Football Ratings Are Down

[DegenerateDish]

Maybe ratings are down because the product sucks?

The quality of the product is terrible, and has gone downhill the last few years.

It's a byproduct of a lack of offseason prep time, in a league where rookies are counted on more and more, and are unprepared to play. NFL needs to develop more stars, as most of theirs are retired (Peyton) or on the brink (Brady, Brees, Romo). More early season leg injuries than ever, questionable officiating nearly weekly, big market legacy teams like Bears, Niners being bad with zero stars.

As long as the owners are making gobs of cash, they're willfully ignoring ideas to help the long term care of the game.

-Fix the offseason rules for player/coach interaction
-Develop a 7 on 7 minor league program
-I would extend the weeks of the season an additional 2 weeks, and have teams get 3 bye weeks each season. No team can play on Thursday off a Sunday.
-Expand game day roster to 56

[rocket surgeon]

Now he's a backup quarterback, but he was once considered a rising star.  Hell, the packers were trying their damnedest to get him in to the hall of fame. So, people definitely know who he is. 

   Now if Joe Callahan would have started a protest of some sort, do ya think it would have the same impact as kappernicks? 

[brandx]

If you don't believe in free speech for those you disagree with, you don't believe in free speech at all. Take away Kaepernick's or Trump's freedom of speech and you may as well fold up America and embrace a dictatorship, because that's exactly what you'd be endorsing.

Well said.

[bma77]

Maybe ratings are down because the product sucks?

The quality of the product is terrible, and has gone downhill the last few years.

That might be part of it, but why can't it be the product sucks, people responding to protests, streaming, etc?  Instead, we have people here saying the protests have ZERO impact.  That is crazy talk.  By the way, if the product has been down the last few years, why was 2014 a record NFL ratings year, followed by 2015 an even greater record?  Why in 2016 did they decide the product that sucked for the last few years, this was the year to stop watching?


I'd like to share this from CBS Boston affiliate reporter Matt Dolloff who believes it is a combination of many things, including poor play and protests.  He writes: "In response to my thoughts on the NFL’s weaker on-field product leading to a three-week decline in viewership, I received nearly a hundred emails from American viewers, some of which have previously served in the military. Most of them told me in no uncertain terms that they had stopped watching the NFL due to the controversy surrounding Kaepernick and other players across the NFL protesting the national anthem by sitting, kneeling, or demonstrating in other ways. Many of these viewers have similarly exercised their rights as Americans by taking their viewership elsewhere or simply turning off the TV."

Yet we continue to ignore this, claim that polls are wrong, it has zero impact, nothing is happening.  Why are we burying our heads in the sand?

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/10/05/nfl-ratings-week-4-boycott-colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-protests/


Then we read that the people that are doing the boycotting, are terrible human beings now.  The same military heroes, regular lunch pail hard working laborers and others that grew up respecting the flag and country, but they are miserable human beings.   

[bma77]

Or would move to Canada when George W. Bush/Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump is elected president.

Ever notice they never say they are moving to Mexico?  Why is that?

[bma77]

Week 2 NFL Ratings (2012)

12:00 Fox NFL Sunday (Fox) - 3.4
12:00 The NFL Today (CBS) - 2.6
1:00/4:00 The NFL on Fox, singleheader - 13.3
1:00 The NFL on CBS, Game 1 - 11.6
4:25 The NFL on CBS, Game 2 - 14.4
7:00 Football Night in America - 6.4

I wonder what people were protesting about in 2012.

You can pick any single week out and show these types of occurrences.  Including last year, when the NFL had their highest ratings ever.  We are through 4 weeks now with the same trend.  We have millions of people on social media saying they aren't watching. We have polls indicating the same, and we want to pretend it isn't happening. Furthermore, we now want to hedge our bets and say if it is happening, then these are evil people for not watching because after a hard week of work, they want to watch football and don't agree with how some players are disrespecting their country and flag.  Their right to feel that way, just as Kap has his right to do what he does, but Kap is ok, and these hardworking people are now evil in some way?

[DegenerateDish]

That might be part of it, but why can't it be the product sucks, people responding to protests, streaming, etc?  Instead, we have people here saying the protests have ZERO impact.  That is crazy talk.  By the way, if the product has been down the last few years, why was 2014 a record NFL ratings year, followed by 2015 an even greater record?  Why in 2016 did they decide the product that sucked for the last few years, this was the year to stop watching?

Easy answer, the high ratings were unsustainable going forward. You have a product continuing to deteriorate, losing mega stars (Peyton, Brady suspension, Romo), historic name franchises that draw ratings that are mediocre/bad (Washington, Chicago, San Fran, Jets, Giants, Dallas).

One doesn't need a masters degree to figure this out. Cards/Niners was mind numbingly poor football tonight, I couldn't take it anymore and rented a movie after 5 minutes.

[Pakuni]

Ever notice they never say they are moving to Mexico?  Why is that?

Que pasa, Chicos?

[Badgerhoney]

A majority of US history probably wouldn't be viewed in a positive light by today's black America, if we wanted to really get into it (the collective "we").

Do you speak for the AA community?  My wife and I are part of today's black America.  We live in the US, in a white state and a white city, but are minorities.  The media does not like to talk to people like me, an educated African American man who doesn't vote or conform the way I am expected to.  They don't like my views typically, or those of Mr. Thomas, Dr. Carson, Mr. Elder, Mr. Sowell, Mr. Watts, Ms. Rice,  because it doesn't allow their agenda to be played.

This does not mean there is work that needs to be done, but it is time for a different approach. The current approach is the same as the last approach since the 1960's. It keeps people in poverty, by design.  If ever there was a book for you to read. Please Stop Helping Us.  How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed.    We know you mean well, but you perpetuate the problem.

What you rarely read in the media is the perspective if slavery never happened in this country.  We have all read about the atrocities of slavery and no one can pretend they didn't happen.  A human tragedy.  However, did it also ultimately lead to prosperity for people of color in the long run?  Would my ancestors have remained in Africa and never materialized here in the new world without slavery?  Where would millions of African Americans be that have some of the highest standards of living and education in the world  if they never left the Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Ghana, Senegal and Gambia?  Those from Jamaica or other island nations?  The educated African American community has debated this, and we know the evil of slavery also led to opportunities likely impossible without it.  We know 620,000 Union men died for our freedom.  We know racism exists still, but the level it is perpetuated at is used as a tool to drive an agenda. To magnify remote instances to outrage voters and keep the money flowing.  Call me Uncle, it will not be the last.

[Tugg Speedman]

Week 2 NFL Ratings (2012)

12:00 Fox NFL Sunday (Fox) - 3.4
12:00 The NFL Today (CBS) - 2.6
1:00/4:00 The NFL on Fox, singleheader - 13.3
1:00 The NFL on CBS, Game 1 - 11.6
4:25 The NFL on CBS, Game 2 - 14.4
7:00 Football Night in America - 6.4

I wonder what people were protesting about in 2012.

Replacement refs not knowing what a touchdown is.

This shows that when NFL fans are upset about something, like replacement refs ruining the product, or political protests they do not agree with being forced on them, they turn the product off.

And they were right to turn off the product in week 2 of 2012 because they following week was the Packers/Seahawks "fail Mary" call.



Such an easy concept to understand, except when ideology gets in the way.

[Tugg Speedman]

A back-up quarterback decides to, and inspires others to, engage in a silent protest to attempt to bring attention to their view of systemic, institutional racism.    A portion of the football watching audience is less likely to watch because of this rarely-actually-seen-on-TV protest.  The league survives and thrives despite strikes, domestic violence, shootings, accessories to murder, soliciting prostitutes before the Super Bowl,  covering up concussions, PED's, increased calls by players for more lax marijuana rules, DUI's, Packer player in hot tubs with young girls,child abuse, but this,  THIS! may be a determining factor for viewership.   

  IMO, it says more about the viewers than it does about the protestors.

You mean a back up QB upsets viewers of the NFL with a political protests they don't agree with, and don't want in their entertainment that think is supposed to be political free, and they express their displeasure by turning off the product?

Yes, impossible to believe!

[Tugg Speedman]

No, that is completely wrong. Listen, it's obvious to me that Donald Trump is a fear mongering lunatic that spouts lies to take advantage of weak minded, insecure individuals, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to say it.

Just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean they should be silenced. Actually, it means the exact opposite. If you don't believe in free speech for those you disagree with, you don't believe in free speech at all. Take away Kaepernick's or Trump's freedom of speech and you may as well fold up America and embrace a dictatorship, because that's exactly what you'd be endorsing.

Go back a few pages ....

Free speech applies to the government, not a private workplace.  Kap is subjecting the NFL's customers to a political statement that they do not like (the polls have made that clear).  The say they are not tuning in and ratings are surprinsgly down.  Only those with a political agenda do not understand why ratings are down (because they do not want to believe it)

The NFL, as Kap's employer, can and should shut him down.  They should shut down all protests, like they did with Tebow's Pro-life eye-black (arguing it violated the uniform code even though eye-black is not part of the uniform).

Kap can continue his protest everyday except the three hours on Sunday when he is paid to do his job.

The customer comes first in a private business, not the right to subject them to an unwanted political protest.

[rocket surgeon]

Do you speak for the AA community?  My wife and I are part of today's black America.  We live in the US, in a white state and a white city, but are minorities.  The media does not like to talk to people like me, an educated African American man who doesn't vote or conform the way I am expected to.  They don't like my views typically, or those of Mr. Thomas, Dr. Carson, Mr. Elder, Mr. Sowell, Mr. Watts, Ms. Rice,  because it doesn't allow their agenda to be played.

This does not mean there is work that needs to be done, but it is time for a different approach. The current approach is the same as the last approach since the 1960's. It keeps people in poverty, by design.  If ever there was a book for you to read. Please Stop Helping Us.  How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed.    We know you mean well, but you perpetuate the problem.

What you rarely read in the media is the perspective if slavery never happened in this country.  We have all read about the atrocities of slavery and no one can pretend they didn't happen.  A human tragedy.  However, did it also ultimately lead to prosperity for people of color in the long run?  Would my ancestors have remained in Africa and never materialized here in the new world without slavery?  Where would millions of African Americans be that have some of the highest standards of living and education in the world  if they never left the Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Ghana, Senegal and Gambia?  Those from Jamaica or other island nations?  The educated African American community has debated this, and we know the evil of slavery also led to opportunities likely impossible without it.  We know 620,000 Union men died for our freedom.  We know racism exists still, but the level it is perpetuated at is used as a tool to drive an agenda. To magnify remote instances to outrage voters and keep the money flowing.  Call me Uncle, it will not be the last.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you and....thank you!!   
 The most refreshing post since the bail bondsman hit the happy trails
               Btw-Larry elder is an unsung genius.

[brewcity77]

Heisy, sorry but those private workplace BS is exactly that. When you broadcast your private workplace to 300,000,000 viewers and begin every broadcast with a political statement, you invite this.

And I've laid out repeatedly how they could end this. No need to repeat myself, even of repeating the same tired points is the crux of your argument.

And frankly, I don't care why ratings are down. For the future of sports in our country, it's a good thing. I'd love to see football completely go away. Regardless, if ratings are down because of this, then the problem is with the viewer. As I alluded to earlier and tower explained far better a few posts up, there's a bigger problem here.

Frankly, if these viewers are okay with the rampant crime inherent in the NFL yet offended by a individual expressing their constitutional rights, maybe they need a civics class.

[Tugg Speedman]

Heisy, sorry but those private workplace BS is exactly that. When you broadcast your private workplace to 300,000,000 viewers and begin every broadcast with a political statement, you invite this.

And I've laid out repeatedly how they could end this. No need to repeat myself, even of repeating the same tired points is the crux of your argument.

And frankly, I don't care why ratings are down. For the future of sports in our country, it's a good thing. I'd love to see football completely go away. Regardless, if ratings are down because of this, then the problem is with the viewer. As I alluded to earlier and tower explained far better a few posts up, there's a bigger problem here.

Frankly, if these viewers are okay with the rampant crime inherent in the NFL yet offended by a individual expressing their constitutional rights, maybe they need a civics class.

The number of custoers is irrelevant, it is still a private workplace.  The customers are ok with the national anthem and not with Kap's protest.  Customers first!!!

Sports is a escape from everyday life.  Kap is violating that with his protest.  As I said he can protest every waking minute save the three hours he is employed.

Sports fan do not care what happens off the field.  That is what made the Ray Rice incident so unique.  Everyday that happens in all sports, he was unlikely enough to do it on camera.  (And in the Ray Rice case, I think most NFL fans were ok with he original two game suspension, it was the uber lefty sports reporters, that are defending Kap, that demanded Ray Rice's head).

[brewcity77]

The number of custoers is irrelevant, it is still a private workplace.  The customers are ok with the national anthem and not with Kap's protest.  Customers first!!!

Sports is a escape from everyday life.  Kap is violating that with his protest.  As I said he can protest every waking minute save the three hours he is employed.

Which amendment is it that protects poor, sensitive widdle NFL viewers from political statements during their constitutionally granted "escape from everyday life"? Does it also prevent ads from political candidates?

If not, it's pretty hypocritical to call for him to stop when the league carries on their own political action and invites political speech.

[Badgerhoney]

Why the attacks on good Americans for not agreeing with these protests? Why the assumption that they are bad, racists, people? Maybe they only want to watch a football game and even agree that what the players are doing is within their rights, but they do not care for the approach they have taken.

When Rick Monday prevented the American flag from being burned (twice), was he a bad guy?  Those that supported Monday's actions, were they racists and ugly Americans?  Why not?  The protestors were not hurting anyone, they were only setting an inanimate object on fire and peacefully protesting.

[rocket surgeon]

   "Frankly, if these viewers are okay with the rampant crime inherent in the NFL yet offended by a individual expressing their constitutional rights, maybe they need a civics class."


  "Inherent"?  I would venture to guess, not much different from the rest society as they are but a microcosm of the whole.  Yes, sports leagues as well as many major companies have character clauses in their handbooks, but aside from that, we already have laws against crimes.  How the company or the sports teams handle the "extracurricular"  stuff is their statement of how they are going to tolerate(or not) the bull schmit.  Let's just say the "all star" wrestling league could care less about certain transgressions more so than say, the NFL.  That doesn't mean that beating your wife is ok.  They let the laws take care of that stuff because they figure half their audience either doesn't care or doesn't even know about it.  Hell, half their audience probably can relate to familial violence and I am by no means condoning it. 

     How about actors/actresses, entertainers?  What they do outside of their profession is often judged by their audience-just ask the Dixie chicks, Lindsay Lohan, et.al. People will vote with their wallets.  Why do you think many of the "big shots" who are most vocal about controversial things already have their money?  They don't give a flying...whether it is populist or not because they already have theirs and they more than likely have few if any irons in the fire anymore

Here, the NFL may have to do some political back peddling whether any of you care to admit it or not if this trend continues.  Anything appearances of negativity above what? 10-15-20% can be game changing. 10-15-20% of a lot is.... A LOT$$.  Easy for some you to poo-poo it when you aren't paying the bills.  Easy to try to brush it off from the outside looking in rationalizing...awwwww, they have plenty of money...understand like any business, they still rely on new customers, new investors, etc.  they could be losing a portion of a new generation and when you're boiling frogs, ya better realize it sooner rather than later

[rocket surgeon]

Why the attacks on good Americans for not agreeing with these protests? Why the assumption that they are bad, racists, people? Maybe they only want to watch a football game and even agree that what the players are doing is within their rights, but they do not care for the approach they have taken.

When Rick Monday prevented the American flag from being burned (twice), was he a bad guy?  Those that supported Monday's actions, were they racists and ugly Americans?  Why not?  The protestors were not hurting anyone, they were only setting an inanimate object on fire and peacefully protesting.

Tolerance, diversity, exchange of ideas and "co-existing" eyn'er?  Yeah right

[Tugg Speedman]

Which amendment is it that protects poor, sensitive widdle NFL viewers from political statements during their constitutionally granted "escape from everyday life"? Does it also prevent ads from political candidates?

If not, it's pretty hypocritical to call for him to stop when the league carries on their own political action and invites political speech.

you still don't get it, the NFL and the broadcasters are private businesses.  They need to act in the best interest of the private business.  THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM!

Their job is to maximize the value of the product.  So if the customers like the national anthem, you play it.  If they don't like political protest, you stop them.

Example above.  The NFL used replacement refs in 2012.   It weakened the product, ratings slump, the customers said they did not like it (except bears fans that were happy to see the Packers screwed out of a win with the "fail mary" call) and the owners immediately caved, settle with the refs and the customers returned.  This is how it should be.

Now we have something similar.  A political protest that is weakening the product as ratings are surprisingly down.  But the owners are not moving to shut this down and it is growing.

The 49ers are 1-4 (losing 4 staright) and possibly the worst team in football, Chip Kelly (head coach) is considering starting Kaepernick next game (Oct 16 at Buffalo).  If he does, let's see how the Buffalo fans react to him.  That will tell you how popular this protest has been.

Owners are letting their fear of political correctness get in the way.  They are not stopping this and it will breed more and more of these protests. 

[Tugg Speedman]

As noted above, the 49ers are one of the worst teams in football.  Kaepernick's protest might not be popular in his own locker room and contributing to their poor performance on the field.

http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/donald-trump-is-tearing-the-nfl-apart/

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/trump-clinton-dividing-nfl-locker-rooms-racial-lines-article-1.2818861

[brewcity77]

Why the attacks on good Americans for not agreeing with these protests? Why the assumption that they are bad, racists, people? Maybe they only want to watch a football game and even agree that what the players are doing is within their rights, but they do not care for the approach they have taken.

Give me a break. You're way off the reservation with this. You're not automatically "bad, racists" for not agreeing with Kaepernick. This is in my opinion the problem with this country right now. As soon as someone disagrees, it becomes a "them vs us" argument. There's no middle.

When Rick Monday prevented the American flag from being burned (twice), was he a bad guy?  Those that supported Monday's actions, were they racists and ugly Americans?  Why not?  The protestors were not hurting anyone, they were only setting an inanimate object on fire and peacefully protesting.

Those protestors did not have the legal right to be where they were. You're making an apples to kazoos comparison.

[brewcity77]

"Inherent"?  I would venture to guess, not much different from the rest society as they are but a microcosm of the whole.  Yes, sports leagues as well as many major companies have character clauses in their handbooks, but aside from that, we already have laws against crimes.  How the company or the sports teams handle the "extracurricular"  stuff is their statement of how they are going to tolerate(or not) the bull schmit.  Let's just say the "all star" wrestling league could care less about certain transgressions more so than say, the NFL.  That doesn't mean that beating your wife is ok.  They let the laws take care of that stuff because they figure half their audience either doesn't care or doesn't even know about it.  Hell, half their audience probably can relate to familial violence and I am by no means condoning it.

I'd love to see stats of NFL player transgressions versus the rest of society. Frankly, I think the idea that they are a microcosm of the whole is complete BS.

How about actors/actresses, entertainers?  What they do outside of their profession is often judged by their audience-just ask the Dixie chicks, Lindsay Lohan, et.al. People will vote with their wallets.  Why do you think many of the "big shots" who are most vocal about controversial things already have their money?  They don't give a flying...whether it is populist or not because they already have theirs and they more than likely have few if any irons in the fire anymore

No, it's because those are the ones that people listen to. When Robert Downey Junior makes a comment, it gets play in the press because people know who he is. When it's a supporting actor in a Lifetime original movie, no one pays attention because no one knows who that person is.

Here, the NFL may have to do some political back peddling whether any of you care to admit it or not if this trend continues.  Anything appearances of negativity above what? 10-15-20% can be game changing. 10-15-20% of a lot is.... A LOT$$.  Easy for some you to poo-poo it when you aren't paying the bills.  Easy to try to brush it off from the outside looking in rationalizing...awwwww, they have plenty of money...understand like any business, they still rely on new customers, new investors, etc.  they could be losing a portion of a new generation and when you're boiling frogs, ya better realize it sooner rather than later

I poo-poo it because I don't care if the NFL folds. They can lose 10-15-100% and it's all the same to me.

[rocket surgeon]

As noted above, the 49ers are one of the worst teams in football.  Kaepernick's protest might not be popular in his own locker room and contributing to their poor performance on the field.

http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/donald-trump-is-tearing-the-nfl-apart/

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/trump-clinton-dividing-nfl-locker-rooms-racial-lines-article-1.2818861

Very interesting-maybe if the media would publish "screwy" Louie's comments about today's African American in juxtaposition to say, 8 years ago, they might start "getting it"??

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/09/nation-islam-leader-farrakhan-obama-failed-inner-city-blacks-let-trump-wants/

[brewcity77]

you still don't get it, the NFL and the broadcasters are private businesses.  They need to act in the best interest of the private business.  THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM!

Sorry, but these guys are not private citizens. They choose an occupation that makes them public citizens. Just like actors, politicians, or others that give up certain privacy rights by the nature of their profession. Similarly, the NFL as a company is not as private as say a mom and pop corner store. When you have tens of millions of viewers, it changes your status. That's just reality.

Their job is to maximize the value of the product.  So if the customers like the national anthem, you play it.  If they don't like political protest, you stop them.

That would be against everything this country stands for.

Example above.  The NFL used replacement refs in 2012.   It weakened the product, ratings slump, the customers said they did not like it (except bears fans that were happy to see the Packers screwed out of a win with the "fail mary" call) and the owners immediately caved, settle with the refs and the customers returned.  This is how it should be.

This is so far from relevant you may as well be posting from Jupiter.

Now we have something similar.  A political protest that is weakening the product as ratings are surprisingly down.  But the owners are not moving to shut this down and it is growing.

No, it's not similar at all.

The 49ers are 1-4 (losing 4 staright) and possibly the worst team in football, Chip Kelly (head coach) is considering starting Kaepernick next game (Oct 16 at Buffalo).  If he does, let's see how the Buffalo fans react to him.  That will tell you how popular this protest has been.

Their record is irrelevant. How fans react is irrelevant. Kaepernick's constitutional rights are now. Nor are those of the fans. They have the right to boo if they like. If they want to boo the national anthem to protest Kaepernick, they can go right ahead.

Owners are letting their fear of political correctness get in the way.  They are not stopping this and it will breed more and more of these protests.

We can only hope. There are serious discussions that are long overdue in this country about race. When this started, I thought it wouldn't amount to anything and would be over soon. I thought Kaepernick's protest was silly and wouldn't do anything to draw attention. But it has, so good on him. Well done peacefully bringing the discussion to the table. I'm a much bigger fan of protesting the anthem than tearing down Sherman Park again.

If you are so adamantly against his protest, maybe you should ask yourself why.