current state of the nfl

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mosscarter
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current state of the nfl

Post by mosscarter »

I'm sure many have heard Mark Cuban's prediction that in 10 years the NFL will implode due to greed and I'm beginning to wonder if we aren't starting to see the writing on the wall now. They have practically taken defense out of the game to the point where Rodger's threw 6 TD's in a half last night? He might be good, but he's not that good. And the Bear's D is bad, but not that bad. Then, big Ben threw 6 TD's back to back weeks are you kidding me? Not to mention, Manning and Brady's weekly 4 or 5 what seems like nearly every other game at least. This league has become like Tecmo Superbowl. Many games are not even competitive anymore. Then, you had many of the players already come out and say the majority don't like the Thursday night games. Overall, the Thursday night games have been a joke all season. And as far as what is going on in London I don't even know what to make of that fiasco. You don't see Manchester United playing regular season games over here. The regular season passing touchdown record stood for how many years before it was broken, and now it could likely be broken yet again this year.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by dead_poet »

The NFL is making cash hand-over-fist. At this point I have no idea what it'd take to slow it down. Thursday game may be a joke, but they're still generating a ton of money/ratings. As fans we can complain all we want, but we still watch. The players and coaches can also complain, but until the games start losing ratings/revenue, it'll be status quo. The Pro Bowl has been a joke for how many years and it still generates solid ratings and they're just now starting to tweak it. Thursday night games are here to stay, though I think it'd be better if they could schedule most of them so they fall after a team's bye.
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Mothman
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by Mothman »

dead_poet wrote:The NFL is making cash hand-over-fist. At this point I have no idea what it'd take to slow it down. Thursday game may be a joke, but they're still generating a ton of money/ratings. As fans we can complain all we want, but we still watch. The players and coaches can also complain, but until the games start losing ratings/revenue, it'll be status quo. The Pro Bowl has been a joke for how many years and it still generates solid ratings and they're just now starting to tweak it. Thursday night games are here to stay, though I think it'd be better if they could schedule most of them so they fall after a team's bye.
That might help them get some more competitive games out of those matchups.

The league has definitely worked hard to appeal to a generation of video-game lovers and casual fans who want to see scoring above all else. They've modified the game to encourage high-scoring aerial displays and honestly, considering the rules, it's amazing that we don't see even more of them. However, as you pointed out, ratings and revenue are thru the roof. I think greed and rules changes may ruin (or at least hurt) the sport for many long-time fans but people are still eating it up and fantasy football has helped make it bigger than ever. Cuban could be right but I don't see many signs of a train that's about to fly off a bridge. The NFL looks more like a train that's still, unbelievably, picking up speed and showing no signs of slowing down.

If it does implode, I don't think greed will be the culprit. I think it will be changing views on the violent nature of the sport and public sentiment toward the amount of violent actions off the field that are associated with the sport.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by Boon »

Every team deserves a primetime shot at least once a year, that's why they do it that way. Otherwise you see the same damn teams, all the damn time.

And as far as the league as a whole becoming better, It's not that simple. The NFL isn't like the NBA and MLB. The issues with those two leagues are large markets and players that would rather play in Miami, LA etc vs playing in Milwaukee. The NBA and MLB can actually control certain aspects if they chose, after possibly large union battles. But it's possible. In the nfl, like it or not, most teams that are successful are tied to elite quarterbacks , and secondly elite defenses. The latter doesn't happen very often. The prior is more common but still rare. You can't just spread top tier quarterbacks around. It's frustrating watching teams like the colts lose arguably the best quarterback to ever play, and jump right in to a #1 pick and grab the best prospect in the last 15 years. It's damn frustrating watching this franchise wobble and waver through like a million coaches who have no idea how the game is played. But you can't possibly fix that. Its a crap shoot, and mostly luck based.


I'm fairly convinced that the vikings have found their coach for the next decade though. Maybe its our time for some luck
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by Mothman »

Boon wrote:Every team deserves a primetime shot at least once a year, that's why they do it that way. Otherwise you see the same damn teams, all the damn time.

And as far as the league as a whole becoming better, It's not that simple. The NFL isn't like the NBA and MLB. The issues with those two leagues are large markets and players that would rather play in Miami, LA etc vs playing in Milwaukee. The NBA and MLB can actually control certain aspects if they chose, after possibly large union battles. But it's possible. In the nfl, like it or not, most teams that are successful are tied to elite quarterbacks , and secondly elite defenses. The latter doesn't happen very often. The prior is more common but still rare. You can't just spread top tier quarterbacks around. It's frustrating watching teams like the colts lose arguably the best quarterback to ever play, and jump right in to a #1 pick and grab the best prospect in the last 15 years. It's damn frustrating watching this franchise wobble and waver through like a million coaches who have no idea how the game is played. But you can't possibly fix that. Its a crap shoot, and mostly luck based.

I'm fairly convinced that the vikings have found their coach for the next decade though. Maybe its our time for some luck
What they can fix are rules that have skewed the game heavily in favor of the QB position,. That's part of what enables the top-tier QBs to put up record-setting numbers year after year. They've thrown the game out of balance. However, in doing so, they've further glorified it's mots popular, most marketable position and made it even easier to sell the sport to a wider audience, so they don't have much motivation to look back to an era where the rules made for a more interesting game (at least that's the view of some of us long-time fans).

I'd argue that the Vikings have had very few, if any, coaches "who have no idea how the game is played". I think their biggest problem has been their inability to adapt to the rules changes by finding that franchise QB and to build a team balanced enough to win it all. In the few years they've done that something has always gone wrong. :(
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by Boon »

Mothman wrote:
I'd argue that the Vikings have had very few, if any, coaches "who have no idea how the game is played". I think their biggest problem has been their inability to adapt to the rules changes by finding that franchise QB and to build a team balanced enough to win it all. In the few years they've done that something has always gone wrong. :(
When I started watching this team les steckel was the coach, enough said lol. Bud grant I think was in there shortly, and past that.....

Burns was decent.
Dennis green . Highest scoring offense ever at the time............dsjhfkjasdhfkjjasdhfkjjhasdkjfhasdjh
Mike #### tice
Chilli who was carried one season by favre, and Frazier who couldn't adjust if his life depended on it, your only argument is before steckel. It's frustrating
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by The Breeze »

But the NFL is a nonprofit :lol:

Cuban seriously overestimates the public as far as the nfl implosion. The only thing imploding are the players heads.

The league isn't as good as it was 6-8 years ago, IMO....it"s a big hot mess.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by Mothman »

Boon wrote: When I started watching this team les steckel was the coach, enough said lol. Bud grant I think was in there shortly, and past that.....

Burns was decent.
Dennis green . Highest scoring offense ever at the time............dsjhfkjasdhfkjjasdhfkjjhasdkjfhasdjh
Mike #### tice
Chilli who was carried one season by favre, and Frazier who couldn't adjust if his life depended on it, your only argument is before steckel. It's frustrating
Three of those coaches got teams into NFC Championship games and very close to Super Bowls so I think it's safe to say they had some idea of how the game is played. :) Frankly, I have no doubt Tice and Frazier did too. I'm not a fan of every coach the Vikes have had (I didn't like Childress much at all) but with the possible exception of Steckel, as head coaches I don't think any of them were incompetent.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by mosscarter »

For me, I really feel like the physicality has been taken out of the defense aspect of the game. Some of the rule adjustments over the past several years have paved the way for qb's to throw 5 and 6 touchdowns in a game. But, on the flip side look at how big some of the blowouts have been this season. I don't ever remember teams putting up this many points consistently.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by The Breeze »

It's becoming like college is some aspects. The teams with 'elite' qbs have such an obvious advantage in certain phases of the game, not too mention the coddling that seems apparent on hits to said qbs, that it's like two different divisions within the league. That's what I see with the blowouts.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by Purpnation »

mosscarter wrote:I'm sure many have heard Mark Cuban's prediction that in 10 years the NFL will implode due to greed and I'm beginning to wonder if we aren't starting to see the writing on the wall now. They have practically taken defense out of the game to the point where Rodger's threw 6 TD's in a half last night? He might be good, but he's not that good. And the Bear's D is bad, but not that bad. Then, big Ben threw 6 TD's back to back weeks are you kidding me? Not to mention, Manning and Brady's weekly 4 or 5 what seems like nearly every other game at least. This league has become like Tecmo Superbowl. Many games are not even competitive anymore. Then, you had many of the players already come out and say the majority don't like the Thursday night games. Overall, the Thursday night games have been a joke all season. And as far as what is going on in London I don't even know what to make of that fiasco. You don't see Manchester United playing regular season games over here. The regular season passing touchdown record stood for how many years before it was broken, and now it could likely be broken yet again this year.
The Bears D is terrible, and Rodgers is the best player in the league, while it certainly isn't normal, I don't think last nights game is a product of the new emphasis on the offensive side of the ball, Lamonica did the same thing back in 69.

As to the NFL imploding, LOL please, not a chance in hell. The NFL is as popular now as it has ever been, implosion within the next ten years is borderline impossible.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by Purpnation »

The Breeze wrote:But the NFL is a nonprofit :lol:

Cuban seriously overestimates the public as far as the nfl implosion. The only thing imploding are the players heads.

The league isn't as good as it was 6-8 years ago, IMO....it"s a big hot mess.
And yet, it is more popular then ever, from the NFLs point of view, things have never been better.

Maybe its cause I'm young, but I don't understand what the big deal is with the offense taking center stage in todays NFL, Defense ruled the league for many a year, didn't you guys get your fill of 10-7 games in the 70s? :)
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by fiestavike »

Purpnation wrote: The Bears D is terrible, and Rodgers is the best player in the league, while it certainly isn't normal, I don't think last nights game is a product of the new emphasis on the offensive side of the ball, Lamonica did the same thing back in 69.

As to the NFL imploding, LOL please, not a chance in hell. The NFL is as popular now as it has ever been, implosion within the next ten years is borderline impossible.

I think there is a certain concern for the NFL, which is that they are losing some interest from the hardcore fans of the game who have been following it for decades and can hardly recognize what game they are playing out there, but their incredible exposure is building their viewership among casual fans who don't pay close attention or care much, and just enjoy seeing explosive plays and lots of scoring. Currently, we old school football fans have no real alternative, but should a real alternative emerge it could pose a real threat to the NFL among its REAL BASE. I would love to see an 8 team league that plays with a vintage rule book, and I would probably stop watching the NFL all together if such an alternative emerged.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by chicagopurple »

Yes the Bears ARE that bad and Rodgers IS that good. We are at a historic time in the NFL where we have multiple EPIC QBs playing the game. In the past there were usually 1 or 2 great QBs in the league at one time. The new rules DO help them but we have GREAT QB in the league right now.

Also, the biggest threat to the league is the exploding pubic awareness of blunt head trauma and its consequences. Parents are seeing suicidal retired players, veterans walking around with brain damage, etc and fewer and fewer educated parents are allowing their kids to play. THAT is what will erode the fan base.
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Re: current state of the nfl

Post by Purpnation »

fiestavike wrote:
I think there is a certain concern for the NFL, which is that they are losing some interest from the hardcore fans of the game who have been following it for decades and can hardly recognize what game they are playing out there, but their incredible exposure is building their viewership among casual fans who don't pay close attention or care much, and just enjoy seeing explosive plays and lots of scoring. Currently, we old school football fans have no real alternative, but should a real alternative emerge it could pose a real threat to the NFL among its REAL BASE. I would love to see an 8 team league that plays with a vintage rule book, and I would probably stop watching the NFL all together if such an alternative emerged.

I just don't see what the big deal is with the offense having a turn at being dominate. Defense ruled the league FOREVER, there was once a time where offensive lineman couldn't use their hands! It just comes off as ignorant and stubborn that people just can't handle offense being at an advantage for the first time in the history of the game.

I also find the perceived advantage to be vastly over blown, I can appreciate a good ole fashioned Defensive struggle, and I have seen plenty of them over the last 5 years, not as much as the old days of course, but still plenty. The Seahawks, while the exception to the rule, proved that Defense can still win Championships.


My point? This is the NFL that I grew up watching, and that I love, just as you old timers no doubt loved the old defensive era days, defense reigned supreme for almost the entire history of the league, why cant offense get a turn? Just because thats not how it was for the old timers? The NFL you guys grew up and admired is in no way superior to the one I grew up loving.
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