NFL Ratings - This sounds right to me.

[Wes21]

16 hours ago, TheCasillas said:

Fantasy leagues are down as well. 

I think if people felt confident there would be a season and that it would go all 17 weeks, more people would have participated.  3 out of my 4 leagues went ahead and had a draft.  1 league decided it wasn't worth the uncertainty, wasting everybody's time and effort.  That league has been together for 20 years.  2 of the other 3 were pay leagues that suspended the pay part for this year only.  The 1 other league I'm in had half the people not bother showing up for the draft.  They are still watching the games, but they didn't think it worth while to spend the time drafting for a season that might not happen or be completed.  And then there's the uncertainty of losing players randomly in the middle of the year because they test positive.

[dave-o]

I watched some of the first half of the Panthers game on Sunday and that was it...  I dont support the narrative thats going on right now....  I have a feeling I'm not alone...  

[TheMaulClaw]

No preseason hype.  Games feel a little less important without fans and an atmosphere.  There was no radio shows building up opening day for a few months.  We've stunk for two years with no real end in sight.  Twenty percent of people are disenchanted with the politics, and we lost Cam.

That said, I watched the game and for the most part was pleasantly surprised by the offense.  Although I was very critical of Cam, and Teddy did a good job...the Panthers just seem like they lost their heart and soul without him, we have no identity, and there are a lot of new players I know nothing of so there is no emotional attachment.  I do think they responded to Rhule well.  Joe Brady did a great job.  The fourth and 1 call wasn't great but the offense wasn't the reason we were in a bad spot.  Jury is still out on Phil Snow.  I thought the Dline handled the run better but LBs are underwhelming and we have no personnel in the secondary.  Really we probably need to spend another entire draft on D. 

Regarding the league, people have been without sports for a while and most aren't into the NHL( I am).  The NBA has been a rigged trash game and when you couple that with March Madness being cancelled people have been without sports for awhile so they've adjusted.

I think the NFL is going to take awhile to bounce back.  It will take awhile for fans to go to the games again even when Covid is no longer a big risk.  People will still be paranoid of it.  Whether you agree with the politics or not, a lot of people aren't watching because of it.  Im not debating politics here or what is right or wrong....only that some people are refusing to watch because of it.

[Davidson Deac II]

On 9/14/2020 at 4:54 PM, Jeremy Igo said:

That thought had crossed my mind for sure. It's possible.

Purely anecdotal evidence, but I have seen at least 10 social media accounts/facebook friends state that they are not watching the NFL this year.  8 of them are Cowgal fans, along with 2 Washington football team fans.  I find it amusing, as they are always talking about Cowboy for life and all that nonsense.  But if this ends up with the sports broadcasters giving more balanced coverage, might be a good thing.  

[Greatman77]

We cut the cord and dropped ESPN and the NFL Network this year. Honestly don't miss either. I will watch all the Panthers games but any games that I can't pick up off my antenna, meh.

[CPF4LIFE]

I just get up and watch the highlights of all the other games the next day on YouTube anyway. Hard to sit threw additional  4 hrs outside the panthers games. 

[Snake]

On 9/15/2020 at 7:23 AM, PghPanther said:

There are many reasons why ratings are down among the two more prominent appear to be as follows:

1) The covid situation has changed sports seasons..shorter during with schedule changes, less or no people..........its depressing watching games that look like practice with no one in the stands. The unemployment rates and business collapses have strained many people financially and changed the way they look at spending their spare time now. 

2) Social imperatives..............sports has always been popular because of it being an escape...........or entertainment to watch and forget about the world and its problems.......people don't want to be preached to, they know and hear enough to understand what is going on in the country and don't care to have their spare time for entertainment being preached to............. 

3) Change of lifestyle and attitude towards sports in general..................the generations coming up in general don't have the entertainment/factor attention span of the generations who made sports what they are today...........my generation was a tv generation subservient to the investment of time in front of a tv to obtain their entertainment............the generations now are instant information on demand smart phone/social media users and/or a gaming generation.........they are not playing sports as much and don't have that interest. The demographic change of the country is also reflected in the sport preferences which are changing..............no to mention the head problems with football keep eating away at its interests in younger generational apathy towards the game. 

4) Sports are like dinning out............when the economy and world is running at its normal pace they are very popular among those who support them..............but force a change or shutdown of dinning out then people do more grocery shopping and eating at home..........people's consumption habits are changing and sports is also a reflection of that. 

I don't know were it all leads to but its not the same anymore for right now....

I watched the Indy 500 recently...........the tradition of the memorial day May event off the calendar..........and instead of 300k plus in the stands there was nobody.............it just wasn't that same and I have always loved that event. 

 

 

2) It really shocks me how many fascist really are in this country. It's not like the NFL hasn't promoted firefighters, police, domestic abuse, etc. Yet now it's an escape.