Posted on 10/11/2016 8:08:51 PM PDT by jazusamo
Ratings for the National Football League are off substantially this season , and of course nobody at the league has the slightest idea why. It can't be due to the ungrateful arrogance of has-been 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, or the increasing politicization of the sport by lefty sportwriters (and they're all lefties) and ESPN. No, it must be something else:
The NFL has a ratings problem. The causes are many, and the leading cause is certainly up for debate. But that isn’t stopping the NFL from denying that the problem has some controversial undercurrents – or that the problem exists in the first place.Sunday Night Football between the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants drew a 10.2 overnight rating as it mostly went up against the second presidential debate, according to Sports Media Watch . It’s a steep drop from 13.1 in Week 5 of the 2015 season and the lowest overnight rating since Week 8 of the 2013 season.
The presidential debate, and the 2016 election season, are no doubt cutting into TV ratings for everyone, not just the NFL. But for an 11 percent overall drop through the first four weeks of 2016 that is likely to deepen after Week 5? Seems more like a convenient excuse.
I can think of a few others. The sport is overlong, packing a whopping 11 minutes of action into a commercial-stuffed four hours of viewing time. Except for a few quarterbacks, the players are largely interchangeable and anonymous. And the television presenttion itself is essentially unwatchable, filled with graphics that add nothing to the enjoyment of the sport.
In short, the NFL sucks. But don't expect the league to acknowledge that. Top brass would rather blame the election:
Yet, here’s the NFL sending an internal memo to all 32 teams reassuring them that the ratings are nothing to worry about. “There is no question that unprecedented interest in the Presidential election is impacting primetime ratings,” reads the letter from NFL reps Brian Rolapp and Howard Katz. Curiously, the letter brings up the effect that the backlash over the growing national anthem protests among players is having on the ratings, which they dismissed.“Finally, it is worth noting that we see no evidence that concern over player protests during the National Anthem is having any material impact on ratings. In fact, our own data shows that perception of the NFL and its players is actually up in 2016.”
Right. And black is white and in is out and up is down.
In all seriousness, the league itself may have no evidence, but I certainly do … from the hundreds of fans who literally told me they stopped watching the NFL because they were sick of the anthem protests and the injection of politics into NFL games in the first place. Is the anthem protest backlash the onlycause of the ratings decline? No. It is most certainly a confluence of a lot of different issues. But to simply deny that there is a segment of the ever-crucial 18-49 demographic that saw the anthem protests as a “last straw” kind of moment that made them turn the channel on the NFL’s diminished on-field product is to demonstrate that you are out-of-touch with your own customers.
I used to think there were three things a malignant pop culture could never ruin: music, women's bodies, and sports. Wrong on all three counts. Do yourself a favor: turn the NFL off, reclaim four or eight or twelve hours of your life per week, and go do something useful.
Meanwhile, this just in from ESPN: I rest my case.
Special added bonus: NFL player rap sheets.
The NFL is two steps from becoming the NBA - large negroes exerting themselves.
the nfl’s problem is not its ratings. that is just the result.
TO HELL WITH THE NFL!! I am OUT. I can’t stand that steroid freak show anyway. WHERE IS THE CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION ON STEROIDS? The answer— BRIBERY!!
Baseball, hot dogs, Apple pie, and Chevrolet...
Remember those all American commercials??
The sport is overlong, packing a whopping 11 minutes of action into a commercial-stuffed four hours of viewing time. Except for a few quarterbacks, the players are largely interchangeable and anonymous. And the television presentation itself is essentially unwatchable, filled with graphics that add nothing to the enjoyment of the sport.
The NFL has a demographics problem. Fewer and fewer young people have any interest in football, and it's becoming obvious to more people that what is described above barely qualifies as "entertainment" in today's world.
What will they say when ratings still stink after Nov. 8? Blame global warming?
I look at the Kaepernick situation as the straw that broke the camels back.
Maybe, but I think the NFL’s ratings would have been down this year even if that debacle never happened.
What is this ‘NFL’ you speak of?
I wish I could boycott the NFL but, I haven’t watched an entire football game since Janet Jackson had that wardrobe malfunction at the Superbowl half time.
Haven’t seen a single snap yet.
Ain’t missing it, either. LOL @NFL
Here is payback . STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS . Go to hell!! You coddled that anti American $hit ass !! It is time for STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS STEROIDS TESTS!! Screw you!! Turn their ass OFF!! I assure you I did.
It’s not just Kaepernick. The NFL has a deeper underlying problem over its discrimination against white players.
Sacked!
Plus when Goddell bitch slapped the Cowboys for wanting to honor the Dallas Police after their murders but forcing pink on all uniforms every month for the PC disease.
Colon Copro-neck helps remind me why I don’t watch anymore. Too bad this has metastasized to the college and even high school levels.
I’m done with the NFL.
NFL.....the N doesn’t stand for what you thought it did......
I think the Kaepernick situation is overblown when it comes to the decline in ratings.
It’s a good excuse for me to tune out.
There’s so much football on TV now that I was kind of getting bored with it. I’ll watch a few college games over the weekend now but that’s about it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.