NFL Ratings are Way Down

[pintail21]

On 8/21/2017 at 11:09 AM, extender10 said:

I think that if even a team like the Seahawks (who have history of taking players with some issues off the field in stride due to culture and Pete Carroll's locker room leniency so long as they get it together to play football and get along) passed on CK is telling.  Regardless of talent, and even regardless of his kneeling on the field,  he obviously didn't take getting his job back very seriously.  Didn't he show up to talks in Miami with a Fidel Castro t-shirt?  At least where a collar, prick. There are career backup QBs struggling for minimum salaries with a wife and kids and prepared to move to their fourth or fifth shitty city and fourth or fifth shitty team.  I guess the minimum salary is still hundreds of thousands, but still.  

They couldn't come to an agreement due to money and Kaeppernick was also rumored to be holding out for a team he could sign with and compete for a starting job. Seattle hardly has any cap space left and has higher spending priorities elsewhere, although we will need a replacement for Wilson by week 4 at this rate and I think he'll be the first one we call if/when Wilson gets hurt. 

Kappernick's career PER easily puts him in top 15 qb's this year, even his worst season's QBR makes him better than 10 current starters. It's pathetic that a quiet protest with no impact on the game gets more negative attention than domestic abusers, dog fighters and accused murderers, much less the thousands of fans at the game that also ignore the proper national anthem etiquette.

[SocialD]

Does anyone watch NFL for any other reason, than to keep up with fantasy football league?  The whole league is a fucking joke.

 

[matmacwc]

They are going to kneel their way to pay cuts and job losses, if I was an advertiser and saw the viewership was down, I'd be telling the NFL to expect less money next year.  It's a business and nobody is guaranteed a job, keep it up and the problem will fix itself.

[Toro]

13 hours ago, gearpig said:

Learned some interesting facts today:

2008: NFL teams were not present on the field for the playing of the national anthem prior to the game.

2009: NFL decided having players on the field during the national anthem made them seem more patriotic, and therefore improving the brand in terms of endearment and marketability.

2011-2015: DoD paid professional and college sports organizations to honor the military during events.

Aug 2016: Kaepernick sits during the anthem twice and no one notices.

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/yp89dj/stephen-a-smith-points-out-nfls-paid-patriotism-problem

The NFL is a massively hypocritical corporation that cares only for their bottom line, which is $$$.  All the military ra-ra (at the cost to the DoD) is one example, here's another.

The NFL touts October as breast cancer awareness month, and sells a bunch of merch with donations supposedly supporting breast cancer.   Oh, it turns out just barely more than 10% goes to breast cancer research.  The rest goes to the NFL and retailers.   And what happens if a player whose mother died of breast cancer decides to do his own bling?   The NFL slaps him with a fine of nearly six grand.

You're not going to get people (including me) to stop watching football, but nobody should have any illusions that the NFL gives a shit about anybody other than the NFL.

[Guest]

15 hours ago, pintail21 said:

They couldn't come to an agreement due to money and Kaeppernick was also rumored to be holding out for a team he could sign with and compete for a starting job. Seattle hardly has any cap space left and has higher spending priorities elsewhere, although we will need a replacement for Wilson by week 4 at this rate and I think he'll be the first one we call if/when Wilson gets hurt. 

Kappernick's career PER easily puts him in top 15 qb's this year, even his worst season's QBR makes him better than 10 current starters. It's pathetic that a quiet protest with no impact on the game gets more negative attention than domestic abusers, dog fighters and accused murderers, much less the thousands of fans at the game that also ignore the proper national anthem etiquette.

 

50 minutes ago, Toro said:

The NFL is a massively hypocritical corporation that cares only for their bottom line, which is $$$.  All the military ra-ra (at the cost to the DoD) is one example, here's another.

The NFL touts October as breast cancer awareness month, and sells a bunch of merch with donations supposedly supporting breast cancer.   Oh, it turns out just barely more than 10% goes to breast cancer research.  The rest goes to the NFL and retailers.   And what happens if a player whose mother died of breast cancer decides to do his own bling?   The NFL slaps him with a fine of nearly six grand.

You're not going to get people (including me) to stop watching football, but nobody should have any illusions that the NFL gives a shit about anybody other than the NFL.

Preach!!!!!

[HuggyU2]

5 hours ago, Toro said:

You're not going to get people (including me) to stop watching football, 

You may be right.  But I know a few that have said in the last few days that they are done watching it for good.  Time will tell. 

Maybe I'm an extreme case, but you won't find "NFL" on any TV in my house; on any TV in a house I'm visiting; nor on any merchandise in my possession.  I have no idea why "fans" have loyalty to teams, since the bulk of the players have no loyalty to a specific city nor their fans.  The days of Johnny Unitas are gone, folks. 

A Marine officer I know sent me this letter from a guy he knows:  

Commissioner,

I’ve been a season pass holder at Yankee Stadium, Yale Bowl and Giants Stadium.

I missed the ’90-’91 season because I was with a battalion of Marines in Desert Storm. 14 of my wonderful Marines returned home with the American Flag draped across their lifeless bodies. My last conversation with one of them, Sgt Garrett Mongrella, was about how our Giants were going to the Super Bowl. He never got to see it.

Many friends, Marines, and Special Forces Soldiers who worked with or for me through the years returned home with the American Flag draped over their coffins.

Now I watch multi-millionaire athletes who never did anything in their lives but play a game, disrespect what brave Americans fought and died for. They are essentially spitting in the faces and on the graves of real men, men who have actually done something for this country beside playing with a ball and believing they’re something special! They’re not! My Marines and Soldiers were!

You are complicit in this!

You’ll fine players for large and small infractions but you lack the moral courage and respect for our nation and the fallen to put an immediate stop to this. Yes, I know, it’s their 1st Amendment right to behave in such a despicable manner. What would happen if they came out and disrespected you or the refs publicly?

I observed a player getting a personal foul for twerking in the end zone after scoring. I guess that’s much worse than disrespecting the flag and our National Anthem. Hmmmmm, isn’t it his 1st Amendment right to express himself like an idiot in the end zone?

Why is taunting not allowed yet taunting America is OK? You fine players for wearing 9-11 commemorative shoes yet you allow scum on the sidelines to sit, kneel or pump their pathetic fist in the air. They are so deprived with their multi-million dollar contracts for playing a freaking game! You condone it all by your refusal to act. You’re just as bad and disgusting as they are. I hope Americans boycott any sponsor who supports that rabble you call the NFL. I hope they turn off the TV when any team that allowed this disrespect to occur, without consequence, on the sidelines. I applaud those who have not.

Legends and heroes do NOT wear shoulder pads. They wear body armor and carry rifles.

They make minimum wage and spend months and years away from their families. They don’t do it for an hour on Sunday. They do it 24/7 often with lead, not footballs, coming in their direction. They watch their brothers carted off in pieces not on a gurney to get their knee iced. They don’t even have ice! Many don’t have legs or arms.

Some wear blue and risk their lives daily on the streets of America. They wear fire helmets and go upstairs into the fire rather than down to safety. On 9-11, hundreds vanished. They are the heroes.

I hope that your high paid protesting pretty boys and you look in that mirror when you shave tomorrow and see what you really are, legends in your own minds. You need to hit the road and take those worms with you!

Time to change the channel.

Col Jeffrey A Powers USMC (Ret)

Vista, California
 

[ATIS]

Been a lifelong NY Giants fan.  After watching the jack-assery in the end zone yesterday by #13 (in addition to all the National Anthem crazy all over), it tainted the entire team.  You bet there was a part of me wishing the rookie kicker for the Eagles nailed the 61-yard game winner...and I laughed out loud when he did. 

No respect for the Giant's coaching staff either.  After what #13 did, they should have thrown his ass out of the game. 

Someone mentioned earlier the only reason to watch NFL football is to track your FF players...SHACK.  I suck at FF (actually....I really suck), but my league is with a bunch of folks who I shared OIF/OEF with and that's the main reason I stay involved.   

ATIS

[HuggyU2]

[stuckindayton]

1 hour ago, HuggyU2 said:

Kind of liked the Steelers before.  Not any more.....

Steelers' Alejandro Villanueva has highest-selling gear in past 24 hours.

His actions weren't supported by all, including his own coach. Asked after the Steelers' 23-17 loss to the Chicago Bears what he thought of Villanueva's positioning for the anthem, Mike Tomlin responded, "I was looking for 100 percent participation. We were gonna be respectful of our football team."

[stuckindayton]

Kudos to those who bought the jerseys.  

[Duck]

You all should go look at what Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said as well as Dak Prescott. Two outstanding examples of guys who appreciate the position they are in.

[Lord Ratner]

You all should go look at what Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said as well as Dak Prescott. Two outstanding examples of guys who appreciate the position they are in.

Can't find it. What did they say?

[tk1313]

6 hours ago, Lord Ratner said:

11 hours ago, Duck said:

You all should go look at what Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said as well as Dak Prescott. Two outstanding examples of guys who appreciate the position they are in.

Can't find it. What did they say?

HaHa Clinton-Dix posted words from the "NFL League Rulebook" that basically gave guidelines for the anthem and stated that those who do not follow the guidelines could face discipline. He has also worn cleats with the names of four slain officers to honor them during a preseason game. https://dailycaller.com/2017/09/25/green-bay-packers-star-takes-subtle-shot-at-national-anthem-protesters/

“I understand what’s going on in this world,” the Green Bay Packers third-year safety said. “But cops have to go home at the end of the day. They have a family. They have to go home, too.

“Growing up where I’m from, some people are afraid of cops. They don’t really like cops. And what a lot of people don’t realize is, they’re really not the bad guys. They’re really on our side, they’re really trying to help us out. And sometimes, we don’t understand that.” https://www.sbnation.com/2017/8/22/16186514/ha-ha-clinton-dix-honor-four-fallen-police-officers-cleats

 

As for Dak Prescott (and Dez Bryant): https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2017/08/28/dak-prescott-tempted-protest-national-anthem-take-freedom-granted

[Guest]

https://deadspin.com/dallas-sportscaster-on-nfl-players-taking-a-knee-all-1818769991

 

I have not heard it said better.

[matmacwc]

I have

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/09/26/fl-stop-self-destructive-grandstanding-and-just-play-football-james-robbins-column/701472001/

[Lord Ratner]

https://deadspin.com/dallas-sportscaster-on-nfl-players-taking-a-knee-all-1818769991
 
I have not heard it said better.

Yup. Let's take a stand against our nation's highest symbol in support of the statistically disproven claim that cops are disproportionately killing black people that started when a criminal tried to kill a police officer and got shot doing it.

[brickhistory]

The very highly paid players have the right to protest and express their views.  

To do so against the symbology of our nation says to me that they are ashamed of the nation and of being an American.

They scorn the very nation that allows them that freedom to protest.

There are other, better ways to express your opinion than against one of things that is supposed to unite us.

In fact, you (those protesting via the anthem) do more to divide us than your meaningless virtue-signaling.

You protest your way, as is your right.  I will protest you in my way.  With my wallet.

[Guest]

“People that are taking a knee are not saying anything negative about the military, they’re not saying anything negative about the flag, they’re just trying to protest the fact that there are some injustices in America,” Villanueva said.

[matmacwc]

Define it and give solutions to the problem.  I'm betting it sounds like a plank of the democratic/socialist parties.  For extra points don't use the words "social justice"

 

[Prosuper]

My take on the whole thing from a NFL fans perspective. I'm grumpy old Crew Chief/A&P who is tired of constantly being brow beat every time I have a opposing view from the left. The term racist and bigot have lost all meaning in today's debate since it is used by weak minds who don't have a decent counterpoint. 

 So I turn on the TV on a Sunday afternoon to watch some football. I used to play in High School and USAFE in the 80's when every base fielded a tackle football team, great times.  I just want to watch football and not be lectured by guys who have always been on the wrong side of a conversation with a cop. I have been pulled over  for your average traffic infraction but never had a bad encounter, is it because I'm white or is it I just cooperated and said I brain farted.  The NFL is entertainment short and simple, I want to root for my team or watch some well played games. Most of the times now even without the kneel downs the product is just not good with the stoppages of play, constant penalties and crass advertising. Now you got black players whooping it up when they destroy a white player, I didn't put up with it on active duty and sure don't want to see on my TV.  Now if these players are serious they need some skin in game away from the playing field, some give back with their foundations but most these guys could start setting the example by being decent fathers, husbands and friends and stop acting like thugs between Sundays. Start incentives for good behavior for inner city kids who get good grades and come to games as their guests etc.  Now get off my grass.

 

[matmacwc]

I had a ROTC instructor in the late 90s that played football in USAFE during the 80s, he said it was the best gig around.

[tk1313]

11 hours ago, matmacwc said:

Define it and give solutions to the problem.  I'm betting it sounds like a plank of the democratic/socialist parties.  For extra points don't use the words "social justice"

 

Or "Institutional oppression"... Impossible to disprove, definitely exists to some extent (which can be blown out of proportion because you can't disprove it), and the added bonus of being called fascist if you question its reach and prefer to take an approach based on individual complaints rather than saying that (1) everyone in one group is oppressed and (2) everyone who isn't oppressed is basically aiding the oppressors and should be punished. Collectivism 101

You don't have to agree with what Trump said to question the kneeling.

Edited September 27, 2017 by tk1313

[matmacwc]

I'm switching to NASCAR, as much as I'm not into it.  Sports are an escape for a couple hours a week and I don't want to be preached to watching the NFL.  Again, the court jesters are trying to provide an opinion.  

[ClearedHot]

Cancelled my NFL Ticket today. 

ATT/Directv are granting waivers if you cite the player protest as a reason.  The agent asked me why I wanted to cancel and I told him I was a veteran and opposed to the players protesting during the National Anthem, he actually replied "Sir we are not allowed to talk politics on the phone but WE AGREE WITH YOU, your NFL Ticket is cancelled and we are processing a refund, thank you for your service!"

 

[tk1313]

Fuck that, I'll watch hockey. Those guys stand for the national anthem and until recently most of them were Canadian. Plus, this way I still get to watch paid professionals get decleated (de-skated?) and square off like boxers from the early 1900s.