the "No Fun League" under Goodell. Given 4 to 5 weeks of preseason football and 2 weeks of the regular season in 2014, it is even worse, with the NFL now standing for the "Neverending Flags League" IMHO. The fact that so many are "ticky tack" flags makes it worse.
I find my enjoyment for NFL games, especially those not involving the Giants, to have waned significantly. Last year's Broncos versus Cowboys 51-45 game must be the model that Goodell wants for the NFL; lots of points for fans watching solely to see how their fantasy team did.
The Sunday Night game between the 49ers and the Bears was really hard to watch. I don't have any statistics to back me up (and I attended a game at FedEx in 2003 that saw the Skins flagged 17 times and the Giants flagged 15 times), but the trend to numerous game changing flags seems to be accelerating.
I'm OK with the new rules reducing helmet to helmet contact etc. for player safety, but the new "stricly enforced" illegal contact rules are causing me to watch less football. When contact that wouldn't draw a foul in the NBA is a penalty in the NFL, things are significantly off track.
Unfortunately, as long as we fans still tune in, I don't see anything changing. Pretty depressing, especially for older fans used to "Giants Football = Giants Defense".
I hate Goodell's Neverending Flags League.
I think that contributes to the fact that it has a very diehard core following, but doesn't appeal to the casual fan.
NBA gets better TV ratings, but that's only because there are more CASUAL fans.
Joe- most people who watch the NBA don't break it down like you do nor could they. You and Osi are two of the best NBA posters on the board, but most people who watch the sport aren't breaking down numbers like the each of you are. Most people can talk LeBron, talk about the teams out west, talk about their own team and watch the playoffs. Ratings=casual fans.
It's more of a familiarity thing. But my point is.. most people in this country are more assimilated to the sports they actually played on the playground or in little league. Not many people actually played hockey, so.. they find it more confusing.
You don't really find hockey fans who are drawn to the sport because of Crosby or Stamkos or guys like that. Most people who are into hockey are really into hockey as a team sport.
That's not to say there aren't legit NBA fans. It's just that the types of NBA fans even on this board aren't really the norm. There are things on the NBA threads here that are like a foreign language to casual fans.
Doesn't make one better than the other but to me, I just always felt like hockey had far less casual fans. People who like hockey are usually pretty invested in it as a whole.
Hockey also has a really insular us-against-the-world quality to it. A fair number of hockey fans actively do not want it to become more popular for the precise reason that they don't want a lot of casual fans who aren't invested in the sport showing up and trying to change it. For good or ill, that's a common feeling.
Right, that's why you're baiting people with that ludicrous NHL-WNBA comparison. Gotcha.
That's the point, it's casual. When you start breaking down numbers, most basketball fans can't do that. I always get the vibe that the NBA posters are a bit holier than thou with some of the basketball threads here. And a lot of NBA posters seem to suck up to you Joe. Not to throw him under the bus, but didn't you and dep get into a HUGE verbal brawl during the finals 2 years ago? Now it seems dep tries to prove his NBA knowledge to you on some of the threads. I enjoy the NBA, but the threads can become a whole who knows more than who vibe on here IMO.
The wnba thing is just a matter of fact. Is it said to tweak? Sure.
The NFL is FLOODED with casual fans and even moreso now because of fantasy football in particular and the fact that NFL Sundays are a social event of sorts and a thing people just do.
Yeah, being in NY I get all three local teams, which is great. And I have NBSCN, so I get an extra couple of games that way. But being in Virginia, it's harder for you to get games, I'd imagine.
It's also about age. I can't wait for the ageist to turn 50 because he thinks it's some magical number.
I do watch the nba a lot, as much as anyone here. I do not think that makes me the most qualified to have an opinion though. We have a bunch of great nba posters here.
I do love the visual though of me being the basketball mr miyagi to deps daniel
Ha, I still don't have NHLN. I've thought about getting Center Ice, but it doesn't make sense given how many games I get already.
The NBA is flourishing. Ratings are great, they are making lots of money. The game is great, the stars are great. Everything about the NBA is great. Then you come on a NY site and people are talking about how they haven't liked basketball since the 90's because it's not the same and the conclusion that some draw is that it's because people are racist? Coincidentally, that's the last time this NY team was watchable.
Conversely, it's not racist to not like a sport because you can't relate with the players. Are the ratings for the NHL extremely high among black people? Are black people racist for not watching the NHL or do they just have a hard time relating to the players?
It also doesn't help that the NBA is by FAR the most predictable of the 4 major leagues. In any given year, if you asked someone to pick three teams as their most likely bets to win it all, odds are they'll have the eventual champion on their list. There are never more than a handful of teams that have a realistic shot at a championship, and the same teams tend to be in that handful over and over again.
Race was brought up in this thread becausof rockys post, if you cant see racial code in there then I dont know what to tell you
Which is in every thread where people say they don't like the NBA.
I wasn't baiting, I was being honest.
MoM, who gives a shit how many people watch the NBA? It's thriving, that's wonderful, Andrew Lloyd Weber is a rich man and his operettas suck, Jimmy Buffett sells out more shows than any other pop/rock artist, his music sucks, Jay Z and Beyoncé are multi millionaires and they suck. The American public paying to see something is certainly no indication of the quality of the product.
It's funny, when I first moved to Wilmington 20 years ago, I used to literally get into fights at the bar because they wouldn't put the NBA playoffs on the TV because NASCAR was on. Fuckin rednecks.
I've watched more NBA games than the average bear, used to literally take notes on what moves Walt Frazier would use and immediately go out and practice them after the game. I can't walk today because I logged too many hours on asphalt, spent all day anticipating a game and the rest of the day thinking about how I played. Still coach youth basketball at the Y, hardly an all white country club.
Gimme Charles Oakley ruling the boards, Mark Jackson directing the offense, Earl the Pearls spin move, Bernard King's unstoppable 17 ft turn around jumper. It was all about team play, cohesiveness, not gimme the money, gimme the ball.
I'm no racist for not watching the NBA anymore, how can you tell what color the players are? There's too many tattoos.
It's ME first, team later, there's no rivalries anymore. The NBA died when Michael, Magic and Larry were done, long live Willis Reed!
We are now in a time where the face of the league from a team standpoint is a san antonio squad that is a complete anomaly among champions because of their lack of a current megastar, not so much as a 20 point scorer, just poetic ball movement and skill that led to a dominant offensive attack. And the face of the league from an individual standpoint is lebron james, about as unselfish a superstar as we have seen. 3rd all time in scoring average, but his passing and robotic tendency to make the right basketball play is what makes him
Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy : 12:16 pm : link : reply
"perception is reality" argument FMiC.
Perception isn't reality, it's perception. And when perception is so completely off from the actual reality, you begin to question why that difference exists.
The perception of the NBA is further off from the reality off it than pretty much any of the other major sports in the country. So that's why people start to bring race discussions into it trying to figure out if that's the reason why people are so wrong about the sport.
For most of THIS board, the Knicks have not been good for years, pretty much since Jordan left, so the timing coincides. For most of my generation (let's say 40 year olds, not 50 year olds), we stopped being ardent followers of the NBA when Jordan left. Also, the lockout happened which also contributed to the downward trend.
The few games I did watch post-Jordan were horrifically officiated games. Thus, my perception is that the NBA is a whistle-fest. Then, several years later, I started watching post-season games involving the Heat or Lakers. My perception watching those games was one of continual stoppages due to whistles, and ridiculous flopping from guys like LeBron. So, my perception, which was formed long ago, was "confirmed" in my view. I'd like to think i'm an outlier here, but literally none of the guys who I watched the NBA with or were hard-core fans ever talk about the NBA anymore. In fact, I can't think of a time with friends we've mentioned the NBA, or if we do it is a throw away line about the ridiculousness of the LeBron hype.
I might not be the norm, but it isn't like I've been a lone wolf thinking like this. My point of view has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with a perception - even if that perception is wrong. For me, it has been the reality since 1990.
Tim Duncan rocks.
The only time Carmello Anthony records an assist is if he's tripled teamed or inadvertently bounces the ball off his foot and it goes to another Knick.
What are you an employee of an NBA sponsor? I think I watched Saving Private Ryan while San Antonio was clinching the title, I ain't coming back...
I do love the visual though of me being the basketball mr miyagi to deps daniel
Easy there big fella. They are just trying to rip the strong NBA bond we have.
That playoff ride of 94 - going out to the local bars packed with Ranger fans (Foleys in Pleasantville NY) and watching every Ranger playoff game and WINNING the Cup was the most into a sports team I ever was in my entire life.
Culminating with the ticker tape parade, that I walked to from my office at 1 world trade center to the corner of Rector and Broadway. Best team ever, best memories ever of a sports team. Fu@# the ratings.
Nothing came close to the passion, fun and emotions of the 1994 NY Rangers.
loss of jordan. Lockout. 02 western conference finals officiating display. The brawl at the palace with guys going into the crowd punching fans was a horrible optic. Kobe rape accusation. Donaghy stuff. It was one thing after another and im probably forgetting something. Theyve been coming back from this period for years now and have just now got past it. It was the worst image the league had since the cocaine 70s
BTW, in my previous post, I meant 1999, not 1990
I feel ya. If it wasn't for the NFL being 90% white, it too would prolly be in the same boat....poor, poor NBA. Always getting neglected
The NFL brand might include:
Adrian Peterson
Patrick Willis
Cam Newton
Calvin Johnson
Dez Bryant
RGIII
Troy Polamalu,
Colin Kaepernick
Richard Sherman
Marshawn Lynch
Lesean McCoy
Russell Wilson....
You know... Just based off popularity like jersey sales. Are you sure you aren't the racist?
and how am I the racist? Other than he who smelt it dealt it level logic
and how am I the racist? Other than he who smelt it dealt it level logic
Out of the top 10 known faces of the NFL 4 might be white as you assert, out of the top 20 it might be 7? top 50? Top 100? How is at most 40% "flooded"? I don't even think in the top 100 NFL players there would be 25 white players.
To be fair, this has way more to do with the QB position being probably the most prominent in all of sports than it does race. There's no QB equivalent in the NBA or NHL and in baseball, SP's aren't the equivalent either seeing as they only pitch once every 5 games.
When Vick was starting to "revolutionize" the QB position in Atlanta before all the dog fighting, Ron Mexico garbage, he was all over the place. Ads, jersey sales. He was very, very popular and the NFL had no issue publicizing him and trying to advertise him as the "next big thing."
So I think what you're saying just has more to do with the fact that a lot of white guys are QB's. I don't think they're faces of the league because of their race, I think they're faces of the league because of their positions. I mean, let's be real.. it's hard to make a defensive tackle or offensive guard a face of the league. Even if they're elite players.
Thats a bunch of nonsense
Do you really find it almost impossible to determine if a player is white or black while watching a football game? If you do, I'd suggest upgrading your telly. In fact, I think there just happens to be a new television thread from this morning. You should check it out