NFL Watch-ability and Future

[jfkbengals]

(09-28-2015, 03:02 PM)Blake2Pickens Wrote: The average NFL game has 11 minutes of true live action in the 4 hour broadcast.  

The easiest way to refute this is by pointing out DirecTVs replays.  These come out late Sunday night/early Monday morning.  The ONLY thing shown is snap to whistle.  The running clock is removed.  Replays are removed.  They last 30 minutes, and will sometimes have to cut kickoffs and punts that end in touch backs in order to fit it into 30 minutes.

And since it is a subscription offering, there are no commercials, just 30 minutes of plays.

(09-28-2015, 03:41 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Also if holding happens on every play, call it every damn time until the players stop holding.

This will be the opposite of what the OP wants.  Holding has ALWAYS happened on every play and historically was only occasionally called (go back to the 70's and the "if you aren't cheating, you aren't trying" mantra).  Only in the last 10 years has the number of holding calls really increased.  The OP seems to want the game to return to the early 2000s, so holding should happen routinely and rarely get called.

[Joelist]

(09-28-2015, 03:41 PM)PhilHos Wrote: I agree. Get rid of the judgement call penalties and the games will be a lot smoother. Also if holding happens on every play, call it every damn time until the players stop holding. Then the games will truly be decided by the players.

Side note: how interesting would an NFL game be if every loose ball was a live ball? In other words, the only time play stops is when the player carrying the ball is tackled. No more tuck rule, going to the ground non-catches, heck, no more dropped passes. Games would certainly be exciting, especially passes over the middle.

Alternately both clean up the wording on Holding so it isn't a judgment call and then call it every time.

Another big issue is the utter inconsistency between crews. What is a blizzard of calls for PI to one crew is nothing to the next crew. The answer to that has been proposed for years - real professional refs who have to "go to NFL University", get an official certification based on a TOUGH exam and also keep that certification up regularly. And emphasize heavily in the training that if they see "this" then call it - no judgment calls.  Now I am sure we'll still have some of today's issues but the natural effect of this process will be more consistency between crews and also fewer "howlers" by the zebras.

[NATI BENGALS]

They are ruining the game with all the penalties. Let them play. The way it is set up now any game can be rigged. They can throw a flag on any play. And it just seems fishy.

It is getting really hard to watch these flag fest games where the ref thinks they should effect the outcome more than the guys actually playing. If they try to go ahead and put another ref on the field to throw even more flags like they did in the pre season they will be very close to totally turning me off of NFL football.

[jfkbengals]

(09-28-2015, 03:02 PM)Blake2Pickens Wrote: Injuries are through the roof (Even tho team can not even play defense)

Wanted to discuss this one separately.

I, too, thought that there had been more injuries over the last few years.

One of the Sirius NFL Radio shows looked it up due to the number of callers feeling this way, and there has been no change to the number of players going on IR or injury reports than have historically have happened.

There has been an increase in certain types of injuries, but there has also been a reduction in other types.

Seems to me the increase in certain types has led to the false opinion of injuries increasing, i.e. seeing more of a type we aren't used to seeing makes us feel all injuries have increased.

[jfkbengals]

(09-28-2015, 06:59 PM)Joelist Wrote: Another big issue is the utter inconsistency between crews. What is a blizzard of calls for PI to one crew is nothing to the next crew. The answer to that has been proposed for years - real professional refs who have to "go to NFL University", get an official certification based on a TOUGH exam and also keep that certification up regularly. And emphasize heavily in the training that if they see "this" then call it - no judgment calls.  Now I am sure we'll still have some of today's issues but the natural effect of this process will be more consistency between crews and also fewer "howlers" by the zebras.

This is, in my opinion, the biggest problem with penalties.  I also agree with the solution of full time officials, not guys taking some time off from their booming legal practices.  Spend the whole offseason reviewing and testing them with every pass that occured in the prior season to be sure they can get it right.

[BengalChris]

(09-28-2015, 03:02 PM)Blake2Pickens Wrote: IMO, the game play has deteriorated rapidly in the last 10 years.

in 2005, 8 NFL QBs finished the season with an Passer Rating over 90.  2 Had over 100 Ratings.  

in 2005 1 QB had over 30 TDs (Palmer)


Last year 16 Qbs had over a 90 rating for the season, and 4 were over 100.

9 tossed over 30 TDs.



This season, more penalties have been called than in any stretch of games in the history of the NFL.

More plays are being reviewed

More Calls are getting blown.

More commercials are being shown

Injuries are through the roof (Even tho team can not even play defense)


The average NFL game has 11 minutes of true live action in the 4 hour broadcast.  


Grated, I understand why most of this is happening -  Rule changes to favor the offense, shift away from running to an air attack, more controlled field and weather conditions,   bigger, stronger, faster athletes.


I am just curious if anyone else feels the same drop in quality of play?  4 quarters,  40 commercial breaks,  2 two min warnings, 5 challenges, 3 booth reviews, 20+ penalties.....

I feel like I am 12 years old again, trying to watch scrambled porn on my parents TV.  And the actual NFL plays that stand without flags or reviews are the fleeting rainbow colored whole boob shots you used to get once every 30 minutes of watching.


I do not think the current penalty trend is sustainable for the NFL.  People will lose interest, hell even players will too.

Other than that, Who  Fing Dey

NFL skews rules toward offense. Fans like scoring apparently, but I believe they respect defense more.

The sissy rules that we have today are the product of NFL marketing and the player's union lawsuits over injuries, as if players didn't know they could get hurt.

[Stormborn]

(09-28-2015, 05:00 PM)Bengal Dude Wrote: The only issues that bother me when watching a game is when the game goes to a commercial after a score, comes back for the kickoff, and then goes back to commercial. That's just ridiculous.

As for the commercial breaks, they don't bother me except I'm losing my mind over the thousands and thousands of draftkings and fanduel commericials.

Biggest most irradiating pet peeve with broadcasts. Gotta take advantage of every dead ball.

I don't know what those two things are, but I am curious, do you know how I can play fantasy football, preferably with a potential cash prize, but without a season long commitment?

I should probably patent the idea now just to be safe.

[Guy Incognito]

(09-28-2015, 03:02 PM)Blake2Pickens Wrote: The average NFL game has 11 minutes of true live action in the 4 hour broadcast.  

I don't think that's very fair to use as an argument though.  There's plenty that either goes on or gives you a chance to think about/anticipate what is about to happen between the whistles.  I enjoy having half a minute or so between plays to digest what I just saw and think about what might come next.  You could say that a soccer game has over 90 minutes of true live action, but only the most delusional fan of that sport (and lord knows there are plenty) would argue that the entire time is truly "action".

[*michaelsean*]

(09-29-2015, 01:16 AM)Stormborn Wrote: Biggest most irradiating pet peeve with broadcasts. Gotta take advantage of every dead ball.

I don't know what those two things are, but I am curious, do you know how I can play fantasy football, preferably with a potential cash prize, but without a season long commitment?

I should probably patent the idea now just to be safe.

That would never fly.  Gotta have commitment.  If a guy gets injured, you need to be stuck with him.  What you are proposing is a week to week type fantasy football.  If it were legit someone would have done it by now.

[Butchie Tiger]

These flags are getting out of hand, after every nice play by the Bengals I worry if it will be called back.

[fredtoast]

(09-28-2015, 03:43 PM)Blake2Pickens Wrote: 11 MIns, 

http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/pie-chart-actual-football-watching-nfl-game-vs-replays-commercials-etc/

Same as in 1970.

Sounds like you are bitching just too hear yourself whine.

In fact, I would bet that the average NFL game today features more plays than back in the 70's.  Running game keeps the clock running more and leads to fewer plays in a game.