I'm losing my excitement for the game

[BlindFaith]

The limitless possibilities of this Earth and it's inhabitants and sensory indulgences to no end. There is so much to do and wonder upon! I love this planet and everything that came before us and what is to come!

Prot - you made it back!!!

 

[Hayseed]

I live in Wisconsin,...so...HUGE Badger fan here. I have traveled to Texas several times to see games both at the old Texas stadium and at Cowboys stadium. 8 to be exact. Hate to say it,.... but the overall atmosphere at Badger games blows the atmosphere at Cowboys stadium right out of the water IMO. Badger games are a rip roaring PARTY!.... And yes,... most college games are like that. But theres something more. I think maybe its because they are kids, scholarship athletes and walk ons who arent paid millions of dollars. The kids really do play their guts out.

On a side note......... I literally despise the new stadium. Its more like a glitzy dog and pony show then it is a REAL football stadium. I could care less about Jerry making money by having concerts there. I WANT A REAL OLD SCHOOL SNAKE PIT! One that actually gives us a TRUE home field advantage. THATS what I care about. WINNING! Gimme something like Lambeau Field or the Old Soldier field ANY DAY!

 

[G2]

No really a spectator sport unless you're the father of an 8 year old boy, or 10 year old girl - and they're playing.

Exactly.

 

[Texasfootball21]

Cowboys vs Packers on NFLN right now. Get rejuvenated my friends. We’re going to be strong next season... GO COWBOYS!

 

[Mr_437]

Same esch different year. JG era is a rerun, same plays, same mistakes, still no big game wins. That's whats taking th fun out of watching DAL, even th players don't seem to enthused...they just getting paid cause winning big just not happening until they change coaches.

 

[Flamma]

Free agency and the cap REALLY hurt the game worse than any of some of the younger fans will ever know. It takes years to build a championship caliber team, and one offseason to tear it down because you cant get under the cap.

So lemme get this straight.......You spend a few years really knocking it out of the park come draft day, really doing it right,....and your reward for doing a great job is to sit back and watch half your players leave because you cant pay all the big name players you were smart enuff to draft and groom and still be under the cap. REALLY? By the same token,.... you spend years drafting a bunch of worthless BUMS and your reward is having plenty of money to sign as many talented players as you want away from the teams who were proficient at their job. REALLY? The NFL is actually penalizing excellence and rewarding failure......... NOT GOOD.

There is no denying the above. What purpose does it serve to see good or great teams get torn down overnight? That's excitement? What's the goal, to push everyone towards mediocrity?

I've said it before in another thread, they need to loosen the cap a bit to allow teams to maintain some level of excellence if they so choose. Nothing is forever anyway, players age. Not counting the highest paid player's salary against the cap could be the best of both worlds. Or at least his base salary.

 

[Centex]

Go watch a Texas Ranger game. It will renew your love of football.

 

[windward]

Man, it's tough. The things I don't like right now:

--Parity is good, but games/seasons/championships come down to official interpretations way too often. Like the Dez-catch, or the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for Cowboys fans. Or the way DET got jobbed in ATL this season. If every game is a toss up, there's not as much meaning to building a winning franchise. I like parity to a degree, but they've overdone it.

--The rulebook contains too many judgement call rules when it doesn't need to. I mean, what's a catch again? It's ridiculously convoluted in terms of what's a play and what's a clean hit. Again, opening up too much for interpretation and putting way too much onus on officiating.

--Officials should be year round, and there shouldn't be so much variation between groups of officials affecting outcomes of games

--The league is saturated, with too many games available on too many nights. Having more content accessible to more people is obviously good for the league, but we're past a saturation point where you get diminishing enthusiasm for even the good games.

--The league has an appearance of bias for and against teams, especially in favor of specific agendas they think will probably advance viewership. Domestic violence, marijuana, etc. Not stepping into the details re: those issues, but it's ending up with players getting unnecessarily suspended and teams not getting treated fairly relative to the rest of the league and coloring the results of seasons. Goodell has tarnished the shield more than any commissioner in history. He's terrible, and he's the front-man for the appearance of an ownership money-grab that makes the whole league look sketchy. He's got to go.

--Finally, they need to insist on a higher quality of coverage of their product from their sports network partners. The cheesy orchestrated 'debate' format shows where idiots yell nonsense at each other for 5 hours per week contributes to the air of sensationalism that's hollowing out the brand. They need to insist on a better quality of coverage.

I think there is a certain elegance in simplicity, and the over complexities of the game often serve as fuel for the talking heads.

And yes, Goodell sucks. I agree lol.

I’m not certain that a 16 game season leads to oversaturation, however. Soccer, which is the world’s most popular sport, pretty much runs year round yet keeps going strong.

But the rulebook is... a little less complex to say the least. They have their share of controversies sure, but not to the effect of what constitutes a catch in the NFL.

 

[GMO415]

And that sucks! Been the most diehard fan of the Cowboys and the NFL in general for almost 45 years now. The excitement just isnt there anymore, at least not like it was. Nothing the Cowboys really did either, more just the state of the league. Free agency and the cap REALLY hurt the game worse than any of some of the younger fans will ever know. It takes years to build a championship caliber team, and one offseason to tear it down because you cant get under the cap.

So lemme get this straight.......You spend a few years really knocking it out of the park come draft day, really doing it right,....and your reward for doing a great job is to sit back and watch half your players leave because you cant pay all the big name players you were smart enuff to draft and groom and still be under the cap. REALLY? By the same token,.... you spend years drafting a bunch of worthless BUMS and your reward is having plenty of money to sign as many talented players as you want away from the teams who were proficient at their job. REALLY? The NFL is actually penalizing excellence and rewarding failure......... NOT GOOD.

Other thing is all the rule changes. D.B's are pretty much defenseless nowadays. You touch someone....... penalty. All to promote passing. The game doesnt even resemble the great game I grew up loving.

Goodell and his crap and unfair treatment of our team. Its just too much anymore.

Players SOOOO STUPID that they cant stop stepping on their own johnsons and getting suspended all the time. Its just on and on and on.

I'll always be a big fan,... but it will NEVER be what it once was. Real shame too.

 

[coult44]

And that sucks! Been the most diehard fan of the Cowboys and the NFL in general for almost 45 years now. The excitement just isnt there anymore, at least not like it was. Nothing the Cowboys really did either, more just the state of the league. Free agency and the cap REALLY hurt the game worse than any of some of the younger fans will ever know. It takes years to build a championship caliber team, and one offseason to tear it down because you cant get under the cap.

So lemme get this straight.......You spend a few years really knocking it out of the park come draft day, really doing it right,....and your reward for doing a great job is to sit back and watch half your players leave because you cant pay all the big name players you were smart enuff to draft and groom and still be under the cap. REALLY? By the same token,.... you spend years drafting a bunch of worthless BUMS and your reward is having plenty of money to sign as many talented players as you want away from the teams who were proficient at their job. REALLY? The NFL is actually penalizing excellence and rewarding failure......... NOT GOOD.

Other thing is all the rule changes. D.B's are pretty much defenseless nowadays. You touch someone....... penalty. All to promote passing. The game doesnt even resemble the great game I grew up loving.

Goodell and his crap and unfair treatment of our team. Its just too much anymore.

Players SOOOO STUPID that they cant stop stepping on their own johnsons and getting suspended all the time. Its just on and on and on.

I'll always be a big fan,... but it will NEVER be what it once was. Real shame too.

NOMINATED!!!

 

[coult44]

Hate when old people cry because things aren’t the exact same as “back in my day”....the league is fine and no one is out to get the cowboys.

And old people (since 40+ is old), hate that you self entitled milineals don't care that the game will be gone in less than 15 years. The game is not fine, the numbers prove it. The people who pay for you to enjoy it will not be doing so very soon.

 

[windward]

And old people (since 40+ is old), hate that you self entitled milineals don't care that the game will be gone in less than 15 years. The game is not fine, the numbers prove it. The people who pay for you to enjoy it will not be doing so very soon.

I don’t think the game is going anywhere. Might be modified quite a bit though.

 

[hornitosmonster]

The NFL is not the same league I grew up watching.

 

[DandyDon1722]

Tony Liscio ! (I didnt look it up, am I right?)

I didn't look it up either and I'm going Dave Manders at center - I think.

 

[Aven8]

Sucking will do that to you.

 

[windward]

The NFL is not the same league I grew up watching.

That is certainly an accurate statement.

Different teams.
Different acquisition strategy
Different tactics
Different rules
Different way we consume the sport.

 

[Them]

And that sucks! Been the most diehard fan of the Cowboys and the NFL in general for almost 45 years now. The excitement just isnt there anymore, at least not like it was. Nothing the Cowboys really did either, more just the state of the league. Free agency and the cap REALLY hurt the game worse than any of some of the younger fans will ever know. It takes years to build a championship caliber team, and one offseason to tear it down because you cant get under the cap.

So lemme get this straight.......You spend a few years really knocking it out of the park come draft day, really doing it right,....and your reward for doing a great job is to sit back and watch half your players leave because you cant pay all the big name players you were smart enuff to draft and groom and still be under the cap. REALLY? By the same token,.... you spend years drafting a bunch of worthless BUMS and your reward is having plenty of money to sign as many talented players as you want away from the teams who were proficient at their job. REALLY? The NFL is actually penalizing excellence and rewarding failure......... NOT GOOD.

Other thing is all the rule changes. D.B's are pretty much defenseless nowadays. You touch someone....... penalty. All to promote passing. The game doesnt even resemble the great game I grew up loving.

Goodell and his crap and unfair treatment of our team. Its just too much anymore.

Players SOOOO STUPID that they cant stop stepping on their own johnsons and getting suspended all the time. Its just on and on and on.

I'll always be a big fan,... but it will NEVER be what it once was. Real shame too.

...
Hey man, I can't say I don't agree with what you've stated!...because your right...Across the board!... But it is what it is now, and I still love football.
They'll have to totally eliminate football before I give it up....no lie!

 

[DallasDomination]

I think the 90s had the perfect balance of officiating and politically correctness. The 2000s have been a process of getting softer, weaker and giving out participation trophies.

It's not just the NFL. Its everywhere.

 

[buybuydandavis]

So lemme get this straight.......You spend a few years really knocking it out of the park come draft day, really doing it right,....and your reward for doing a great job is to sit back and watch half your players leave because you cant pay all the big name players you were smart enuff to draft and groom and still be under the cap.

It's not just what you have to spend to keep them, but what you get if you let them go - comp picks.

 

[ghst187]

Well, I think Cleveland should be on the fast track to being folded if they can't win at least 4 games with the draft picks that they've had this season.

Like 20+ years of top five picks.....