OT: Why I hate the NFL

Submitted by UMxWolverines on

Every Sunday when the time the Lions game starts (with much less enthusiasm than the previous day, definitely not enthusiasm unknown to mankind) I turn it on and ensure the 3 hours of which ever Lion team decides to show up that day. Even though a Lions loss will usually not upset me or give me any satisfaction I watch anyway hoping if I stick around long enough they'll luck into a Super Bowl. 

Anyway, after the Lions game is done, unlike other college football games after Michigan, I  really have no desire to watch any more games. I also stumbled upon a story on ESPN last night where Goodell acknowledges there has been a 10% ratings drop this season. I thought about it and here are some of the reasons I came up with for why I don't like the NFL. 

1. Offenses are all similar

While some teams run the occasional zone read and wildcat the majority of teams are running the same thing. Playcalling is Lloyd Carr esque. I can't figure out if teams play so conservatively because defenses are so good or defenses are so good because teams play so conservatively. 

2. Commercials

The commercial after every score, kickoff, and commercial again irritates the hell out of me. 

3. Regular season really doesn't matter that much. 

4. Unsportsmanlike celebration calls. I understand some players go too far but like everything else the refs are inconsistent in how they call them. Also fines for wearing a certain type of cleats? Really? 

5. Inconsistent suspensions. Our own Tom Brady got 4 games for supposedly letting some air out of footballs. Ray Rice was given 2 games for beating the hell out of his wife. Guys get suspended entire seasons for smoking weed. And the latest it was revealed that Giants kicker Josh Brown has a histoy of beating his wife and was only suspended one game. 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17837045/josh-brown-new-york-giants-admits-domestic-violence-documents

What say you? How do you feel about the NFL vs college these days? 

Mr. Yost

October 20th, 2016 at 5:48 PM ^

...whenever I take friends from the NE that grew up on the NFL to a college game in a crazy atmoshpere, they immediately "get it."

Take me to a great NFL atmosphere and I just see a bunch of drunk adults wearing jerseys having a good time watching the random fight or two that may break out in front of them.

...that said, I tried to respond in the thread honestly and without snark. But this feels like it teeters too much on OT season. We'll see where it goes.

In the end, college, hands down, for so many reasons it's college.

getsome

October 20th, 2016 at 6:03 PM ^

im with you, ill never understand those who prefer pro to college (whether on tv or in person).  ive been to plenty of pro and college games and its not even close.  i just dont have much interest in attending pro games any longer - if theyre good at all theyre better on tv.  and as much as i favor college ball over nfl, i feel doubly so re college hoops vs nba (maybe bc im more of a football guy).

though there is something about watching the very best in the world compete at their craft - i dont really like the nfl but ill still watch some games (i just wont go out of my way or treasure sundays like i do any free saturdays) and i certainly appreciate some of the talent and unique ability on display

ijohnb

October 20th, 2016 at 6:15 PM ^

of the issue is that, while obviously they are the best players in the world, everybody is hurt all the time. The Lions were down 6 starters last week. It is week 6! These guys don't even hit in practice. Injuries are an epidemic in the NFL. They pay these guys so much that they are treated as "investments" only. That is another contributing factor to the bad product.

wolverine1987

October 20th, 2016 at 8:27 PM ^

The individual games don't mean nearly as much as a single game in college. A loss is devastating in college, and not really a big deal in the league.

Bonus reason; the players do not put out nearly as much effort in the NFL compared to college. That is an objective fact now, and it is only getting worse.  

In reply to by ijohnb

Blue Ballin'

October 20th, 2016 at 11:25 PM ^

Hard to get excited when your favorite team is starting fourth string RB, fourth-string TE, waiver-wire LBs, OLs, and DLs.  A sure-fire recipe for a ruined Sunday.

In reply to by ijohnb

San Diego Mick

October 21st, 2016 at 1:55 AM ^

So glad you brought that up, I blame the CBA they agreed upon in 2011 where the players stipulated that they didn't want to hit hard in practice as many hours as they had been.

Well guess what? You don't practice hitting and then get to the game and get clobbered and boom, you're hurt or injured. It's so fucking stupid.

I think the coaches and owners should demand this change in the next CBA, it's ruining the game from a quality standpoint.

The rules in the NFL are so stupid as well, replay sucks, they should do it the way they conduct replay in college. An NFL coach has to do his job and do the refs job by having to monitor the awful work they do in officiating. The coach has enough shit to do without having to worry about that crap.

Goodell is a douche of major proportions, that Brady suspension was damned criminal, pisses me off so much.

And make no mistake about it, with quite a few players protesting the anthem and flag, that isn't going over well with a lot of people, I bet that's a big reason for the ratings being down but the NFL won't want to touch that topic.

Ronnie Kaye

October 20th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^

I don't like the NFL either but point #1 is not really legit anymore. There's a lot more variety in NFL offenses than their used to be.

jblaze

October 20th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^

I don't really watch the NFL either, but aside from your first point (all the NFL O's are similar), the rest apply to college football.

I agree to some extent that NFL viewership is down because of the debates, but the real problem is that so many teams are run so poorly that the fans know there is no chance in hell of winning anything and the owners get richer regardless of results.

I Like Burgers

October 20th, 2016 at 10:28 PM ^

The main difference for me is that college sells hope -- either for the current year, or the following year through recruiting.  So for a lot of fan bases, tuning in every week is generally positive and fun.  Even when Michigan was terrible I still liked to watch to see which players were developing and could be good next season.  And college games just have a much better atmosphere in general.

The NFL sells....I don't know anymore.  Which is probably part of their problem.  But I do know that during the week, all of the coverage is generally negative and surrounding which players are hurt, or which player is to blame for a loss, or whatever iditotic nonsense that Godell and his team of buffons are doing.  This week it was the Brown/Mara nonsense, and Burfict only getting fined $75k for stomping on a dude's leg.

Personally, the whole deflategate thing killed a lot of interest for me.  For them to go that far out of their way on a witchhunt with little to no proof, and then not give the slightest of fucks about guys admitting to beating their wife, and repeat offenders of on-field violence get a slap on the wrist...I mean...I just don't fucking care anymore.

ST3

October 20th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^

After years of suffering (not at all, really) without a team in Los Angeles, I find it funny that the NFL finally gave us a team that can't even beat the Lions.

 

Night_King

October 20th, 2016 at 5:51 PM ^

Any delays, including but not limited to:

  • excessive penalties
  • excessive reviews
  • commercials

I also just love to pop on the Red Zone and catch the meaningful plays. 

Butch-dontcall…

October 20th, 2016 at 6:29 PM ^

like that idiot lineman (who went to osu) for s.f. that complained that harbaugh "worked them too much" - that he was crazy and got in their face, well.......... how is last place doin' for 'ya. you dont have to worry 'bout going to the playoffs anymore, douchbag. thats why i believe harbaugh will stay in college- the kids still wanna work.

Gulo_Gulo

October 20th, 2016 at 5:52 PM ^

I think it's the result of growing up watching the Lions be bad, and Michigan be good.  I love College football, and rarely watch the NFL.

Here, in Texas, there seems to be more football fans, who consume high school, college, and NFL mediums with equal vigor.

Maybe I would like the NFL if I grew up watching Barry Sanders?

softshoes

October 20th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^

I watched Barry a lot. Barry retired. I don't like the nfl. The Bears and Packers, two teams I grew up hating, are playing tonight. I could give two shits. The only thing I like about the Packers is Olivia Munn. The only thing I like about the Bears is they make Mike Wilbon miserable.

M Vader

October 20th, 2016 at 5:53 PM ^

But I can't understand why we can watch every college game on Saturdays, but it is so hard to watch NFL games from teams not in your region.  You would think the NFL would try to make all their games available to everyone everywhere.

Carpetbagger

October 20th, 2016 at 6:09 PM ^

I used to watch every Lions game. At least part of it. Even 0-16 I saw at least a half of every game. I'd watch Michigan about half the time. No body bag games, or Illlinois, but the good ones.

Now I live 1,000 miles away from Michigan, there are 126(?) college 1A teams, and can watch every single Michigan game (except M-MSU one year, who knew). I see about 3-4 games a year of the LIons.

This is a much more mobile society than even 10 years ago. A lot more people aren't residents of where their hometown team is now.

I'd watch my Lions if I could. No, I won't pay extra for it, it IS the Lions after all. You would think they would make more money selling out of market games to ESPN, than they do on Sunday ticket.

DCGrad

October 20th, 2016 at 11:28 PM ^

Not only can you not watch them, but you are blocked from listening to them on the radio too. I used to stream them from the Detroit station (97.1 I think), but now it is considered "premium content" and if you are outside the geographic market they won't let you stream it. I wouldn't pay to watch them and I definitely won't pay more to listen to them.

Swayze Howell Sheen

October 20th, 2016 at 5:58 PM ^

all you needed to say was

  "when the Lions game starts"

and we all know why you hate the NFL.

That said, not much can match the intensity of NFL playoff games. Those are something to behold. I don't much bother with the regular season.