Is the NFL ruining the NFL?

[green-lantern]

What are your thoughts? Watching this weekend has made me think, not sure I want to watch it anymore. The stupid calls, I can't blame the refs, they are being told to do it. The NFL themselves are screwing it up. I get protecting players, I get that, but when there's a 15 yard penalty that wins the game for a team (or even more) for somebody that touches another player. GIVE ME A BREAK! Maybe everyone can get a trophy next.

[stealthee]

The ticky tack calls against the defense are nothing more than a way to make it higher scoring. They think higher scoring means more fans.

[sergechronos]

The ticky tack calls against the defense are nothing more than a way to make it higher scoring. They know higher scoring means more fans.

Sad fact is, we're not their audience. NFL wants to expand market share, that means expanding it to people who aren't traditional football fans. For those kinds of fans, they want to see 56-49 shoot outs, not 3-0 defensive slugfests where players are basically getting triage treatment on the sideline. Seriously, what else are most folks going to watch on Sundays? NASCAR, who has alienated their core fanbase and now has declining popularity? NBA, part of the year and more of the tickytack calls than the NFL? MLB, just..awful. No.

Fact is, they know most of us diehards aren't going anywhere regardless.

[NickS VR4]

Sad fact is, we're not their audience. NFL wants to expand market share, that means expanding it to people who aren't traditional football fans. For those kinds of fans, they want to see 56-49 shoot outs, not 3-0 defensive slugfests where players are basically getting triage treatment on the sideline. Seriously, what else are most folks going to watch on Sundays? NASCAR, who has alienated their core fanbase and now has declining popularity? NBA, part of the year and more of the tickytack calls than the NFL? MLB, just..awful. No.

Fact is, they know most of us diehards aren't going anywhere regardless.

The world market loves Soccer (Football). They hardly score anything. I don't think they care about high scoring games.

[green-lantern]

Sad fact is, we're not their audience. NFL wants to expand market share, that means expanding it to people who aren't traditional football fans. For those kinds of fans, they want to see 56-49 shoot outs, not 3-0 defensive slugfests where players are basically getting triage treatment on the sideline. Seriously, what else are most folks going to watch on Sundays? NASCAR, who has alienated their core fanbase and now has declining popularity? NBA, part of the year and more of the tickytack calls than the NFL? MLB, just..awful. No.

Fact is, they know most of us diehards aren't going anywhere regardless.

Good point about NASCAR, and sort of my point. Is the NFL pulling a NASCAR? Seems like it

[Echo419]

Sad fact is, we're not their audience. NFL wants to expand market share, that means expanding it to people who aren't traditional football fans. For those kinds of fans, they want to see 56-49 shoot outs, not 3-0 defensive slugfests where players are basically getting triage treatment on the sideline. Seriously, what else are most folks going to watch on Sundays? NASCAR, who has alienated their core fanbase and now has declining popularity? NBA, part of the year and more of the tickytack calls than the NFL? MLB, just..awful. No.

Fact is, they know most of us diehards aren't going anywhere regardless.

bingo. they've got us locked down.

[green-lantern]

Ray Rice -- ELEVATOR KNOCKOUT ... Fiancee Takes Crushing Punch (Video) | TMZ.com

So how much did the NFL know? Did they see this vid before today?

I'd buy into this "hard core" guys not going any where if I wasn't a hard core football guy asking if the NFL is fucking it up. NASCAR ran off hard core fans, I don't see this much different.

[stealthee]

The Ravens dismissal and NFL's indefinite suspension of Rice is nothing more than saving face. Whether they saw the video earlier or not is irrelevant. They KNEW what he did. He admitted to it. They didn't have to see it.

The public backlash to the original weak ass suspension is what led to his "indefinite" suspension now that the video was released to the public. Had he been "properly" suspended in the first place there would have been no need for the Ravens to cut him, or the NFL to further suspend him.

I wonder if those pathetic Raven's fans who actually cheered this man when he was at training camp regret that now?

[green-lantern]

The video really puts it into perspective IMO. She could have been taking up for him and saying "he just pushed me and I fell". From the vid you can see he just knocked her ass out.

[stealthee]

She played the perfect victim. She should have never been involved in the hearing process. Of course she was going to stand up for him. Who else was going to go buy her all her goodies?