The NFL is becoming dead to me. And it doesn't even bother me.

[cpollock]

conflicting reports on the ratings .. depending on which publication you read. .I would bet that a lot of people tuned in to hear more on the Rice and Peterson stories .

 

[BAS]

I watched bits and pieces of the Cinci & Cleveland games on Sunday -- but did not watch any of the others . Especially Sunday and Monday night

I would bet that the reason there are games on CBS on Thursdays right now is because a lot of cable networks don't carry NFL network = so the ratings for those games are low .. this is an attempt to boost the ratings for Thursday night games -- with the state of the NFL right now I don't think it is going to work

At the same time... last week's Thursday night game gave CBS their highest Thursday night ratings since 2007.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/12/news/companies/thursday-night-football-ratings/

 

[AggieSteel]

FWIW, count me in the group who is far less invested in the game than in previous years.

I have only watched bits and pieces of both Steelers games so far. I scheduled a long vacation with my gf which spanned across both games, knew about it weeks ahead of time, and didn't give one **** that I was going to miss most of the games. Both division games too. Have barely turned on the tv to watch other games.

Even two years ago this would be unthinkable for me as every fall weekend of my life I have been glued to college and pro games. Now it's only college I care to watch all day. I still want to watch the Steelers too but when we lose I don't care. It used to ruin my week. Now? Oh well

You can say level of emotional investment doesn't matter as long as we're still watching all you want. But the point is.. eventually we won't be. Look past today and think about the future. This sentiment seems to be a rather pervasive one on this board, and I can't imagine we're the only fanbase whose hardcore is losing interest. If we aren't even bothered by losses and don't care to watch games, that will start to show in the numbers at some point.

 

[cpollock]

At the same time... last week's Thursday night game gave CBS their highest Thursday night ratings since 2007.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/12/news/companies/thursday-night-football-ratings/

Of course -- it was the Steelers and the Ravens LOL -- everyone was watching to see what would happen and what would be said about the Rice situation .

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I got home late last Thursday turned on the TV.....watched 10 minutes and turned it off. I even posted in the gamethread.....turn tv on 5 commerials, one play ran...time-out 6 commercials, next play...end of quarter 6 commercials and news bumpers, next play TD I believe and more commerials.....OFF goes the TV. I may have switched the TD and end of quarter but you get the drift....totally unwatchable.

 

[SteelVictory]

This league, the National Football League, is NO longer about the game of football on the field.
The National Football League is now ALL about driving an agenda, driving their own political viewpoints and theories.

http://nflcommunications.com/2014/0...dent-of-public-policy-and-government-affairs/

They hired a vice president that is specifically charged with driving their political agenda, both to government and to the public.
The game on the field, football, is now officially the sideshow.
The game on the field is something NFL fans watch naively ignorant at what the true intent of the message is.

NFL fans, prepare to be "re-programmed" !! (you already are...)

 

[Lorrie]

I didn't watch the Steelers on Thursday. I did not watch one game this weekend or last night. I'm so disgusted w/ all that has gone on that for the first time I can remember not only did I not watch any game; I couldn't care less who won. I don't know how long I will feel this way, but for the first time ever, I don't care. **** Roger Goodell for what he has done to this league, to our favorite game and to lifetime fans. ****. Him.

 

[mightyguru]

Glad to hear that ratings are down....$ is the only thing that hits these ijits and the ONLY reason they drop this ginger ****.

 

[paperclip]

lotta room on the bandwagon now

 

[Southern Steeler]

Donald Trump was just on Mike and Mike. It was as if he had read this thread. He said the NFL was becoming unwatchable because of the penalties. It was awesome.

Glad that was said on a national stage

 

[cpollock]

Wow -- just watch the Part 1 "NFL in Crisis " on Fox .. Love what some of the former players had to say ...

http://www.foxsports.com/video?vid=330139203861

 

[Speedking]

Wow, it's shocking to see so many people kind of feel what I'm feeling. I used to be in bad moods for a day or so after a Steelers loss. The past few years though, something has happened in that I don't really care that much. I still can get pumped up for Steelers games of course, but nothing like I used to be. And for non-Steelers games, I watch those only if there's nothing else I can be doing. Just five years ago I would watch every Sunday 1pm, 4pm and Sunday night game. Now, I'll have a game on while I'm doing something else around the house usually or as background noise for a nap. That's right, A NAP. A Sunday afternoon NAP is now sometimes more appealing than seeing potential NFL action. The games are simply not as much fun to watch, and that's the one single bring-home point to make in all of this. I think the NFL is shortsighted in terms of viewership in that they think that a higher score means more excitement. There is no doubt they're pandering to more casual fans now at the expense of the previous fanatics. Losing part of the core fan base has never worked out for any sport, brand, show, movie, book serious, etc. And it won't work out for the NFL. They've no doubt reached their peak already and IMO will be in a state of long term decline.

 

[Wingman]

This weeks game is on Sunday night might watch it. Ratings, major negative news about the game and it's players, a couple of galvanizing events that are out of the control of the network media folks, these guys have shot themselves in the foot big time. Big difference now with all the sources for information that are not subject to control by the major media outlets.

 

[Badcat]

I have done all that I can do at this point to attempt to sway the owners and the sponsors of the NFL to fire Goodell and institute FULL TIME officials who understand the rules. Until then, I will not watch a single NFL game nor support them in any financial way. Like most of you, I used to be so gung-ho for Steeler games, food, beer, decorate my family room, go through rituals, and if they were to lose...don't talk to me, pissy mood for at least 24 hours. I found myself watching Thursday nights game in plain clothes, glass of Brandy, screaming at the refs, sarcastically yelling at Haley to run another 30 Motion right 23 counter "cause that will ******* work eventually". Tired of the NFL product and what it has become.

 

[bmoritz]

Between the bullshit watering down of the game, and the constant pushing of liberal social causes (see the over saturation of Michael Sam and the gay couple DirectTV Sunday Ticket commercial), I've just about had it. I LOVE the Steelers, but I'm on the verge of walking away. Until Goodell goes and the owners wake up, it won't get better.

 

[Southern Steeler]

I emailed the Mike and Mike show about their interview with Trump. I doubt they will read it of course, but I told them that Donald was spot on about the league becoming unwatchable.

They will, of course, maintain that it is because of all the off the field stuff

 

[Ward4HOF]

This sounds like a therapy group! I do like to know that there is many of us that feel the same way though. I have wondered for over a year if the longtime fan really holds any cards and I don't think we do - the majority want fantasy CFL type football. I live in Canada and I don't watch the CFL I haven't given the NFL a dime in over 3 years and probably never will. If the NFL starts going down the pipes I do think they will have a hard time bringing back longtime fans. I have no problem with hard helmet to helmet hits being flagged; the rest is garbage.
On a side note I'm looking forward to Auburn and Kansas St. tomorrow night!

 

[fogdoctor]

On a side note I'm looking forward to Auburn and Kansas St. tomorrow night!

This. This is what I will be doing too because I still like football and I will elect to watch the better product. Should be a nice game.

 

[ExUSAF]

I remember living in Florida in the late 70s and early 80s where you were fed a steady diet of Miami and Tampa Bay and driving to within range of Jacksonville to catch a Steeler-Bengals game on a portable TV. In those days I was an addict. What cured me was the players strike of 1987; I came back and regained some interest in the 90s when Cowher came on board but the steady decline since the 08 season has pretty much sapped my ability to watch any game from beginning to end. This team is mired in mediocrity with no end in sight since it might take three or four more bad seasons for the FO to pull the plug on the Tomlin era. We've wasted some of the best years of a franchise QB.

 

[Drink IRON City]

I remember living in Florida in the late 70s and early 80s where you were fed a steady diet of Miami and Tampa Bay and driving to within range of Jacksonville to catch a Steeler-Bengals game on a portable TV. In those days I was an addict. What cured me was the players strike of 1987; I came back and regained some interest in the 90s when Cowher came on board but the steady decline since the 08 season has pretty much sapped my ability to watch any game from beginning to end. This team is mired in mediocrity with no end in sight since it might take three or four more bad seasons for the FO to pull the plug on the Tomlin era. We've wasted some of the best years of a franchise QB.

THAT sums it up right there. Why the Fluck did we have such a bad OL for so many years? Our current OL is a little better, but still mediocre. BR isn't getting younger, the weapons are for ****, if the OL isn't there. WASTED


Salute the nation

 

[Wingman]

Once the receiver catches the ball and makes a football move he becomes a runner and then there is no such a thing as a helmet to helmet penalty.

watch the big hits by James Harrison flag for knockout after receiver crosses the middle of the field.

 

[Ward4HOF]

Sure enjoyed the K-State vs Auburn game last night compared to the NFL games. The big boys play in the NCAA now.

 

[Wingman]

Interesting thoughts, might have to watch college instead of the nfl, there is a small school down the street from me I could even go to there games.

 

[Southern Steeler]

I am more interested in college ball than pro now. Never thought it would be that way.

The NFL has only themselves to blame for that.

 

[Wingman]

The way things are going with the lack of emotion for the team and the game it might cause a wake up for the team and the owners. From what everyone is posting it seems that the casual fan and the fantasy crowd will still will still follow games. I suspect even though there may be more of them than the die hard folks that follow a team I also believe they have only a casual allegiance to a team, I'm sure there are exceptions. With that in mind is it possible that there will be more games not sold out and subsequently broadcast on the tube? I don't believe the casual fan fills the stadium, buys season tickets, buys merchandise, etc. Alienation of the hard core fan base could have a drastic effect on the owners revenue stream.

I have never seen a thread on here like this one even back when the regulars were on the steelers board before this one started. I am thinking that has got to be about 15 years ago.