Why do less people like football these days?
This might not even be true but it has been my impression. When I was a kid tons of people were into football. On Sunday’s the family would all get together, eat snacks and watch the big game. Nowadays it’s lucky if I know someone who will actually watch a game. I’ve even heard people refer to the sport as if its boring, or neanderthalesque… What gives?
I grew up watching Joe Montana chuck the pigskin to Jerry Rice for a the big score. There was always something magical about it.
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I dislike most major sports these days because I actually remember when folks played sports because they loved the game. Now they whine about how much money they are not getting or how they can’t skip practice to nurse a hangover. Football is just not great anymore. The Brain Sipes and Refrigerator Perrys of the world are gone.
I think it is just TV that is going away. On my apple TV I can watch a ten minute clip of the highlights of a game. No need to sit for 3 hours filled with commercials. 20 years ago watching tv was what you did when you were bored in your house. Now the Internet covers the boredom.
If it’s any consolation, I never liked football.
I’m looking for some stats, but I am under the impression that football is #1 in the states. I am not a football (or sports) fan, but football love is out of control. I attended a wedding a few Sundays ago. The Patriots were playing, and most of the men at the reception were staring at their smartphones. A few of the people left early to go watch the game.
@judochop It’s true that that drama exists but I don’t watch that part. I just watch the game. College football has a bit less drama and is great.
@tom_g That’s hilarious seeing as we’re 0/4 so far in this thread. XD Maybe it’s just fluther that’s anit-sports.
@digitalimpression Drama does not exist as much at the college level because those kids are not making $50,000> a game. And if they screw off they will loose their scholarships.
Same reason most people don’t like baseball… Really unrealistically high salaried superstars preventing these teams from gaining good players.
It’s all consumerism, advertising and jock glory now days…
That get’s boring when it is to such a gross extreme.
@judochop Porn is revolting imho.
@GabrielsLamb You could make that argument about anything. So do you opt out of everything?
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Jeez! Don’t ask me! I hate all sports. In high school, I was a total klutz. I couldn’t catch a ball to save my life whenever we played such games in Phys. Ed. Thus, I was despised by bullies around the world.
@digitalimpression I can make that argument about “anything” high salaried, media hyped jocks sucking up all the money for other good players *especially in a struggling franchise, is kinda specific.
It is not correct that fewer people like football.
“18.9 Million Watch Jets-Ravens on ‘Sunday Night Football’ on NBC
Five-Game Average of 23.2 Million Viewers is Best in 6-Year SNF History” October 4th, 2011 at 9:55 am
“NFL Games Rank As Eight Of Nine Most-Watched Sporting Events Since ‘Super Bowl’
After three weeks of the season, NFL games rank as eight of the nine most-watched sporting events since Super Bowl XLV.” September 28th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Source
Not to mention, the Joe Namath 70’s and the other old school players; the 80’s and the Joe Montana type heroes, were playing for a different kind of game.
You don’t have true football “heroes” anymore. You have advertising glory hounds that merely exist to sell items, in the 70’s at the true advent of modern advertising, the Hero WAS part of the product. Now I think it’s just about the product.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xffOCZYX6F8
@marinelife And yet we’re what.. 0/8 now so far in this thread? It really is just fluther isn’t it?
@GabrielsLamb High Salaried – Obama, Media hyped jocks – any actor or actress, struggling franchise – pick something. I don’t see it as that specific at all.
Hm, it hasn’t hit me yet. Let’s go San Diego Chargers! Particularly I love the established rivalries in the NFL. Also, I love the feeling between November and December when the season really starts to get grinding and moving and teams are kind of established as the powerhouses. I’m a stats freak as well as the type to monitor how players demeanor are so I tend to fall in love with other teams and disagree with others, but when it’s time to play man, there’s nothing more enjoyable than putting aside all personal work and watching the strategy take place on the field. For me its not so much even the physicality of it as strange as that may be. I also love the Madden games. Man I don’t know, it seems alive and well on the west coast that’s for sure. Aren’t fans in Philadelphia screaming with blood running out their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths right now? I think football in all states is still king of sports.
@digitalimpression I just had to laugh at you choosing Obama for high salary comparison, when the president is the one people compare sports players’ salaries to the most often it seems.
Obama makes around 400k, many players make several times that, and he’s the President.
@GabrielsLamb Are you freakin kidding me? Hello brick wall. My name is digitalimpression. Yeah. Done with that bit of mortar and brick.
@Prosb It was impulse and obviously a bad example.. My point was just that her/his description wasn’t that specific. Pick someone else if you like.
Obama sells mom jeans for the Gap.
*Sings… “Fall into his gap.”
@Prosb One basic star player can make up to 3 million dollars a year… MILLION!
Julius Peppers and Obama meet on NO level.
$16 MILLION dollars a year and they don’t even play a whole year!
•Carson Palmer, Cin $16.166M
•Eli Manning, NYG $15.285M
•Nnamdi Asomugha, Oak $15.155
•Ben Roethlisberger, Pit $14.664M
•Peyton Manning, Ind. $14M
People realized there were other things to this world? And that it was okay to say so.
@digitalimpression Don’t blame the “brick wall” for the chuckle head standing there speaking to it.
Relax sparky… Maybe THIS is why people don’t like football as much anymore? Too many damn hormones.
For me, the question is why do people like football? I get the idea of a community gathering around to enjoy something together, but there are so many other things you can regularly watch on tv as a community.
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@Aethelflaed But why not football? This is amazing that not one person has even hinted at being a real sportsfan.
I think that’s because many of us here who are technically-minded have discovered during life (or even in school as I have) that sports accomplishes just the opposite of what it claims to. In school, gym class forces the meek kids to be at the mercy of the bullies. Sports breeds hatred between people.
@digitalimpression I get wanting to play football. I have no desire to do it myself, or other competitive sports (real life is competitive enough). But watching others play? Why? And no one has ever given me a real answer beyond “because it’s fun”, so I’m not shocked that football lovers aren’t effectively converting anyone.
@HungryGuy Sounds like you’re trying to oppose “technically-minded” with “sports fan” which is unequivocally false. The outlandish generalization that “sports breeds hatred between people” sounds like someone playing the victim card. Gym class is meant to teach kids how to play sports, to get outside and be active… the situation you described is by no means restricted to sports. If you are meek, you will be at the mercy of bullies.. period.
@Aethelflaed I am not trying to convert you to do anything. I am just curious why the decline (despite the proven numbers and stats otherwise). I think I now have undeniable proof that fluther is a sports free zone (minus the one anomaly… me.) I know there are others out there!
- It’s an overrated sport
– The athletes are overpaid. That’s a turn off for some
– They only play 17 regular games a season…..not enough to keep some people interested
– There’s life after football (and before)
– You can only lose so much at Fantasy Football before you become irritated
Everyone keeps saying “there’s more to life”, “there’s life after/before”, etc… What is that? No one is claiming that you should idolize football. No one said you should setup a shrine or anything. OF COURSE there is more to life than football… God, I feel like I’m in the twilight zone.
@digitalimpression. You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension – a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the NFLacklusterness.
Oh.. and just for the benefit of all those football fans out there (wherever they are) GO CHICAGO BEARS TONIGHT!!
@digitalimpression I wasn’t trying to suggest you were trying to convert me. I was pointing out that, if one doesn’t grow up watching football, in a family where that’s what you do with your family and friends of that family, then you need a reason to start. And I don’t think that most football fans are presenting that reason. So then why would people who don’t already do it because it’s such a tradition to them start watching football?
@Aethelflaed I don’t know.. lack of an interesting personality?
@digitalimpression Totally not sarcastic, I’m just tired, so let me make sure I’m following your train of thought: people could start watching football because it would make them more interesting?
Don’t know where you are? I am guessing the US, but here in Australia just about all codes of football are still enormously popular.
Maybe the quality of other sports such as soccer tends to improve much faster because it’s possible to tap into a worldwide talent pool. This isn’t happening with American football. It’s a regional curiosity and the talent pool is much smaller.
Compare a game of soccer at the World Cup in say 1970 to 2010. The difference is amazing. Same for all the top national leagues in countries like the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany. Almost the whole world is watching. Especially in Asia and the Arab countries. This makes kids want to try it out too.
@Bellatrix That’s because Aussie Rugby ROCKS! Now THOSE are athletes! No helmets, bare kneed in shorts and no gear… Just men, blood, sweat bones and an objective to get the ball in using every member of a team to do it… It’s awesomeness!
You will get no argument from me there @GabrielsLamb. It does indeed ROCK!
@Bellatrix Thank God! 1/15!!
@GabrielsLamb LOL! So rugby is cool, but not football? You are a strange one.
It has been well documented that the NFL is a much rougher sport.. thus the need for pads. If rugby players played by nfl rules (without the pads) there would be fatalities.
Look at @marinelife‘s stats. Football is not dead in the US. It may be dead here at Fluther, but not irl.
I know many people who follow the NFL (high school and college too) and make plans to spend time with family and friends to watch the sport.
I’m wearing my team colors at the moment. are you? ;)
@digitalimpression Ok, so I don’t mean this to be snarky (even though it will probably sound that way), but if you’re lacking in people to talk sports about, can’t you just walk into a sports bar and start talking to whoever is actually looking at the screen? I thought that was half the point of having all these bars be sports bars.
@abbynormal It’s very strange that it’s so dead on fluther. The strangest part is that I usually avoid websites that are pervasively liberal and/or anti-sports. Fluther is the one exception simply because I’m addicted to the outlandish opinions. They make me smile in wonder.
@Aethelflaed I don’t mind if you’re snarky, intentionally or otherwise. =) I don’t have a problem locating people to talk to about football.. it just seemed that there was a general decline in interest and I was curious why. Clearly the stats say football is alive and well in the US, but I didn’t used to have to find someone interested in sports.
@digitalimpression I think maybe it’s more ok to not like football, and there are other options for them and for bringing communities together, so maybe a lot of those people who would have liked football awhile back really only “liked” football, and wouldn’t have been so into it if they’d had other options.
@Aethelflaed “more ok to not like football” ?
meh. I’m going to bed.
I dislike when grown men/women walk around in sports jerseys and decorate their car with tacky fan merchandise, brag about how “their” team is going to win, and pointlessly argue over players that they have no connection with except for seeing them on TV while they drink beer. I have trouble taking the NFL seriously since, to me, it’s just a bunch of overpaid men the size of horses that work out a lot, wear tight pants and tackle each other, with a celebrity-like following that generates ad revenue from the masses. Maybe I’m not alone?
Yeah, but plenty of people still like it.
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