2016 NFL Season

[redmile04]

Originally Posted by Wood

Other than the season opener Panthers vs Broncos, its been a pretty painful start to the season. It's getting hard to sit down and watch a game when its 75% commercials

PVR my friend! Saves you not only the frustration of commercials but a cool hour! Watch all primetime games on the PVR, won't go back, live discussions/tweeting/etc not worth the extra hour IMO.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Maybe that's what people are starting to figure out, when you tune into an NFL game and if you just focus on the time there is actual action, you're looking at watching for 3 and a half hours to see probably 12-15 minutes of actual action. It's not just the commercials too, you basically get 1.5 plays for every minute elapse off the game clock, and those plays take between 4-7 seconds. Football is a slow sport in an era people want faster sports. Sunday afternoons will be fine for those with Sunday Ticket (or streams) because you can keep getting action. But primetime games could be in for a steep decline, especially when you have a year like this that has had very poor quality outside 2 games (CAR-DEN, GB-MIN).

[Wood]

I'm not bothered by the slow nature of football, and I'll always watch Broncos games live, but commercials and in game marketing has gotten a lot worse the last few years. Maybe im wrong

It really makes following other teams more of a hassle I feel. I used to watch as many games as I could, this yeah ive watched one non-Broncos game

I don't think I'm losing interest in the NFL, I don't like the way they present it. Maybe I need to get back into fantasy, I think that's their biggest target group now

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by redmile04

PVR my friend! Saves you not only the frustration of commercials but a cool hour! Watch all primetime games on the PVR, won't go back, live discussions/tweeting/etc not worth the extra hour IMO.

Except for the odd time you accidentally check Twitter out of instinct, or one of your jackass buddies texts ya about it. Took me awhile to learn to "unplug" from the smartphone during games.

[Wood]

Over the years my father in law, who exclusively watched CFL, has gotten more into the NFL and I've made him a Broncos fan. Now we either watch the games together or he blows up my phone. I enjoy doing that for Bronos games. Ive recorded a couple Eagles games but I usually end up just checking the score online

[rubecube]

Gabbert is just awful.

[Senator Clay Davis]

There's really no good reason Kaepernick shouldn't be playing, at the very least he's an elite running threat. So do triple option or whatever, it's still better than watching Blaine Gabbert play NFL QB. If Nick Foles can put up 28TDs and 2 INTs in Chip's offense, Kaepernick can at least look like a QB in the 20-25 range as opposed to Blaine in the 45-50 range.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Maybe that's what people are starting to figure out, when you tune into an NFL game and if you just focus on the time there is actual action, you're looking at watching for 3 and a half hours to see probably 12-15 minutes of actual action. It's not just the commercials too, you basically get 1.5 plays for every minute elapse off the game clock, and those plays take between 4-7 seconds. Football is a slow sport in an era people want faster sports. Sunday afternoons will be fine for those with Sunday Ticket (or streams) because you can keep getting action. But primetime games could be in for a steep decline, especially when you have a year like this that has had very poor quality outside 2 games (CAR-DEN, GB-MIN).

But the 'action' isn't just when the ball is snapped. There's huddles and play calling and substitutions and hard counts and shots of the crowd on 3rd down and shots of cheerleaders and replays and Jon Gruden getting excited about what just happened! That's quite a lot!

Every team gets at least one primetime game so there may be some duds but we get to see everyone!

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

There's really no good reason Kaepernick shouldn't be playing, at the very least he's an elite running threat. So do triple option or whatever, it's still better than watching Blaine Gabbert play NFL QB. If Nick Foles can put up 28TDs and 2 INTs in Chip's offense, Kaepernick can at least look like a QB in the 20-25 range as opposed to Blaine in the 45-50 range.

Yeah the GM has absolutely destroyed that team.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

But the 'action' isn't just when the ball is snapped. There's huddles and play calling and substitutions and hard counts and shots of the crowd on 3rd down and shots of cheerleaders and replays and Jon Gruden getting excited about what just happened! That's quite a lot...

...of nonsense. It's like baseball, I watch a play, flip channels or web surf for 30 seconds, come back to the next play. And baseball is universally recognized as the worst TV sport. As I said for Sunday afternoons the league is fine with multiple games to flip through. But primetime ratings are going to continue to go down, especially with the majority of the schedule being duds, and game routinely going past 3 hours. NFL could easily play the game in 2 hours and 20 minutes if it wanted to. Hell I'd be fine with ads on jerseys to make it happen. Of course it's more lucrative for there to be an hour to 90 minutes of ads every game, so why change the model until it's broken? Thankfully it's start to show cracks.

[GirlySports]

must be me, i watch a tonne of baseball and like it's slowness. Tennis is the same. Sometimes there is a commercial after 8 serves!

[troutman]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

must be me, i watch a tonne of baseball and like it's slowness.

Me too.

They should ban hitters from adjusting their gloves after every pitch though.

[Senator Clay Davis]

It is just you. That's why a few years ago the 1-5 Vikings with Josh Freeman against the 0-6 Giants, easily one of the worst matchups in MNF history, easily outrated the World Series that by the way had the Red Sox in it.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

It is just you. That's why a few years ago the 1-5 Vikings with Josh Freeman against the 0-6 Giants, easily one of the worst matchups in MNF history, easily outrated the World Series.

Yes but Football is a national tv sport. Marketing machine.

Baseball had a steady fanbase young and old. It's become super regionalized so national numbers really suck whereas the regional tv rights are through the roof. New baseball fans are more Blue Jays fans then baseball fans. If you're watching 162 Blue Jays games you don't have time for much else.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Baseball is probably now 4th in terms of the American sports landscape (NFL, CFB, NBA), so it becoming more regionalized might actually be a good thing in the long term. But the MLB I would hope still wants good playoff ratings since they still sell rights to those and would want big money. And when you can't beat a horrible football game when you have one of the two premier ratings draws in baseball (against the Cards, a good draw themselves), it's a problem. Football is now finally seeing a ratings dip, so we'll see how they respond.

[Bobblehead]

I am a firm believer in that a good football team needs to be built from the lines out. A defense that can stop the run and pressure the quarterback can cover up a weak secondary. An offensive line that can run block and give a QB time can make a marginal QB look a lot better.

The 49ers are pretty bad in those areas on both sides of the ball so they are going to be a bad team for a long time.

I could only watch for a few minutes at a time before I got frustrated and did something else for a while.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

...of nonsense. It's like baseball, I watch a play, flip channels or web surf for 30 seconds, come back to the next play. And baseball is universally recognized as the worst TV sport. As I said for Sunday afternoons the league is fine with multiple games to flip through. But primetime ratings are going to continue to go down, especially with the majority of the schedule being duds, and game routinely going past 3 hours. NFL could easily play the game in 2 hours and 20 minutes if it wanted to. Hell I'd be fine with ads on jerseys to make it happen. Of course it's more lucrative for there to be an hour to 90 minutes of ads every game, so why change the model until it's broken? Thankfully it's start to show cracks.

The NFL should knock down the play clock to 25 or so seconds from 40. The plays are easier to get into the huddle now so 40 seconds really isn't necessary. I'd even be okay with putting speakers in all the players helmets so that the coordinators can call in the plays if it would increase the pace at which plays are run.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

The NFL should knock down the play clock to 25 or so seconds from 40. The plays are easier to get into the huddle now so 40 seconds really isn't necessary. I'd even be okay with putting speakers in all the players helmets so that the coordinators can call in the plays if it would increase the pace at which plays are run.

It's tricky. Not sure that after long plays the offense could run a play in 25 seconds. Also wouldn't the players get really tired? Good idea but I'd would add a 4th timeout. Don't want to take coaching totally out of the game.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It's tricky. Not sure that after long plays the offense could run a play in 25 seconds. Also wouldn't the players get really tired? Good idea but I'd would add a 4th timeout. Don't want to take coaching totally out of the game.

They do it during the 2 minute offense. Sure it makes it more difficult on the players but 40 seconds is too much time in my opinion. Maybe 30 seconds is ideal.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

They do it during the 2 minute offense. Sure it makes it more difficult on the players but 40 seconds is too much time in my opinion. Maybe 30 seconds is ideal.

No they don't - it is always a 40 second clock.

It is only 25 seconds after something like a change of possession, timeout, etc. Then when the referee whistles the clock in the 25 second clock begins. In the normal course of play it is always 25 seconds.

That's how a team can run almost 40 seconds off the clock with each snap at the end of a game.

Edit: here is the relevant section from the rule book

40-SECOND PLAY CLOCK
Article 1It is a delay of the game if the ball is not put into play by a snap within 40 seconds after the start of
the play clock. The play clock operator shall time the interval between plays upon signals from game
officials. The 40-second interval starts when a play ends, unless Article 2 below applies.
25-SECOND PLAY CLOCK
Article 2 In the event of certain administrative stoppages or other delays, a team will have 25 seconds,
beginning with the Referee’s whistle, to put the ball in play by a snap or a kick. Such stoppages include,
but are not limited to, the following:
(a) a change of possession;
(b) a charged team timeout;
(c) the two-minute warning;
(d) the expiration of a period;
(e) a penalty enforcement;
(f) a Try; or
(g) a Free Kick.
A 25-second interval will be used in these situations, even if the 40-second clock is already counting down.

You may be thinking of when there was a time out inside 2 minutes, and after the time out the Play Clock starts at 25

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It's tricky. Not sure that after long plays the offense could run a play in 25 seconds. Also wouldn't the players get really tired? Good idea but I'd would add a 4th timeout. Don't want to take coaching totally out of the game.

Teams often call timeouts because they can't get the play off in 40 seconds after a long play. Make it so the play clock doesn't start till the ref sets the ball, and I like 25 seconds too as a play clock. Sure would make the final two minutes more interesting where teams just can't take 3 knees to win.