(10-30-2018, 12:10 AM)BengalChris Wrote: Yes, and the NFL isn't exactly inspiring fans to watch. The national anthem is just one issue that has turned off millions of fans. Another is the new rules and extra penalties.

And, of course, the big issue for Bengals fans is that Mike Brown is an awful owner and always has been.

The NFL refuses to acknowledge the Anthem issue, but I walk into work or bars and mention the NFL and that's the first thing I hear.... "Screw the NFL, bunch of overpaid whiners".... they have a real issue that have cost them a lot of fans. As for the rest, the prices are out of hand. Ticket prices are not what I would call exhorbitant, but all the periperals like parking, food, drinks, etc. are just gouging. And, after watching games at home on a big screen HDTV, I do somehow feel like I missed the game when I actually go to one, unless I record it to watch afterwards. In the day, when there were small tvs, going in person was a better experience. Now, the home experience is much better for a lot of people. Cook some wings, ribs, etc., pack the fridge full of beer, invite friends over and have a great time for a fraction of the price, and no crowds to deal with. Now I still enjoy going to games, but 1 or 2 a year. No way I would buy season tickets..... (unless I could get really really good seats at a deal)

(10-30-2018, 07:01 AM)Trademark Wrote: The Steelers and Bengals game was packed out

Yeah it was just over 60,000. Then two weeks later it plummeted to 45,000+.

Thats a big drop in just two weeks. Take out the Steeler fans in attendance, losing to Steelers like how they did, then getting destroyed on the biggest regular season national stage there is, and Marvin as head coach, it's not really shocking actually.

It's possible most of the economic and social reasons people aren't going to NFL games would be more suited to the P&R forum. But generally, I'd say the home experience is better than the old days and people just don't have the disposable income to "waste" on going to a football game. People these days might think it's a logical argument to tell someone he shouldn't waste money on going to football games unless he has his house/car paid off and his whole family has healthcare...and so on and so forth.

Me? I wouldn't want to pay to take my family to a game and be at the mercy of a drunken crowd. I don't have a wife and kids though, so I don't go to games because I live in NW PA and I'm cheap.

Honestly? I live 10 minutes from the stadium and already have parking (for work) in a downtown garage 5-6 blocks away.

I still don't go to the games. Yet I'm glued to the TV to watch them or record them and watch. Why? Part of it is the expense, but part of it is that the home experience, HD big screen, pause the TV to take a leak, flip to the red zone channel, etc...It's just a more comfortable experience.

Does that make me less of a fan? i certainly hope not. I've got my fan card, just not a fan of going to the game.

We let our season tickets go the following year we lost to the Steelers playoff game. We took our entire family to the game, bought 6 more tix since we only had 4 season tix so everyone could go. Watching my 11 year old with tears streaming down his face because he was so upset and disappointed was enough for me. After 17 years of giving the Bengals our money I was done. My money over those 17 years would have been better spent in my bank account collecting interest for my kids college education.

We are still die hard fans but with more money in our pockets.

(10-30-2018, 01:19 PM)Sled21 Wrote: The NFL refuses to acknowledge the Anthem issue, but I walk into work or bars and mention the NFL and that's the first thing I hear.... "Screw the NFL, bunch of overpaid whiners"

I have watched plenty of games with vets.  The ones squealing the loudest about it never attended an NFL game to begin with.

There might be a few vets who used to go out games but stopped, but it is a miniscule portion of the drop.

Drove 7.5 hours each way for the game and a weekend out of town with my wife. Had a great weekend, and honestly the game was the cheapest part of my weekend since we were partying it up. Love the city, and am coming back in 2 weeks for New Orleans with my wife and kid. Looking forward to seeing Brees in person.

(10-30-2018, 08:57 PM)Brimey Wrote: Drove 7.5 hours each way for the game and a weekend out of town with my wife. Had a great weekend, and honestly the game was the cheapest part of my weekend since we were partying it up. Love the city, and am coming back in 2 weeks for New Orleans with my wife and kid. Looking forward to seeing Brees in person.

We all will, until about 1:06 PM.  It'll be all down hill from there.

(10-30-2018, 08:59 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: We all will, until about 1:06 PM.  It'll be all down hill from there.

Hell, I was hoping to see Fitzpatrick in person on Sunday and quickly learned the meaning of "be careful what you wish for"

(10-30-2018, 03:53 AM)Bilbo Saggins Wrote: The NFL has made it abundantly clear lately that certain teams are allowed to hold and others are not.  It has also made it abundantly clear that certain QBs are worth protecting with superfluous rules while others are not.  Why would anyone pay for that?  That's a shitty product.  

According to Steeler fans, James Harrison was held on nearly every play when he was going after our QBs.

(10-30-2018, 07:28 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I have watched plenty of games with vets.  The ones squealing the loudest about it never attended an NFL game to begin with.

There might be a few vets who used to go out games but stopped, but it is a miniscule portion of the drop.

My experience with the anthem complainers is that the anthem thing quickly leads into them complaining that the athletes are over-paid and should shut up, and so on.  Yes, the anthem issue is a new aspect, but the main complaint people have is the same one I've been hearing for decades.  Athletes make too much money and they're lucky and spoiled rotten little brats and real people like me who do my job are better than them.

Same ol' crap.  Same ol' argument.  Same ol' self-serving nonsense, except now people get to feel like defenders of American values while they inadvertently blast the fundamentals of capitalism.

(10-30-2018, 08:57 PM)Brimey Wrote: Drove 7.5 hours each way for the game and a weekend out of town with my wife. Had a great weekend, and honestly the game was the cheapest part of my weekend since we were partying it up. Love the city, and am coming back in 2 weeks for New Orleans with my wife and kid. Looking forward to seeing Brees in person.

Brees would be the only reason I would pay to go watch that game. Then again I am sucker for stuff like watching legendary players.

But hey, to each their own on going to games or not. Going, not going isn't going to make a difference in what this team does, so fans should enjoy watching them however they want.

But glad you had fun. Cincy can be a fun town for a couple of days or so. Got casinos, aquarium & an official Hofbrauhaus over in Newport thats great to check out, plus few other things.

(10-29-2018, 03:14 PM)sandwedge Wrote: Attendance is down everywhere. Not just in the NFL. Watch a college game and if you aren't a big program, the stadium looks like there are about 1000 people in it.

Question? What top player or who do all of you feel our Bengals should have picked up at the trade deadline??? Think about how you would answer this question as I am with you on thinking they should have make an effort to at least get a tightend, and a linebacker.But who is a worthy dude that would be an immediate upgrade??????

(10-30-2018, 10:35 PM)Nately120 Wrote: According to Steeler fans, James Harrison was held on nearly every play when he was going after our QBs.



My experience with the anthem complainers is that the anthem thing quickly leads into them complaining that the athletes are over-paid and should shut up, and so on.  Yes, the anthem issue is a new aspect, but the main complaint people have is the same one I've been hearing for decades.  Athletes make too much money and they're lucky and spoiled rotten little brats and real people like me who do my job are better than them.

Same ol' crap.  Same ol' argument.  Same ol' self-serving nonsense, except now people get to feel like defenders of American values while they inadvertently blast the fundamentals of capitalism.

Don't forget to mention how 78% of them are bankrupt within 2 years of retirement! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_finances_of_professional_American_athletes

(10-30-2018, 01:20 PM)Millhouse Wrote: Yeah it was just over 60,000. Then two weeks later it plummeted to 45,000+.

Thats a big drop in just two weeks. Take out the Steeler fans in attendance, losing to Steelers like how they did, then getting destroyed on the biggest regular season national stage there is, and Marvin as head coach, it's not really shocking actually.

Maybe ... just maybe ... the 60K+ number was inflated by 15K Squealer fans.

IMHO, too many Bengals ticket holders are too stupid to understand that selling their tickets to Squealer fans is just plain WRONG.

(10-31-2018, 11:50 AM)bengalguy71 Wrote: Don't forget to mention how 78% of them are bankrupt within 2 years of retirement! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_finances_of_professional_American_athletes

A Fortune magazine article states, however, that a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the percentage of NFL players who go bankrupt after two years is a much smaller 1.9%, climbing to 15.7% after 12 years.



Veterans are over-represented among the bankruptcy population, with 14.7 percent of chapter 7 filers and 15.0 percent of chapter 13 filers being veterans, compared to just 10.3 percent of the national population.

(10-31-2018, 11:50 AM)bengalguy71 Wrote: Don't forget to mention how 78% of them are bankrupt within 2 years of retirement! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_finances_of_professional_American_athletes

So I take it you are one of those "How dare they make that much money!" types?

(10-31-2018, 02:10 PM)Nately120 Wrote: So I take it you are one of those "How dare they make that much money!" types?

The term is "jealous".

I doubt there will be any significant long term increase in attendance until Mike and Marvin are no longer running the show ! People know how this ends.

(10-31-2018, 02:10 PM)Nately120 Wrote: So I take it you are one of those "How dare they make that much money!" types?

Nope! Because I'm not one of the numskulls who contribute to their salaries!

Besides that, it really doesn't matter how 'much' they make, because 78% of them don't know how to budget it anyway!

Average salary in the US is $56,516. If you start earning after college at say 25 and retire at 65, that's $2,260,640.00. Most people live comfortably on this and retire with pensions, 401K, IRAs etc.

The minimum wage in the NFL starts at $480,000. Year 2 it's $555.000, year 3 is $630,000, year 4 is $705,000. Even if he just plays 4 years at minimum salary he makes $2,370,000.

They make more than the average US salary and can't manage it like the rest of the country does??

http://www.spotrac.com/blog/nfl-minimum-salaries-for-2018/

(10-31-2018, 05:14 PM)bengalguy71 Wrote: Nope! Because I'm not one of the numskulls who contribute to their salaries!

Besides that, it really doesn't matter how 'much' they make, because 78% of them don't know how to budget it anyway!

Ok, I'll bite...why am I a "numbskull" for being a consumer of the NFL?

EDIT: Let's take the "you vs me" out of it and tell me why spending money on the NFL and its product is a dumb thing to do.