2016 NFL THREAD - Super Bowl 51 - Patriots' Day: V - Screw Goodell

[KevShmev]

Maybe not you personally, but I think those three things could explain a lot of it, generally speaking.

Regarding the offensive struggles, I have never seen as many bad offensive lines as there are in the NFL right now. 

[TAC]

I don't get the "bad product" argument. Football is a distant 3rd fave sport for me, but how has it changed?

Is it a New Jersey Devils "trap style" pace? I mean points are being scored, right?

[King Postwhore]

All these rules promoting offense has not helped more offense.   So the league continues to tweak with more rules instead of just letting them play and enough of calling these tickey tack fouls.

[KevShmev]

I don't get the "bad product" argument. Football is a distant 3rd fave sport for me, but how has it changed?

Is it a New Jersey Devils "trap style" pace? I mean points are being scored, right?

I think the nature of how many offenses are run now is very boring.  So many short passes, which might be effective when done well by teams like Dallas and New England, but boring as hell to watch. Watching a 7-minute by Dallas where it is short pass after short pass, with some runs sprinkled in, is enough to put me to sleep.  The invention of the bubble screen has been awful for the product.  Just because it works and results in points doesn't mean it is fun to watch.

I think that is why so many people love watching the Steelers offense when they are clicking...because they actually take shots down field on a regular basis.  Same for Arizona.

And the Kubiak offense is normally like that, although he is being super careful with Siemian so far, because he is a first year starter, but the Kubiak offense is basically the Shanahan offense: run it down hill, and when you pass, you are looking for 20-yard gashes down field, not these little 3-yard dinks.  That is why Kubiak was a perfect fit for Baltimore the one year he was their OC; Flacco is great with the deep ball (usually).

[TAC]

All these rules promoting offense has not helped more offense.   So the league continues to tweak with more rules instead of just letting them play and enough of calling these tickey tack fouls.

But are people really tuning out because of that? The game pretty much looks the same to me.


Do you think people are turned off because of people like Rice, Peterson, Kaepernick, and now Josh Brown? And perhaps more so by the inept leadership of the league. Maybe people can't relate to the players, or the money grubbing owners. Personally I hate being so besieged by the commercials. It's like they are so clearly stating that they are in it for the money, it's so in your face.

[King Postwhore]

It's hard to say why ratings are down really.

[KevShmev]

The never-ending commercials are awful.

Touchdown

Review

Commercial

Confirmation of the TD

Extra point

Commercial

Kickoff

Commercial

[Dr. DTVT]

Maybe it's because I never really liked fantasy sports to begin with, but this is the first year since 1998 I have not been in any leagues and I am enjoying football more because I care about game quality than individual performances.

This is also the first full season since "Concussion" came out.  There is probably a small but significant group of people that movie lost.

[Cool Chris]

I heard that when people watch the Red Zone Channel (however that works, I have no idea), that it doesn't count toward the ratings. And more and more people are watching games that way.

But yes, my god the commercials! Every game is starting to feel like the Super Bowl.

[Skeever]

I don't get the "bad product" argument. Football is a distant 3rd fave sport for me, but how has it changed?

Is it a New Jersey Devils "trap style" pace? I mean points are being scored, right?

I think the nature of how many offenses are run now is very boring.  So many short passes, which might be effective when done well by teams like Dallas and New England, but boring as hell to watch. Watching a 7-minute by Dallas where it is short pass after short pass, with some runs sprinkled in, is enough to put me to sleep.  The invention of the bubble screen has been awful for the product.  Just because it works and results in points doesn't mean it is fun to watch.

Wouldn't you partially blame poor QB play though? I still think everyone's underscoring just how bad the NFL is at that position right now. I remember reading awhile back that college QBs were going to have a harder time adjusting to the pros based on trends in college, and that appears to be true. Just feels like mediocre play all around. Every team in the league aside from a handful might as well be qb'd by Kirk Cousins.

[Stadler]

All these rules promoting offense has not helped more offense.   So the league continues to tweak with more rules instead of just letting them play and enough of calling these tickey tack fouls.

But are people really tuning out because of that? The game pretty much looks the same to me.


Do you think people are turned off because of people like Rice, Peterson, Kaepernick, and now Josh Brown? And perhaps more so by the inept leadership of the league. Maybe people can't relate to the players, or the money grubbing owners. Personally I hate being so besieged by the commercials. It's like they are so clearly stating that they are in it for the money, it's so in your face.

Honestly?  This is going to come off more callous than I intend it, but with the helmets, number of players, and shorter careers in the NFL, I honestly don't think most people give a f*** about what Rice, Peterson, and Brown do off the field.   In uniform, it's different (so I don't put Kaepernick in there) but even then.  That Burdict and Suh are still playing despite what they've done on the field, and I think as long as it's not felony murder, it's not going to impact ratings.

I know for me, though, the parity let's a little of the air out of the game for me. I don't need three teams at 12-0 going into December, but the mantra "Any Given Sunday" has never been more relevant than this year, and for me it makes it a tad too random.  I LIKE knowing the Pats are going to roll up on whoever they're playing this week.  I grew up a Giants fan, and for about 10 years (Staubach into White) twice a year I knew Dallas was going to kick the shit out of the Giants, barring some miracle.  So when that miracle DID happen (rarely) it was more satisfying.   

[hefdaddy42]

I don't think the Cubs have anything to do with it at all.

The other two are certainly having an effect, but the other main things, IMO, are
  1) Thursday night football (oversaturation)
  2) Most of the games aren't very good

When you pimp your product all week long, it had better be a damn good product, because frankly, besides just being a sport with diehard fans, the NFL is an entertainment vehicle, and there are more options for entertainment now than ever before.  Between HBO, Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, there is more quality TV being made now than ever (which doesn't even count any regular network shows, or even great films being made), and I ALREADY don't have time to watch all that I want.  If I have a choice between watching a shitty game just because "football" and catching up on a quality episode of a great show, I will choose the show.

IMHO

[Skeever]

Yup, I think the above nailed it. Thursday, Sunday, and Monday night games were typically the only games I watched. The 4pm game has always felt like overkill after watching my team at 1pm.

Bad matches have eroded my interest in Thursday and Monday, and Westworld has eroded my interest in Sunday. Might have to tune in for Eagles/Cowboys though.

[TAC]

Do you think people are turned off because of people like Rice, Peterson, Kaepernick, and now Josh Brown? And perhaps more so by the inept leadership of the league. Maybe people can't relate to the players, or the money grubbing owners. Personally I hate being so besieged by the commercials. It's like they are so clearly stating that they are in it for the money, it's so in your face.

Honestly?  This is going to come off more callous than I intend it, but with the helmets, number of players, and shorter careers in the NFL, I honestly don't think most people give a f*** about what Rice, Peterson, and Brown do off the field.   In uniform, it's different (so I don't put Kaepernick in there) but even then.  That Burdict and Suh are still playing despite what they've done on the field, and I think as long as it's not felony murder, it's not going to impact ratings.

I'm talking about the casual viewer which the NFL seemed to pull in over the last few years. Perhaps they're tuning out because of the negative press.



Serious question...Do shorter careers lead to less "seasoning" of the players. meaning they never get to a "high" level? Are careers any shorter than they used to be? I'd be interested in the trend. There seems to be less identifiable players these days.

[Dream Team]

Do you think people are turned off because of people like Rice, Peterson, Kaepernick, and now Josh Brown? And perhaps more so by the inept leadership of the league. Maybe people can't relate to the players, or the money grubbing owners. Personally I hate being so besieged by the commercials. It's like they are so clearly stating that they are in it for the money, it's so in your face.

I'm sure that's one of those the many factors. Due to the salary cap veterans are quickly cycled out of the league in favor of new no-names. This is most evident on the offensive and defensive lines.
Honestly?  This is going to come off more callous than I intend it, but with the helmets, number of players, and shorter careers in the NFL, I honestly don't think most people give a f*** about what Rice, Peterson, and Brown do off the field.   In uniform, it's different (so I don't put Kaepernick in there) but even then.  That Burdict and Suh are still playing despite what they've done on the field, and I think as long as it's not felony murder, it's not going to impact ratings.

I'm talking about the casual viewer which the NFL seemed to pull in over the last few years. Perhaps they're tuning out because of the negative press.



Serious question...Do shorter careers lead to less "seasoning" of the players. meaning they never get to a "high" level? Are careers any shorter than they used to be? I'd be interested in the trend. There seems to be less identifiable players these days.

I think this is a factor. Due to the salary cap expensive veterans are cycled out and replaced with no-names. This is especially true on the offensive defensive lines.

[hefdaddy42]

Ummm

Washington Coach Pulls Out Dong, Pees Freely Before The Masses During Game [NSFW]

[TAC]

 

WTF??


Also.."The Washington football team.." Is that their new name?

[bosk1]

Also.."The Washington football team.." Is that their new name?

No.  It's just that some sanctimonious white people in the media think they are doing something of value by refusing to call them the Redskins. 

[TAC]

So let me get this straight. They can show a picture of a guy's dick while pissing in public but the can't say Redskins??
 

[PowerSlave]

So let me get this straight. They can show a picture of a guy's dick while pissing in public but the can't say Redskins??
 

Maybe after this they should be called the foreskins...

[KevShmev]

I don't get the "bad product" argument. Football is a distant 3rd fave sport for me, but how has it changed?

Is it a New Jersey Devils "trap style" pace? I mean points are being scored, right?

I think the nature of how many offenses are run now is very boring.  So many short passes, which might be effective when done well by teams like Dallas and New England, but boring as hell to watch. Watching a 7-minute by Dallas where it is short pass after short pass, with some runs sprinkled in, is enough to put me to sleep.  The invention of the bubble screen has been awful for the product.  Just because it works and results in points doesn't mean it is fun to watch.

Wouldn't you partially blame poor QB play though? I still think everyone's underscoring just how bad the NFL is at that position right now. I remember reading awhile back that college QBs were going to have a harder time adjusting to the pros based on trends in college, and that appears to be true. Just feels like mediocre play all around. Every team in the league aside from a handful might as well be qb'd by Kirk Cousins.

Not sure I agree. 

Brady, Brees, Stafford, Carr, Rivers, Ryan, Roethlisberger and Luck have all been mostly outstanding this year.

Rodgers, Wilson, Dalton, Bradford, Smith and Cousins have all had some bad moments, but have mostly played good.

Winston, Prescott and Wentz are all young QBs playing well.  You could even throw Siemian in there.

Eli and Cam are both playing well below expectations, but should both come around at some point.

Sure, there are shit QBs like Tannehill, whoever is starting for SF, Osweiler and Fitzpatrick, but they are in the vast minority.

[TAC]

So let me get this straight. They can show a picture of a guy's dick while pissing in public but the can't say Redskins??
 

Maybe after this they should be called the foreskins...

 

[Stadler]

Wait... since when is "dong" the official medical term to be used in headlines for the male genitalia?   

And honestly, ban me now if you have to, but leave it to a woman to photograph that and send it out into the interwebs.  If that was a girl taking a squat at, say, a concert, or out in the parking lot (which I've seen a hundred times if I've seen it once) and a guy put that on Twatter, all holy hell would break loose.

For the love of God, it's a penis and urination.  Give the guy five minutes to himself for f***'s sake.   

[King Postwhore]

Amen brotha!  I miss the old day when the reporters weren't trying to out scoop each other.  When hearsay like Twitter is taken as truth.  It takes away from the game.

Don't get me wrong, there are some good reporters Tweeting out real info but it's not the norm out there.

[cramx3]

Wait... since when is "dong" the official medical term to be used in headlines for the male genitalia?   

And honestly, ban me now if you have to, but leave it to a woman to photograph that and send it out into the interwebs.  If that was a girl taking a squat at, say, a concert, or out in the parking lot (which I've seen a hundred times if I've seen it once) and a guy put that on Twatter, all holy hell would break loose.

For the love of God, it's a penis and urination.  Give the guy five minutes to himself for f***'s sake.

He's an active coach on the sidelines in front of a crowd and tons of cameras.  I don't know if peeing on the sideline is normal or not, and I particularly don't care for this story since I don't think it's a huge deal since besides this one lady, I doubt anyone even noticed, but he should be held to a much higher standard than a girl at a concert.  Having said that, his team didn't discipline him which I am fine with and it is kind of odd for a female to take a picture of a mans dong and post it for the world to see, but I guess that's fair game when you do it so publicly.

[Dublagent66]

So let me get this straight. They can show a picture of a guy's dick while pissing in public but the can't say Redskins??
 

Maybe after this they should be called the foreskins...

 

   I've been calling them the foreskins for quite a while now.

[Stadler]

Wait... since when is "dong" the official medical term to be used in headlines for the male genitalia?   

And honestly, ban me now if you have to, but leave it to a woman to photograph that and send it out into the interwebs.  If that was a girl taking a squat at, say, a concert, or out in the parking lot (which I've seen a hundred times if I've seen it once) and a guy put that on Twatter, all holy hell would break loose.

For the love of God, it's a penis and urination.  Give the guy five minutes to himself for f***'s sake.

He's an active coach on the sidelines in front of a crowd and tons of cameras.  I don't know if peeing on the sideline is normal or not, and I particularly don't care for this story since I don't think it's a huge deal since besides this one lady, I doubt anyone even noticed, but he should be held to a much higher standard than a girl at a concert.  Having said that, his team didn't discipline him which I am fine with and it is kind of odd for a female to take a picture of a mans dong and post it for the world to see, but I guess that's fair game when you do it so publicly.

So if he pukes or has a seizure or something like that, it's all fair game?  I think we've lost something if a person - at his job, mind you - has to agree to submit to that level of scrutiny on all matters.   It's not like we're talking about something that ONLY this coach does.  I'm not certain (I'm not a doctor) but I'm pretty sure something like 70% of the US population urinates. 

[hefdaddy42]

I don't urinate at my desk.  I get up and go to the bathroom. 

[cramx3]

Wait... since when is "dong" the official medical term to be used in headlines for the male genitalia?   

And honestly, ban me now if you have to, but leave it to a woman to photograph that and send it out into the interwebs.  If that was a girl taking a squat at, say, a concert, or out in the parking lot (which I've seen a hundred times if I've seen it once) and a guy put that on Twatter, all holy hell would break loose.

For the love of God, it's a penis and urination.  Give the guy five minutes to himself for f***'s sake.

He's an active coach on the sidelines in front of a crowd and tons of cameras.  I don't know if peeing on the sideline is normal or not, and I particularly don't care for this story since I don't think it's a huge deal since besides this one lady, I doubt anyone even noticed, but he should be held to a much higher standard than a girl at a concert.  Having said that, his team didn't discipline him which I am fine with and it is kind of odd for a female to take a picture of a mans dong and post it for the world to see, but I guess that's fair game when you do it so publicly.

So if he pukes or has a seizure or something like that, it's all fair game?  I think we've lost something if a person - at his job, mind you - has to agree to submit to that level of scrutiny on all matters.   It's not like we're talking about something that ONLY this coach does.  I'm not certain (I'm not a doctor) but I'm pretty sure something like 70% of the US population urinates. 

You are not comparing apples to apples here, just like the comparison of a girl at a concert.  He is in plain view of TV cameras and 60k in the stadium and one can hold their piss, well maybe 70% of the population can, but you cannot prevent puking or seizures.   Even if he couldn't hold his piss, there are better ways than doing it on the field or at least in a position where someone can see you from the crowd.    Once again, I don't think it's a story really and I doubt he is the first person to do such a thing, but I bet most do it in a manner that doesn't land you in a picture holding your dong.  No one would scrutinize him if he pissed in a bathroom so the scrutinizing argument makes no sense.  If I piss in my cubicle and get busted, that is on me.

[Dublagent66]

                             
Um, Jax has honey mustard puke color rush unis and down 24-0 in 2nd Qtr.  Sucks to be them.

[El Barto]

Wait... since when is "dong" the official medical term to be used in headlines for the male genitalia?   

And honestly, ban me now if you have to, but leave it to a woman to photograph that and send it out into the interwebs.  If that was a girl taking a squat at, say, a concert, or out in the parking lot (which I've seen a hundred times if I've seen it once) and a guy put that on Twatter, all holy hell would break loose.

For the love of God, it's a penis and urination.  Give the guy five minutes to himself for f***'s sake.

He's an active coach on the sidelines in front of a crowd and tons of cameras.  I don't know if peeing on the sideline is normal or not, and I particularly don't care for this story since I don't think it's a huge deal since besides this one lady, I doubt anyone even noticed, but he should be held to a much higher standard than a girl at a concert.  Having said that, his team didn't discipline him which I am fine with and it is kind of odd for a female to take a picture of a mans dong and post it for the world to see, but I guess that's fair game when you do it so publicly.

So if he pukes or has a seizure or something like that, it's all fair game?  I think we've lost something if a person - at his job, mind you - has to agree to submit to that level of scrutiny on all matters.   It's not like we're talking about something that ONLY this coach does.  I'm not certain (I'm not a doctor) but I'm pretty sure something like 70% of the US population urinates. 

You are not comparing apples to apples here, just like the comparison of a girl at a concert.  He is in plain view of TV cameras and 60k in the stadium and one can hold their piss, well maybe 70% of the population can, but you cannot prevent puking or seizures.   Even if he couldn't hold his piss, there are better ways than doing it on the field or at least in a position where someone can see you from the crowd.    Once again, I don't think it's a story really and I doubt he is the first person to do such a thing, but I bet most do it in a manner that doesn't land you in a picture holding your dong.  No one would scrutinize him if he pissed in a bathroom so the scrutinizing argument makes no sense.  If I piss in my cubicle and get busted, that is on me.

Dude's a special teams coach, and his team was down 3 at the end of the game. There's a real good chance his unit is going to try and extend the game indefinitely. Honestly, I'm giving the guy a raise for not leaving the field during a critical moment. Of course then I'm firing him for not having the damn common sense to have some trainers shield him from the cameras.

Players have been pretty up front that these things happen. And if I recall correctly, a cowboys coach was razzed a bit for having to leave the field for a few minutes. Might have been Wade Phillips. What I don't get is why they hell they don't put a damn port-a-can down there. "Well, we commissioned a study of that and determined that it would be too expensive."

[El Barto]

And Mariotta's lead block was pretty ugly, but props to the guy for doing it and it might have been the difference between a TD and 1&g at the 6. Not sure but it looked like Murray bounced it outside on his own and MM took it upon himself to head downfield and covered ground faster than Murray for a spurt.

[Dublagent66]

Refs just gave Carolina 7 points.  Palmer clearly was pushing the ball forward.  No empty hand and yet the ruling on the field stands as a fumble and recovery for a Panthers TD.  Bad officiating continues.   

[KevShmev]

Hey look, another tie!

[Ben_Jamin]

Yeah, it's funny.