the minimum wage thing is super shady because they provide far more skill sets/value of mimimum wage and they have very unusual hours when it comes to practice and media appearences that is rarely kept consistent. on top of travel requirements and uniforms that they have to pay for not the NFL. I would like to see what a typical NFL caliber dancer makes in other jobs in the field such as a backstage dancer for some TV show. it's just another example of the NFL skirting by on the bare minimum which is makes the entire league look greedy and vulnerable for a fiasco of some kind.

as for the stadiums my issue is that the owners are always sticking the cities for more money, avoid liability (reggie bush fiasco), and don't even give back to the taxpayers. the taxpayers pay for the stadium then have to suffer insanely high ticket prices, media blackouts, and the owners keep all of the stadiumrev. not to mention the off chance the team leaves the city.

(12-13-2016 05:42 PM)john01992 Wrote:  the minimum wage thing is super shady because they provide far more skill sets/value of mimimum wage and they have very unusual hours when it comes to practice and media appearences that is rarely kept consistent. on top of travel requirements and uniforms that they have to pay for not the NFL. I would like to see what a typical NFL caliber dancer makes in other jobs in the field such as a backstage dancer for some TV show. it's just another example of the NFL skirting by on the bare minimum which is makes the entire league look greedy and vulnerable for a fiasco of some kind.
as for the stadiums my issue is that the owners are always sticking the cities for more money, avoid liability (reggie bush fiasco), and don't even give back to the taxpayers. the taxpayers pay for the stadium then have to suffer insanely high ticket prices, media blackouts, and the owners keep all of the stadiumrev. not to mention the off chance the team leaves the city.

Yeah, things would be so much better if the mean old owners didn't have to take those nasty profits. Why shouldn't they be happy just to lose money? After all, they're rich, they can afford to lose money, they don't need it.

(12-13-2016 10:34 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(12-13-2016 05:42 PM)john01992 Wrote:  the minimum wage thing is super shady because they provide far more skill sets/value of mimimum wage and they have very unusual hours when it comes to practice and media appearences that is rarely kept consistent. on top of travel requirements and uniforms that they have to pay for not the NFL. I would like to see what a typical NFL caliber dancer makes in other jobs in the field such as a backstage dancer for some TV show. it's just another example of the NFL skirting by on the bare minimum which is makes the entire league look greedy and vulnerable for a fiasco of some kind.
as for the stadiums my issue is that the owners are always sticking the cities for more money, avoid liability (reggie bush fiasco), and don't even give back to the taxpayers. the taxpayers pay for the stadium then have to suffer insanely high ticket prices, media blackouts, and the owners keep all of the stadiumrev. not to mention the off chance the team leaves the city.

Yeah, things would be so much better if the mean old owners didn't have to take those nasty profits. Why shouldn't they be happy just to lose money? After all, they're rich, they can afford to lose money, they don't need it.

and what? the taxpayers are rich and they can afford to lose money? jeez I thought you were libertarian.

Have watched very little NFL this year. Did watch a bit of the Cowboys to see Prescott. When the NFL Commissioner made his pitiful comments about Trump, I have a feeling he lost a lot of us deplorables.

I don't think it's Kaepernick, per se....

I think its the pollution of sports with politics. Sports used to be something that could unite us and now, it seems, every fringe social justice movement is taking the spotlight.

Product isn't any good.

Commercials are out of control.

For instance, I have NFL Game Pass- Europe, where I can watch any live game on demand on Sundays. Last Sunday there was a time when 7 or 8 early games were on.....and they were ALL IN COMMERCIAL BREAKS and it wasn't halftime.

Team scores TD
Commercials so refs can spend 10 minutes reviewing it
kick PAT
Commercials
Kickoff
Commercials
Team goes 3 and out
Commercials
Next possession, guy gets wind knocked out of him
Commercials
Field Goal
Commercials
Kickoff
Commercials

Wash, rinse, repeat.

It's reached a point of stupidity.

If it ends up being Dallas vs. New England or Oakland in the Super Bowl, then that game will generate the top ratings of the year. Now if it ends up being Kansas City vs. Detroit (or Atlanta), it's going to be way, way down.

There are a lot more issues at play than just Kaepernick (and the other ones mentioned in this thread). Others include parity (we're looking at you AFC South), free agency (too many guys jumping from team to team) and injuries to marquee players (J.J. Watt, Gronkowski, AJ Green, Luke Kuechly, a bunch of QB injuries, etc.). Baseball was able to bounce back from its major issues 20 years ago and I think the NFL will do the same. Eventually.

Two predictions.

First, the NFL will do whatever it takes to get Dallas to the Super Bowl. Outside of Seattle and New York, they are absolutely dreading the prospect of Detroit, Atlanta and Tampa Bay in Super Bowl 51 in Houston (this coming after Carolina making it last year). Those three teams will get zero calls in the playoffs if they are playing Dallas.

Secondly, there was a small story which didn't generate a ton of attention but I think it's an indication of things to come. Demeco Ryans sued the Texans for an injury he suffered a few years back in a preseason game when he was with Philadelphia and they were playing the Texans. He blew out a knee I believe on the Texans' joke of a turf (which was quickly replaced after the game) and his career has never been the same. I think you're going to see more and more players in the future suing teams and not just the NFL over individual injuries suffered to field issues. The biggest type of injury I think will be concussion injuries where players' helmets hit the turf hard as I believe players and lawyers will argue that the field was too hard (although sometimes it's the weather which has created a concrete type playing surface).

(12-14-2016 07:04 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Two predictions.

First, the NFL will do whatever it takes to get Dallas to the Super Bowl. Outside of Seattle and New York, they are absolutely dreading the prospect of Detroit, Atlanta and Tampa Bay in Super Bowl 51 in Houston (this coming after Carolina making it last year). Those three teams will get zero calls in the playoffs if they are playing Dallas.

Secondly, there was a small story which didn't generate a ton of attention but I think it's an indication of things to come. Demeco Ryans sued the Texans for an injury he suffered a few years back in a preseason game when he was with Philadelphia and they were playing the Texans. He blew out a knee I believe on the Texans' joke of a turf (which was quickly replaced after the game) and his career has never been the same. I think you're going to see more and more players in the future suing teams and not just the NFL over individual injuries suffered to field issues. The biggest type of injury I think will be concussion injuries where players' helmets hit the turf hard as I believe players and lawyers will argue that the field was too hard (although sometimes it's the weather which has created a concrete type playing surface).

Agreed.

The NFL made sure that the Saints won it all in 2009. If they want a team to win, they will make it sure that it has a very good chance of happening.

(12-14-2016 05:47 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  Product isn't any good.

Commercials are out of control.

For instance, I have NFL Game Pass- Europe, where I can watch any live game on demand on Sundays. Last Sunday there was a time when 7 or 8 early games were on.....and they were ALL IN COMMERCIAL BREAKS and it wasn't halftime.

Team scores TD
Commercials so refs can spend 10 minutes reviewing it
kick PAT
Commercials
Kickoff
Commercials
Team goes 3 and out
Commercials
Next possession, guy gets wind knocked out of him
Commercials
Field Goal
Commercials
Kickoff
Commercials

Wash, rinse, repeat.

It's reached a point of stupidity.

And it all miraculously ends in exactly 3 hours.

Isn't it interesting that the same people who want actors and actresses to shut up about their political leanings expect football players to show their patriotism on national television before their games?

Oh the hypocrisy.

(12-14-2016 05:47 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  Product isn't any good.
Commercials are out of control.
For instance, I have NFL Game Pass- Europe, where I can watch any live game on demand on Sundays. Last Sunday there was a time when 7 or 8 early games were on.....and they were ALL IN COMMERCIAL BREAKS and it wasn't halftime.
Team scores TD
Commercials so refs can spend 10 minutes reviewing it
kick PAT
Commercials
Kickoff
Commercials
Team goes 3 and out
Commercials
Next possession, guy gets wind knocked out of him
Commercials
Field Goal
Commercials
Kickoff
Commercials
Wash, rinse, repeat.
It's reached a point of stupidity.

Coming back from the Rugby World Cup in 1999, I changed planes in Detroit (using frequent flyer miles on then-Northwest that I had earned on all my trips to Williston Basin). While I was waiting, I ducked into a snack bar to get a hot dog. Sunday afternoon, NFL game was on, Steelers versus some team I don't remember. There was a challenge to a call on the field. The call on the field was overturned, and as a result they had to take extra time to figure out where to place the ball. I managed to order a hot dog and coke, they prepared it, and I ate it (OK, FBO and others on here know that I am a fast eater), all in less time than it took to complete the review. I sat there and thought to myself, "Now I remember why I'd rather watch rugby than the NFL."

And oh, by the way, more Americans over the age of 22 play rugby than football.

(12-14-2016 09:59 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  Isn't it interesting that the same people who want actors and actresses to shut up about their political leanings expect football players to show their patriotism on national television before their games?

Oh the hypocrisy.

so the left hates this country? got it!

Cue MplsBison to tell us it's the bigots fault the ratings are dropping.

People play football after college?

I have no interest in the NFL. Not even the Super Bowl. And if I did, I would only watch in DVR turbo mode or the Red Zone. My football watching:

GT games live > ESPN Goal Line > ACC games live > ANY college football on with ANY team ANY day > CFL (nicely timed to help get through offseason) > AFL (if it is still alive next year ... nicely timed to help get through offseason)

what's your beef with the NFL GTS?

(12-14-2016 10:54 AM)john01992 Wrote:  what's your beef with the NFL GTS?

no triple option.

(12-14-2016 02:25 AM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  I don't think it's Kaepernick, per se....

I think its the pollution of sports with politics. Sports used to be something that could unite us and now, it seems, every fringe social justice movement is taking the spotlight.

That and today there is just too much football. I mean, there seems to be a game on every day now whether it be pro or college. Sunday NFL football used to be an event. Now it is just anouther day with a football game. Ovesaturation or greed, take your pick.

(12-14-2016 10:55 AM)fsquid Wrote:  

(12-14-2016 10:54 AM)john01992 Wrote:  what's your beef with the NFL GTS?

no triple option.

(12-14-2016 10:57 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(12-14-2016 02:25 AM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  I don't think it's Kaepernick, per se....

I think its the pollution of sports with politics. Sports used to be something that could unite us and now, it seems, every fringe social justice movement is taking the spotlight.

That and today there is just too much football. I mean, there seems to be a game on every day now whether it be pro or college. Sunday NFL football used to be an event. Now it is just anouther day with a football game. Ovesaturation or greed, take your pick.

maybe they should actually try enforcing the telecommunications act that first told the NFL to play on Sunday, CFB on Saturday, and high school on Friday.

it's borderline comical how modern TV companies have basically circumvented the original ground rules for TV.