NFC North / NFL Thread 2017-18

[B. McBannerson]

WARNING: This will not please Smuggles, Banny McBannerson and others desperately trying to push a narrative about player protests being the NFL's death knell ...


https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/10/02/fox-sees-big-jump-ratings-week-4-nfl-coverage/724246001/

The kneeling-related boycott of the NFL hasn't fully materialized.

Fox's NFL coverage netted a 12.6 rating and 26 share, a 14% increase over its Week 4 coverage a year ago. The network broadcast one game nationally on Sunday and the ratings were about 20% better than CBS' singleheader coverage in Week 4 of 2016.

Fox had the top-rated NFL broadcast of the weekend and its best singleheader telecast since 2015, the network announced on Monday.

About a third of the country saw the Los Angeles Rams' 35-30 upset of Dallas Cowboys with the rest of the country seeing regional coverage, including the Carolina Panthers' victory over the New England Patriots.

Excluding Week 1, where both viewership and the ability to gather ratings were impacted by Hurricane Irma, Fox reported its ratings had increased 1% over a year ago.

The rating for NBC's Sunday Night Football was unchanged from last year's Week 4 game. The Seattle Seahawks' blowout victory over the Indianapolis Colts resulted in a 11.0 rating and 19 share.

A 14% INCREASE for Fox. Seems compelling games still draw viewers. Who knew? And despite a blowout, NBC still matched its Sunday Night rating of Week 4 last season.

Boycotts rarely have lasting effect. Remember all those baseball fans who said they'd NEVER come back after steroids, or the strike, or (fill in the blank)?

The full ratings were available Wednesday night.  Down week over week and considerably down year over year.  The LOWEST ratings of the year were this past weekend.  You are cherry picking certain games, which is inappropriate.  It would be like coming home from the doctor and telling your wife that your heart is in great shape, but neglecting to tell her the doctor found brain cancer and a whole host of other disease, but the heart is great.

For the season, the 18-49 demo Nielsen ratings are down 8.9% vs last year.  Down 11.3% in the 18-34 demo year over year.  This made worse because last year's ratings were down significantly from the year prior.

[MU82]

I finally heard Cam's full apology. As these things go, it was a very good one. He shouldn't have used the "if I offended anybody" line, and he should have referred to the reporter by name once. But otherwise, he seemed genuine, he wasn't reading from notes, he seemed contrite, he said "the joke was on me," he mentioned his own daughters and the opportunities he hopes they have to be treated equally, etc. Again, these apologies are what they are, but I thought he did about as well as he could given that he was in damage-control mode. He certainly isn't "cured" from being a sexist, but he's only 28, and maybe this incident will be the first step toward some enlightenment for him. Most people don't change, but some do.

For those curious ...

The Observer, a left-leaning paper that nonetheless does a decent job of going out of its way to give space to conservative viewpoints (no doubt due to their "purple" readership), didn't do the best job of placement in its day-after stuff.

Newton's sexist comments were splashed on the front sports page yesterday, when the front-page "teaser" - given prominence in the upper left corner - was the first thing one saw when looking at the paper. I'd say that was appropriate because Newton is one of the 5 most famous people in Charlotte (maybe No. 1).

But today, Newton's apology was on Page 3 of sports with a small headline (again, it was teased on the front page, but much less prominently than the day before). And the reporter's apology for her 4-year-old tweets was almost hidden in three tiny paragraphs at the bottom of Sports Page 3, sandwiched between the NFL Notebook and an ad for a clothing store. Her apology was the first sports item online, though.

All in all, the whole 24-36 hours was an interesting situation for this former sportswriter.

[B. McBannerson]

NFL hit hard in favorite sport poll.   31 point drop from August in the same poll for men aged 35-54.  It also has the highest unfavorability score, meaning it ranks highest as the most unpopular sport in the country.

http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/354365-poll-nfl-drops-as-favorite-us-sport


It should be noted that the group conducting the poll is a right leaning research group.  Of course it should also be noted that NFL fans lean right, male, Republican, white.

August Winston Poll

MLB/61 percent favorable to 13 percent unfavorable.
NFL/57 percent favorable to 23 percent unfavorable.
College football/53 percent favorable to 16 percent unfavorable.
College basketball/48 percent favorable to 17 percent unfavorable.
NBA/47 percent unfavorable to 23 percent unfavorable.


September Winston Poll

MLB/63 percent favorable to 16 percent unfavorable.
College football/51 percent favorable to 21 percent unfavorable.
NBA/46 percent favorable to 28 percent unfavorable.
College basketball/45 percent favorable to 25 percent unfavorable.
NFL/44 percent favorable to 40 percent unfavorable.

[tower912]

Good to see baseball back on top.  I can live without football.   

[cheebs09]

Davante Adams might play tomorrow. Shocking to me in a few ways. That he recovered that quickly and that they'd consider putting him on the field that quickly.

[Jockey]

Good to see baseball back on top.  I can live without football.   

Spoken like a guy who expects heartbreak on the field again this year.

[tower912]

Haven't watched enough to be heartbroken.    Plus, only those with hope can be heartbroken. 

[forgetful]

Good to see baseball back on top.  I can live without football.   

Honestly, I don't know anyone that watches baseball.  I know a lot of people that watch football. 

The purpose of baseball for people I know is an afternoon outing with the family (going to a cheap game)...they really don't care who wins or who loses, just hope to get their kid a chance to catch a ball. 

[MU82]

Honestly, I don't know anyone that watches baseball.  I know a lot of people that watch football. 

The purpose of baseball for people I know is an afternoon outing with the family (going to a cheap game)...they really don't care who wins or who loses, just hope to get their kid a chance to catch a ball.

Baseball ain't so cheap in most big-league cities.

[forgetful]

Baseball ain't so cheap in most big-league cities.

By going to a cheap game, I'm talking about all the promotional games that they are trying to get rid of tickets for.  Often for games that will be poorly attended you see promotions for ~$20 a seat.  Way cheaper than going to an NFL/NBA game.

[B. McBannerson]

Baseball ain't so cheap in most big-league cities.

A lot cheaper than football. 

[Jay Bee]

That dude with the white parents says he will stand for the national anthem if he gets another NFL job

#principled

[B. McBannerson]

That dude with the white parents says he will stand for the national anthem if he gets another NFL job

#principled

He was offered a backup roll and turned it down.

#principled

[MUBurrow]

He was offered a backup roll and turned it down.

#principled

What does that have to do with the principles of the protest?

[MUBurrow]

That dude with the white parents

What does that have to do with... anything?

[Dish]

This is the worst slate of early games I can ever recall.

[jesmu84]

As all those who live in Indiana know, Pence does not miss an opportunity for a PR stunt

[wadesworld]

As all those who live in Indiana know, Pence does not miss an opportunity for a PR stunt

Bingo.

[4everwarriors]

As the VP of this fine nation should. Call a spade a spade and put this dog and pony show on the shelf. Good on Pence. Roger mishandled this matter from the very beginning. He's a dude without balls, aka capon.

[jesmu84]

As all those who live in Indiana know, Pence does not miss an opportunity for a PR stunt

https://twitter.com/PeterAlexander/status/917094805276168192

https://twitter.com/SI_PeterKing/status/917096269029527554

He flew from Vegas to Indy and will fly to California tomorrow. Secret service had to sweep hotel, stadium, etc. A LOT of taxpayer money on a political stunt.

[Jay Bee]

https://twitter.com/PeterAlexander/status/917094805276168192

https://twitter.com/SI_PeterKing/status/917096269029527554

He flew from Vegas to Indy and will fly to California tomorrow. Secret service had to sweep hotel, stadium, etc. A LOT of taxpayer money on a political stunt.

#BanWorthy

[reinko]

As the VP of this fine nation should. Call a spade a spade and put this dog and pony show on the shelf. Good on Pence. Roger mishandled this matter from the very beginning. He's a dude without balls, aka capon.

At cost of over $300,000+ of our tax dollars, plus the wasting time of Secret Service agents, then 50,000+ fans who had to go thru extra security, and the grounding of flights last night and today at Indy Airport bc AF2 was there inconveniecing thousands of air travelers who had planes delayed.

Sounds like a great use of govt resources.

[reinko]

#BanWorthy

[wadesworld]

As the VP of this fine nation should. Call a spade a spade and put this dog and pony show on the shelf. Good on Pence. Roger mishandled this matter from the very beginning. He's a dude without balls, aka capon.

Not as badly as Trump mishandled it, hey?

There is 0 chance Pence goes to a game just to leave if he isn't the VP with a camera on him.

[Jay Bee]

At cost of over $300,000+ of our tax dollars, plus the wasting time of Secret Service agents, then 50,000+ fans who had to go thru extra security, and the grounding of flights last night and today at Indy Airport bc AF2 was there inconveniecing thousands of air travelers who had planes delayed.

Sounds like a great use of govt resources.

You see what play they just ran? 44 bump fire