Losing interest in the NFL

[Trademark]

Anyone else besides me losing interest in the NFL? College football is slowly becoming my new favorite it's just more exciting. I'm just tired of the terrible officiating at the pro level and my Bengals always getting robbed.

[GMDino]

(09-20-2016, 07:16 AM)Trademark Wrote: Anyone else besides me losing interest in the NFL? College football is slowly becoming my new favorite it's just more exciting. I'm just tired of the terrible officiating at the pro level and my Bengals always getting robbed.

My level of interest goes up and down over the years...even for watching Steelers games.  I will still follow but sometimes I just have other things to do.  But my son is 14 and he loves football right now so I'm back to watching it again jsut so I can keep up when he's talking about it!  

[*michaelsean*]

I've been on a decline for years. If you look at it logically, being a sports fan is really weird. For most of us, we pick our team based on our city. It says our city name on their jerseys. Virtually nobody on the team is from that city, and likely had never been there until they joined the team. You don't know them, and they don't know you, and they really aren't even concerned with you because they have no idea who you are. We defend these people when they do wrong, we argue they are the best at their position just because they happen to be on our team at the time. We emotionally invest in people we will likely never meet.

[Vas Deferens]

^^^^^ spot on

Still can't get over wasting my Sunday on it though.

[GMDino]

(09-20-2016, 09:41 AM)michaelsean Wrote: I've been on a decline for years.  If you look at it logically, being a sports fan is really weird.  For most of us, we pick our team based on our city.  It says our city name on their jerseys.  Virtually nobody on the team is from that city, and likely had never been there until they joined the team.  You don't know them, and they don't know you, and they really aren't even concerned with you because they have no idea who you are.  We defend these people when they do wrong, we argue they are the best at their position just because they happen to be on our team at the time.  We emotionally invest in people we will likely never meet.

All of that.  And even though I don't follow college football much at all I still try to know what the "local" teams are doing for those same reasons.

[Belsnickel]

I'm there. I catch a game here and there if nothing else is on or I'm not doing anything, but I don't go out of my way to watch a game. I follow standings and look to see who won, but the combination of the way the league has gone and the glass shattering effect of seeing just how much actual action you see during those three hours kind of ruined it, same for baseball for me. College level, well, I go to/work at an FCS school so I don't even pay much attention to all of the college football hype that most people do. Except for when we hosted Gameday last year, and then promptly lost the game.

[BmorePat87]

Wow, I figured you stopped watching when they let Michael Sam join the league.

[leonardfan40]

(09-20-2016, 07:16 AM)Trademark Wrote: Anyone else besides me losing interest in the NFL? College football is slowly becoming my new favorite it's just more exciting. I'm just tired of the terrible officiating at the pro level and my Bengals always getting robbed.

Been feeling the same way and was just saying the same thing the other day. College is way more exciting, and I never thought I'd be one of those fans that could prefer college when there was a higher level of football to watch. Goodell really has done a number on this league and the product they put out there, hopefully he gets the boot soon and they find a competent commissioner to run things before it's too late 

[*michaelsean*]

(09-20-2016, 10:31 AM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Wow, I figured you stopped watching when they let Michael Sam join the league.

Yeah but that was just like a bye week and then he was gone, and we could watch again.

[snowy]

I don't want to do anything rash two games into the season, but I'm getting there, because the Bengals are giving me all kinds of reasons to lose interest. I can't be arsed to watch if the Bengals aren't going to establish a decent running game that works (i.e., like in 2014). Moreover, if the Bengals aren't going to do right, then they don't deserve to win. I walked away from the NFL once, and I'll do it again.

[BengalHawk62]

I've always been a Saturday football kind of guy.  Saturday football is the meat and potatoes of my football weekends.  NFL football was just the icing on the cake.  and now that the Bungles are back, I don't eat cake anymore.  I'm more of a pie kind of guy. 

[GMDino]

(09-20-2016, 02:34 PM)snowy Wrote: I don't want to do anything rash two games into the season, but I'm getting there, because the Bengals are giving me all kinds of reasons to lose interest. I can't be arsed to watch if the Bengals aren't going to establish a decent running game that works (i.e., like in 2014). Moreover, if the Bengals aren't going to do right, then they don't deserve to win. I walked away from the NFL once, and I'll do it again.

My interest doesn't even rely on the Steelers winning or losing just if I don't feel like watching.  Some weeks I'd rather listen to the radio broadcast while I'm outside working and some weeks I am glued to RedZone from 1pm until they go off the air! 

[Dill]

(09-20-2016, 09:41 AM)michaelsean Wrote: I've been on a decline for years.  If you look at it logically, being a sports fan is really weird.  For most of us, we pick our team based on our city.  It says our city name on their jerseys.  Virtually nobody on the team is from that city, and likely had never been there until they joined the team.  You don't know them, and they don't know you, and they really aren't even concerned with you because they have no idea who you are.  We defend these people when they do wrong, we argue they are the best at their position just because they happen to be on our team at the time.  We emotionally invest in people we will likely never meet.

Some interesting points there. Pro football is not at all like high school, where you know people in your community, maybe even eventually watch your own kids or your friends kids play.

And yet people get deeply invested in the outcome of games. Fans punch one another, etc. Maybe its not so different from watching a soap opera and crying when the heroin gets a divorce or loses her baby.

[JS-Steelerfan]

One thing that lowered my enthusiasm was watching the movie 'Concussion'. I recognize that all movies are over-dramatized to make a point, but it is a bit scary to think that the sport I enjoy watching could lead to ruining many guys' lives. My brother has pretty much quit the NFL cold turkey over that issue, and that was before he even saw the movie. I'm not there yet, but it has definitely tempered my enthusiasm.

[BengalHawk62]

(09-20-2016, 04:16 PM)JS-Steelerfan Wrote: One thing that lowered my enthusiasm was watching the movie 'Concussion'.  I recognize that all movies are over-dramatized to make a point, but it is a bit scary to think that the sport I enjoy watching could lead to ruining many guys' lives.  My brother has pretty much quit the NFL cold turkey over that issue, and that was before he even saw the movie.  I'm not there yet, but it has definitely tempered my enthusiasm.

Did you ever play high school football?  If so, did you ever get a concussion while playing?  I got one while playing my junior year. Don't remember the 2nd half at all.  Just know we lost and the next thing I remember was waking up in my parents living room Saturday morning.  Back then it was called, 'just getting your bell rung.'  We were fine, just had to smell some stinkin' salt and shake it off.  That's just one game.  Who knows how many I actually had in practice. 

I refuse to watch that movie.  I don't know why, but I have no desire to watch it.   I think it might be because my interest in football is already waning a little and I'm afraid the movie will push me over the edge.  Also, I might be a little apprehensive to learn just what happens to your brain after a couple hits and getting your bell rung.

[Dill]

(09-20-2016, 05:51 PM)BengalHawk62 Wrote: Did you ever play high school football?  If so, did you ever get a concussion while playing?  I got one while playing my junior year. Don't remember the 2nd half at all.  Just know we lost and the next thing I remember was waking up in my parents living room Saturday morning.  Back then it was called, 'just getting your bell rung.'  We were fine, just had to smell some stinkin' salt and shake it off.  That's just one game.  Who knows how many I actually had in practice. 

I refuse to watch that movie.  I don't know why, but I have no desire to watch it.   I think it might be because my interest in football is already waning a little and I'm afraid the movie will push me over the edge.  Also, I might be a little apprehensive to learn just what happens to your brain after a couple hits and getting your bell rung.

I played back in the late 60s. I don't recall anyone every talking about "concussions," though. I remember getting my "bell rung" a couple of times, but never bad enough to forget an entire half! I think our helmets were not as good as the one's nowdays either, kind of loose-fitting.

[GMDino]

(09-20-2016, 05:51 PM)BengalHawk62 Wrote: Did you ever play high school football?  If so, did you ever get a concussion while playing?  I got one while playing my junior year. Don't remember the 2nd half at all.  Just know we lost and the next thing I remember was waking up in my parents living room Saturday morning.  Back then it was called, 'just getting your bell rung.'  We were fine, just had to smell some stinkin' salt and shake it off.  That's just one game.  Who knows how many I actually had in practice. 

I refuse to watch that movie.  I don't know why, but I have no desire to watch it.   I think it might be because my interest in football is already waning a little and I'm afraid the movie will push me over the edge.  Also, I might be a little apprehensive to learn just what happens to your brain after a couple hits and getting your bell rung.

The son of a friend of mine got hit pretty good a couple years ago (high school football) and by the time his dad got to the sidelines they said he had a concussion because he answered one of the questions wrong.  He knew the day and his name and where he was but when they asked him what color his bedroom walls were he said black.  My buddy said, no...he got that right they painted them black!

(09-20-2016, 09:01 PM)Dill Wrote: I played back in the late 60s. I don't recall anyone every talking about "concussions," though. I remember getting my "bell rung" a couple of times, but never bad enough to forget an entire half! I think our helmets were not as good as the one's nowdays either, kind of loose-fitting.

"Bell rung" and "manning up" is what "concussions" and "play or you'll get cut" were back in the 60's.

Although I do think the improvement of helmets and pads have led to maybe more reckless play as players think they are safer. And they have helmets that are better at preventing concussions but that company doesn't have a deal with the NFL.

[Vlad]

(09-20-2016, 02:34 PM)snowy Wrote: I don't want to do anything rash two games into the season, but I'm getting there, because the Bengals are giving me all kinds of reasons to lose interest. I can't be arsed to watch if the Bengals aren't going to establish a decent running game that works (i.e., like in 2014). Moreover, if the Bengals aren't going to do right, then they don't deserve to win. I walked away from the NFL once, and I'll do it again.

Three words describe all of that...fair weather fan.  You are looked down upon by your bengal brethren and are considered less of a fan than these courageous bengal fans who stick with their team through good times and mostly bad.

Fair weather fans aren't as subhuman as bandwagon fans though. At least you don't jump on the bandwagon of a team that's doing good which describes 99.99% of Steeler fans.

[count35]

(09-21-2016, 03:19 AM)Vlad Wrote: Three words describe all of that...fair weather fan.  You are looked down upon by your bengal brethren and are considered less of a fan than these courageous bengal fans who stick with their team through good times and mostly bad.

Fair weather fans aren't as subhuman as bandwagon fans though. At least you don't jump on the bandwagon of a team that's doing good which describes 99.99% of Steeler fans.

Blah Blah Blah.....I've been a season ticket holder for over 12 years....until this year! Previous to that i followed the Bengals and NFL for over 25 years. I've subscribed to Sunday Ticket for the past 8 years as well. I've even travelled to see games as far away as San Diego, Dallas, Kansas City and at least 6 other cities!

I love how YOU can judge anyone's loyalty or passion and claim to "look down" on someone! I too have grown tired of the path the NFL is taking. It's a slow march to obscurity for this sport with head injuries and the like taking precedent. The game, if still around will look much different in less than 20 years! It already is different.

The things that people loved about the game are slowly being striped away. So yes i'm sure you'll call even ME a fair weather fan or even......god help us....a bandwagon one, but the fact is that it's just not the same anymore! My passion is for something that no longer exists.

[xxlt]

(09-20-2016, 09:41 AM)michaelsean Wrote: I've been on a decline for years.  If you look at it logically, being a sports fan is really weird.  For most of us, we pick our team based on our city.  It says our city name on their jerseys.  Virtually nobody on the team is from that city, and likely had never been there until they joined the team.  You don't know them, and they don't know you, and they really aren't even concerned with you because they have no idea who you are.  We defend these people when they do wrong, we argue they are the best at their position just because they happen to be on our team at the time.  We emotionally invest in people we will likely never meet.

Good point.