Have you ever stepped back and wondered why we become and remain such ardent fans of football? I'm sure I will always love the sport but sometimes I just look at it rationally and wonder why. I still think that being part of a team is a valuable learning experience for kids, and I absolutely loved it, but as adult fans we are watching grown men who are millionaires, who likely don't give a rat's azz about fans, and who, in many cases, exhibit questionable character. I guess what triggered these thoughts was a piece I heard on ESPN radio this morning about Tyreek Hill wanting to prosecute the guy who threw beer in his face to the fullest extent of the law. Granted, it was a classless act by a loser, but he has already been banned from all future events at Gillette Stadium. The most hypocritical part, which was brought out by one of the show contributors, is that Hill was convicted of beating and strangling his pregnant girlfriend while at Oklahoma State, and was sentenced to just three years of probation. So, here is an abuser, one of many in the NFL, who got off rather lightly for a hideous crime, wanting someone prosecuted to the fullest extent for throwing a beer at him. Just makes me stop and wonder.
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I think part of it is daydreaming about the sheer athleticism that used to be or never was and the rush that comes with it.
That and puttin' the beat down on an opponent.
As far as the other crap, welcome to people. I'm sure the exploits on non-athlete millionaires is right up there if not worse.
I'm sure we all fell for the game as kids. Me, it was watching Lofton do what he did. As a kid you still think you can do anything and at that age. I wanted to be an NFL WR. Not sure why. Family was not big on the Packers (other than memories of the golden years) or football in general but for whatever reason, I dreamed about it. Now, I guess it's for vicarious reasons? Tradition? Habit? Vice? Escape?
The Tyreek Hill things is why I commented on another thread that had the picture of the Pats fans flipping him off, that he gets what he deserves. It's a game for guys who play on the edge and some of those guys sometimes fall off the wrong side.
I think it's the fact that, for many people, it's the link to your parents, grandparents, etc. I watched these games growing up with family members and it's one of the few things when you are a teenager trying to figure out what life is about that you can talk about with your father or grandfather at length.
Most of the players don't care what team they are playing for. I watch a game and think about how the 40+ years of memories I have linked to the team.
I watch football because of the games like we just had Monday. I don't care if we looked like crap for 55 minutes, that final 5 minutes always gives an adrenaline rush. The Buffalo game was boring, Alabama games are boring, close games are the most fun. Keeps me interested.
Also because Mike McLombardi is a freakin stud HC.
The NFLFU is killing the golden goose. Plain and simple.
The offense has a ridiculously skewed advantage.
We've placed SO much emphasis on the QB position and overvalued it that if a team loses their starting QB, their season is pretty much fu**ed. Think about that. 1 guy. And the 52 others? Doesn't really matter.
It's a modern day arena league now. It wouldn't shock me if one day all QB's get red shirted in games. Can't hit him. Ever.
It's becoming more and more unwatchable.
packerboi posted:The NFLFU is killing the golden goose. Plain and simple.
The offense has a ridiculously skewed advantage.
We've placed SO much emphasis on the QB position and overvalued it that if a team loses their starting QB, their season is pretty much fu**ed. Think about that. 1 guy. And the 52 others? Doesn't really matter.
It's a modern day arena league now. It wouldn't shock me if one day all QB's get red shirted in games. Can't hit him. Ever.
It's becoming more and more unwatchable.
The emphasis on safety is not going to change - too many impending lawsuits as it is for CTE.
What they should do is to change some of the rules to even things back up for the defenders that don't affect safety. Let the defenders touch receivers beyond 5 yards. Maybe extend the area where contact is allowed to 10 or 15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. That wouldn't hurt safety (at least the severe CTE stuff) one bit and wouldn't be an arena/video game league feel as much.
packerboi posted:The NFLFU is killing the golden goose. Plain and simple.
The offense has a ridiculously skewed advantage.
We've placed SO much emphasis on the QB position and overvalued it that if a team loses their starting QB, their season is pretty much fu**ed. Think about that. 1 guy. And the 52 others? Doesn't really matter.
It's a modern day arena league now. It wouldn't shock me if one day all QB's get red shirted in games. Can't hit him. Ever.
It's becoming more and more unwatchable.
Viewership is still strong. It's just us purists/codgers that are tuning out.
Viewers want scoring above all else so I don't see the rules tilting back anytime soon.
They as well as we purists want the stars on the field.
No way a team can be successful if they lose their star QB for the year. I sure can’t think of any recent examples.
Those that believe all that hosecrap are the ones that will make football, at least as we know it, extinct. 5 minute attention spans, wanting football to look more like a video game with fantasy players/trades/drafts, and both teams scoring like Arena League teams, is not sustainable (to use one of their terms). If that's the future of football, why not join a Madden league?
I recall at time (when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, apparently) when one would take a certain amount of pride being a "fan". Have a working knowledge of the game, research and revel in team history and tradition, and staying abreast with the current happenings of the team.
Nowadays, it seems like "football" is all about players. Couldn't care less about a team; everybody wants a team with Rodgers at QB, OBJ at WR, Gronk at TE, and Barkley at RB.....
There may be a time and place to binge-watch Netflix, but football season ain't it.
JMHO, others may vary.
That's the fantasy, Timmy!
PackerHawk posted:No way a team can be successful if they lose their star QB for the year. I sure can’t think of any recent examples.
Eagles?
Sarcasm?
For me, it's the sheer love of sports. I will watch any sport on tv. Soccer, hockey, softball, MLB, golf, cricket, curling, college, men's, women's, you name it and I'll watch it. You could take away all the other channels on my tv and I wouldn't know they were missing -- just leave me with my sports channels.
PackerHawk posted:No way a team can be successful if they lose their star QB for the year. I sure can’t think of any recent examples.
Maybe Wentz and Foles last year?
Not sure how much of a difference it makes, but Wentz wasn’t making star QB money last season so they didn’t have a lot of money tied up in one position.
DH13 posted:It's just us purists/codgers that are tuning out.
I have been feeling rather codgery lately. Great word.
mrtundra posted:PackerHawk posted:No way a team can be successful if they lose their star QB for the year. I sure can’t think of any recent examples.
Maybe Wentz and Foles last year?
I'm pretty sure he was being facetious.....but yes
Like a who's who.
It all started back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Once they were gone man needed a different sport besides killing dinosaurs and slowly but surely football was born.
Timmy! posted:Those that believe all that hosecrap are the ones that will make football, at least as we know it, extinct. 5 minute attention spans, wanting football to look more like a video game with fantasy players/trades/drafts, and both teams scoring like Arena League teams, is not sustainable (to use one of their terms). If that's the future of football, why not join a Madden league?
I recall at time (when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, apparently) when one would take a certain amount of pride being a "fan". Have a working knowledge of the game, research and revel in team history and tradition, and staying abreast with the current happenings of the team.
Nowadays, it seems like "football" is all about players. Couldn't care less about a team; everybody wants a team with Rodgers at QB, OBJ at WR, Gronk at TE, and Barkley at RB.....There may be a time and place to binge-watch Netflix, but football season ain't it.
JMHO, others may vary.
I certainly think you are right on. I dont mean to sound like the old fart saying "get off my lawn" but I do think how football is watched now is so much different. In today's society we have such instant gratification and view things in short videos or in tweets. As well as I do think that how you watch the game changed drastically with FFL.
So for those of us who were born just after the glory years and had to suffer though decades of crappy football but we still watched it as rabid fans. Back in the dark ages of th 70s and 80s we were fans of football first because we were so close to GB and it was just life. Church services in my home town were moved earlier to keep guys like my dad herding his family out of church early so we mad e kickoff. And then you only had a few games you could see and we had to beg Mom to stay up long enough to watch Howard Cosell's half time highlights. I still take pride in being a fan of the Packers because to me it still feels like it did when I was a kid. That is what makes it great to be a Packers fan it just seems better/easier somehow than rooting for another team.
I could only finish your first paragraph.....
I fell asleep reading your sentence.