NFL 2018 Off Season Thread - Page 10

NobodyHere · 07-25-2018, 10:03 PM

Bad luck for the Giants.

Sam Beal likely out for year with shoulder injury - NFL.com

albionmoonlight · 07-27-2018, 08:32 AM

Good Article by Witten:

Jason Witten: How Twitter has become NFL locker room poison

bhlloy · 08-01-2018, 08:27 PM

Jason Licht gets an extension. Because finishing last in the division 3 out of 4 years and having your #1 overall pick suspended for personal conduct is something to reward.

NobodyHere · 08-02-2018, 07:22 PM

NFL Preseason has started! And we already have a "Was that a catch" official replay.

bhlloy · 08-02-2018, 08:17 PM

Don’t forget the first ticky tack helmet rule, followed by a few that looked just as bad!

The HoF game would be a lot more enjoyable on the whole if they would stop interviewing the HoF’ers. Urlacher has the glassy eyed look you would expect of a guy who is the all time leading tackler for an NFL team.

Coffee Warlord · 08-02-2018, 09:54 PM

Oh my lord these helmet calls are ridiculous.

bhlloy · 08-02-2018, 10:02 PM

Hyperbole hot taek alert, but if they keep this up this might be the thing that finally finishes the sport off for me. There’s just no way you can make these calls in real time as the rule is written. You can see what they are truthful to do but it’s completely absurd.

That was a perfectly good football hit that got a 15 yard penalty because it sounded like a big hit.

albionmoonlight · 08-03-2018, 10:17 AM

Here's the thing, though.

The NFL wants these penalties to get attention and kind of inturrupt the flow of the game. They want them to annoy the fans enough to get people tweeting about it and calling in to sportstalk radio to bitch.

The NFL is facing a huge potential crisis with CTE. It needs to be seen as Doing Something about it. These penalties that are messing up your game? That's unfortunate, but we all understand that it's because the NFL cares right?

The Hall of Fame game was a great place for them to put it on display. And I am confident that you will see some high-profile penalties in the Week 1 Primetime games.

And, once the message has gotten out that the NFL is Doing Something because it Cares So Much, you will see the flags start to stay in the pockets.

BishopMVP · 08-03-2018, 01:21 PM

NFL training camp has officially started, as the Patriots signed a white WR (Eric Decker).

bhlloy · 08-03-2018, 10:38 PM

Apparently he’s definitely not Johnny Canadian Football

JPhillips · 08-06-2018, 11:21 AM

Crazy line from Deadspin:

Quote:

This team has made nine first-round picks between 2011 and 2016, and with Coleman gone not a single one of those players is still on the roster.

JonInMiddleGA · 08-07-2018, 03:18 PM

Antonio Callway cited for traffic violation, possession, and driving on a suspended license?

I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell you. And I'm sure the Browns are too, certainly couldn't have seen this coming or anything.

Thomkal · 08-07-2018, 03:58 PM

:::sighs at the Browns::: Is every draft pick doomed for failure?

NobodyHere · 08-07-2018, 05:06 PM

Well look on the bright side, at least Josh Gordon wasn't with him.

NobodyHere · 08-09-2018, 06:09 PM

Well that's a nice first run by Barkely

Thomkal · 08-10-2018, 07:58 PM

Well after one drive, Jets fans have decided that Darnold is going to Canton

JonInMiddleGA · 08-10-2018, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Well after one drive, Jets fans have decided that Darnold is going to Canton

They're trading him to a semi-pro team ALREADY?

Geez, that's a little tough even by my standards.

Thomkal · 08-10-2018, 08:55 PM

^5 Jon

Thomkal · 08-12-2018, 10:56 AM

Not sure I'm ready to welcome him into Canton just yet, but Josh Rosen looked decent for my beloved Cardinals last night against the Chargers. 6/13 for 41 yards for no TD's and INT's. Probably needs to sit behind Bradford until he can throw down the field more.

Thomkal · 08-17-2018, 08:04 PM

Rosen gets his first TD, after having a fumble called back due to pass interference. Now I'm ready to welcome him to Canton

bhlloy · 08-18-2018, 02:56 PM

The penalties being called in this Vikes-Jags have been absolutely absurd. God forbid this continues into the regular season.

PilotMan · 08-20-2018, 09:37 AM

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...m_campaign=nfl

Gotta agree with him. It's impossible to do what they are asking. It's going to lead to so much frustration during the season. The whole concussion and revelation about the toll the game takes, and the changes that have resulted are the real reason why football is tanking. It really has nothing to do with players kneeling. I'm not sure there's any stopping it either.

Ksyrup · 08-20-2018, 09:55 AM

I really haven't been paying much attention to football this year yet, but the little bit I've seen and the way they are explaining the rule, it almost seems like it requires tackling by standing nearly straight up. Isn't that the only way you can tackle with your head up? Any kind of forward momentum tackle seems to require some element of the head to be lowered. It's kind of hard to lower yourself, moving forward, and not have your head down. The only way that's not a penalty is if you don't "initiate contact" with the head, and whether that happens seems like it is going to be a split-second occurrence that the tackler has almost no control over.

JonInMiddleGA · 08-20-2018, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PilotMan

It really has nothing to do with players kneeling

While it isn't the only factor, you keep right on kidding yourself if you believe that.

But hey, whatever the case, so long as it continues its slide (hopefully right into the abyss where it belongs) I'm good with that.

albionmoonlight · 08-20-2018, 11:12 AM

There's the caveat that people talk a bigger game on social media than they live out. So people saying that they are BOYCOTTING the NFL FOREVER are not always being totally truthful.

However, based on my feed, the NFL really does seem to be fighting a two-front war, and the two fronts have nothing to do with each other, which can make it hard for it to know how to respond.

More and more of my left-leaning friends who are otherwise sports fans are giving up football due to CTE. These aren't my hippie-dippy friends who never liked football anyway but were happy to take an easy moral stand against it years ago when CTE came out. These are people who enjoy watching who just can't justify it to themselves anymore.

And more and more of my right-leaning friends and family are turning against it due to the police brutality/anthem protests. This is not just Jon, here. It's a pretty consistent discussion as the season approaches.

I guess one place to look to see which (if either) of these trends is actually doing something would be if there is some divergence between college and NFL football. Numbers down across the board would lean toward more of a CTE explanation, while NFL-specific declines might be more likely to be protest-related.

PilotMan · 08-20-2018, 11:15 AM

Hey Jon, the ratings were declining prior to it. Whatever factor it has, it's minimal. Let's say it becomes a total non issue today, no way ratings jump right back up on their own. It is the perception of your band of merry men though that completely believe they alone are sinking the mighty NFL.

NobodyHere · 08-20-2018, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Hey Jon, the ratings were declining prior to it. Whatever factor it has, it's minimal. Let's say it becomes a total non issue today, no way ratings jump right back up on their own. It is the perception of your band of merry men though that completely believe they alone are sinking the mighty NFL.

The bolded part really isn't true. The kneelings started at the beginning of the '16 season. Of course it doesn't prove that kneelings are the cause of the decline but you can't really dismiss it as a factor either.

Honolulu_Blue · 08-20-2018, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

More and more of my left-leaning friends who are otherwise sports fans are giving up football due to CTE. These aren't my hippie-dippy friends who never liked football anyway but were happy to take an easy moral stand against it years ago when CTE came out. These are people who enjoy watching who just can't justify it to themselves anymore.

I am in this camp. I am not sure if I am 100% in this camp, but I am pretty close.

I played football. I love football. I've been a fan of the college and pro games since I was a little kid and have always found the sound of a game in he background to be really comforting. But I am finding it harder and harder to watch and be comfortable with the brutal, vicious toll the game takes on these guys. When you combine that with how poorly the NFL treats its players once they're done playing and how horrible the NFL is, in general, with respect to domestic violence, faux patriotism, and pretty much everything else, I have never been less excited or interested in the NFL than I am right now. I haven't watched a single minute of pre-season football. I am not exactly sure what I'll do when the season starts.

AlexB · 08-20-2018, 01:43 PM

Simple answer to the CTE issue is take away the helmets and all the plastic pads (keep an element of the soft padding).

That way no-one will lead with their head, everyone will learn to tackle with their shoulder, immediately getting rid of 99% of head impacts.

It would change the game completely in both technique and highlight reel hits, but the current rules seem to be a half hearted attempt to address the issue that makes tackling almost impossible with the current equipment.

So the only alternative if things need to change is to change the equipment

JPhillips · 08-20-2018, 01:50 PM

No helmets would mean a lot more blood. I don't think that would help marketing even if the overall severity of injuries were to decrease.

Kodos · 08-20-2018, 01:53 PM

Put me in the left-leaning category of fans who has a harder and harder time justifying liking football in light of CTE and all of the crap that happens in big time college sports (see recent Penn State, MSU, OSU, Minnesota scandals, etc.) and the NFL (see Zeke Elliott and the endless list of women-beaters, etc.).

PilotMan · 08-20-2018, 02:10 PM

Concussion was eye opening, and I find it very hard to watch the big hits in the game. They make me cringe. Having said that, the advantages that the offense has now on the defense really has changed the game and not for the good. My own interest in the pro game has dropped substantially in the last few years. Only the college game, and really only because of NDSU, keeps my interest early on. I didn't get into the NFL last year until baseball season was completely done. Of course, all that could be attributed to the ebb and flow of my favorite teams over the years too. I'm like a .....oh look, squirrel! kind of fan.

albionmoonlight · 08-20-2018, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPhillips

No helmets would mean a lot more blood. I don't think that would help marketing even if the overall severity of injuries were to decrease.

It would make the game be safer while seeming more dangerous. Not what the NFL will do at all.

bhlloy · 08-20-2018, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I really haven't been paying much attention to football this year yet, but the little bit I've seen and the way they are explaining the rule, it almost seems like it requires tackling by standing nearly straight up. Isn't that the only way you can tackle with your head up? Any kind of forward momentum tackle seems to require some element of the head to be lowered. It's kind of hard to lower yourself, moving forward, and not have your head down. The only way that's not a penalty is if you don't "initiate contact" with the head, and whether that happens seems like it is going to be a split-second occurrence that the tackler has almost no control over.

It's absolutely possible to make a good football tackle without standing nearly straight up, the issue is that is in a vacuum of a tackling drill and a real game is a million times more chaotic and bang-bang and there's just no way you can ever legislate that into a game. And then especially not ask an official to make that call in real time.

Really, my biggest issue is that whatever they said about this being a safety specific rule and it applying equally to offensive and defensive players it's just been a parade of penalties applied to defensive backs and linebackers, and it feels like this is another step in the crusade to add offense and make it easier to have superstar QBs and WRs that the league can market. Add that to subtle tweaks to the defenseless receiver and roughing the passer penalties that have seen a ton of real softies being called and I agree with PilotMan, it has really changed the game for the worse at this point.

Nobody wants to see players getting injured, but it feels like the league just wants it's marketable guys not injured and if you are a lineman or defensive player tough shit. You look at Jarvis Landry ending a guys career in 2016 and then not getting flagged or disciplined at all for doing the same thing in a fricking preseason game... shurg. I guess we shouldn't be surprised that the NFL has less than honest intentions, but it does sour the intent of the new rules for me. If I thought they were genuinely interested in player welfare, I'd be a lot more apt to bear with new rules even if I did think they were impacting the game.

Warhammer · 08-20-2018, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexB

Simple answer to the CTE issue is take away the helmets and all the plastic pads (keep an element of the soft padding).

That way no-one will lead with their head, everyone will learn to tackle with their shoulder, immediately getting rid of 99% of head impacts.

It would change the game completely in both technique and highlight reel hits, but the current rules seem to be a half hearted attempt to address the issue that makes tackling almost impossible with the current equipment.

So the only alternative if things need to change is to change the equipment

I am in this camp. Not only what you said there, but removing the equipment forces players to use proper technique to bring someone down.

I am not sure about the blood being a detriment to marketing, we loved the blood back in the day, look at how Sam Huff and Dick Butkus are revered, I cannot think of a single picture where they did not have blood on their uniforms.

albionmoonlight · 08-20-2018, 03:14 PM

Also, whatever the breakdown of the short-term loss of interest is, the CTE issue is a bigger problem for the long-term health of the league:

Football's popularity continues to take a hit across Southland campuses

cuervo72 · 08-20-2018, 05:16 PM

FWIW, when we were visiting a few weekends ago my FIL did mention he was watching less of the NFL because of the kneeling.

Of course, he also completely ignored and talked through a televised anthem for a sporting event we had on.

So I don't doubt that it has something to do with it; at the same time, I think the "outrage" is one of convenience.

JPhillips · 08-20-2018, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warhammer

I am in this camp. Not only what you said there, but removing the equipment forces players to use proper technique to bring someone down.

I am not sure about the blood being a detriment to marketing, we loved the blood back in the day, look at how Sam Huff and Dick Butkus are revered, I cannot think of a single picture where they did not have blood on their uniforms.

Football was a much less popular game than it is now. Some level of fans would be fine, but I think you're underestimating the mass media coverage of the bloody brutality of football.

Edward64 · 08-20-2018, 05:40 PM

I really haven't thought much about the CTE issue but now that you guys have brought it up, it does seem weird that I enjoy watching people essentially knock /damage their brains.

I like college more than pro football, and definitely football more than baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer etc. But all in all, I don't live for football and can do without it. Given incentive (e.g. no football), I think I can get into soccer. Football may die a slow death as less and less kids play it and attendance decreases but tbh, it won't go away before I'm dead.

Ksyrup · 08-20-2018, 06:03 PM

I haven't really thought much about it. I have a far bigger issue with kids playing the game. That's where the attention needs to be IMO. Adults choosing to play the game in college or for a profession know what they are getting into. And I find this whole anti-football thing strange when UFC is now more popular than ever and I don't hear a peep about scaling back MMA., which is like if the NFL determined scoring based on the number of illegal head-to-head hits you could amass.

I've been losing interest in the NFL for years. The game is just more boring than college. And with the awful catch rule, the pass interference rule that incentivizes throwing bombs and hoping for some contact, and now all of these game-changing 15 yard penalties that include plays where a guy just gets hit hard and jars his head/neck, it feels like the outcome of too many games is being decided by rules and not players. It just sucks to watch.

The national anthem thing makes no difference to me, but then again, I'm not a faux outrage-seeking Trump supporter who thinks the flag only represents the military and the true meaning of patriotism is if you know the words to that God-awful, pandering Lee Greenwood song.

JPhillips · 08-20-2018, 06:37 PM

Another issue with removing helmets and padding is that it would open the league to an enormous liability problem. It wouldn't take long before they were sued out of existence for removing the "safety" from the game. Every injured player would have a ready to go lawsuit.

bhlloy · 08-20-2018, 07:49 PM

In the interest of fairness I guess I don’t disagree with either of the lowering the head penalties so far tonight. First one was clearly a guy headhunting and the second was textbook helmet to helmet that can cause bad injuries.

I just wish they would call it on the offense when egregious now as well, I guess?

bhlloy · 08-20-2018, 08:37 PM

In shock at Jeff Tripplette being on MNF as the new rules expert. I guess in addition to the nude pics of Goodell he also has them of somebody in power at ESPN.

Ksyrup · 08-21-2018, 07:00 AM

I didn't watch last night's game, because seriously - who the hell would watch that game, even in the regular season - but I hear Tessitore and Booger McFarland are part of MNF now? Yikes. You know the NFL sucks when ESPN recognizes it needs to try to turn it into college football. Tessitore would seem to have too much energy for an NFL game. And Booger... I guess he's the new Tony Siragusa? Who needs commentary from him?

Just wait until next year when Paul Finebaum is doing the halftime show to justify that big new contract.

stevew · 08-21-2018, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhlloy

In shock at Jeff Tripplette being on MNF as the new rules expert. I guess in addition to the nude pics of Goodell he also has them of somebody in power at ESPN.

Maybe he was the guy extorting Skipper (and Goodell?) Over cocaine?

Ksyrup · 08-21-2018, 09:39 AM

I dare one of the pbp guys to call Tripplette in for a rules explanation after a coin flip in OT to ask which side was called.

Butter · 08-21-2018, 10:23 AM

Monday Night Football team was atrocious. I don't like Tessitore, and Witten was awful. Booger is fine, but he is a college analyst.

Then to top all that off, Jeff Triplette came in and told an atrocious story about the time he blinded Orlando Brown in one eye. That was a great thing to highlight on the broadcast to remind us that he was totally not an inept official.

albionmoonlight · 08-21-2018, 11:06 AM

Speaking of CTE: Free Agent OL Richie Incognito Arrested

QuikSand · 08-21-2018, 11:30 AM

Mr Incognito... it's a Mr Belichcik holding on the line for you... would you like us to hold the phone up to your ear since you are in...ummm... confinement apparel?

bhlloy · 08-21-2018, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butter

Monday Night Football team was atrocious. I don't like Tessitore, and Witten was awful. Booger is fine, but he is a college analyst.

Then to top all that off, Jeff Triplette came in and told an atrocious story about the time he blinded Orlando Brown in one eye. That was a great thing to highlight on the broadcast to remind us that he was totally not an inept official.

Yeah, that was a special moment. I’m not sure whether he was prepped for it or not, but he answered it with all the enthusiasm you’d expect from a guy asked on prime time TV to remember the time he blinded a guy, basically ended his career and probably contributed to his early death from diabetes. Good times!

07-25-2018, 10:03 PM	#451
NobodyHere Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2013	Bad luck for the Giants. Sam Beal likely out for year with shoulder injury - NFL.com __________________ "I am God's prophet, and I need an attorney"

08-02-2018, 07:22 PM	#454
NobodyHere Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2013	NFL Preseason has started! And we already have a "Was that a catch" official replay. __________________ "I am God's prophet, and I need an attorney"

08-07-2018, 03:18 PM	#462
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	Antonio Callway cited for traffic violation, possession, and driving on a suspended license? I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell you. And I'm sure the Browns are too, certainly couldn't have seen this coming or anything. __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

08-07-2018, 03:58 PM	#463
Thomkal Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA	:::sighs at the Browns::: Is every draft pick doomed for failure? __________________ Coastal Carolina Baseball-2016 National Champion! 10/17/20-Coastal Football ranked in Top 25 for first time!

08-07-2018, 05:06 PM	#464
NobodyHere Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2013	Well look on the bright side, at least Josh Gordon wasn't with him. __________________ "I am God's prophet, and I need an attorney"

07-27-2018, 08:32 AM	#452
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Good Article by Witten: Jason Witten: How Twitter has become NFL locker room poison

08-01-2018, 08:27 PM	#453
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	Jason Licht gets an extension. Because finishing last in the division 3 out of 4 years and having your #1 overall pick suspended for personal conduct is something to reward.

08-02-2018, 08:17 PM	#455
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	Don’t forget the first ticky tack helmet rule, followed by a few that looked just as bad! The HoF game would be a lot more enjoyable on the whole if they would stop interviewing the HoF’ers. Urlacher has the glassy eyed look you would expect of a guy who is the all time leading tackler for an NFL team.

08-02-2018, 09:54 PM	#456
Coffee Warlord Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Colorado Springs	Oh my lord these helmet calls are ridiculous.

08-02-2018, 10:02 PM	#457
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	Hyperbole hot taek alert, but if they keep this up this might be the thing that finally finishes the sport off for me. There’s just no way you can make these calls in real time as the rule is written. You can see what they are truthful to do but it’s completely absurd. That was a perfectly good football hit that got a 15 yard penalty because it sounded like a big hit.

08-03-2018, 10:17 AM	#458
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Here's the thing, though. The NFL wants these penalties to get attention and kind of inturrupt the flow of the game. They want them to annoy the fans enough to get people tweeting about it and calling in to sportstalk radio to bitch. The NFL is facing a huge potential crisis with CTE. It needs to be seen as Doing Something about it. These penalties that are messing up your game? That's unfortunate, but we all understand that it's because the NFL cares right? The Hall of Fame game was a great place for them to put it on display. And I am confident that you will see some high-profile penalties in the Week 1 Primetime games. And, once the message has gotten out that the NFL is Doing Something because it Cares So Much, you will see the flags start to stay in the pockets.

08-03-2018, 01:21 PM	#459
BishopMVP Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Concord, MA/UMass	NFL training camp has officially started, as the Patriots signed a white WR (Eric Decker).

08-03-2018, 10:38 PM	#460
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	Apparently he’s definitely not Johnny Canadian Football

08-09-2018, 06:09 PM	#465
NobodyHere Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2013	Well that's a nice first run by Barkely __________________ "I am God's prophet, and I need an attorney"

08-10-2018, 07:58 PM	#466
Thomkal Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA	Well after one drive, Jets fans have decided that Darnold is going to Canton __________________ Coastal Carolina Baseball-2016 National Champion! 10/17/20-Coastal Football ranked in Top 25 for first time!

08-10-2018, 08:55 PM	#468
Thomkal Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA	^5 Jon __________________ Coastal Carolina Baseball-2016 National Champion! 10/17/20-Coastal Football ranked in Top 25 for first time!

08-12-2018, 10:56 AM	#469
Thomkal Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA	Not sure I'm ready to welcome him into Canton just yet, but Josh Rosen looked decent for my beloved Cardinals last night against the Chargers. 6/13 for 41 yards for no TD's and INT's. Probably needs to sit behind Bradford until he can throw down the field more. __________________ Coastal Carolina Baseball-2016 National Champion! 10/17/20-Coastal Football ranked in Top 25 for first time!

08-17-2018, 08:04 PM	#470
Thomkal Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA	Rosen gets his first TD, after having a fumble called back due to pass interference. Now I'm ready to welcome him to Canton __________________ Coastal Carolina Baseball-2016 National Champion! 10/17/20-Coastal Football ranked in Top 25 for first time!

08-18-2018, 02:56 PM	#471
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	The penalties being called in this Vikes-Jags have been absolutely absurd. God forbid this continues into the regular season.

08-20-2018, 09:37 AM	#472
PilotMan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Seven miles up	https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...m_campaign=nfl Gotta agree with him. It's impossible to do what they are asking. It's going to lead to so much frustration during the season. The whole concussion and revelation about the toll the game takes, and the changes that have resulted are the real reason why football is tanking. It really has nothing to do with players kneeling. I'm not sure there's any stopping it either. __________________ He's just like if Snow White was competitive, horny, and capable of beating the shit out of anyone that called her Pops. Like Steam? Join the FOFC Steam group here: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/FOFConSteam

08-20-2018, 09:55 AM	#473
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	I really haven't been paying much attention to football this year yet, but the little bit I've seen and the way they are explaining the rule, it almost seems like it requires tackling by standing nearly straight up. Isn't that the only way you can tackle with your head up? Any kind of forward momentum tackle seems to require some element of the head to be lowered. It's kind of hard to lower yourself, moving forward, and not have your head down. The only way that's not a penalty is if you don't "initiate contact" with the head, and whether that happens seems like it is going to be a split-second occurrence that the tackler has almost no control over. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

08-20-2018, 11:12 AM	#475
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	There's the caveat that people talk a bigger game on social media than they live out. So people saying that they are BOYCOTTING the NFL FOREVER are not always being totally truthful. However, based on my feed, the NFL really does seem to be fighting a two-front war, and the two fronts have nothing to do with each other, which can make it hard for it to know how to respond. More and more of my left-leaning friends who are otherwise sports fans are giving up football due to CTE. These aren't my hippie-dippy friends who never liked football anyway but were happy to take an easy moral stand against it years ago when CTE came out. These are people who enjoy watching who just can't justify it to themselves anymore. And more and more of my right-leaning friends and family are turning against it due to the police brutality/anthem protests. This is not just Jon, here. It's a pretty consistent discussion as the season approaches. I guess one place to look to see which (if either) of these trends is actually doing something would be if there is some divergence between college and NFL football. Numbers down across the board would lean toward more of a CTE explanation, while NFL-specific declines might be more likely to be protest-related.

08-20-2018, 11:15 AM	#476
PilotMan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Seven miles up	Hey Jon, the ratings were declining prior to it. Whatever factor it has, it's minimal. Let's say it becomes a total non issue today, no way ratings jump right back up on their own. It is the perception of your band of merry men though that completely believe they alone are sinking the mighty NFL. __________________ He's just like if Snow White was competitive, horny, and capable of beating the shit out of anyone that called her Pops. Like Steam? Join the FOFC Steam group here: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/FOFConSteam

08-20-2018, 01:43 PM	#479
AlexB Pro Starter Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Newbury, England	Simple answer to the CTE issue is take away the helmets and all the plastic pads (keep an element of the soft padding). That way no-one will lead with their head, everyone will learn to tackle with their shoulder, immediately getting rid of 99% of head impacts. It would change the game completely in both technique and highlight reel hits, but the current rules seem to be a half hearted attempt to address the issue that makes tackling almost impossible with the current equipment. So the only alternative if things need to change is to change the equipment __________________ 'A song is a beautiful lie', Idlewild, Self Healer. When you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you. Sports!

08-20-2018, 01:50 PM	#480
JPhillips General Manager Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Newburgh, NY	No helmets would mean a lot more blood. I don't think that would help marketing even if the overall severity of injuries were to decrease. __________________ To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers

08-20-2018, 01:53 PM	#481
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	Put me in the left-leaning category of fans who has a harder and harder time justifying liking football in light of CTE and all of the crap that happens in big time college sports (see recent Penn State, MSU, OSU, Minnesota scandals, etc.) and the NFL (see Zeke Elliott and the endless list of women-beaters, etc.). __________________ Author of The Bill Gates Challenge, as well as other groundbreaking dynasties.

08-20-2018, 02:10 PM	#482
PilotMan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Seven miles up	Concussion was eye opening, and I find it very hard to watch the big hits in the game. They make me cringe. Having said that, the advantages that the offense has now on the defense really has changed the game and not for the good. My own interest in the pro game has dropped substantially in the last few years. Only the college game, and really only because of NDSU, keeps my interest early on. I didn't get into the NFL last year until baseball season was completely done. Of course, all that could be attributed to the ebb and flow of my favorite teams over the years too. I'm like a .....oh look, squirrel! kind of fan. __________________ He's just like if Snow White was competitive, horny, and capable of beating the shit out of anyone that called her Pops. Like Steam? Join the FOFC Steam group here: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/FOFConSteam

08-20-2018, 03:14 PM	#486
albionmoonlight Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: North Carolina	Also, whatever the breakdown of the short-term loss of interest is, the CTE issue is a bigger problem for the long-term health of the league: Football's popularity continues to take a hit across Southland campuses

08-20-2018, 05:16 PM	#487
cuervo72 Head Coach Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maryland	FWIW, when we were visiting a few weekends ago my FIL did mention he was watching less of the NFL because of the kneeling. Of course, he also completely ignored and talked through a televised anthem for a sporting event we had on. So I don't doubt that it has something to do with it; at the same time, I think the "outrage" is one of convenience. __________________ null

08-20-2018, 05:40 PM	#489
Edward64 Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2005	I really haven't thought much about the CTE issue but now that you guys have brought it up, it does seem weird that I enjoy watching people essentially knock /damage their brains. I like college more than pro football, and definitely football more than baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer etc. But all in all, I don't live for football and can do without it. Given incentive (e.g. no football), I think I can get into soccer. Football may die a slow death as less and less kids play it and attendance decreases but tbh, it won't go away before I'm dead.

08-20-2018, 06:03 PM	#490
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	I haven't really thought much about it. I have a far bigger issue with kids playing the game. That's where the attention needs to be IMO. Adults choosing to play the game in college or for a profession know what they are getting into. And I find this whole anti-football thing strange when UFC is now more popular than ever and I don't hear a peep about scaling back MMA., which is like if the NFL determined scoring based on the number of illegal head-to-head hits you could amass. I've been losing interest in the NFL for years. The game is just more boring than college. And with the awful catch rule, the pass interference rule that incentivizes throwing bombs and hoping for some contact, and now all of these game-changing 15 yard penalties that include plays where a guy just gets hit hard and jars his head/neck, it feels like the outcome of too many games is being decided by rules and not players. It just sucks to watch. The national anthem thing makes no difference to me, but then again, I'm not a faux outrage-seeking Trump supporter who thinks the flag only represents the military and the true meaning of patriotism is if you know the words to that God-awful, pandering Lee Greenwood song. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

08-20-2018, 06:37 PM	#491
JPhillips General Manager Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Newburgh, NY	Another issue with removing helmets and padding is that it would open the league to an enormous liability problem. It wouldn't take long before they were sued out of existence for removing the "safety" from the game. Every injured player would have a ready to go lawsuit. __________________ To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers

08-20-2018, 07:49 PM	#492
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	In the interest of fairness I guess I don’t disagree with either of the lowering the head penalties so far tonight. First one was clearly a guy headhunting and the second was textbook helmet to helmet that can cause bad injuries. I just wish they would call it on the offense when egregious now as well, I guess?

08-20-2018, 08:37 PM	#493
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	In shock at Jeff Tripplette being on MNF as the new rules expert. I guess in addition to the nude pics of Goodell he also has them of somebody in power at ESPN.

08-21-2018, 07:00 AM	#494
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	I didn't watch last night's game, because seriously - who the hell would watch that game, even in the regular season - but I hear Tessitore and Booger McFarland are part of MNF now? Yikes. You know the NFL sucks when ESPN recognizes it needs to try to turn it into college football. Tessitore would seem to have too much energy for an NFL game. And Booger... I guess he's the new Tony Siragusa? Who needs commentary from him? Just wait until next year when Paul Finebaum is doing the halftime show to justify that big new contract. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."