NFL, Cowboys, and Football all feel "off" to me this season

[perrykemp]

NFL / Cowboys / Football all feel "off" to me this season and I wonder if we'll look back at the 2017 season someday as being the year where things started going south in a big way. Random thoughts on this topic:

• The incredible unfairness of the NFL's prosecution (so to speak) of the Zeke Elliot suspension. I don't think Elliot is a choir boy, however, in this country we strongly believe that someone is "innocent until proven guilty" and I don't think anyone has any faith the NFL has any more insights on Zeke's innocence / guilt than the legal system did

• Unexciting football. The Salary Cap, Parity, whatever you want to call it -- there are really no great/dominant teams with the exception of <maybe> the Patriots. It's hard to hate other teams with a passion like yesteryear.

• Extreme emphasis on offensive football and passing in general. I think they've gone too far with it.

• Watering down of football -- NFL games on Thursday Night, Sunday, Sunday Night, and Monday Night might be one day to many for me. I could do without Thursday night football

• The anthem thing. I will refrain stating my opinion on this other than to say the whole thing, top to bottom, is a huge black-eye for the players, owners, and the NFL. Putting the actual act aside for a moment, the players and NFL front office, and NFL league office have handled it horribly

• NFL head injuries (concussions) changing the way football is viewed by kids and parents of kids. I see a trend where I live where parents (especially dads) no longer urge their boys to play football. Most of them, and as a father of a 12 year old I fall into this category, am <OK> if they just stick to soccer / basketball / etc. Striving to play in the NFL someday is no longer a wonderful thing when we are finding the 50-75% of NFL players retire with CTE

• Beyond kids not opting to play football, my limited view of my son and his friend group (all 12-13 years old) is NONE of them care about the NFL. They are all passionate about the NBA and generally speaking I think the NBA is doing a great job of tailoring their sport to today's youth. Basketball, like soccer, is an infinitely more approachable sport than football. Anybody can play basketball or soccer to a certain extent. My main point here is the general sadness that my son doesn't seem to care, despite my best efforts, about the NFL and I don't get to enjoy the experience with him. I end up watching NBA games with him, the NBA will never be anything but slightly interesting to me

• Removing violence (bit hits, tackling a QB low, etc) from the game IMHO is taking a slow toll on the game. Don't get me wrong, each of these things taken by itself, seems like a good decision. Having said that, the game almost seems to be trending to towards flag football.

Sorry for the rant. It's probably just me, however, the game seems to be losing some of it's luster for me. I am less excited about Sundays. I care MUCH LESS about watching football outside of the Cowboys playing than ever before. Just feels weird.

Anybody else feeling this way?

 

[AzorAhai]

Nope. I’ve missed games this year for the first time in over a decade. Hasn’t bothered me at all.

Football is an escape and it doesn’t feel that way due to how political it has become. I’ve stopped watching more than one show due to this and it’s starting to get to that point for me with football.

 

[JW82]

It could just be the team not coming close to expectations. You'd think we'd be used to it, but we never learn.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Just feels weird.

Anybody else feeling this way?

Yes. On top of your list is the injuries to big name players and the high number of teams that are just bad.

 

[perrykemp]

It could just be the team not coming close to expectations. You'd think we'd be used to it, but we never learn.

Maybe, however, I've been a fan of the NFL since I was like 10-11 years old. For my entire life I've gone out of my way to watch the best NFL games on TV each week that weren't Cowboys games. I've been a person why has typically had the Thursday night, Sunday night, or Monday night games on the background while catching up with email in the evenings / etc.

I'm just not feeling it anymore. I don't care about those other games -- even the ones between two good teams.

Again, maybe it's just me .

 

[perrykemp]

Yes. On top of your list is the injuries to big name players.

This is true. Good add.

Loosing players like Watt, Watson, Rodgers, etc has an impact.

 

[Idgit]

NFL / Cowboys / Football all feel "off" to me this season and I wonder if we'll look back at the 2017 season someday as being the year where things started going south in a big way. Random thoughts on this topic:

• The incredible unfairness of the NFL's prosecution (so to speak) of the Zeke Elliot suspension. I don't think Elliot is a choir boy, however, in this country we strongly believe that someone is "innocent until proven guilty" and I don't think anyone has any faith the NFL has any more insights on Zeke's innocence / guilt than the legal system did

• Unexciting football. The Salary Cap, Parity, whatever you want to call it -- there are really no great/dominant teams with the exception of <maybe> the Patriots. It's hard to hate other teams with a passion like yesteryear.

• Extreme emphasis on offensive football and passing in general. I think they've gone too far with it.

• Watering down of football -- NFL games on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday might be one day to many for me. I could do without Thursday night football

• The anthem thing. I will refrain stating my opinion on this other than to say the whole thing, top to bottom, is a huge black-eye for the players, owners, and the NFL. Putting the actual act aside for a moment, the players and NFL front office, and NFL league office have handled it horribly

• NFL head injuries (concussions) changing the way football is viewed by kids and parents of kids. I see a trend where I live where parents (especially dads) no longer urge their boys to play football. Most of them, and as a father of a 12 year old I fall into this category, am <OK> if they just stick to soccer / basketball / etc. Striving to play in the NFL someday is no longer a wonderful thing when we are finding the 50-75% of NFL players retire with CTE

• Beyond kids not opting to play football, my limited view of my son and his friend ground (all 12-13 years old) is NONE of them care about the NFL. They are all passionate about the NBA and generally speaking I think the NBA is doing a great job of tailoring their sport to today's youth. Basketball, like soccer, is an infinitely more approachable sport than football. Anybody can play basketball or soccer to a certain extent. My main point here is the general sadness that my son doesn't seem to care, despite my best efforts, about the NFL and I don't get to enjoy the experience with him. I end up watching NBA games with him, the NBA will never be anything but slightly interesting to me

• Removing violence (bit hits, tackling a QB low, etc) from the game IMHO is taking a slow toll on the game. Don't get me wrong, each of these things taken by itself, seems like a good decision. Having said that, the game almost seems to be trending to towards flag football.

Sorry for the rant. It's probably just me, however, the game seems to be losing some of it's luster for me. I am less excited about Sundays. I care MUCH LESS about watching football outside of the Cowboys playing than ever before. Just feels weird.

Anybody else feeling this way?

It's 100% not just you. I'm shocked at how quickly I find myself becoming ambivalent about a game I've been avid about my whole life. When the Cowboys are eliminated, I've no longer got any interest whatsoever in how the season turns out. That's crazy for me.

 

[perrykemp]

It's 100% not just you. I'm shocked at how quickly I find myself becoming ambivalent about a game I've been avid about my whole life. When the Cowboys are eliminated, I've no longer got any interest whatsoever in how the season turns out. That's crazy for me.

Its a cruddy feeling @Idgit. So strange.

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

I`ve always been more of a Cowboys fan than an NFL fan, but moreso this year. Having some brutal matchups for Monday and Thursday night games doesn`t help.

 

[Tabascocat]

A league wide poor product does it for me from injuries to bad refs to bad football. I couldn't care less about that "other" stuff.

We need more big time QB's like Favre, Montana, Troy, Marino, even McFlab. Guys you love to root for or against. We have Brady left, that is it. Rodgers is still here but he isn't polarizing, to me at least. Andrew Luck? Meh

Maybe a couple young guys can take on that role but I fail to see who exactly. I mean the villain role or the pariah role. Cam is on that edge, just wish he were better to make me dislike him more

 

[8FOR!3]

I think with how political the NFL has gotten the Cowboys have done a great job at staying neutral. So I've continued to watch all the Cowboys games this year that I've been able to (I missed parts of San Fran/LA Rams vs. Cowboys due to delayed flights). I haven't noticed a big difference. Seems like the same ol Cowboys and the same ol bull refs and the league try and pull against us. I still enjoy the games though.

 

[calico]

Felt "off" to me last year but cowboys were interesting. The NFL is just not a good product overall right now

 

[JBS]

Nope. I'm right there with you. I'm still watching all of the Cowboys games, but my interest in the rest of the league has dropped significantly...I'm missing games I would never miss in the past. The last two weeks I haven't even watched the early games..the league is going downhill, I don't question that at all..

 

[davey999]

I have to agree. Very good points made, there.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

Once the ball is kicked... I feel it's the same..... despite the rain last Sunday.. my stomach was in knots as if it were Romo, Aikman, E. Smith/Rypien, Thiesman, Portis... If you love the game, you love the game imo

 

[jazzcat22]

Maybe, however, I've been a fan of the NFL since I was like 10-11 years old. For my entire life I've gone out of my way to watch the best NFL games on TV each week that weren't Cowboys games. I've been a person why has typically had the Thursday night, Sunday night, or Monday night games on the background while catching up with email in the evenings / etc.

I'm just not feeling it anymore. I don't care about those other games -- even the ones between two good teams.

Again, maybe it's just me .

It's 100% not just you. I'm shocked at how quickly I find myself becoming ambivalent about a game I've been avid about my whole life. When the Cowboys are eliminated, I've no longer got any interest whatsoever in how the season turns out. That's crazy for me.

I am that way this also. Watched most every game in the past, and had NFL ST from 1997 until 2013. DTV passed me off and cancelled DTV. Got ST for free last year after going back to DTV but didn't have much of a choice. It took me 2 months and 4 different people complaining to AT&T, for a legitimate complaint unrelated to ST. But they gave it to me for free this year. But now I don't care that I have it...except...

I like it for the Bengals games, and other competitive games if on, like say if GB was playing and I want to watch them lose. But now I wouldn't even care about that game. I did not watch last nights game, I didn't watch MNF either, just a few plays here and there.
It is for many reasons, but mostly for the Zeke rail roading that has me not watching, I have not watched any NFL related shows at all this week, until they said Zeke will play on Sunday, so I turned on NFLN to see what they were saying.

I will watch the Bengals game Sunday, and change over to Broncos Eagles game now and then. Watch Cowboys game, but probably not the dolphins Raiders other than check in on it once in a while.
I will only watch some of the Lions. Packers game just to see if GB can lose on MNF.

I m slowly weening myself of of the games I deem not important. I have better things to do.

 

[CATCH17]

NFL / Cowboys / Football all feel "off" to me this season and I wonder if we'll look back at the 2017 season someday as being the year where things started going south in a big way. Random thoughts on this topic:

• The incredible unfairness of the NFL's prosecution (so to speak) of the Zeke Elliot suspension. I don't think Elliot is a choir boy, however, in this country we strongly believe that someone is "innocent until proven guilty" and I don't think anyone has any faith the NFL has any more insights on Zeke's innocence / guilt than the legal system did

• Unexciting football. The Salary Cap, Parity, whatever you want to call it -- there are really no great/dominant teams with the exception of <maybe> the Patriots. It's hard to hate other teams with a passion like yesteryear.

• Extreme emphasis on offensive football and passing in general. I think they've gone too far with it.

• Watering down of football -- NFL games on Thursday Night, Sunday, Sunday Night, and Monday Night might be one day to many for me. I could do without Thursday night football

• The anthem thing. I will refrain stating my opinion on this other than to say the whole thing, top to bottom, is a huge black-eye for the players, owners, and the NFL. Putting the actual act aside for a moment, the players and NFL front office, and NFL league office have handled it horribly

• NFL head injuries (concussions) changing the way football is viewed by kids and parents of kids. I see a trend where I live where parents (especially dads) no longer urge their boys to play football. Most of them, and as a father of a 12 year old I fall into this category, am <OK> if they just stick to soccer / basketball / etc. Striving to play in the NFL someday is no longer a wonderful thing when we are finding the 50-75% of NFL players retire with CTE

• Beyond kids not opting to play football, my limited view of my son and his friend group (all 12-13 years old) is NONE of them care about the NFL. They are all passionate about the NBA and generally speaking I think the NBA is doing a great job of tailoring their sport to today's youth. Basketball, like soccer, is an infinitely more approachable sport than football. Anybody can play basketball or soccer to a certain extent. My main point here is the general sadness that my son doesn't seem to care, despite my best efforts, about the NFL and I don't get to enjoy the experience with him. I end up watching NBA games with him, the NBA will never be anything but slightly interesting to me

• Removing violence (bit hits, tackling a QB low, etc) from the game IMHO is taking a slow toll on the game. Don't get me wrong, each of these things taken by itself, seems like a good decision. Having said that, the game almost seems to be trending to towards flag football.

Sorry for the rant. It's probably just me, however, the game seems to be losing some of it's luster for me. I am less excited about Sundays. I care MUCH LESS about watching football outside of the Cowboys playing than ever before. Just feels weird.

Anybody else feeling this way?

I’m right there with you but for some reason I feel like we get that feeling back this week and we smash the Chiefs who are the best team in football.

 

[ShortRound]

Lots of mediocre teams, with mediocre QB's Not many big name gunslingers around.

Plus the protests have been distracting this year.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I haven't watched any games but Cowboy games since week 2 and am not changing anytime soon.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

I haven't watched any games but Cowboy games since week 2 and am not changing anytime soon.

Why? What happened?