Why the Ratings are Falling in the NFL

[BigKen]

Watching the Patriots/Bills game, I believe flags were thrown 21 times. Now I'm watching the Broncos/Chargers and the stripes threw a flag four plays in a row.

That brings me to what I think may be a major problem for the NFL............Officiating.

Every game this season has multiple flags for defensive holding, illegal contact, pass interference and if it's those it's illegal formations, illegal motion. We all know that most officiating crews have no idea what the hell pass interference is. The backfield judge called Eric Rowe three time today of PI and twice he could actually see what was happening because he was blocked by the players' bodies. With 33 seconds remaining in a game where the Patriots were leading 41-17 he threw a flag for PI against Rowe because the receiver's left arm appeared to be held down by the defensive back. When they showed the replay, it was the receiver who actually had a full hand grip on Rowe's right wrist to keep him from reaching up and hitting the ball which was overthrown. Rowe got the penalty and Buffalo had a 1st and goal on the one.

Week in and week out it's the same thing in nearly every game. The officials are affecting the outcome and the betting lines......almost as if they have bets on the games they're officiating.

It may be time for NFL officials to be full time and not part time. If they were attending training classes aand reviewing film from February through July and then attending team practices and holding classes for players, fewer flags might be thrown. The NFL is trying to keep games at 3 hours or less and the officials are the problem stopping play and having multiple meetings trying to figure out why they threw the rag.

 

[arkansas89]

its because the games are not available enough on common channels. if you're lucky you might see your favorite team once or twice a year if you're outside of the tv market for that team. i see cowboys and kc games all the time, but rarely do i see a packer game or denver etc. its because of the tv contracts. no one is going to pay for the shitty nfl network. make deals with invidual stations for games, and ratings will skyrocket. nothing better to watch on sundays/mondays

 

[Chewbaccer]

I'd say a big part is because it seems like the Bears are playing in one of the nationally televised games every week.

If the Bears are playing, and it's not against Denver or Atlanta, I'm not watching.

 

[Diamondeye]

The move over the past 5-10 years to regulate the game in way that heavily favors passing offense has hurt the product, IMO.

It's not just all the defensive penalties that have resulted from it, as all the incompletions disrupt the flow of the game just as well.

The game flowed much better when it was a run-oriented game up until the mid 2000s or so.

However, with that being said, this shit has been going on for years and cannot fully explain a 15% drop in ratings in a single year.

I think a lot of the speculation revolving around attributing it to focus on politics has merit. Clinton/Trump is dominating everything right now, and I've also read that professional soccer ratings in Europe are experiencing similar declines right now, not only due to what's happening here politically, but what's happening over there with both the migrant crisis and England preparing to leave the EU.

People are largely focused on more important things right now, at the expense of sports viewership.

 

[tedman2012]

irsay says we are entertainment ! so it reminds me of wwe .

 

[Xander]

This is supposed to protect the players now that they sued the shit out of the NFL

 

[Xander]

It also makes the game 4hrs long. Nothing like a game starting at 9 and ending at midnight +

 

[Xander]

Watching the Patriots/Bills game, I believe flags were thrown 21 times. Now I'm watching the Broncos/Chargers and the stripes threw a flag four plays in a row.

That brings me to what I think may be a major problem for the NFL............Officiating.

Every game this season has multiple flags for defensive holding, illegal contact, pass interference and if it's those it's illegal formations, illegal motion. We all know that most officiating crews have no idea what the hell pass interference is. The backfield judge called Eric Rowe three time today of PI and twice he could actually see what was happening because he was blocked by the players' bodies. With 33 seconds remaining in a game where the Patriots were leading 41-17 he threw a flag for PI against Rowe because the receiver's left arm appeared to be held down by the defensive back. When they showed the replay, it was the receiver who actually had a full hand grip on Rowe's right wrist to keep him from reaching up and hitting the ball which was overthrown. Rowe got the penalty and Buffalo had a 1st and goal on the one.

Week in and week out it's the same thing in nearly every game. The officials are affecting the outcome and the betting lines......almost as if they have bets on the games they're officiating.

It may be time for NFL officials to be full time and not part time. If they were attending training classes aand reviewing film from February through July and then attending team practices and holding classes for players, fewer flags might be thrown. The NFL is trying to keep games at 3 hours or less and the officials are the problem stopping play and having multiple meetings trying to figure out why they threw the rag.

Not to mention it causes a win/lose situation when it shouldn't

 

[Diamondeye]

It also makes the game 4hrs long. Nothing like a game starting at 9 and ending at midnight +

For years, MNF games on ABC started at 9pm and were typically over by 11:30pm.

Could you imagine a 9pm kickoff in today's NFL?

 

[Xander]

For years, MNF games on ABC started at 9pm and were typically over by 11:30pm.

Could you imagine a 9pm kickoff in today's NFL?

Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. But that was acceptable. Generally, 11:30 was pushing it

 

[NinerSickness]

Watching the Patriots/Bills game, I believe flags were thrown 21 times. Now I'm watching the Broncos/Chargers and the stripes threw a flag four plays in a row.

That brings me to what I think may be a major problem for the NFL............Officiating.

Every game this season has multiple flags for defensive holding, illegal contact, pass interference and if it's those it's illegal formations, illegal motion. We all know that most officiating crews have no idea what the hell pass interference is. The backfield judge called Eric Rowe three time today of PI and twice he could actually see what was happening because he was blocked by the players' bodies. With 33 seconds remaining in a game where the Patriots were leading 41-17 he threw a flag for PI against Rowe because the receiver's left arm appeared to be held down by the defensive back. When they showed the replay, it was the receiver who actually had a full hand grip on Rowe's right wrist to keep him from reaching up and hitting the ball which was overthrown. Rowe got the penalty and Buffalo had a 1st and goal on the one.

Week in and week out it's the same thing in nearly every game. The officials are affecting the outcome and the betting lines......almost as if they have bets on the games they're officiating.

It may be time for NFL officials to be full time and not part time. If they were attending training classes aand reviewing film from February through July and then attending team practices and holding classes for players, fewer flags might be thrown. The NFL is trying to keep games at 3 hours or less and the officials are the problem stopping play and having multiple meetings trying to figure out why they threw the rag.

 

[Guywithtoaster]

I agree the 100% with the OP. The Flag throwing is hurting the game. It is getting worse and worse every season. The NFL didn't use to throw as many flags 10-20 years ago than it did today. I watched both the raiders and seahawks games today and I've never seen so many flags thrown against teams I like haha. I watched a combined 42 total penalties thrown in those 2 games. It wasn't as fun or entertaining when there were that many stoppages. It also hurts the betting aspect of the NFL as well.

 

[arkansas89]

I agree the 100% with the OP. The Flag throwing is hurting the game. It is getting worse and worse every season. The NFL didn't use to throw as many flags 10-20 years ago than it did today. I watched both the raiders and seahawks games today and I've never seen so many flags thrown against teams I like haha. I watched a combined 42 total penalties thrown in those 2 games. It wasn't as fun or entertaining when there were that many stoppages. It also hurts the betting aspect of the NFL as well.

It sounds like you expect a participation trophy for those players who commit too many penalties on your team. the refs are just doing a job. tell your team stop cheatin.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

RedZone channell

Why would anyone watch the 3 million commercials and 4 million flags, when they could avoid all that by watching Red Zone

 

[Banned 10x]

I agree that the flagging is the biggest reason rating are down but If I have to see that fucking Southwest "Any Way You Want It" commercial next Sunday I might shoot the neighbors dog.

 

[Balljim55]

Ratings may be down but I don't think viewership is down. There are so many ways to watch now on so many devices, the traditional channels are suffering. Particularly with the popularity and growth of fantasy football, folks want constant stats. You don't get that from the networks.

 

[Xander]

I take back what I said...What's ruining football right now is all of these fucked up political commercials that are now 3-4 in a row.

 

[jarntt]

IRVING, Texas — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league now believes the presidential election was at the root of the NFL’s huge TV ratings drop-off early in the season.

According to the commissioner, ratings since the Nov. 8 election are down just 2 percent compared with last season. That is in stark contrast to the nearly two months leading up to the election, when NFL ratings plummeted nearly 20 percent.

“It’s clear that the election had an impact,” Goodell said. “There’s no question that going head-to-head with debates, you’re going to get that kind of a [ratings drop] — particularly with an election that may have been more followed than any election in our history.”

Goodell also said the league is being proactive about its ratings woes, with plans to potentially streamline broadcasts that would include slimming or eliminating some windows for commercials.

Goodell believes he knows culprit of NFL’s ratings drop

 

[NEhomer]

...but, but, Goodell makes the league so much money.

 

[redseat]

...but, but, Goodell makes the league so much money.

Sadly owners still think he does.

But the inconsistency of officiating certainly isn't helping. I don't know what is or isn't PI anymore. Don't know what roughing the passer is or isn't. Still don't know what is or isn't a catch.