Why is the NFL the best pro sport in the USA?

[Moab]

I don't think there is a better sport to watch in the US than pro football. It's a game you can follow live or in person, it's not over saturated with too many games and the way it's set up with revenue sharing and the salary cap just makes it more competitive from top to bottom, and better to watch and be a fan.

Here are the reasons why I don't follow the other pro sports.

MLB - Too slow, the pace of that game just makes it boring to me. While I do enjoy going to a game in person, it's more about the atmosphere than the game. Watching it on TV is almost unbearable until the playoffs, but even then it's slow.

NHL - Fantastic game to go see in person, just too difficult to watch on TV. Unfortunately, where I grew up we didn't have a NHL franchise so I just never got into it. Have gone to a few games and they were awesome in person. The action away from the puck is all kinds of awesome, but you don't get a feel for the game on TV.

NBA - While I did enjoy going to the games in person, it's been a long time. They took too much defense out of the game and now it just seems to me like it's take it to the rack or kick and shoot a 3. Boring as hell and at this point in time too many fan boys that just follow 1 player as opposed to a team and I cannot stand those types.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

I don't think there is a better sport to watch in the US than pro football. It's a game you can follow live or in person, it's not over saturated with too many games and the way it's set up with revenue sharing and the salary cap just makes it more competitive from top to bottom, and better to watch and be a fan.

Here are the reasons why I don't follow the other pro sports.

MLB - Too slow, the pace of that game just makes it boring to me. While I do enjoy going to a game in person, it's more about the atmosphere than the game. Watching it on TV is almost unbearable until the playoffs, but even then it's slow.

NHL - Fantastic game to go see in person, just too difficult to watch on TV. Unfortunately, where I grew up we didn't have a NHL franchise so I just never got into it. Have gone to a few games and they were awesome in person. The action away from the puck is all kinds of awesome, but you don't get a feel for the game on TV.

NBA - While I did enjoy going to the games in person, it's been a long time. They took too much defense out of the game and now it just seems to me like it's take it to the rack or kick and shoot a 3. Boring as hell and at this point in time too many fan boys that just follow 1 player as opposed to a team and I cannot stand those types.

the thing with basketball. Is you could or maybe should skip the game until you get to the last 4 or so minutes. Then turn the game on whereas Football we are into it from the 1st kickoff to triple zeros. (excluding last Thursdays game) LOL

Dont know enough about Hockey to comment.

Baseball I pretty much agree.
Only time I find myself interested is either I have fantasy baseball players in game or there is a pitcher you want to see how many K's they can get. Other than that. Just watch the highlights.

 

[Clayton]

I think playoff baseball is just as good as playoff football. The regular season is too much, though.

Agreed on the NBA having too much offense. I might be biased because I dont really have an NBA team within driving distance but after having kids it was the sport I stopped watching. College basketball is fun but the transfer portal is kinda messy when it comes to rooting for teams.

Never been into hockey or soccer so I cant comment there.

 

[Think McFly Think]

For me it’s mostly about upbringing.

On other threads I’ve told the story of how I became a Packer fan, basically my Uncle and Dad took me to my first Packers game when I was very young while listening to a cassette tape about the Packers’ Glory years on the car ride there.

Seeing a game live when you’re that age is something you never forget and I’ve been a die-hard Packers fan since.

I think you touched on perfectly why I follow NFL the most. Less games means more excitement for each game and games having substantially more meaning than an 82 or 162 game season.

My Dad is a huge Cubs fan, so I got that from him too although I didn’t get to see Wrigley Field until I was in high school but I’ve been many times since.

I really do love baseball, but over time I’ve found myself watching it less and less but I always try to find time to watch playoff baseball, especially the World Series, and the Cubs winning it in 2016 was one of the greatest moments of my Dad’s life and sharing that with him (we watched Game 7 together) is one of my favorite memories ever, same for when the Packers won in 1996, the first team I deeply followed winning it all.

NBA and NHL both I have an appreciation for but I never was hugely into either, again because my Dad wasn’t really either.

I was in my pre-pubescent into teenage years during MJ’s run so that was the pinnacle of my NBA watching career, because I mean at the time it seemed unavoidable, it was must-see-tv and I was a Cubs fan already so it seemed like a natural choice to be a Bulls fan, but I think most casual fans of the NBA were that way back then.

NHL I got into the most when I lived in the D.C. area and followed the Caps to an extent and thought it was cool when they won in 2018 but I’m definitely a casual hockey fan.

So essentially my Dad and some of my other family members are primarily responsible for my sports interests and I can’t thank them enough, I love sports.

TL/DR - McFly’s Dad said “hey son, check out football and baseball and then find a lessened interest in basketball and hockey on your own”

 

[HaroldSeattle]

MLB - Too slow, the pace of that game just makes it boring to me

Yup I still remember the day I decided to quit watching baseball. Pitcher keep throwing to first supposedly to keep the runner from taking a lead, but the runner was barely off the base, too top it off when he looked like he was ready to throw a pitch to the batter, the batter would step out of the box. Seemed like it took forever for that at bat. When it was done I clicked the game off and told myself I wasn't watching another baseball game ever and haven't since.

NHL - Fantastic game to go see in person, just too difficult to watch on TV.

You nailed that. Hate watching hockey on TV and couldn't understand the attraction for hockey until someone gave me tickets to go to a Thunderbird game. I was blown away by the difference. Hockey is fantastic live.

NBA - While I did enjoy going to the games in person, it's been a long time. They took too much defense out of the game and now it just seems to me like it's take it to the rack or kick and shoot a 3. Boring as hell and at this point in time too many fan boys that just follow 1 player as opposed to a team and I cannot stand those types.

Yes, The game became a different animal and you described the modern game perfectly. Went from a game I use to enjoy a lot, to a game not worth my time.

 

[Debbie Does]

I mostly gave up on football when the kneeling for the National Anthem started. Then I've mostly stayed away because there are a lot of non-competitive teams out there.

Hockey is the game for me. It's non-stop action. I became a hockey fan back in the sixties. That was well before HDTV and big screens.

 

[Think McFly Think]

Hockey is the game for me. It's non-stop action. I became a hockey fan back in the sixties. That was well before HDTV and big screens.

Well sure, but could you follow the puck on your 89 pound Panasonic with limited clarity?

 

[Xeliou66]

NFL is my favorite sport for a variety of reasons - I just find it the most entertaining and compelling to watch - the amount of mental strategy plus physical skill makes football such an awesome sport, and it’s always gripping, flows nicely, the regular season has the right amount of games, the playoffs are thrilling, it’s just awesome. But everyone has their own favorite sports and their reasons for liking them and I don’t pass judgment on people who prefer other sports.

MLB I greatly enjoy but yeah the pace of play can be too slow, plus there are so many games that not all of them matter, decreasing the intensity, and it’s just not quite as complex as football, one reason I love football is the complex strategies that go into it.

NBA has no defense and is all flash and no substance IMO. Plus the same teams stay dominant and one player can make or break a team.

I’ve never gotten in to hockey, just too simple and dull to watch but I agree it’s exciting live, but I don’t go to games often.

I love NFL, college football, MLB and college basketball and follow those sports closely. I don’t follow much else closely.

 

[Wazmankg]

I don't think there is a better sport to watch in the US than pro football. It's a game you can follow live or in person, it's not over saturated with too many games and the way it's set up with revenue sharing and the salary cap just makes it more competitive from top to bottom, and better to watch and be a fan.

Here are the reasons why I don't follow the other pro sports.

MLB - Too slow, the pace of that game just makes it boring to me. While I do enjoy going to a game in person, it's more about the atmosphere than the game. Watching it on TV is almost unbearable until the playoffs, but even then it's slow.

NHL - Fantastic game to go see in person, just too difficult to watch on TV. Unfortunately, where I grew up we didn't have a NHL franchise so I just never got into it. Have gone to a few games and they were awesome in person. The action away from the puck is all kinds of awesome, but you don't get a feel for the game on TV.

NBA - While I did enjoy going to the games in person, it's been a long time. They took too much defense out of the game and now it just seems to me like it's take it to the rack or kick and shoot a 3. Boring as hell and at this point in time too many fan boys that just follow 1 player as opposed to a team and I cannot stand those types.

Agree with all of this and it's too bad about hockey on TV because, as you say, it's terrific in person even if you're not that familiar with the sport. Football was also by far my favorite team sport to play... never played hockey and sucked at hoops the little bit of that I did play. I didn't play organized baseball for the same reason I rarely watch it.. it was just boring with too much dead time.

I have warmed to the NBA recently after giving up on it years after the Pistons started sucking. The athleticism wrt US team sport athletes is unparalleled imo.

 

[Moab]

There are some things in the NFL that I'm not a fan of. I don't like how spread out the bye weeks are, I think they're a bit unfair and don't make much sense to me. I'm not really a fan of the 7 team per conference playoff format. I realize the Pack got in last year, but I see it as rewarding the team that is best at being mediocre and would prefer the 6 team format. Lastly, I don't really like the 17 game season as I think it causes too many injuries. It's a dangerous enough sport without giving the players some type of extra rest, same with the 3 games in 10 or 11 days. Again, it's too physically abuse without giving players enough time between games to recover.

 

[Wazmankg]

The NFL also has a player procurement system that promotes parity. That's huge for me.

 

[Moab]

The NFL also has a player procurement system that promotes parity. That's huge for me.

Agreed, the hard cap regardless of the player, draft slotting from worst to first, free agency compensation based on quality of player lost and many other things they do to promote parity tend to work. Unfortunately they can't stop inept teams from being inept, but I guess that just shows that the talent pool in player evaluation and decision making are just as rare as very good QBs. I could be wrong though

 

[Wazmankg]

Agreed, the hard cap regardless of the player, draft slotting from worst to first, free agency compensation based on quality of player lost and many other things they do to promote parity tend to work. Unfortunately they can't stop inept teams from being inept, but I guess that just shows that the talent pool in player evaluation and decision making are just as rare as very good QBs. I could be wrong though

I like the fact teams can't buy their way to championship contention. If your team sucks, it's not because it can't afford not to.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

Football. Easy.

 

[Debbie Does]

Well sure, but could you follow the puck on your 89 pound Panasonic with limited clarity?

Just watch the players' eyes. They'll show you where the puck is and where it's going.

I played hockey from my teenage years until I was over 70. The legs get run down, but for a while I could remain competitive by learning the game better. It was a bad knee and a bad heart that got me to retire, but damn, it was a good run.

 

[Moab]

I like the fact teams can't buy their way to championship contention. If your team sucks, it's not because it can't afford not to.

Right, the NBA with the exceptions and MLB where the haves and have nots gap is massive just makes for some very non-competitive teams.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

This isn’t anything. But what I appreciate about football is the way the nfl tries to attract the younger generation.

The Simpson’s game might have been difficult to watch in the football sense. But what a great idea.

Also the Nickelodeon games. Pure genius.

I have no clue why baseball has never attempted anything like that. It’s a much slower game so it would translate so much better.

 

[Janus]

I'll tell ya why, because midget tossing isn't televised

 

[Breed]

Football is the perfect game for TV.

And while there are a few things being at a football game can provide that TV doesn't until the replays show it. Watching a game at home on the latest hi definition TV is a better seat than 99% of the seats at a stadium.

Those far as that last part goes. I haven't been to Sofi or the new stadium in Vegas. I hear both are pretty amazing.

Oh, one more thing. No matter how great a seat is at a game. I'll have to deal with traffic n hours of driving home when the game ends. At home, I'm already home.

 

[msgkings322]

It's not