Ridiculous. BTW, for those wondering, they have the deal through the end of the 2010 season. Same thing with Madden's exclusive deal. NFL 2K5 was superior but died a quick death courtesy of EA Sports's exclusive deal. Instead of having to actually improve Madden, they took the coward's way out.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

- Exclusive deals. Nobody wins (except those with the deals) when DirecTV alone is given Sunday Ticket. I have to 1) be a subscriber and 2) buy every game for the entire season in order to watch one frickin' game. Ridiculous. BTW, for those wondering, they have the deal through the end of the 2010 season. Same thing with Madden's exclusive deal. NFL 2K5 was superior but died a quick death courtesy of EA Sports's exclusive deal. Instead of having to actually improve Madden, they took the coward's way out.

Yes. And also, blackouts and local game protection. It's absurd that just because the Seahawks are in town, I should only get two games when the rest of the country (or markets without teams) should get three.

But yeah, Sunday Ticket being exclusive to DirecTV is pretty bad. They're cutting off availability to apartment dwellers, and there are many of us that would consider buying in if we had another way. As it is, I spend a lot of time of Sundays (too much time, really) trolling justin.tv for a Bills feed.

[Luigi74]

- Exclusive deals. Nobody wins (except those with the deals) when DirecTV alone is given Sunday Ticket. I have to 1) be a subscriber and 2) buy every game for the entire season in order to watch one frickin' game. Ridiculous. BTW, for those wondering, they have the deal through the end of the 2010 season. Same thing with Madden's exclusive deal. NFL 2K5 was superior but died a quick death courtesy of EA Sports's exclusive deal. Instead of having to actually improve Madden, they took the coward's way out.

Yes. And also, blackouts and local game protection. It's absurd that just because the Seahawks are in town, I should only get two games when the rest of the country (or markets without teams) should get three.

But yeah, Sunday Ticket being exclusive to DirecTV is pretty bad. They're cutting off availability to apartment dwellers, and there are many of us that would consider buying in if we had another way. As it is, I spend a lot of time of Sundays (too much time, really) trolling justin.tv for a Bills feed.

The NFL makes a mint selling the Sunday Ticket package to bars and restaurants, for a place that holds 500 people it costs over $4,000 for the season. Letting cable companies in on it would lower the demand for bars and restaurants to buy it, it being on cable would open them up to more people stealing the service via black boxes and shady cable company employees and it would diminish the value of the network tv contracts.

If the specter of the game being blacked out didn't loom teams like Jacksonville, Atlanta, Houston and Detroit would never sell out, the team needs asses in the seats to make money and the tv network needs the game on tv to make ad revenue.

[BlueSky]

- Exclusive deals. Nobody wins (except those with the deals) when DirecTV alone is given Sunday Ticket. I have to 1) be a subscriber and 2) buy every game for the entire season in order to watch one frickin' game. Ridiculous. BTW, for those wondering, they have the deal through the end of the 2010 season. Same thing with Madden's exclusive deal. NFL 2K5 was superior but died a quick death courtesy of EA Sports's exclusive deal. Instead of having to actually improve Madden, they took the coward's way out.

Yes. And also, blackouts and local game protection. It's absurd that just because the Seahawks are in town, I should only get two games when the rest of the country (or markets without teams) should get three.

But yeah, Sunday Ticket being exclusive to DirecTV is pretty bad. They're cutting off availability to apartment dwellers, and there are many of us that would consider buying in if we had another way. As it is, I spend a lot of time of Sundays (too much time, really) trolling justin.tv for a Bills feed.

The NFL makes a mint selling the Sunday Ticket package to bars and restaurants, for a place that holds 500 people it costs over $4,000 for the season. Letting cable companies in on it would lower the demand for bars and restaurants to buy it, it being on cable would open them up to more people stealing the service via black boxes and shady cable company employees and it would diminish the value of the network tv contracts.

If the specter of the game being blacked out didn't loom teams like Jacksonville, Atlanta, Houston and Detroit would never sell out, the team needs asses in the seats to make money and the tv network needs the game on tv to make ad revenue.

I think those bars and restaurants buy the package from DirecTV, not the league. The info I found online says DirecTV pays the league $700 million a year for Sunday Ticket. In any case, they're losing a ton of revenue from people who can't or won't subscribe to DirecTV or who refuse to pay nearly $300 a year for however many games when they're only interested in the 16 played by their team. They should offer a team-specific package, single game PPV, and so on.

I have DirecTV for now. Their equipment (DVR) and "customer service" is horrible. Can't wait to change though it sucks not to even have the option of Sunday Ticket when I fire them, which is going to be soon.

[illwauk]

I'm going through it too. But not to the level it sounds like you are.

Growing up, the Packers were the thing and the Badgers (and Notre Dame, since we were Irish and Catholic) were the appitizer(s). Nowadays, watching the Big East or MAC game of the week is just as enjoyable to me as seeing the Pack. The armchair psychologist in me has it pinned down to the NFL's neo-fascist policies doing all they can to deny us the knowledge that the guys in the uniforms are human beings and playing a game. It also doesn't help that I can't even see a simple change of posession without being told that Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T all have the best wireless network and that watching a whale flop around in the ocean should make me want to buy insurance.

In fact, I was on my cell catching up with some friends from back home during all but maybe 15 minutes of the game this weekend. I couldn't see myself doing the same a few years ago, and a decade ago that would've been unheard of.

[Sport]

I'm going through it too. But not to the level it sounds like you are.

Growing up, the Packers were the thing and the Badgers (and Notre Dame, since we were Irish and Catholic) were the appitizer(s). Nowadays, watching the Big East or MAC game of the week is just as enjoyable to me as seeing the Pack. The armchair psychologist in me has it pinned down to the NFL's neo-fascist policies doing all they can to deny us the knowledge that the guys in the uniforms are human beings and playing a game. It also doesn't help that I can't even see a simple change of posession without being told that Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T all have the best wireless network and that watching a whale flop around in the ocean should make me want to buy insurance.

In fact, I was on my cell catching up with some friends from back home during all but maybe 15 minutes of the game this weekend. I couldn't see myself doing the same a few years ago, and a decade ago that would've been unheard of.

I hate that. Oddly, I think it's worse inside the stadium where you can't even see the TV commercials. There are so many TV timeouts during an NFL game that the flow of the game is affected. NFL games have no rhythm. It feels like you get to see one play every three minutes and mostly you just watch the guys stand around.

I'm not into the NFL this year because the Bengals are freaking horrible and Carson Palmer is going to be out again next week. I'll watch them play the Steelers next week, but it will be with my hands over my face. This team reminds me of when I was a little kid and they would go into games without a chance.

[BlueSky]

Everyone's bringing up great points. Can't believe I didn't think of free agency. Years ago, teams stayed together for years. Now it's whatever group of mercenaries are putting on your team's uniform this particular year.

Also the TV timeouts. It's sickening how many there are. Remember when replay first came in? Didn't take them long to turn replays into another TV timeout. I have a copy of a 1977 Saints-Bears game and...no kidding...the first commercial isn't shown until MIDWAY THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER! Seriously, there are a couple of punts, a kickoff, etc., but they stayed with the game. The timing was more like a TV show where you have X minutes then commercials. I hate the way it is now.

[wdm1219inpenna]

Yes, awesome points by all, and I am humbled by so many responses, and how you all seem to agree somewhat, if not totally with me on why I cannot get into the NFL as much.

3 more reasons sprung to mind, 2 game-related and 1 personal reasons.

The personal reason is just yesterday, my co-workers an I found out that our office is being relocated an additional 20 miles away from where it is now, and requires taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which is $3 a day, or $60 a month given a 20 day workday month, so everyone is feeling very upset about this, including me.

The officiating has deteriorated progressively it seems over the course of time. Too many penalties, and too many mistakes, bonehead mistakes at that, and by the likes of Ed Hoculi no less!

The free agency argument is so very true. I thought of yet another reason now too (a third one)!!

The Pacman Jones incident, just the latest in a long line of overpaid people who think they are so beyond privileged that they can say or do whatever they darn well please. Listening to Jerry Jones the other morning babbling on with so many "uhs" and "ahs" regarding this situation was laughable.

I think another key reason why I'm not as into the NFL this year is due to the NFL Network. There is such a thing as over-saturation and/or overkill, and having their version of Sportscenter on 12 times a day mucks things up, not to mention being on 12 months of the year. It seems to make the NFL less special. There's the draft, the combine, mini-camps, training camps, it's treated as a 12 month a year sport now. And while I know that it is, having so much information about it seems to really diminish the specialness of Sunday games.

And another thing I just thought of too (I'm thinking of many!!!), most of the pre-game shows I dislike anymore. The Fox pre-game show was great when JB was still there, now it's not so much. The ESPN pregame show, 2 hours, too long. The CBS pre-game show is the only one I consider worth watching anymore, and at that, I still miss Deion Sanders being on there (yes believe it or not), and I prefer him far and away over Shannon Sharpe. The others are great, and the addition of Coach Cowher really compliments the team quite well, especially having JB there, and the former Houston Texans general manager whose name escapes me just now. The other shows have way too many personalities that they throw at us. I still long for the days of the NFL Today, the warmer feeling setting back when Brent, Irv Cross, Jimmy the Greek & Phyllis George/Jayne Kennedy were on the set, and the NFL '80 set w/Costas and Gumbel. The Sunday Night show on NBC I loved until they brought Olbermann on, and now Dan Patrick in addition to that. I never cared much for either of them when they were on ESPN, nor when they were on the radio, and why do they need to be there? You have Costas, Collingsworth, Peter King, Tiki Barber, & Jerome Bettis, that's more than enough people to talk about the games, and the highlights, now they throw Patrick & Olbermann at us too. Too many cooks spoiling this broth for me, though I do love the pairing of Madden & Michaels. I love listening to Enberg call a game still too. I miss the older voices, Don Criqui, Charlie Jones (RIP), Merlin Olson, many more classic announcers. And the Monday Night Football game on ESPN now, many times the matchups are very dull, and I cannot get into the folks in the booth very much. I loved when ESPN had the Sunday Night games, and had Mike Patrick, Theissman & Paul McGwire, the 3 of them worked really well together I thought, and I still miss that.

What I DO enjoy about the NFL, especially on the rare occasion when NFL Network actually does this, is when they air games from the 70s and 80s, be it playoff games or regular season games. I am "old-school" to a large extent, and I suppose I consider the 70s & 80s "old school" for me. I adore the NFL highlights dvds I received for Christmas several years ago, especially the first 14 Super Bowl highlights and the corresponding season highlights that go with them. Super Bowl I dvd has the cool 60s sounding NFL Films music & John Facenda saying "It starts with a whistle, and ends with a gun". Just so very classic, and classy too. I hope someday to meet Steve and Ed Sabol, and to kiss their rings. If I ever got a job at NFL Films, and died and went to Heaven, I'd be the first man in history to have gone there twice!!!

Thanks again fellas (and ladies, if you're out there posting to ths).

Regards,

Bill McD.

[ElwoodCuse]

The NFL makes a mint selling the Sunday Ticket package to bars and restaurants, for a place that holds 500 people it costs over $4,000 for the season. Letting cable companies in on it would lower the demand for bars and restaurants to buy it, it being on cable would open them up to more people stealing the service via black boxes and shady cable company employees and it would diminish the value of the network tv contracts.

It wouldn't lower the demand at all, people go to the bar to watch the game to enjoy the bar, not just to see the game. Every other sports PPV package is on cable. The NFL could really get hammered on antitrust stuff if the government wanted to.

And there are just as many shady DirecTV people. The NFL just does it because they can. It's their way or the highway.