welp- for most of us cord cutters, its over
I don't have cable, so yesterday was it. I don't regret it at all but there are a few games I miss.
Its amazing how many things there are to do in life when there is no football. Sometimes I wonder if I should just quit it altogether.
I turned 60 years old this year. Do people watch less football as they age?
December 8th, 2019 at 11:47 AM ^
Most Michigan fans have noticed we can do without the CFP in its entirety
December 8th, 2019 at 11:52 AM ^
I think less football is watched when the sport becomes top heavy. It's just not that enjoyable watching a season long battle for 5th place in the nation.
December 8th, 2019 at 1:00 PM ^
Not to mention too many bowls named after hideous corporations, weak out-of-conference scheduling, and the loss of historic rivalries. I mean Texas doesn't even play Texas A & M any more. Nebraska/OU gone. And who the hell knows what Notre Dame is doing.
December 8th, 2019 at 11:53 AM ^
I'm 30 and I totally agree.
Video games are great. Rocket League. Destiny 2. Fallout 4. Battlefront 2.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:11 PM ^
Rocket League is the best. Check out the pros if you haven't already.
December 8th, 2019 at 1:07 PM ^
It's absurd, I start to think I'm getting good at it, then I watch some pros on YouTube and it reminds me how mediocre I am.
December 8th, 2019 at 4:51 PM ^
Its disheartening, really lol. I'm almost permanently stuck at Diamond III rank. Meanwhile there's 12 year old kids dominating in grand champ
December 8th, 2019 at 1:46 PM ^
Chiming in to agree that Rocket League is amazing. I'm at over 1500 hours now and still play regularly. It's one of those games where the more time you put into it the more you get out of it, and making plays feels amazing.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:15 PM ^
Agreed. League of Legends, PUBG, VR. All PC all the way my friends.
December 8th, 2019 at 3:00 PM ^
I have Hulu and Netflix and do not miss TV at all. I watch Michigan football with my dad Sunday afternoons while my mom gives my kids piano lessons. I am down to 4 shows I keep up with and do not miss the rest. I recently binged The Office and Parks and Rec. I am currently in Season 4 of Deep Space 9.
I have finished God of War (PS4) and Spider-Man, and am currently working through the Witcher 3. I do not miss cable at all. Going to have to check out Rocket League, I bet my kids will like it.
With the money I save from not subscribing to cable, I take my family out to dinner.
At first, I thought I would miss the NFL until I realized I have recored 3 games every week for the last 2 year and only watched 4 games total, not counting the Superbowl.
December 8th, 2019 at 6:45 PM ^
Are you planning on watching The Witcher on Netflix when it comes out this month? Looks like it'll be pretty good.
December 8th, 2019 at 3:04 PM ^
I have Hulu and Netflix and do not miss TV at all. I watch Michigan football with my dad Sunday afternoons while my mom gives my kids piano lessons. I am down to 4 shows I keep up with and do not miss the rest. I recently binged The Office and Parks and Rec. I am currently in Season 4 of Deep Space 9.
I have finished God of War (PS4) and Spider-Man, and am currently working through the Witcher 3. I do not miss cable at all. Going to have to check out Rocket League, I bet my kids will like it.
With the money I save from not subscribing to cable, I take my family out to dinner.
At first, I thought I would miss the NFL until I realized I have recored 3 games every week for the last 2 year and only watched 4 games total, not counting the Superbowl.
December 8th, 2019 at 11:55 AM ^
I don't necessarily watch fewer games, since I've always limited myself to our games and those that will directly affect us, but I go to far fewer games.
I also don't live and die by our wins and losses like I did 20 years ago. The RR era cured me of that.
December 8th, 2019 at 11:55 AM ^
Yes. My wife and I made the decision some years ago to get rid of cable entirely. We get three channels through the "rabbit ears" antenna, but seldom care to watch tv. I do like to watch most of UM football and basketball, but that isn't really an option anymore. It sucks, but in the end I would never go back to cable or the life style it represents to me.
In the end, I guess its a quality of life issue. If you feel like yours is greater watching tv, then cord cutting isn't for you, BUT I would recommend everyone give it a shot. I can't tell you how many times I've heard or read someone say they were hesitant, but after they did it, they would never go back. To me cord cutting = freedom. I have more time to do what I want, when I want.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:06 PM ^
Same. I used to be in a piss poor mood the entire day everytime Michigan lost. Now it bothers me for 5 minutes and then I move on.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:25 PM ^
When I was younger I would be in really foul moods Saturday afternoons if M lost, my family would avoid me. Later hanging out with my dad he said "At the end of the day, it's just a game." Then I realized that whether M won or lost, the rest of my day and life would go on normally, didn't have much of an impact, it was really up to me and my attitude whether it made a difference. I found that it really didn't.
As an honest confession, I didn't watch this year's OSU game live, I went and hung out with some friends instead. Age changes things, and I think I enjoyed my afternoon much more that day than depending on a bunch of 18-21 yo's and some overpaid coaches.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:26 PM ^
Amen brotha ! If RR and Hoke did not cure us, nothing will. Spent that whole era saying " yes but we are the better academic school " to all who would listen. After saying that a million times the truth becomes apparent. Cfb is a useful distraction but it does not change the real world. OSU and MSU are academic doo doo and their actions to maintain football at all costs seriously undermines their reputation. I do not want that path.
December 8th, 2019 at 1:22 PM ^
Did you just stick your fingers in your ears when someone countered your "doo doo" with "General Studies"?
December 8th, 2019 at 7:12 PM ^
CaliBlue, sarcasm? UM is a top 20 school, well respected? is it really that superior to the #54th ranked university in the US? Syracuse is 55.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:37 PM ^
Only live once. I want all the pleasures and enjoyment I can get and I'm willing pay lots for it too. Can't imagine missing games. I would honestly pay 5x more if had too
December 8th, 2019 at 12:40 PM ^
Well said Hatter, this probably best describes how I feel.
December 8th, 2019 at 1:59 PM ^
I really enjoy watching games, but I agree with this sentiment 100%. For me it was facebook and instagram. Got zero value from them outside of burning time and occasionally as a communication tool. Deleted my account over a year ago and besides the occasional inconvenience of organizing a get together, I haven't had any desire to go back.
December 8th, 2019 at 4:29 PM ^
I honestly envy people like you and your wife, because I am the direct opposite. For me, TV makes life much better. I have cable plus every streaming service (added Disney +, The Mandalorian is good) and watch it every might after I get home from work. I love TV. Not a popular stance, but so be it.
December 8th, 2019 at 11:55 AM ^
I'll probably keep YTTV until the Superbowl, just because I'm too lazy to go buy a digital antenna. But yeah, after that it's getting paused until the end of August.
So much free stuff out there now between Google play, Vudu, YouTube (they have lots of free movies on top of regular free channels), Roku, PlutoTV, that the only thing I'll continue paying for is Netflix.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^
I recently discovered Tubi and we watch it all the time. It's like being in a mom and pop video store in 1984. All kinds of weird shit and cult classics on there.
December 8th, 2019 at 1:08 PM ^
Awesome. I just found a hard to find movie on there. Thanks
December 8th, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
You're welcome. I've been telling everyone I know about it. There are some commercials, but it's a free app and there are way fewer than on TV.
It has a great selection of sex comedies from the 70's and 80's, tons of indie and grindhouse movies, classic horror, and other great stuff. Including a 3 hour documentary showing all of the best nude scenes in movies up until about 1990.
December 8th, 2019 at 11:57 AM ^
I definitely have less interest in random matchups now, but I'll always watch the Lions and Wolverines.
December 8th, 2019 at 1:13 PM ^
I really have very little attention span for any game in any sport in which I do not have a strong rooting interest. I'll watch some of the NFL playoffs, but the thought of watching Bulls v Spurs on a Tuesday night in February is anathema to me. With so many other options these days, I don't know ratings for these sports can justify the massive TV contracts.
December 8th, 2019 at 1:44 PM ^
"I don't know ratings for these sports can justify the massive TV contracts."
I'd been saying for years that eventually advertisers would refuse to spend the crazy amounts of money they spend for the opportunity to run commercials during sporting events and the entire ridiculous edifice would come crumbling down, and I honestly thought the Great Recession would be the final straw.
It wasn't, and I have to acknowledge there's no evidence a collapse is even close to happening. How it stays all afloat I have no idea—it certainly wouldn't if I were typical of the average viewer.
December 8th, 2019 at 2:01 PM ^
I feel the same way about online advertising. Literally no one is clicking on those ads, at least intentionally.
The whole business is a scam.
December 8th, 2019 at 5:50 PM ^
Maybe when the the younger soccer generation grows up, or maybe when (us) baby boomers die off.
December 8th, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
Less football, because of kids and associated obligations (showers, birthdays, weddings, and even grocery shopping/ food prep).
It’s also more fun to get drunk in a bar and watch than watch at home.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:02 PM ^
That's the one thing I will say the NFL has college football beaten in spades over. Parity really does exist, and going from worst to first happens almost once a year.
Takes truly seismic shifts for new powers to arise in college football. Teams that truly contend for national titles in college football are the same teams every stinking year. Clemson, Alabama, OSU, Oklahoma, and then some combo of Georgia/LSU. Everyone else is just battling for fifth place.
In college football, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer every year. At least in the league, the bad teams get the best picks and get real chances to turn themselves into contenders.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^
Exactly. NFL is straight socialism. College is straight capitalism (except NIL, for now). Neither is an ideal system without elements of the other.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:02 PM ^
I am actually one of those weirdos who likes cable so whatever, but I have found myself getting less emotionally invested in the games overall. And that's across sports, not just football. I want to see Michigan win and I get annoyed when they don't and various injustices go unpunished, but it's ultimately just games.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:18 PM ^
I also like cable. But we've begun initial discussions regarding cord cutting in my house just due to the cost. I'm cheap, and therefore getting tired of my bill creeping up all the time and having to switch providers every few years.
December 8th, 2019 at 8:18 PM ^
Yeah, the creeping has gotten annoying. And I have kids at the ages where all the Disney+-type services are also key. So at some point I'll probably consider scaling back cable. But I just like being to turn on the TV and be surprised by the last 3rd of Air Force One on TNT or whatever. Again, I'm a weirdo.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
Cord cutting is not an option in our house. My wife wants to watch the CBC, damn it!
Sadly, we are too far from the Detroit River to get a good signal from CBC Windsor.
December 8th, 2019 at 2:05 PM ^
I grew up 60 miles west-northwest of Windsor. My Dad just put up a 30 foot areal antenna and during the 70s and into the 80s we got CBC from both Windsor and Sarnia. We could also get the Toledo channels. Only one that came in snowy was Grand Rapids. But they probably do not let homeowners hoist 30 to 50 ft tall antenna up in the suburbs.
December 8th, 2019 at 8:22 PM ^
I can imagine that's always a consideration.
It's funny - I'm the only person in my house who really watches TV (my kids will watch certain shows but other than PBS kids they probably don't know of any channels per se). But I just like being able to watch something immediately and not wait for it to buffer, or get removed because of some rights issue, or whatever.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:46 PM ^
I like cable as well and always find it strange when cord cutters talk about the freedom they have to do what they want. Was the tv holding you hostage? In this day and age of dvr, on demand, and streaming programming you can watch literally whenever you want at what pace you want. Enjoy all the freedom you like, just stop acting like you were somehow beholden to the tv prior to cord cutting.
December 8th, 2019 at 8:25 PM ^
Yeah, it's weird to believe you couldn't just watch it later, something people have done for decades.
Also, and not saying it's the case here but I've seen it when talking to friends even in their mid-to-late 30's like me, how often they rely on other people's logins for a lot of their services. Like "I use my parents' cable password for HBO and Netflix" has been uttered way too many times, and it's why I get a little prickly with the whole "we cut the cord to save money". Like, someone is paying for those services, just not you. That's not "cost cutting" as much as "cost shifting". And so when you do use a la carte services like Youtube TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc., you wind up paying almost as much as a decent cable package and, in my opinion, with less freedom.
December 8th, 2019 at 1:26 PM ^
Agree. I’m cheap about a lot of things but damn it, one thing that I want is being able to watch any game whenever I want. I get there are cheaper options out there but I’ve become so accustomed to having everything right there and I’m willing to pay for the convenience
December 8th, 2019 at 12:15 PM ^
I could not imagine not having TV (that’s not a negative comment towards the OP at all) but we watch far less TV the last 5-7 years so I’m with you on that. I watch ZERO NFL. I have no idea who even played in the super bowl last year or who is good and limit college to really Michigan only. My sports watching is literally UM football and UM hoops.
the Michigan games mean a lot to us though. We hang out all day, make a fire, have family time all together, etc. It’s really not as much about the game but is all being together as a family enjoying the time. I do think it’s important to “cut the cord” of having your emotional health built around a UM win or loss (part of the reason I live b-ball this time of year it’s not “do it die”).
my wife would also lose her shit without hallmark Christmas movies lol.
edit: we have 8 TVs in our 2200 sq ft house...yikes...oh shit...9
December 8th, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
3,000 sqft house and I have 16, lol. I buy one every year on Black Friday and find somewhere to put it. Last year I retrofitted a wall mount to swing vertically instead of horizontally so that it swings up from a Rubbermaid type deck box so I can watch while I'm grilling. Just swing it down and close the lid when done. I'm a pretty frugal person, but I love TVs and surround sound.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:17 PM ^
I wish i watched less football as ive aged. However, now i just find myself getting my baby daughter into it. I know it's not healthy, but i can't help it. I hope she's into it as much as i am.
December 8th, 2019 at 12:21 PM ^
I can't think of the last time I sat through an entire non-Michigan college football game. Even with the CFP games and championship factored in. If you'd told me that when I was growing up watching literally every game on TV from college to NFL to CFL to USFL to Arena League, I'm shocked how detached I've become from both college and NFL.
I still watch NFL films on YouTube. John Facenda's voice is like crack.