OT? - How excited are you?

You don't have to be old to think the NFL isn't as watchable as it used to be. I can hardly stand watching the pros on TV, much preferring the radio (and the ability to get other things done while following the game!) though I will sit and watch college football on occasion.
 
The following ties into this thread and the one on the political posturing of some players/teams on Sunday. I saw and retweeted this earlier yesterday, but I felt that this captured my thoughts on the issues pretty well. Ben Domenech is the publisher of The Federalist (which I believe also ran a printed piece along these lines) and put this thread out there (I will separate the individual tweets)

@bdomenech

"The NFL had a product problem before it had a political problem.

They have 15 starting qbs who shouldn't be. Predictable offenses. Too many ads. Politics is just reason 7 or 8 not to watch.

It's easy to skip every game other than your team. And if your team is lousy, it's easy to skip all of them.

I've rooted all my life for a marginal team. It would go from 8-8 to 9-7 to 6-10 (I think he's a Dolphins fan). If they were good, I'd care about missing some of those.

But if they aren't? I'd rather watch Netflix.

Look, I love football. But it goes through periods of poor play. We had a golden age with Brady Manning and Rodgers. Now on the decline.

The best qbs when Brady and Brees, Rodgers and Ben retire will be Stafford, Luck, Wilson, and...Cousins? Carr? Ouch.

We need a Moneyball revolution in the NFL (here's where he loses me a little). We need Spread teams and Run and Shoot team and Option teams.

Let's have teams that run an offense other than one that requires a tall dude with quick release.

But instead, it's all the same, and you pick up Jay Cutler instead of swinging for the fences.

You know what's a bigger problem for the NFL than politics? This- link to poor showing at Chargers home games

Seriously. This isn't a terrible team, just a marginal one. Decent QB. Can hang in there. But no one wants to pay to see them.

When he was dying in Georgetown, Vince Lombardi would talk in his sleep. One night he yelled out.

"Namath!" Lombardi shouted. "You're not bigger than football! Remember that!"

Forget the celebrity. Forget the politics. They don't help. But the real problem is the damn game. It's just not good right now.

Let's demand a better game."
 
Crease Creature said:
The following ties into this thread and the one on the political posturing of some players/teams on Sunday. I saw and retweeted this earlier yesterday, but I felt that this captured my thoughts on the issues pretty well. Ben Domenech is the publisher of The Federalist (which I believe also ran a printed piece along these lines) and put this thread out there (I will separate the individual tweets)

@bdomenech

"The NFL had a product problem before it had a political problem.

They have 15 starting qbs who shouldn't be. Predictable offenses. Too many ads. Politics is just reason 7 or 8 not to watch.

It's easy to skip every game other than your team. And if your team is lousy, it's easy to skip all of them.

I've rooted all my life for a marginal team. It would go from 8-8 to 9-7 to 6-10 (I think he's a Dolphins fan). If they were good, I'd care about missing some of those.

But if they aren't? I'd rather watch Netflix.

Look, I love football. But it goes through periods of poor play. We had a golden age with Brady Manning and Rodgers. Now on the decline.

The best qbs when Brady and Brees, Rodgers and Ben retire will be Stafford, Luck, Wilson, and...Cousins? Carr? Ouch.

We need a Moneyball revolution in the NFL (here's where he loses me a little). We need Spread teams and Run and Shoot team and Option teams.

Let's have teams that run an offense other than one that requires a tall dude with quick release.

But instead, it's all the same, and you pick up Jay Cutler instead of swinging for the fences.

You know what's a bigger problem for the NFL than politics? This- link to poor showing at Chargers home games

Seriously. This isn't a terrible team, just a marginal one. Decent QB. Can hang in there. But no one wants to pay to see them.

When he was dying in Georgetown, Vince Lombardi would talk in his sleep. One night he yelled out.

"Namath!" Lombardi shouted. "You're not bigger than football! Remember that!"

Forget the celebrity. Forget the politics. They don't help. But the real problem is the damn game. It's just not good right now.

Let's demand a better game."
Click to expand...
Some truth there but not with the spread. The spread game is what has caused 70 % or more of this. It's the easy way out for Youth/HS/ College teams to coach and install. They come in the pro's with limited skills both offensively and defensively and you're seeing that product.

Teams like UW and Bama are sticking to the pro set and are consistently successful in the NCAA and their players are drafted why ? Just because they have a smaller learning curve coming in.... not because of talent per say. UGA pounded Miss State Saturday by pounding the ball ala UW and play action pass plus playing aggressive D... shock and awe in the SEC. Nope a fellow called Nick Saban taught the UGA coach that formula. ( Psst MM run the damn ball)

When the "spread" fade burns out and it will as these things are circular in the FB world, I expect a return to bread and butter ball... so yes the next 5 years will be a struggle after that we might just see a resurgence. FCC(
 
Agree with Mark. If the spread comes to the NFL, I might stop watching entirely.

The spread started as a tool for schools with less talent to find ways to compete better by creating more isolation opportunities for their smaller faster players against teams that had more talent and size. That might work in college where you can always find some weaker links in the opposition defense. Doesn't seem like it works as well when there is plenty of talent and speed everywhere. Plus in the early days of the spread it caught teams off guard like UW who would often do poorly against these kinds of teams. Now that everyone sees it multiple times a year, teams have adjusted.

It's not like there are a lack of players with the necessary physical skills. The problem as Mark says is lack of coaching in college and a more massive learning curve when they get to the NFL. Coaches at Power-5 schools need to stop using the easy way out and coach up the players you've got rather than resort to tricks.

It's not just QBs that are the problem. OL from those offenses are harder to evaluate. Same with RBs. Heck remember the Alex Green pick. He came from a spread.

Hopefully the cycle will bring us back.
 
For me right now I am kind of in the mind set like in the 80"s where you didn't expect much from the Pack. Even if they do well over all in the regular season with the way our coaches are you don't expect them to go all of the way.

With the poor play in the NFL, how much do you think can be a result of the CBA? Also it seems like the "star" players really get babied.
 
Most of how I feel has been answered. Sick of the poor play coupled by an overzealous NFL that makes watching a game a chore. Everything is under "review" and no one can clarify what a catch is or what is or isn't pass interference. I watch the Badgers and Packers that's it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top