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

[Evil Doctor]

I guess I'm going in the opposite direction with regards to the NFL. I don't think I could ever be a fan or a have a rooting interest, and when the CFL season is on, the league may as well not exist. However I have noticed the quality of entertainment with the games has improved and I see some definite CFL influences seeping into the American version. The 10-7 snooze fests seem to be much fewer and farther between so I've pretty much ended my kneejerk bashing of the NFL for being brain sapping dull. I can see myself perhaps one day moving up to casual viewing when nothing else is on....

[LAWeaver]

My interest in sports is actually fading away, yet I'm not too sure why. The main reason I watch the NFL is either to watch Pittsburgh lose or NE win.

One reason why I rarely watch the NFL is when players constantly bicker about every little thing, then after the game, they act like they've been friends since Preschool*.

Another thing is that I've somewhat began to believe that players are sometimes influencing calls. After a play, a WR will stomp, kick, and screen for pass interference and they'll give it to them.

With sports in general, it's not much keeping me out of the sports. I can't stand seeing flopping in the NBA, I'm not a big fan of hockey or soccer (never really was interested in either one), I don't like watching baseball in TV and would rather see it in person, and NASCAR, despite my love for the sport, has been changing the rules constantly and are planning on changing them again for next season.

HOWEVER, I've grown more interested in college football over the past few years. Part of it is the better play calling, especially with ESPN.

Overall, my love of sports is fading, but none more so than that of the NFL.

*-acting like best friends after a game does not apply to Richard Sherman

[Sport]

Part of it for me is the notion perpetuated by Espen and their rivals that the NFL is *THE* sport in this country and all other sports are in a sense kidding. (Espen does the same thing with the NBA for the record. I don't like the NBA, stop acting like everyone likes the NBA.)

It dawned on me a few years ago that I enjoy following baseball and all levels of hockey far more than I do football and I was maintaining my football fanhood mostly out of habit. I mean, it's in a weird place on the calendar for my sporting interests. During the NFL lockout I realized that I wasn't really going to miss it if it didn't come back. Baseball season starts in April when the NHL playoffs are in full swing and by the time the Stanley Cup is presented baseball is in fullforce. When the world Series ends then hockey season starts again. It's perfect.

[DnBronc]

I can't believe that people would be more interested in college football than the NFL, mainly because of the cultish fan environments (Penn State was a big example during the Sandusky situation). To each his own, however.

In my opinion, though, what is ruining sports as a whole is greed in college and the pros. The NFL is the main example, as well as the NBA. I also don't like all of this conference switching in college sports just over money. It is a huge turnoff.

[RyanMcD29]

I think I said this before, I'm still a fan of watching the NFL, but it has already reached the point of going way way overboard ages ago. As has been stated numerous times here, the 24-7-365 cycle of NFL news year round on EVERY sports media outlet (ESPN's the worst at it, but everyone who goes "Well watch something besides ESPN or go somewhere besides ESPN.com" isn't realizing that every other website or channel is still going on and on about the NFL in the middle of March or May at the expense of sports actually in season) and does so at coverage for any other sport, save for maybe college football and the NBA Playoffs. Hell, it's even consumed any coverage of the MLB Playoffs aside from the World Series or an exciting LCS game. The NFL is not the end all be all of American sports. Unfortunately, the sports media powers to be have more or less made it that way. Yes, I understand the huge ratings and stuff. I also am totally fine with NFL coverage in season. It's the offseason news that takes up a vast majority of the sports news landscape that's the problem.

Also there's two other notes a lot of people have hit- the in-game experience and the commercials. I have yet to go to an NFL game and quite frankly don't think I want to go to one judging by people's experiences with all the breaks in action for the television side of things. That and going to a (albeit mediocre) BCS college football school (albeit with a mediocre stadium experience and mediocre crowd) would probably make going to an NFL game less exciting. And then there's the commercials. Oh my the commercials. We had a debate before the season here over NFL RedZone and whether that makes you less of a real fan for watching it (meaning the fantasy crowd). I maintain the position that NFL RedZone is the best $7/month I could've added onto my cable bill. That's mainly because you not only avoid the numerous commercial breaks, but it also bypasses the stupidity of NFL Sunday Ticket being an exclusive (yes, I know, selling point for DirecTV, but I can get any other league's package on any other cable or telco provider) and let's me actually watch games I wouldn't otherwise see because of the Jets and Giants more or less restricting you in this market to what you can get. That part's actually the one change I absolutely love the NFL for doing. It does come, however, at the expense of the viewing experiences for the night games or the playoffs, as watching the NFL isn't the same without RedZone around.

Which brings up another point, the NFL and exclusives. There's Sunday Ticket being only on one provider, there's only online streaming if you subscribe to Sunday Ticket on the one provider, there's only one official video game (I was always a Madden guy in the NFL game wars, but I still think competition would've been a lot better for the franchise, the competition, and most importantly the video game players).. Instead of taking the big paycheck with the deal, I feel like the NFL would make even more boatloads of cash if they opened things up.

So yeah, thanks for making me go into tl/dr rant mode again, but the enjoyability of the NFL, aside from RedZone, has diminished through the years. That being said, I can't lose interest that easily in it even with all this nonsense.

[andycumbee19]

When there is No longer a team called the "Denver Broncos" that'd be when I quit watching the League

[DS729]

When there is No longer a team called the "Denver Broncos" that'd be when I quit watching the League

So the Colorado Broncos is a no-no?

[infrared41]

Part of it for me is the notion perpetuated by Espen and their rivals that the NFL is *THE* sport in this country and all other sports are in a sense kidding. (Espen does the same thing with the NBA for the record. I don't like the NBA, stop acting like everyone likes the NBA.)

It dawned on me a few years ago that I enjoy following baseball and all levels of hockey far more than I do football and I was maintaining my football fanhood mostly out of habit. I mean, it's in a weird place on the calendar for my sporting interests. During the NFL lockout I realized that I wasn't really going to miss it if it didn't come back. Baseball season starts in April when the NHL playoffs are in full swing and by the time the Stanley Cup is presented baseball is in fullforce. When the world Series ends then hockey season starts again. It's perfect.

That's exactly where I am with football. As I said earlier, I do really enjoy talking about football on the podcasts but other than that, I think I could easily live without it. I noticed that this season I watched football because it was "my job" to watch it. In order to do the one thing I still really enjoy about football - running my mouth "analyzing" it - I had to watch it.

Maybe it's because hockey seems "new" again after coming back from a 7 year hiatus from following it, but I find hockey far more exciting and fun to watch than any NFL game. Baseball is in my blood so it ain't going anywhere. It's been a slow process, but I can easily see the day where I no longer follow football. And that day isn't too far off.

[vicfurth]

When there is No longer a team called the "Denver Broncos" that'd be when I quit watching the League

So the Colorado Broncos is a no-no?

It originally was gonna be that name until they weeded it out.

[See Red]

The NFL isn't at risk of losing me despite the stupidity being displayed by the commissioner. I love sports and will always enjoy watching them -- the greatest advantage football has is that I can watch every one of my teams games over the course of the season and still maintain a life. I don't have to rely on box scores and other people's accounts for the games to know what's going on with my favorite team.

[bosrs1]

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 almost there as well. Between the CTE thing, the fact I'm "expected" to be watching football on Sundays (and the reaction in particular I get from local fans that I'm not pulling for their team), the rule changes that frankly are just changing the rules for the sake of doing so, the oversaturation of the sports landscape with everything football, the oversaturation of the game with commericals (this has all but ruined the in person experience), the ridiculous cost to attend games, the inability of the NFL to modify its TV/internet rules to the modern world, and just the whole premise of the game and its destruction of human beings have slowly been turning me off. Particularly as I've been watching more and more CFL games courtesy of ESPN3 and NBC where I get to see a similar game that doesn't have half the CTE issue, isn't expected to be watched, and frankly with it's limited downs and field size just presents a more interesting game IMO.

But I've always been more of a baseball guy first and foremost anyway. Football has always been one of those other sports that helps fill the time between the end of the baseball season and about the middle of spring training when the guys start getting into form.

[GoGamecocks29]

I can't believe that people would be more interested in college football than the NFL, mainly because of the cultish fan environments (Penn State was a big example during the Sandusky situation). To each his own, however.

In my opinion, though, what is ruining sports as a whole is greed in college and the pros. The NFL is the main example, as well as the NBA. I also don't like all of this conference switching in college sports just over money. It is a huge turnoff.

Personally, the NFL sucks compared to college football (any level) fan-wise. In college football, we are students and alumni of our schools, while the NFL has fair-weather fans and cults that change their allegiances due to a player or coach.

Through good or bad, no one group is more loyal than college fans.

[bosrs1]

I can't believe that people would be more interested in college football than the NFL, mainly because of the cultish fan environments (Penn State was a big example during the Sandusky situation). To each his own, however.

In my opinion, though, what is ruining sports as a whole is greed in college and the pros. The NFL is the main example, as well as the NBA. I also don't like all of this conference switching in college sports just over money. It is a huge turnoff.

Personally, the NFL sucks compared to college football (any level) fan-wise. In college football, we are students and alumni of our schools, while the NFL has fair-weather fans and cults that change their allegiances due to a player or coach.

Through good or bad, no one group is more loyal than college fans.

That's the problem with having gone to a less successful mid-major basketball school. No football team to root for. Which means my first and only exposure to football until I met my wife's family was the NFL. I'm sure my view on American football as a whole would be different if I'd grown up rooting for Cal like she did. But not having done so the college game always feels like someone else's game to me since I've never had a team that was truly my own. I follow what Cal and San Diego State are doing on occasion and wish them well when I do happen to come across their games, but I'm always the outsider when I've attended a their games.

[The_Admiral]

In college football, we are students and alumni of our schools

not necessarily

[Breakwood]

There are way too many commercials during a NFL game I don't know how anyone can find it entertaining. Taking away half the commercials or limiting them to set times like in other sports would instantly make the game more watchable.

[Kramerica Industries]

I have to think Red Zone Channel is the only reason the commercial thing isn't an enormous annoyance to me. Whenever any of the other games I'm watching is at commercial, it's easy to just move my eyes back towards the RZC instead.

But especially for the people noting the "TD - commercial - Kickoff - commercial" sequence, yeah, that's just completely unnecessary.

[LAWeaver]

The only time I truly enjoy a game is during the Super Bowl. That's the only time I don't mind the commercials unless it's one I've already seen before

[CubsFanBudMan]

As has been stated numerous times here, the 24-7-365 cycle of NFL news year round on EVERY sports media outlet (ESPN's the worst at it, but everyone who goes "Well watch something besides ESPN or go somewhere besides ESPN.com" isn't realizing that every other website or channel is still going on and on about the NFL in the middle of March or May at the expense of sports actually in season)

Not EVERY sports channel. You need MLB Network, NBATV and NHL Network in your life. Pick what you want to watch.

I even watch NFL Network every Sunday morning. That's about my limit for NFL talk. Otherwise, it's one of the three above, maybe BTN. I've enjoyed sports so much more since I got ESPN out of my life.

[DustDevil61]

I can't say that I'm anywhere near my breaking point, but the disregard Roger Goodell and the NFL in general has shown for the game and its players could push me closer. While I still enjoy watching the game and still will with changes, the league has gotten too big and too full of itself for its own good. It's reminiscent of the NBA, which on at least a couple occasions¹ IMO has pushed aside the game's (and general) integrity for the sake of a little more popularity and, of course, money.²

You have the hyping up of players, questionable calls, sometimes even more questionable handling of said calls, making miniscule changes "for the safety of the players",³ refusing to actually do something for the safety of the players, standardizing Super Bowl/other league logos, futzing with the Pro Bowl to the verge of nonexistance,⁴ and so forth.

Like it or not how the league got here, but the NFL is the biggest pro sports league in the United States and is aware that it's the biggest pro sports league in the United States. It seems like it started hyping itself in the mid-2000s and ever since has also been tinkering with the very things that got it there in the first place.

The NFL, in my mind, has gone on this path so far: Starts small, takes off, gets big, lets fame go to head. I fear that this is the path it takes, though I can't say what the timeline would look like: makes stupid decisions/moves, alienates fans, descends into mediocrity. A couple of other (once-)notable institutions to follow this path? The Office and The Simpsons.⁵

1. Primarily the suspicious envelope in the 1985 NBA Draft and Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals.

2. I'd argue that things are looking up with the NBA in this regard.

3. Such as eliminating the use of different-colored throwback helmets.

4. Not that it was ever really relevant, but now it's more a matter of when the Pro Bowl ceases to exist, at least in a year-to-year basis.

5. Apologies to anyone thinking of something else, but watching sports is a form of entertainment for most CCSLCers, right? Right??

[IceCap]

I would say over-commercialization, over exposure, and shameful performances on the part of the officials, but all of those things are already here and I'm still watching. So going forward, what would it take me to stop?

The CTE stuff cannot be ignored. Now that it's out in the open the NFL and NFLPA can work towards trying to minimize it. It'll never be eliminated from the game, I realize that. It's just the kind of thing that comes with playing football, and I think that assumption of risk will become a bigger part of the discussion now that players know. Still, it is an issue that needs to be addressed and dealt with. I can accept its existence (again, part of the assumed risk of football) if the NFL and PA are actively trying to minimize its effects. If the NFL turns a blind eye to it and it just gets worse? I might just have to walk away.

More commercials. The amount and length of commercials has gotten ridiculous. I generally don't begrudge someone for making a buck where the market will (legally) let them, but it's just getting comical now with the NFL. Football, by its very nature, is a game that lacks a sort of natural "flow." The increasing number of commercials just makes the viewing experience worse.

Further over-exposure. I hope the ratings for the new slew of Thursday night games tank hard and the NFL returns to its natural habitat, Sundays and Mondays. Part of what makes football enjoyable, for me anyway, is the weekly structure. You have two days of games at the end/beginning of each week. It's a nice little endcap to the week that you just sort of push to the back of your mind yet you're secretly waiting for it. Football is the sport that operates on that model, and it makes it unique to follow. Now though? Football starts on Thursday and goes to Monday. You only have two days off between the end of one week of games and the start of another. More Thursday night games will only further dilute the experience of following the NFL.

Nike-fication. This is a uniform site, right? The NFL, thankfully, has uniform rules that make it impossible for Nike to pitch their truly awful ideas to teams like they do to NCAA programs. For now. Part of me is worried that the NFL will see the potential for even more publicity and relax those rules. I'll walk away the moment we see something truly Oregon Ducks-esque at the NFL level.