NFL Breaking Point: What would it take for you to lose interest?

[OnWis97]

My interest is waning quite a bit.

When I was a kid, through high school, NFL was #1. I would watch any game. I still have a fond memory from my high school days of getting home from my weekend job bagging groceries and looking forward to watching some NFL playoff football only to find that Houston was up 35-0 on the Bills at the half. But I stayed and watched and wow...Today, though, I would not have watched.

For me it is:

• College football pushed me from "Hard Core NFL Fan" to "NFL Fan". I know there are a lot of college football/sports haters here, but I love it. I love the atmosphere and the rivalries. The more I got into college football the more the twice-a-year Giants/Eagles, Ravens/Steelers, or even Vikings/Packers seemed "meh". As I became an adult with responsibilities (and a wife that does not want both weekend days dedicated to football) it became harder and harder to be really focused on both, so the NFL dropped down my list.
• Overhype. This is what probably pushed me from "NFL Fan" to "Casual NFL Fan". ESPNFL, Mike and Mike's NFL Radio Program, etc. Yes, I can find sports info elsewhere, but "general" sports talk is pretty much the NFL all the time everywhere. You'd have to be living under a rock not to feel like it's always being thrown in your face.
• The little things. This is likely what turns me from "Casual NFL Fan" to "Only Interested when the Vikings are doing Well." It's about such things how disposable the players are, what a bunch of drooling morons the fans are, too much passing (I love a running game), and public financing of stadiums so teams can charge too much for the taxpayers to go AND black the home games out.

All that, I still follow to an extent. But the NFL, the clear number 1 team sport in the US, which used to be firmly in my top 2 (MLB) is now about 5th down my list.

What would push me over the edge? Certainly a Vikings move (even though I should be more upset about the stadium deal) would have sucked out my interest. Other than that, I anticipate being right where I am for a while.

[pcgd]

I'm about done. I still watch the Bears but even that isn't "must see TV" like it used to be. It could be I'm in a different place in my life, could be because the Bears are just a cycle of mediocrity that isn't all that exciting, or it could be how commercial the game has gotten. It's been bad the last 20 years but its just getting worse and worse and its not really as fun to watch TV for 4 hours when you really only see about 11 minutes of action and about an hour of commercials. I've also slowly been getting into soccer much more.

I almost like the idea of being a fan more than actually being a fan if that makes sense.

But overall my sports viewing has gone down dramatically in the last 10 years, not just football.

[Kramerica Industries]

There is an ideology we use here a lot with the NHL that I think can apply to the NFL as well:

Love the sport, hate the organization. I fully agree with the ridiculous over-coverage of the NFL on general sports programming networks relative to other sports. If I have a compulsive need to watch NFL programming during the week, I'll flip on NFL Network (TV or through illegal streams if I'm not home). Generally speaking, I can get my thorough fix of football through the various websites I frequent on daily basis, and get a great deal more of insights and knowledge from those places than broadcast programs anyway. Maybe the fact that I can shelter myself from this over-coverage during the week is what keeps the sport just a fair bit fresher for me when the games come on during the weekend.

And I'm not going to deny anything about Goodell, either.

[Xist2inspire]

In a way, I already have.

-I've been lucky enough to see one of my favorite teams win a Super Bowl (Ravens), so that thrill and anticipation is now gone. (My other team is the Dolphins. Yeah. It'll be a LONG wait for them).

-I'm a basketball guy first and foremost. I started really watching the NFL around 2004, mostly because I felt the NBA getting stale. Last year I decided to give the WNBA another chance, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Once it ended, I found myself going "meh" at the upcoming NFL season, and looking forward to the next WNBA season.

-Is it just me, or is it getting harder and harder to find intelligent NFL coverage? It seems like the stupid/smart ratio leans far more to the stupid side these days. Don't even get me started on the fans, the reason why I still can't bring myself to cheer for my hometown team (Saints) is because growing up, people always looked at me like an alien when I said I didn't care about the Saints. And I never understood the mentality of thinking your terrible team is the best thing thing since sliced bread.

-For some reason, I've been seeing a lot of similarities between the current NFL era and the things that led to the NBA's downfall:

One, the excessive glorification of one particular type of player. The NBA perpetuated the myth that all you needed to win was one (and only one) Jordanesque player, and that mentality wrecked many franchises and caused a stain on the league that is only now beginning to wear off. Likewise, the NFL has been pushing the "All you need is a star quarterback" thing for a while now, and it's beginning to take its toll as well. Football is even more of a team sport than basketball, so glorifying one position and saying that having a good/great player at that position is all you need to win is the stupidest thing imaginable. What's the difference between RG3, Russell Wilson, and Kaepernick? Besides maturity issues it's the fact that one landed on a Super Bowl contender, one landed on an already-rising young team that has just become a Super Bowl contender (and are now in one), and the last one......is a Redskin. Yeah. It's all about the team, folks! Right now, some silly NFL lotto team is planning on ruining another young QB's life because they're too stupid to realize that their team, as a whole, is gutter trash, the kind that only a once-in-a-lifetime talent can make respectable. Which leads to my next point.....

Second, the added hype and pressure placed on absurdly young talents has begun to infiltrate the league. In the search for the next Jordanesque talent, NBA franchises began to reach for younger and younger talent. Now, while that did bring us Kobe, KG, Durant, and LeBron, it also brought us a flood of talent that was nowhere near ready to compete at a professional level. The bad greatly outnumbered the good, and busts were everywhere. The NBA tried to stop the bleeding by making players stay in college for at least one year...but as a 22 year old who has made serious mistakes in his first few years of college, I'm telling you, the difference from 18/19 to 20/21 isn't a large one. You're still an idiot (not in all cases, some of y'all were probably just fine) who hasn't quite grasped the meaning of adulthood yet. So the NBA still has that problem. KG & Kobe's success opened Pandora's box. Now let's look at the NFL, or more accurately, the college ranks. The Heisman has been won by freshmen two years running. There were those who actually thought that Manziel should've declared for the NFL draft after his freshman year. Leaving the college ranks before your junior year is now becoming a very real thing, and just like you've had NCAA basketball programs run "one-and-done" teams, so too do we get football programs like LSU, who are more concerned, not about winning, but about "being in the hunt" and showcasing talent. So you have the potential for the NFL to be flooded in the future with players who simply aren't ready, all because of the hunt for the "next big thing," and especially the "next franchise QB." Manziel & Winston have already given us a peek into Pandora's box, if Manziel or some of these other underclassmen in this upcoming draft become stars, the box will be opened.

Lastly, anybody remember when the NBA was about fundamentals, not flash and athleticism? Style over substance is something that inevitably comes with popularity. "Style" makes money, brings the "oohs" and the "aahs," allows for advertising and marketing opportunities. Just like the NBA's placed more emphasis on dunks & crossovers, so too has the NFL placed more emphasis on passing yards and touchdowns. It's really getting annoying, as emphasizing one aspect of the game while marginalizing another is no way to promote a sport. Also, the double standard of promoting "big hits" while penalizing and limiting the defense, all while preaching "player safety," is pathetic.

My, what a tl;dr essay this turned out to be! Sorry. I tend to really think about and get in-depth on why I feel the way I feel about things. If you read all of it, props.

[infrared41]

I'm already halfway there. Too much exposure. Too much hype. Too little product that lives up to it. My interest in the NFL isn't half of what it was 10 years ago. I really like talking about the NFL on the podcasts we do, but I can't honestly say I enjoy watching the NFL as much as I used to. Basically, I watch NFL football so I can do the shows. Like OnWis97, I'm more of a college football fan. The games are more entertaining.

[rams80]

I guess I'd say cheating scandal that directly impacted the Rams, but that happened and I'm still here, so I don't know.

I will say I'm far more of a Rams fan than an NFL fan though.

[DS729]

They make it a no-contact flag-football league. That's not football.

[monkeypower]

My interest waned this year. I hardly watched any games this year and when I did, it was never a full game.

I agree with what everyone else has said about CTE, League of Denial, over saturation etc. etc. But I think my main reason was that I didn't have a favorite team anymore. I was a Jets fan until I stepped back and saw how much of a dumpster fire the team was on and off the field and now I'm wavering.

Maybe it makes me a bad sports fan, but unless it's the playoffs, I have a hard time watching a full game (in any sport) if it's not my favorite team or a team that I have a vested interest in. That's one of the reasons I don't follow basketball that much.

I still like football and I watch the CFL because I have a favorite team, but my interest in the NFL is low right now. However, personally I think I would need a major controversy or scandel to change my perspective on the NFL from "meh" to completely done with it.

[illwauk]

TOO MANY F~~~ING COMMERCIALS!!!

Watch any game from the 70s on youtube and you'll know right away how ridiculous its gotten. The flow of the game is taken completely out of the viewing experience nowadays, even if you happen to be in the stadium thanks to still having to sit through official timeouts.

Honestly, if I weren't from somewhere where the local NFL club is considered one of the most prominent local institutions, I'm not sure I would even give a rat's a~~ about the NFL anymore. I used to be able to watch 4 games every weekend, now I don't even get all that upset when I miss a Packers game. If they start sucking again like they did in the 70s and 80s, I might be done with pro football altogether.

[DaytonBlue]

I'm kind of blah on it already, mostly because of:

-CTE issue: It's hard enjoying a game when my conscience keeps reminding me these guys won't have a properly working memory when they retire.

-replacing 20 year old stadiums: My Dad had Rams season tickets for many years; the first time we walked into the Edward Jones Dome on its first day he told me it'd last 50 years. (didn't know about the sweetheart lease the city gave them)...It's absolutely nuts that stadiums are being replaced after 20 years. I do not see anything that special in the new Falcons stadium that couldn't have been nearly replicated in a renovation of the Georgia Dome.

-commercials: touchdown>>>commercial>>>Kickoff>>>commercial, I can only watch games on DVR starting an hour after kickoff

I think I'll maintain some interest (not as big as in previous years), but I think the breaking point would be if they tried pay-per view. If they're smart, they'll learn a lesson from boxing.

[JayMac]

I'm basically halfway there at my breaking point. All of my reasons have been touched on. Overexposure, overhype, and now all of the rules that favor the offense. Defense doesn't exist. Parity rules now and I feel too many rookies are throwing into the fire way too early. I think international teams and more rules that change the way the game is played will put me over the edge.

[MadmanLA]

My NFL interest is slowly waining, but I still watch it. For me, the biggest thing about the NFL that bugs me (besides the absurd idea about eliminating the extra point) is that it overexpourse, especially on television. I'm fine with the fact that the NFL has its own network (and so does the other big sports and a few college conferences), but you have every sports network having at least a couple of NFL-centric shows and an extra night of football that unless you're a fan of one of the teams playing you could a rat's ass about it. Now there's the possibly of the NFL splitting up its Thursday night package, selling probably six to eight games to a variety networks (including ABC maybe getting back into the NFL). I'll be fine with Sunday afternoons and nights, Monday nights, the Thanksgiving tripleheader, and the occassional Saturday games after the college football season.

I agree with DaytonBlue with in regards of teams quick to replace stadium that aren't fairly old. Next thing you know, you'll have owners like Bob McNair in Houston, Paul Allen in Seattle, or Jimmy Haslam in Cleveland ready to beg for a new stadium in ten years (or less). I still find it odd that the Panthers and Dolphins are begging the public for money to renovate their PRIVATELY-OWNED stadiums.

Ultimately, Roger Goodell's continual pussyification of the NFL will be his greatest legacy.

[HedleyLamarr]

Hard to say what the tipping point would be for me, but I do feel like the league is getting watered down severely with their favoritism toward offenses and Goodell's inability to control his urge to change the rules every year. At least teams like Seattle, Baltimore, and the Giants have proven that you can still win with SOME semblance of a defense in spite of how hard the league has tried to promote offense, but I don't know if that will be possible anymore in the future. Maybe when Super Bowls start to have the 60-59 final scores that Goodell dreams of every year, then I'll stop watching.

It's pretty humorous that you're saying that if NFL games get higher scores, that you'll stop watching.

You're one of the ones that was whining about how boring the LSU-Alabama rematch would be because they played a 9-6 game earlier that season.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I still like the NFL, although I didn't watch "League of Denial." My interest wains when my the Bills are out of it (so around week five or so ), but this year's Seahawks run has been pretty fun.

[sc49erfan15]

It would take a major rules change making the game unwatchable or a 49ers move... in which case, since I'm not from San Francisco, I'd probably follow them wherever, but I don't know if it would be the same.

I'm actually more into the NFL now than I was from, say, 2006-09. From 1995-2005 (uncoincidentally, ages 8-18, usually the ages boys are most sports-entranced) I was ALL about NFL everything. I watched every minute I could. During '06-09 (ages 19-22) the 49ers blew chunks, I was in college and had other things to do, I worked on Sundays... the 49ers (and by association, for me, the NFL) took a backseat. I still paid casual attention, but I didn't follow them closely. I took a hiatus from fantasy sports for a while during that time as well, and I'm sure that has something to do with it.

I definitely see a difference in games now. The commercials and whatnot don't bother me as much as my first reaction after ANY play is to instinctively look up at the scorebug for the yellow "flag" indicator. I hate it, but I can't condition myself to stop doing it. The sequence goes something like this:

(Kaepernick to Boldin for a first down)

*CHEERING*
(subconscious) "wait, is there a flag?!?"

(agonizing 5 seconds pass)

(subconscious) "no apparent flag..."
(first down)

*CHEERING*

[dfwabel]

I still like the NFL, although I didn't watch "League of Denial." My interest wains when my the Bills are out of it (so around week five or so ), but this year's Seahawks run has been pretty fun.

Well PBS will re-air "League of Denial" next Tuesday.

I will still watch with interest, but the hits taken by every player (at every level) make me shutter much more. Commercials, I don't bother with as I watch on a slight delay and NCAA games are much longer.

Plus watching the first two episodes of "Friday Night Tykes" sure didn't make me feel better of the sport on the whole as an adult.

There is a fine line to balance in terms of entertainment and safety, be it the NFL, NHL, or NASCAR and while Goodell is maligned, he is so aware of it and the owners are ok on how he has been handling it.

[Davidellias]

TOO MANY F~~~ING COMMERCIALS!!!

Watch any game from the 70s on youtube and you'll know right away how ridiculous its gotten. The flow of the game is taken completely out of the viewing experience nowadays, even if you happen to be in the stadium thanks to still having to sit through official timeouts.

Honestly, if I weren't from somewhere where the local NFL club is considered one of the most prominent local institutions, I'm not sure I would even give a rat's a~~ about the NFL anymore. I used to be able to watch 4 games every weekend, now I don't even get all that upset when I miss a Packers game. If they start sucking again like they did in the 70s and 80s, I might be done with pro football altogether.

same thing here, the packers are the reason I still watch the NFL, they are my team and I pride myself on having such a well run organization that can produce consistent results. If that stops, I'd lose interest.

[DaytonBlue]

I get that shuttering feeling too after a nasty hit. I keep having the thought in the back of my mind that we're on the road to a real life hunger games in 50-100 years.

sidebar:

The NHL seems to be a little ahead of the curve on concussions with baseline testing beginning in the late 90s...but, the whole CTE thing has also changed my point of view on fighting in the NHL. I don't know if I'd go so far as to have it banned, but perhaps increasing the penalty to 8 or 10 minutes, with a game misconduct for a 2nd fight in a game would reduce some of the unnecessary blows to the head while still allowing teams to pick their spots to have an "enforcer" stick up for his team.

[CubsFanBudMan]

Good points, all. Surprised so many are in my boat.

I started enjoying the NFL more once I dropped out of fantasy football and stopped watching ESPN. As a baseball fan first, I hated July SportsCenters that spent more time on football than a game in season. I also preferred rooting for my team over individuals.

CTE, overprotective rules, cost to attend, longer games, arena football scores, increased college football interest, blind eyes to PEDs and having a son also effects my fandom. It's almost as if I know I'm on a time limit because I don't really want my son's interest piqued.

It's funny, but I've actually doubled the number of games I've seen in person over the past 4-5 years, as if I'm trying to find a way to enjoy it, but I find the college atmosphere more fun. And the NFL is truly a TV sport.

I heard on the radio the other day that "you only need 2 or 3 stops a game" to win, and that captures some of my issues as well.

[STL FANATIC]

For me, it was a combination of the CTE issues and the ubiquity of the NFL as a cultural force. It just grew into something that was too big and too ugly for its own good and I didn't want to associate with it anymore.

I'm with Admiral in mindset.

In reality, I still care too much about the Rams to actually stop paying attention the them and things that affect them. (I don't believe it's going to happen, but if the Rams did move, dropping the NFL would become a piece of cake.)

Additionally, I surround myself so much with sports talk and my girlfriend is a Colts fan and unfortunately claims football as her favorite sport, that I'm surrounding by it no matter what.

I had a stated goal of not watching the playoffs. I haven't met it. I really don't want to watch the Super Bowl, but I'd give myself a 50% chance at best of not. And I hate that.

But I'm on my way.

On a related note, I believe that the game needs major changes to address the CTE issue (if it even can be addressed). Instead they're making half-ass changes that are making the game negligibly safer at best and ruining the entertainment aspect of the game. I'd give them credit for trying, except that they're barely trying and it's all for PR/Legal reasons anyways.

I'm too the point of openly rooting for the NFL and football's downfall.