The NFL Is on the Brink (VDH)

Townhall ^ | 7-16-2020 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Sir Napsalot]

The National Football League celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. This should be a time of self-congratulation for the brutal sport, which has no similar counterpart outside the United States.

The NFL's megaprofits dwarf those of other professional sports in the U.S. The Super Bowl, not the World Series, is America's national sports event.

(snip)

In 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem. He claimed he was protesting the treatment of African Americans. ....

Kaepernick's rejection of "The Star-Spangled Banner" eventually spread throughout the NFL. Even though he was a backup quarterback, Kaepernick became a resistance idol. Soon he was a corporate ad man pitching Nike sneakers.

Then game attendance fell. So did television viewership. Apparently, lots of fans had no desire to spend their Sundays watching 20-something multimillionaires lecture them that the American flag was not worth honoring.

(more snip)

... NFL capitulation poses fundamental problems for the league. It has now essentially green-lighted the sort of activism that in the last few years has been eating away its profits.

[SMARTY]

Right-but my ‘gut feeling’ is that a lot, (and I mean a LOT), of ‘Joe six pack’ conservative guys are ( were ) married to their TV, during football season.

I mean, it's practically their religion …

It may have taken a seismic event/s to rouse them to action, but for sure, the line has been crossed.

[gbscott]

Wonder if they will again go to having advertisements during the Anthem? That will keep as many people as possible from seeing the “million dollar oppressed” kneeling. These idiots are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!

[hercuroc]

There’s no way they go to am advertisement during the BNA...that will have to be shown.
The cracka NA not so much.

[cgbg]

corporate advertisers covet young people

That has been the traditional approach of advertising for decades.

However, that was when the baby boomers were younger.

Now the baby boomers are the "old" demographic they want to treat like s&^%.

Math--some folks need to learn it the hard way!

[hanamizu]

“similar counterpart”, rugby and Australian rules football are certainly similar in terms of “brutality”.

---

Was thinking the same thing. Over the last few years I’ve taken to watching Premiership Rugby from England. They play what amounts to tackle football wearing soccer uniforms. Hard hits, but maybe not as brutal since they don’t wear armor.

[FLT-bird]

I lost interest and stopped watching the NFL about 15-20 years ago.

[mewzilla]

I hate to break it to the NFL, but this isn’t about the players. Or the owners.

It’s about the people who watch it.

And there aren’t enough lefty fans of any and all skin colors to keep the NFL, as its currently constituted, financially afloat.

Looks like the owners and players are about to learn that the hard way.

[RayChuang88]

I think the NFL is going to find a VERY unpleasant surprise as viewers tune out in a big way. Viewership could be down as much as 30%, which could cause advertisers to force the NFL to do extremely expensive "make goods" on advertising, costing the league billions in revenue.

[Sir Napsalot]

I feel you.

I know some nfl owners complained about downed revenue, then they approved Goodell contract extension (in 2017) in the midst of kneeling controversy and how Goodell’s handling it.

They really don’t care about the people watching and supporting the sport, so be it.

[mewzilla]

Too late. From January 2018...

https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/nfl-ratings-decline-leads-increase-makegoods-30-million-drop-ad-revenue.html

The NFL has just decided to flush faster.

[RayChuang88]

And that was with a circa 17 to 20% drop in ratings compared to 2015. What happens now with a 30% drop in ratings compared to 2019? The financial bloodbath could be horrible.

[JesusIsLord]

The cracka NA not so much.

Ya got me laughing!! LOL!!