This is an astonishing stat.
Now some of the drop is no doubt due to the recent National Anthem controversy. But most of the drop is due to long term issues.We ourselves were giving up on the NFL even before the controversy because of a variety of issues.
It is worth going over those issues again.
-These tattooed millionaires are hard to like. They strut and preen over making a tackle, never mind what they do after a touchdown. This is all part of so called gangsta culture and we hate it.
-Replay. Every catch, interception and score risks getting overturned by some micro-technicality like the ball moving slightly as the player goes down in the end zone. Replay was supposed to help refs who can't see through 300 pound linemen. It has become a huge part of the game, just as important as offense, defense and special teams. Networks now keep an ex-ref in studio just to explain the ruling.
-TV commercials I. This is how it works. Touchdown, commercial, Kickoff, commercial. Timeout, commercial. Replay, commercial. End of quarter, commercial. All the interruptions are hard to sit through.
-TV commercials II. To sit through an NFL commercial break is to be bombarded by Peyton Manning ads for Papa John's and Nationwide Insurance, fantasy football gambling, Cialis-Viagra-Levitra ads, the DirecTV Sunday Ticket, and NFL spots touting how great the NFL is.
-The rules. After the Patriots mugged Peyton Manning and the Colts in the 2005 AFC Championship, the rules were changed to favor wide receivers. This is great for fantasy football stats, an obvious motivation, but bad for defense. In fact defense is almost meaningless today. A defensive back's job is to tackle the wide receiver after making the catch. Offenses march up and down the field and once they get into a groove, find that rhythm, they're impossible to stop.
These factors make for a slow, choppy game that lacks suspense and is filled with unpleasant people. No wonder fans are turning away.
Now we watch the officials
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