NFL Burn Out

[BillJasper]

Am I the only one beginning to burn out on the NFL? I've been watching close to the last thirty years and I'm not sure how much more I can watch. Is there anything for me to see going forward that I haven't seen already? Except maybe a Miami Super Bowl victory...

Yes, last season we saw three 5,000 yard passers for the first time in NFL history. But that seems to be more a by-product of rules that handcuff defenses and absolutely atrocious tackling.

I've watched Marino and Montana, Rice and Irvin and Barry Sanders and Marshall Faulk and I'm just not sure I'll ever see players that entertaining again.

As the new season approaches, I'm finding it tough to be interested. The fact that games are on Thursdays, three times on Sunday and Monday, the oversaturation of the product is getting tough to stomach.

I may tune in to games this year, but I don't feel the same engagement lately as I have in the past.

[spleen1015]

I'm the opposite. I am looking forward to a lot of things this up coming season. Manning coming back from injury. Luck and RG3 getting their careers started.

I don't think I have looked forward to a season more than this upcoming one.

[lungs]

I felt the same way for several years. Joining a few fantasy football leagues last year got me back into it to a certain degree. But MLB is still pretty well ahead of the NFL in my fandom.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

I'm the opposite. I am looking forward to a lot of things this up coming season. Manning coming back from injury. Luck and RG3 getting their careers started.

I don't think I have looked forward to a season more than this upcoming one.

I agree, especially since the expectations for the Lions are higher now than they have been in like 20 years. I am at both very excited and extremely nervous about the upcoming season.

[Logan]

Bite your tongue.

[Antmeister]

Nope...not for me. It is the only sport where it feels like the regular season matters and the one and done in the playoffs are still intriguing to me. Yep and I have watched all of the players mentioned. Heck it is even strange for me to have seen so many careers from the start to retirement. And while there are some consistently successful teams, there is always a new cast of characters in the playoffs that has a chance of winning it all. Can't always say that for any other sport.

The only thing that may keep me away is if they don't make it easier to access their content at reasonable prices. Last year, some PS3 owners could watch NFL Sunday Ticked if they spent about $350 dollars to do this. I settled, instead, for the cheaper NFL Game Rewind, but this didn't allow me to view the games live. Now if you compare this with the MLB or NBA, you would think that the country's most popular sport would want to try to reach as many people as possible.

[MizzouRah]

I'm soooo ready for some college and professional football!

[Grover]

Not for me. For the first time in my fandom, the Bengals have stirred an excitement in me I've never felt for them.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I am completely burned out by this whole Saints bounty story. Enough of it already.

This is just another reason I am eager to get the season underway, so people can stop talking about it.

[booradley]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

Am I the only one beginning to burn out on the NFL? I've been watching close to the last thirty years and I'm not sure how much more I can watch. Is there anything for me to see going forward that I haven't seen already? Except maybe a Miami Super Bowl victory...

Yes, last season we saw three 5,000 yard passers for the first time in NFL history. But that seems to be more a by-product of rules that handcuff defenses and absolutely atrocious tackling.

I've watched Marino and Montana, Rice and Irvin and Barry Sanders and Marshall Faulk and I'm just not sure I'll ever see players that entertaining again.

As the new season approaches, I'm finding it tough to be interested. The fact that games are on Thursdays, three times on Sunday and Monday, the oversaturation of the product is getting tough to stomach.

I may tune in to games this year, but I don't feel the same engagement lately as I have in the past.

I have to agree. I should really stop labeling myself a Dallas Cowboys fan, because the truth is I really don't give a damn whether they win or lose anymore. Still love the regional rivalries in college football, but of course THAT's going to down the shitter now, too. Sigh ...

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

have a love/hate with sports in general. had a debate recently w/friends, 'how much would it take for you to never watch sports again?'

i said 500 bucks

[Logan]

Originally Posted by NorvTurnerOverdrive

have a love/hate with sports in general. had a debate recently w/friends, 'how much would it take for you to never watch sports again?'

i said 500 bucks

If that's the case, you should cancel your cable today and you'll come out way ahead of that number in a year.

[MizzouCowboy]

In a way I'd have to say I do have some NFL burnout, simply because I don't HAVE to watch every single game that is on. There was a time when I would watch any game, didn't matter if it was week 14 and both teams had combined for 5 wins, I would watch it. Now, not so much. I still watch my Cowboys religiously, but I'm nowhere what I used to be. Years ago if they lost, I'd be pissed 'till the next week. Now, it really doesn't bother me, but that could be me just kind of expecting them to lose. I think a lot of it is I am sick of all the off-field drama.

I have definitely drifted toward baseball more in the last decade. Not really sure why, but it just captivates me more.

Football (soccer) I have found fascinating. I don't watch a lot matches, but enjoy the hell out of the EPL, and look forward to all the matches of the EU2012. I can't wait for the next World Cup.

And the NBA, which I hadn't watched for over a period at most for the last 10 years, has kind of drawn me in during the playoffs. I was sitting around one night with nothing to watch so I turned on a Celtics-Heat game. Watched a bit and decided that it wasn't nearly as bad as I had preconceived. After a few more games, I came to realize that it was good basketball, and entertaining to watch.

I dunno, maybe I'm just getting to old for the NFL and am not there targeted age demographic, or maybe I'm just wanting a new, bright and shiny football text sim.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Short answer, Yes

Long answer...agree with lungs, it's been creeping in for awhile now. I can't really pinpoint one thing. I'm not that old at 36, but I already feel like an old man when I think back, to even 5-7 years ago, about how the games were played.

I'll still watch, and still be somewhat emotionally invested, but not like I was in the past.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Antmeister

The only thing that may keep me away is if they don't make it easier to access their content at reasonable prices. Last year, some PS3 owners could watch NFL Sunday Ticked if they spent about $350 dollars to do this. I settled, instead, for the cheaper NFL Game Rewind, but this didn't allow me to view the games live. Now if you compare this with the MLB or NBA, you would think that the country's most popular sport would want to try to reach as many people as possible.

It's kind of a weird thing, there are so many games on free tv or basic cable TV, it seems impossible to watch them all. And access even above and beyond THAT is now available, though like you said, is kind of expensive in some cases (and then there's the blackout stuff).

But I don't think that access makes the game more popular or allows the game to reach more people. Sports did quite well, better in a lot of ways, when they had one the game of the week on NBC. There's something psychological at play there I think, if I can watch ANYTHING, I'm kind of not as excited to watch any of it.

For me, I'm kind of in denial, I record a ton of games, in all sports, that I don't end up watching. And I can't watch anything live anymore. Part of that is just getting older I'm sure but when there's so much access to everything, there's just no hurry to get to it.

[Kodos]

College football has really gained on the NFL for me, partly due to interest in the NFL dipping. They are options 1A and 1B for me. Then college basketball. After that, there isn't much that interests me in sports. Ever since guys like Jordan and Barkley retired, it has been hard to be interested in the NBA.

[Rizon]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

Am I the only one beginning to burn out on the NFL? I've been watching close to the last thirty years and I'm not sure how much more I can watch. Is there anything for me to see going forward that I haven't seen already? Except maybe a Miami Super Bowl victory...

Yes, last season we saw three 5,000 yard passers for the first time in NFL history. But that seems to be more a by-product of rules that handcuff defenses and absolutely atrocious tackling.

I've watched Marino and Montana, Rice and Irvin and Barry Sanders and Marshall Faulk and I'm just not sure I'll ever see players that entertaining again.

As the new season approaches, I'm finding it tough to be interested. The fact that games are on Thursdays, three times on Sunday and Monday, the oversaturation of the product is getting tough to stomach.

I may tune in to games this year, but I don't feel the same engagement lately as I have in the past.

It's been a few years since I burned out, never really got back into it. I use to watch every game that came on in our market (which some years was almost none cause of the Jokeland Faiders), but now I watch just a few games a year. And don't really miss it all that much, either.

[Icy]

For me becoming fan of a team (Marlins) made me to lose the interest on the whole NFL.

A few years ago, without internet streams, i could only watch 3 games per week, decided by the satellite TV network i subscribed. I was hungry for football, so i watched those 3 games every week, got to know all the teams, all the players and became a huge NFL fan to the point that i stopped to watch soccer, that is a sacrilege living in Spain.

Then three years ago online streams came, so i could watch all the games i wanted, and started to watch only the Dolphins every week as for any reason i felt more sympathy about them. I got happy, angry etc like any other Dolphins fan, but then i realized i was not watching other teams but those who played vs Dolphins, most of new players became unknown for me, and slowly started to lose interest on football and to return to soccer.

Now i'm again a diehard soccer fan as every good Spanish citizen

[Lathum]

I love it more that ever, east to do as a Giants fan. I enjoy beiing on the games and playing fantasy football, both add an extra dimension.

One thing I also love is we make football Sunday an event. Most weeks we have friends over for the games, they start early here so we do brunch, everyone brings some food, we drink mimosas then switch to beer and hang out most of the day. Drag a second TV into the living room so we can get 2 games on, let the kids play and generally a good time is had by all.

I think being on the West Coast helps me alot also. The night games end early enough that I can get into bed at my normal time and still watch out usual shows,, so I don't need to sacrifice anything else for the Monday/Thursday games.

[Lathum]

dola- I will say I am burned out on the 24 hour coverage ESPN gives the NFL and the off season. I really don't care that Takeo Spikes has a hangnail

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Lathum

dola- I will say I am burned out on the 24 hour coverage ESPN gives the NFL and the off season. I really don't care that Takeo Spikes has a hangnail

I found a sure-fire way to get over this problem: Don't watch ESPN.

Unless there is a live sporting event and that event happens to be NFL football, college football, a Tigers game or the occassional international soccer game (if I remember it's on), I hardly ever watch ESPN.

I don't need it for sports news. I sit in front of a computer all day at work with constant internet access and have almost equal ease of access when at home between the laptop and iPhone. The only thing watching ESPN (outside of those times mentioned above) adds is loud, annoying people and commercials.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I really don't care that Takeo Spikes has a hangnail

WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!

[Julio Riddols]

I'll never get tired of football completely. I think the whole "burn out" thing can be attributed to getting older and realizing that it isn't worth the emotional investment that you thought it was when you were younger. I still care what happens, and this season will probably be more frustrating when we lose than last season was, but I have realized over time that putting so much of an investment into a team really fucks with my overall well being when my team is the Bengals. I've been slowly weaning myself from living and dying with the stripes and caring so much how my fantasy team plays. I still badly want both to win, but I can let go pretty easy now if things don't go well.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I found a sure-fire way to get over this problem: Don't watch ESPN.

+1

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Icy

A few years agoi stopped to watch soccer, that is a sacrilege living in Spain.

NOT OKAY!!!

Originally Posted by Icy

Now i'm again a diehard soccer fan as every good Spanish citizen

MUCH BETTER. WORLD CAN RETURN TO NORMAL NOW!!

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I found a sure-fire way to get over this problem: Don't watch ESPN.

Unless there is a live sporting event and that event happens to be NFL football, college football, a Tigers game or the occassional international soccer game (if I remember it's on), I hardly ever watch ESPN.

Bingo. I haven't seen Skip Bayless or Stephen A. Smith in months.

[MacroGuru]

I lost interest in the NFL a while ago. Moving to Buffalo sparked it again, but it waning due to the BS going on.

I have been a true blue die hard BYU Cougar, I still am...but the fact they are independent and are potentially looking from the outside in on anything coming out now has me worried.

But for me it's going lately...College Football, NHL, Soccer, NFL, MLB, NBA

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

Originally Posted by Logan

If that's the case, you should cancel your cable today and you'll come out way ahead of that number in a year.

i know. i was internet only for years but when they raised the rates i called to cancel and somehow ended up with phone/internet/cable for 30 a month.

espn's like my 2 minutes of hate anyway

[JonInMiddleGA]

I've been there for years. Manning has been my only emotional investment in the NFL for quite a while now, once he retires (which I've come to wish he had done) I imagine it will become just another NBA to me.

I keep track of the NBA similar to how I've never watched a full episode of Idol but recognize most of the notable names, it's just a pop culture/watercooler kind of thing, pretty close to that with the NFL already.

[Swaggs]

There was a time when I was far more invested in the NFL (could name a lot of the players on every team, watched all day Sunday, stayed up and watched every MNF game, etc.).

Now, I'm mostly just into following the Steelers and will watch a handful of other games during the season.

I think a lot of the stupid coverage (Brett Favre retirements and his penis story, the Saints stuff, etc.), the strike, and mostly my increased interest in college football are to blame. If I had to choose, I would much rather have a free Saturday to spend watching games (and flipping around from 11 AM until midnight) than watching a Sunday with much fewer games (and often times, the non-Steelers' starting time games don't interest me at all).

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I found a sure-fire way to get over this problem: Don't watch ESPN.

Unless there is a live sporting event and that event happens to be NFL football, college football, a Tigers game or the occassional international soccer game (if I remember it's on), I hardly ever watch ESPN.

I don't need it for sports news. I sit in front of a computer all day at work with constant internet access and have almost equal ease of access when at home between the laptop and iPhone. The only thing watching ESPN (outside of those times mentioned above) adds is loud, annoying people and commercials.

I don't want to go all scortched earth. I like espn, I want to follow baseball, some nfl offseason, basketball, etc...

I like to have it on in the background. My office also has TVs in it that have it on all day so I am likely exposed to it more than others.

[Ajaxab]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

If I had to choose, I would much rather have a free Saturday to spend watching games (and flipping around from 11 AM until midnight) than watching a Sunday with much fewer games (and often times, the non-Steelers' starting time games don't interest me at all).

This is what makes college football more interesting to me. I like being able to flip around to three or four games at a time on a Saturday instead of being shackled to the two game maximum for one three hour window on a Sunday. Love it or hate it, the BCS has also increased my interest in other games as well. Every game has the potential to affect my team's season. It makes next to no difference what a team in another conference is doing in the NFL.

I've also felt like the NFL is getting more arrogant about its product in recent years. The move of the draft from Saturday to Thursday is one example of this arrogance. "We're the NFL. We don't care if hockey playoffs or basketball playoffs are on. You will watch our draft no matter what night we put it on." Uh, no. I'll watch your draft on a Saturday afternoon before playoff games from other sports start, but I will not watch your draft in prime time. This kind of attitude has me caring more about college football than the NFL.

I'll still watch the NFL, but more because it's there and not because it's necessarily interesting.

[Blackadar]

Nope, still love it. Don't get to watch it much, but NFL Radio is the #1 channel on my Sirius subscription.

[Arles]

There's always a more romantic view of sports when you were younger because you viewed them in a more innocent and hopeful manner. What Aaron Rodgers has done in Green Bay (and Drew Brees as well) has been phenomenal, but I have a much more reverent memory of watching Joe Montana. I'm guessing if I grew up watching Johnny Unitas and then saw Montana when I was 36, I would remember Unitas in a better view.

Sports are never going to mean more, be more exciting or more memorable as you get older. You just are more jaded and understand more about the players and their motives.

[RendeR]

Is it opening day yet???

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Ajaxab

I've also felt like the NFL is getting more arrogant about its product in recent years. The move of the draft from Saturday to Thursday is one example of this arrogance. "We're the NFL. We don't care if hockey playoffs or basketball playoffs are on. You will watch our draft no matter what night we put it on." Uh, no. I'll watch your draft on a Saturday afternoon before playoff games from other sports start, but I will not watch your draft in prime time. This kind of attitude has me caring more about college football than the NFL.

.

The numbers would indicate otherwise.

[nilodor]

I'm getting there as well. It's the tv broadcasts that are killing it for me (same with the NBA). Touchdown, commercial, kickoff, commercial. All these 4 man joke fests in the studio, basically just yelling over each other. The final two minutes taking forever in a close game. Also it seems like as players are getting bigger and faster and better that superstars don't stand out that much and it almost seems like the field is too small now. It's crazy if you told me 5 years ago that I would go from watching a couple of games most weekends to not watching a single game and only occasionally checking out the highlights, I would have thought you were crazy, but here we are. I think they're going to have to do something like the NHL did with shortening stoppages to get me back into the fold.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Lathum

The numbers would indicate otherwise.

The numbers indicate that Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith are our foremost authorities on sports.

Numbers are shit.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Lathum

dola- I will say I am burned out on the 24 hour coverage ESPN gives the NFL and the off season. I really don't care that Takeo Spikes has a hangnail

What if it was Eli that had the hangnail?

[Peregrine]

I was getting burned out on the NFL for a while, felt like I wasn't connecting with my favorite teams and players like I used to. For me, anyway, quitting fantasy football was what fixed it, since I feel that FF, while a lot of fun, puts all its emphasis on stats and none on your teams. rivalries, etc. So that's what worked for me, but probably not for everyone.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I found a sure-fire way to get over this problem: Don't watch ESPN.

Unless there is a live sporting event and that event happens to be NFL football, college football, a Tigers game or the occassional international soccer game (if I remember it's on), I hardly ever watch ESPN.

I agree with this completely. I salivate over watching as many games as I can every NFL Weekend. The Thursday night games annoy me and unless the matchups are really good I do just opt out of them, but Sundays are NFL days start to finish and I love it as much as ever.

Watching ESPN just overdoes everything for me. A few glances at espn.com, or maybe catching half of PTI a couple days a week is more than enough to figure out what the ESPN talking points are for the day/week, if I keep watching I get burned out, if I just sit back and enjoy the games and seek out just the amount of NFL content that I want during the week and no more, it works perfectly for me and I stay very interested.

[markprior22]

I still watch and follow my team but I don't care for the game like I used to. The rules have moved too far in favor of the offense which probably appeals to a larger group of fans so I definitely understand. The complete hands off the qb and wr are the main changes that have lessened the game in my eyes. It's just a personal preference though as the numbers show it's doing better than ever.

[Crapshoot]

I'm in agreement with HB. I can't remember the last time I turned on ESPN for a non sporting event. Hell, its even gotten to the point that for sporting events, I tune out ESPN (ie, basketball last night - after the game, I kept hoping that TNT was somehow doing a panel instead of the dreck ESPN had).

As for the NFL, I just don't care that much. I had fun going to the playoff games last year, but man, I live and die with the Giants in baseball; I swore in 2010 that a Giants WS victory meant I couldn't care less if any other Bay Area sports team won a title, and I'm ok with it.

[Passacaglia]

A little burn out, yeah. As more games are available to watch, and life gets in the way of watching as many, it's hard to be as connected with the league in general. Also, moving to Chicago made it harder to be a Lions fan. Plus, text sims give me more buy-in; a lot of times while sitting and watching one game, I find I'd rather watch a team of my own creation do its thing instead. And having sons raises some questions -- how safe do I feel having them play football at any level, and how much am I encouraging them to want to play it the more I watch?

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I was getting burned out on the NFL for a while, felt like I wasn't connecting with my favorite teams and players like I used to. For me, anyway, quitting fantasy football was what fixed it, since I feel that FF, while a lot of fun, puts all its emphasis on stats and none on your teams. rivalries, etc. So that's what worked for me, but probably not for everyone.

I quite fantasy football years ago because
1. It made me root for players I don't like
2. It made me root for teams I don't like
3. I would be disappointed if the right guy on my team didn't score

[Blackadar]

I said earlier I wasn't, but if they continue to "sissify" the sport much more, I probably will lose interest. It's the intensity of the sport that draws me to it and two-hand touch football doesn't interest me much.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by lungs

I felt the same way for several years. Joining a few fantasy football leagues last year got me back into it to a certain degree. But MLB is still pretty well ahead of the NFL in my fandom.

This. I think I haven't been interested in the NFL in like 3 years. I find college football more entaining due to the variety of offensive & defensive styles, while the NFL seems more boring. And same as lungs, MLB is well ahead.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

I said earlier I wasn't, but if they continue to "sissify" the sport much more, I probably will lose interest. It's the intensity of the sport that draws me to it and two-hand touch football doesn't interest me much.

I dare you to play one series in the NFL and then come back here and talk about how they continue to "sissify" the sport.

The game is still plenty phsyical if not down right brual at times.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

I said earlier I wasn't, but if they continue to "sissify" the sport much more, I probably will lose interest. It's the intensity of the sport that draws me to it and two-hand touch football doesn't interest me much.

You realize that you don't come across as a tough guy, just a fool, when you say stuff like this right?

[britrock88]

I was ready to quit; then the Panthers drafted Cam Newton. The offense wasn't quite as radical as I thought it would be (even by NFL standards), and I thought our 2 good RBs didn't get enough touches, so I'm going to give it one more season to see if Carolina just keeps throwing the ball too much instead of deploying our awesome backfield more effectively in the run game.