Anyone else finding their interest in the NFL on the decline?

Indeed, this is part of the problem, too. Goodell seems intent on making the NFL the Arena Football League, with 63-49 scores.

 

Except this:

[video=youtube;ohmwkWGw-UM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohmwkWGw-UM[/video]

 

The two things I would do to save or improve the sport:

1. Repeal the Mel Blount rule. This, of course, will never happen. But it seems to me that the NFL wants it both ways: a wide-open, high-scoring, fast-paced game, and one that is also safe. The development of the passing game has led to more of the bone-crushing hits, with which Goodell is so concerned.

2. Weigh the players down with pads. Not a lot, but enough that slows these guys down a bit. Modern advances in equipment are simply allowing players to fly around and hit like crazy. Yes, I love the speed and love the hitting. But I don't like seeing half a team's roster (like OURS) missing 4-5 games a season. It's getting ridiculous.

 

Wow, interesting thread. 12to88, as you know I go back 40+ years to the Steelers glory days as well.

To add some thoughts- I enjoy fantasy football, am very good at it, and have been playing since the early 90's, long before it was fashionable. And that's just it- for me it has gone way too mainstream these days.

And that leads me to another broader thought. I have a decline in interest too, and I connect that to the overhyping of the NFL that has steadily rose ever since the advent of ESPN in the 1980's. So, I'm blaming ESPN, with its Mel Kuipers and Chris Bermanisms, etc. for creating, feeding and unleashing the hype monster that is there today. I can remember the Super Bowl when it meant more than the commercials.

There are always trade offs, however, something I realize in all aspects of my life every day. Back in the 1970s I was lucky, since I lived out of market, to see maybe 1/2 of the Steelers games very year. (And that was only because I lived near Canada and Steelers games were often shown on Montreal TV because the French language announcer was a Steelers fan). Since 1992 I've seen or listened to every single game, and now I take that for granted.

 

It's the development of PED's and year round training that has produced bigger, stronger, and faster athletes that have lead to an increase in injuries around the league.

Pads are not going to slow players down that much. Nor will the pads decrease the rate of injury. Human bodies were not meant to take NFL level punishment without suffering injury. I don't believe the equipment in the NFL has allowed players to fly around and hit like crazy. The use of PED's are the root cause. Probably more then 50% of the players in the league have used PEDs at some point of their careers. Treat the underlying cause which is the use of PED's. I doubt that's going happen because there are millions of dollars at stake for the players and the owners.

 

I totally agree about the Super Bowl. When people ask me if I would like to come over and watch the Super Bowl I'm like "no I'm an actual FOOTBALL fan and this is the last game I'm getting for a while and all year has built to this and I don't wanna watch the game with people that have no clue what they're watching and are talking loud and care more about halftime and commercials so no thanks". I mean I don't SAY those exact words but I just say "no thanks" and THINK those exact words. LOL. Not trying to be a jerk but that's just how I feel about it.

 

I blame Roger Goodell he sucks.

 

ahh yes

BAD BRAINS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWWI2rGdda4

it doesn't seem that bad
if you have that
attitude

 

I wouldn't say declining but with wall to wall saturated coverage I do have to take a step back once in a while.

 

PAY THE MAN!!!!!!

rollin in the cash now NUMBAH

 

I love football, but all the "safety" rules changes that bring bad flags for good hits makes my interest decline.

 

Gee, thanx for reminding me of this, or everytime Ben got punched/hit late, etc...
I TRY not to be a "conspiracy theorist", but it truly does seem like we get called for far less brutal/blatant infractions, than other teams do...
I guess that`s just because I watch US every week, and not all the other teams but, C`mon Man!!!
Can`t the ref`s ever see the other team holding Harrison?!?1
Etc, etc...
I TRY not to complain, figuring it will all even out in the end..
But you just showed one of the absolute worst non-calls against us, and I`m remembering Troy getting penalized for hitting the Chief`s QB a fraction of a second late, last night...
Or Ryan Clark making a TEXTBOOK hit, that Tomlin defended him for, and getting fined by the league...
Sometimes it just seems extremely unfair...
If you`re gonna penalize US for this crap, at least make it consistent, and penalize THEM too!!!!
What, Seymore can just punch my qb in the face, and it`s all good?
Or, N`Gata, can just "try to make a tackle",when he tries to decapitate my qb???
I TRY really hard not to whine... But I still wanna call BULL****, when I see it!!!
If they can get away with it, why can`t we?!?
When the calls against us, are usually waaaayyy less severe...
Think Silverback Planting qb`s perfectly legally, after he fought thru bein held...
And they come up with "he landed with his full body weight upon him"...
C`MON MAN!!!
Rant over. Sorry.