You get extra points for using your username.
You are clearly correct, NFL ratings have not gone back to 2015 levels, though they are close.
However, you could come up with a billion different reasons that might explain the ups and downs of ratings.
I will allow you that league controversies are one of those explanations and I don't have a better one. I have no interest in fighting any further about it, but will restate my opinion more eloquently;
The NFL doesn't sweat controversy for the most part. But this particular Tua situation could be an absolute game changer, in my opinion.
It feels like there is less parity in the NFL than a few years ago. Real parity. There are 5ish teams who are really good. They look much better than everyone else. They could lose to a team that isn't one of the other top teams, but it would be an extreme outlier.
Conversely, there are 2-3 teams who are really terrible. They might win a few games, but they won't be competitive in many games.
There are a slew of teams in the middle. Any of these teams can beat any of the other teams in this group, but who cares? The winner of any game featuring these also rans isn't going to do anything other than lose handily on the road in the first round of the playoffs. And them making the PO is more about getting lucky wrt weather and the schedule than them being good.
Here in NC, how excited should anyone really be about the Panthers? The Falcons? Arizona? Seattle? Washington (both the state and city)? In NYC?
I love watching the really good teams play each other. And the playoffs, especially on weekend 2, get real good, real quick.
But regular season games? With nice weather? IDGAF about regular season games. I feel like a lot of nominal FB fans are starting to feel the same.
The thing is, everyone is big and strong and fast now. 40 years ago, every team had a few guys who were really big and fast and strong.
Herschell Walker was a freak athlete at RB. His workout routines from childhood on (to say nothing of the elite conditioning created by low tech farming) forged him into a RB who'd be an elite player from a size and athleticism perspective TODAY. Only he was going against DT who weighed under 260. Not DEs, DTs.
Of course he dominated. Now that the DLs are 320, even elite RBs aren't going to dominate.
Plus, 40+ years ago there were 2-3 games on TV a week. Mostly it was the best teams playing each other on TV while the lesser teams toil off air (excepting the local city's affiliate which carried the local game). Para exemplo, Charlotte would have carried the Panthers, while Raleigh Affiliates would have carried the big national game. Now all of NC has the Panthers game, ditto parts of VA, GA, or West Tenn.
Now that the nation gets to watch every game, and highlights of every game, we see all the warts. Back in the day, we saw the "beautiful" games featuring the best teams. Games featuring the bad teams have always been some combo of ugly or boring. But they took place off camera essentially. Now that we see those games, we think the overall quality has gone down. But that is just because we are finally seeing the bad games.
There's multiple threads in the OT forum about NFL goings on.
There's only one specifically about Daniel Jones. To those talking about everything not related to Jones, please visit them and share your thoughts there.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
A reminder that Daniel Jones and the Giants take on the Packers at 09:30 this morning.
Bob Green
Incredibly predictable first series for Jones and the Giants. 3 and out after Barkley run, Barkley run, attempted swing pass to Barkley🙄
Packers up 20 - 10 at halftime. Jones mobility is lacking due to last week’s ankle sprain. He went 8 of 13 for 81 yards in 1st half.
Bob Green
You have to be impressed with Daniel right now.
Jones is running very effectively in the 2nd half. 20-13 and Giants driving w/ Barkley hurt.
"This is the best of all possible worlds."
Dr. Pangloss - Candide
Game tied at 20 after Giants march 91 yards for a touchdown. Jones is 18 of 24 for 170 yards. He has also rushed six times for 37 yards.
Bob Green
And playing with a bloodied and bruised throwing hand.
Last edited by CrazyNotCrazie; 10-09-2022 at 12:07 PM.
27-20 Giants with 6 minutes left
DJ and the Giants take the lead 27-20.
"This is the best of all possible worlds."
Dr. Pangloss - Candide
About 75% of the color commentary is running through the injury report.
How 'bout dem Giants?