They've been slowly chipping away at the game making it less enjoyable and the players are becoming less likeable,,, and now becoming overtly politicized was the worst thing the league could do.
Initially yes but it also attracts other fringe fans that those stances represent.
The game has become less attractive though due to the owners not the players. With the exception of their personal conduct .
The owners are the ones who swept the CTE issues under the rug for decades which came back to bite them which brought on all of these rule changes so many fans dislike.
And it’s the owners who implemented the Salary Cap which has placed more attention and the effects in team building on players salaries.
The TV contracts , new stadiums with increased ticket prices along with stadium sponsorships is driving the increase in revenue which is all basically driven by the fans .
I recall a time when players were just part time athletes with regular jobs in the offseason. But the owners were still multi millionaires. What’s changed is the amount of money and attention fans generate and contribute in attendance and viewership.
