All ratings were down except one

[morasp]

I watch the games but I'm pretty sure I don't help the ratings a whole lot since I let the games back up on the TiVo buffer to skip commercials.

 

[pugilist]

Speaking of that do we get Romo and Nance this week? Anyone know?

good rule of thumb:

NFC away team vs. AFC home team = FOX announcers
AFC away team vs. NFC home team = CBS announcers

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Ratings ought to be down.

The product is dismal with most games nothing more than a snoozefest.

I'm sure last night's turd isn't going to help week 2.

 

[Shake_Tiller]

The Cowboys transcend the NFL the way the Yankees transcend MLB. The Cowboys are a bit more than the marquee franchise. The Cowboys' ascension began in the mid- to late-Sixties with Meredith throwing bombs to Hayes, the world's fastest human. They played an exciting brand of football in an era in which Woody Hayes wasn't the only coach playing three yards and a cloud of dust. Television was still pretty young, and the Cowboys were great entertainment.

As the Sixties gave way to the Seventies, the Cowboys were "Next Year's Champions," and the momentum might have ended there had Staubach, Lilly, et al not delivered a Super Bowl. But they did, and it was amazing -- deliverance for guys like Lilly, Howley and Jordan, Captain America for the moms and dads, Duane Thomas for the activists. Must-see TV. Even as the team transitioned from its Sixties roots, new stars emerged -- Dorsett and Randy White. Staubach and Drew Pearson provided drama and heroics. Great television.

The Eighties brought some bad times, but there were interesting stories, and while those who hated the Cowboys fed on their fade, fans of the team proved they had deep roots. Jerry Jones and Tom Landry -- TV gold. The Herschel Walker trade was one of the most significant deals in sports history. The door was opened for the Triplets and one of football's great dynasties. The Cowboys reclaimed their crown as an NFL power and might have been the last true NFL powerhouse, given the constraints of the salary cap. And they were colorful, brash. Jimmy Johnson was the polar opposite of Landry, Jones the antithesis of Murchison.

The Cowboys haven't delivered on the field since those great Nineties teams, but they've managed to stay interesting, and their continued broad fan base has proven to be utterly loyal. I trace it back to those Sixties/Seventies roots. Cowboys families were developed, and generations have continued to sport the Star. That has also allowed the team to remain a plausible villain. Fans of other teams cringe at their popularity and despise the coverage they receive.

And now there is the promise of a new set of stars.

The NFL seems to be caught in a web partly of its own making -- over-saturation, too much off-the-field nonsense, rules and rules interpretations that confuse and anger fans, etc. The league also battles new entertainment trends.

But the Cowboys are uniquely positioned to overcome the trend. A great Dallas team will be must-see TV for anyone who is even slightly interested in pro football. The Cowboys can be the Golden Goose. We shall see.

 

[Teague31]

Ultimately this is the problem. At heart Goddell is a socialist. He absolutely hates our popularity and all the deals Jerry has made to cut out the league. All of the anti Dallas rules that come out of the league office are his way to try and level the playing field

 

[Reality]

Ratings ought to be done.

The product is dismal with most games nothing more than a snoozefest.

I'm sure last night's turd isn't going to help week 2.

The NFL is going to have to do things like the NBA and MLB have done. They're going to need to tilt the rules and enforcement of those rules to the offense's favor. While football traditionalists appreciate a good defensive battle, just because a game is low scoring on both sides does not mean it's a defensive battle. More and more, low scoring games are simply a byproduct of lack of offensive ability or consistency. While much of that falls on the coaches, players and even the NFLPA for negotiating fewer and lighter practices, it ultimately comes down to the rules and the enforcement of rules.

The NFL needs teams, all teams, to be capable of offensive scoring. To do that, they are going to have to limit the defense's tactics more than they are now. For example, they could eliminate the 5-yard rule that allows defenders to press the receivers. That would give receivers a clean launch on the snap. They could make crossing the line of scrimmage by a defensive player an immediate penalty rather than only a penalty if the ball is snapped while the defensive player is over the line. They could create a rule for forceful or excessive hand-checking by defenders with the same penalty as defensive holding.

The traditionalist in me hates the idea of changing any rules. The game was fine long ago and many of the rule changes have seemed unnecessary with the exception of the ones that were changed with player safety in mind. Ultimately, though, the NFL is going to have do something because more and more people, and not just young people, are developing shorter and shorter attention spans, and low scoring games are not just boring to a lot of people, they are also potential launch points for people to find other interests or things to do with their time.

 

[SDCowboy]

Ratings ought to be down.

The product is dismal with most games nothing more than a snoozefest.

I'm sure last night's turd isn't going to help week 2.

Eventually something is going to have to change with the product if the league wants young people to care about watching it. Young people don't have the patience for any ads anymore, much less the onslaught we currently get. Plus the constant stops in the action can be grating even for seasoned fans.

If I was a young, casual viewer, and I saw the ad-fest and constant pauses in action that is the current game, I'd probably turn it off and not watch it.

 

[Direwolf63]

The Chargers have several tickets available for this week's game, and they play in a tiny 30,000 seat stadium.

If I'm not mistaken, the Cowboys play the Chargers in LA this year.

If so, it will be 75% Cowboys fans.

Basically an extra home game.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

There are many reasons for the ratings drops.
The local blackout rules and the way too many games are locked out from most fans should be considered.
People shouldn't be locked into watching their local team only on too many weeks. This is hurting peoples interest in other teams and the product in general.
The directv deal is bad for the sport. When people have to illegally stream your product you are doing it wrong.

I don't think the Direct TV deal is that bad, particularly since you can now get it without having Direct TV. You just go to the Web site and stream it online. You still pay the same, but you also get the first week for free and can opt out.

One of the biggest problems the NFL faces is that there is a decline in attendance. Attending an NFL game is now too expensive and unless you have a team in a city that people find worth traveling to in the Fall and have a great stadium experience (i.e. AT&T Stadium), attending games are less appealing because of the cost.

The attendance is on the decline in traditional football areas like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington. And the issue with that is it indirectly starts to regress the ratings. Less eyeballs on the live product will eventually mean less interest and less interest means less eyeballs watching it on the TV (or computer) screen. Pro Wrestling has seen the same problem. It's a bass-ackwards business model where the price is driven by the demands of the talent and the owners instead of being driven by customer demand.

Then you combine that with the decline in youth participation, CTE controversy and Goodell doing everything possible to ruin the NFL's image and look what happens.





YR

 

[Shake_Tiller]

The NFL is going to have to do things like the NBA and MLB have done. They're going to need to tilt the rules and enforcement of those rules to the offense's favor. While football traditionalists appreciate a good defensive battle, just because a game is low scoring on both sides does not mean it's a defensive battle. More and more, low scoring games are simply a byproduct of lack of offensive ability or consistency. While much of that falls on the coaches, players and even the NFLPA negotiating for fewer and lighter practices, it ultimately comes down to the rules and the enforcement of rules.

The NFL needs teams, all teams, to be capable of offensive scoring. To do that, they are going to have to limit the defense's tactics more than they are now. For example, they could eliminate the 5-yard rule that allows defenders to press the receivers. That would give receivers a clean launch on the snap. They could make crossing the line of scrimmage by a defensive player an immediate penalty rather than only a penalty if the ball is snapped while the defensive player is over the line. They could create a rule for forceful or excessive hand-checking by defenders with the same penalty as defensive holding.

The traditionalist in me hates the idea of changing any rules. The game was fine long ago and many of the rule changes have seemed unnecessary with the exception of most that were changed with player safety in mind. Ultimately, though, the NFL is going to have do something because more and more people, and not just young people, are developing shorter and shorter attention spans, and low scoring games are not just boring to a lot of people, they are also potential launch points for people to find other interests or things to do with their time.

Probably the least intrusive way to favor the offense would be to widen the field by 5-10 yards. But that might be a real challenge at many of the stadiums. I agree with your premise, but I'm concerned the addition of new penalty opportunities would further antagonize fans who think the referees already have too much influence on the outcome -- especially if there are new "interpretative" penalties.

I would like to see pass interference treated as it is by the NCAA -- 15 yards, at most. Scoring is great, but better if accomplished through a great play rather than via a huge penalty. That might also allow for stricter enforcement of hand-checking and "incidental" contact. If PI isn't a game-changing penalty, officials might be in better positions to call it accurately.

I think you're right about WR releases. Allow them to release off the line of scrimmage. Maybe allow DBs one hand check.

Eventually they might need to limit pass rushes to five defenders. Allow what we used to call a red dog, but don't allow a full-on blitz. That would juice the offense but also help with safety issues.

The game many of us grew up on didn't include so much specialization are so many personnel packages. It was a big deal when Shula used a nickel back. Now these packages are exotic and effective. Maybe limit the packages.

 

[ThreeandOut]

Every time the NFL's ratings are down but the Cowboys are up, Goodell's power is lessened and Jerry's power grows.

 

[Shake_Tiller]

The NFL is going to have to do things like the NBA and MLB have done. They're going to need to tilt the rules and enforcement of those rules to the offense's favor. While football traditionalists appreciate a good defensive battle, just because a game is low scoring on both sides does not mean it's a defensive battle. More and more, low scoring games are simply a byproduct of lack of offensive ability or consistency. While much of that falls on the coaches, players and even the NFLPA for negotiating fewer and lighter practices, it ultimately comes down to the rules and the enforcement of rules.

The NFL needs teams, all teams, to be capable of offensive scoring. To do that, they are going to have to limit the defense's tactics more than they are now. For example, they could eliminate the 5-yard rule that allows defenders to press the receivers. That would give receivers a clean launch on the snap. They could make crossing the line of scrimmage by a defensive player an immediate penalty rather than only a penalty if the ball is snapped while the defensive player is over the line. They could create a rule for forceful or excessive hand-checking by defenders with the same penalty as defensive holding.

The traditionalist in me hates the idea of changing any rules. The game was fine long ago and many of the rule changes have seemed unnecessary with the exception of the ones that were changed with player safety in mind. Ultimately, though, the NFL is going to have do something because more and more people, and not just young people, are developing shorter and shorter attention spans, and low scoring games are not just boring to a lot of people, they are also potential launch points for people to find other interests or things to do with their time.

It would kill us traditionalists, but how about awarding the defense points for forced turnovers -- a point for a fumble recovery, two points for an interception. That would create additional scoring opportunities but also incentivize defensive players to take more risks, which could then lead to more big plays by the offense.

 

[superonyx]

I don't think the Direct TV deal is that bad, particularly since you can now get it without having Direct TV. You just go to the Web site and stream it online. You still pay the same, but you also get the first week for free and can opt out.

One of the biggest problems the NFL faces is that there is a decline in attendance. Attending an NFL game is now too expensive and unless you have a team in a city that people find worth traveling to in the Fall and have a great stadium experience (i.e. AT&T Stadium), attending games are less appealing because of the cost.

The attendance is on the decline in traditional football areas like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington. And the issue with that is it indirectly starts to regress the ratings. Less eyeballs on the live product will eventually mean less interest and less interest means less eyeballs watching it on the TV (or computer) screen. Pro Wrestling has seen the same problem. It's a bass-ackwards business model where the price is driven by the demands of the talent and the owners instead of being driven by customer demand.

Then you combine that with the decline in youth participation, CTE controversy and Goodell doing everything possible to ruin the NFL's image and look what happens.





YR

I disagree about the Directv problem. They don't let you buy the streaming package unless you live a MDU where you cant subscribe to Directv. So the man in the house in the suburbs doesn't qualify for this streaming plan. Plus most people who are not fanatics are not going to sit in front of the computer and watch games. Of course we know you can chromecast it or watch it through an Xbox ect but this is jumping through to many hoops to watch the games. Nothing about this is simple and easy like it should be. Most people are not going to spend $280 to jump through these hoops. The reality is the average fan of the NFL has never streamed anything in their lives...If they can turn the tv on and watch the games then they will....otherwise they lose interest.

Unlock Sunday Ticket from Directv and let it be available on all cable tv operators and more people will buy and watch your product. The NBA, MLB, and NHL have these subscription plans available on all providers...The NFL needs to get over themselves with this exclusivity demand.

 

[Reality]

It would kill us traditionalists, but how about awarding the defense points for forced turnovers -- a point for a fumble recovery, two points for an interception. That would create additional scoring opportunities but also incentivize defensive players to take more risks, which could then lead to more big plays by the offense.

I really hate the idea of doing that, but the NFL may have to consider ideas like this in the future if they don't do something to help these bad teams at least put more points on the board.

 

[erod]

If I'm not mistaken, the Cowboys play the Chargers in LA this year.

If so, it will be 75% Cowboys fans.

Basically an extra home game.

I think they play them in Arlington on Thanksgiving.

 

[Reality]

Probably the least intrusive way to favor the offense would be to widen the field by 5-10 yards. But that might be a real challenge at many of the stadiums. I agree with your premise, but I'm concerned the addition of new penalty opportunities would further antagonize fans who think the referees already have too much influence on the outcome -- especially if there are new "interpretative" penalties.

I would like to see pass interference treated as it is by the NCAA -- 15 yards, at most. Scoring is great, but better if accomplished through a great play rather than via a huge penalty. That might also allow for stricter enforcement of hand-checking and "incidental" contact. If PI isn't a game-changing penalty, officials might be in better positions to call it accurately.

I think you're right about WR releases. Allow them to release off the line of scrimmage. Maybe allow DBs one hand check.

Eventually they might need to limit pass rushes to five defenders. Allow what we used to call a red dog, but don't allow a full-on blitz. That would juice the offense but also help with safety issues.

The game many of us grew up on didn't include so much specialization are so many personnel packages. It was a big deal when Shula used a nickel back. Now these packages are exotic and effective. Maybe limit the packages.

Those are good ideas as well. I would really hate more changes to the game, but the NFL may have no choice eventually unless they start developing new talent.

 

[erod]

I really hate the idea of doing that, but the NFL may have to consider ideas like this in the future if they don't do something to help these bad teams at least put more points on the board.

I think too many points on the board is part of the problem. Sure, the know-nothing fans like it, but they come and go anyway.

Touchdowns are cheapened by today's game. Field goals are like punts. It didn't used to be that way. Points used to be precious and earned.

 

[Direwolf63]

I think they play them in Arlington on Thanksgiving.

Unfortunate

 

[TheCoolFan]

The solution? More Thursday Night Football!!!

 

[Reality]

I think the thing that would help the NFL the most would be to create a minor league system like MLB has, though only one minor league, not several like MLB uses. That would allow players of all ages the ability to play on teams coached by NFL minor league coaches and show they can perform at the NFL level. That would mean less time wasted on many top round draft picks who end up as busts. Instead, most drafted players would go into the minor league first, and then get promoted to their NFL team. Now, some players could still go straight from the draft to the NFL, but this way, teams would be filled with more players who can play, rather than holding spots for players not ready to play but would be claimed if not protected on the active roster.

The NFL needs to stop using college football as their minor league because college football does not play by the same rules or even have the same play style as NFL teams. Even college teams that run so-called "pro-style" offenses are not running true NFL offensive schemes.

Rather than some 8-team NFL Europe type of league, the NFL should copy MLB and allow every team to create one minor league team. They could do things differently such as once a player has played 2 years for a minor league team, another NFL team can make an offer to sign-him and his current NFL team could either match the offer, promote him or let him go.