NFL should be freaking out

| February 2, 2018

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll quoted in The Week;

Within a four-year period, men aged 18 to 49 who say they “closely” follow the NFL has dropped from 75 percent to 51 percent. That represents a major chunk of the sport’s main demographic.

“If I’m the NFL I’m freaking out about that a little bit,” said Republican pollster Micah Roberts. “They are the very core of the football-viewing audience. If they’re retreating, then who’s left?”

But, you know, the NFL has done enough to honor veterans, so that can’t be it.

Category: Who knows

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HMCS(FMF) ret

The No Fun League has DOKED THE SQUEAKHOLE with their SJW bullshit… and PAYBACK IS A MOFO BYTCH!

HMCS(FMF) ret

DORKED!!!

USMC SSgt.

Doked, Dorked………..all samey-same Master Chief.

The No Fun League has porked their peanut butter jar.
They have pumped their pudding exit.
They have screwed their cork-hole.
They have diddled their piddler.
and they have thumbed their donut hole.

SSgt. USMC

Oh……..sorry……….I forgot to mention the NFL has sucked their butt-whistle.

The commissioner must love getting into showers with sweaty balls and the Captain of the team “Meatstick”. He probably throws a football like a girl and catches one like the flu. He don’t mind player kneeling during the National Anthem ’cause that’s his favorite position,…unless he can be a deep receiver.

ChipNASA

I have a gift for you.

You are now Internet Famous. I apologize in advance as I should have added your moniker in the author’s name line and I don’t think I can go back an edit it but we all know who owns this tagline.

HMCS(FMF) ret BITCHES!!!!

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dork+the+squeakhole

Fjardeson

Love it.

HMCS(FMF) ret

LOVE IT!!!

Mamma would be proud!

MustangCryppie

BWAHAHA! Outstanding!

25 years as an active duty squid and never heard that CLASSIC!

Must be a corpseman thing!

CWORet

That’s pretty outstanding right there.
“Ima gonna dork your squeakhole, bee-och!”

LC

I watch and enjoy Tom Cruise’s movies even though he supports a ‘religion’ that believes in some truly wacky shit and has a track record of some seriously shady shit. I do it because the movies are often enjoyable, even if he’s a whackjob.

I read Orson Scott Card’s books even though he’s a grumpy, gay-hating sort whom I strongly disagree with on that issue. I do it because he can write some decent books, and I can tune out the political stuff.

Hell, Mike Tyson was incredible to watch for however brief his fights lasted – those were no less amazing because of his conservative views.

I guess I just find the notion of suddenly enjoying the game of football a lot less because a few players took part in a peaceful, misguided effort to highlight some injustice in our country a bit strange. We’re worse off as a country when we start qualifying whether we can enjoy entertainment or not based on the politics of the people involved.

I’m gonna enjoy the Super Bowl because of the football, not because of what some players happen to believe.

Some Guy

Replace Tom Cruise with Clint Eastwood then. Although he always portrays the gruff-talking tough guy who mows down bad hombres with a variety of firearms, apparently he is pro gun control in his private life and has made a number of statements in support of that in the past (https://www.americanweaponscomponents.com/tag/clint-eastwood-pro-gun-or-anti-gun/). But, to me at least, that doesn’t reduce the enjoyment and significance of ‘Dirty Harry’, ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’ or any of the films he has directed.

Graybeard

Sorry, Some Guy, I’m having trouble buying the assertion that Clint Eastwood is “pro gun-control”.

In fact, I ain’t buying that with a wooden nickel and an IOU from Daniel A. Bernasty.

Some Guy

how else would you interpret quotes like:
“Why would anyone need or want an assault weapon?”
“All guns should be registered. I don’t think legitimate gun owners would mind that kind of legislation.”
In any case, that was just an example. What I’m trying to get at is that it’s important to separate the artist from the art, so to speak. Some of the most talented and popular artists are dumb shits in private, but that doesn’t necessarily reduce my enjoyment of the works they produce.
Of course there are limits to everything. I wouldn’t hang one of Hitler’s paintings above my fireplace, regardless of its artistic merits. But I wouldn’t outright dismiss an action flick just because the actor in it has some views I don’t agree with or behaves weirdly (that’s probably an occupational hazard in hollywood anyway).

MrFace

I don’t watch Johnny Depp’s movies because he punched his (ex)wife in the face a couple times.

Maybe I should, is what you’re saying? Even if I don’t agree with his actions?

Cheers,
MrFace

Sgt Fon

i don’t watch Johnny depp movies because he thinks for some reason France is a better place to live theen the USA of A and told he world that….

LRRP2

I’ve given up on the NFL …..and Hollywierd !! Done !!

Chesty

John Wayne didn’t serve 1 second in the big one. Do you have the same issues with his supposed “manliness”?

A Proud Infidel®™

Not a bit, but he was Patriotic as all get out and he was the Man you’ll never be. Where did you come from, UC Berzerkely?

Chesty

Apparently he wasn’t patriotic enough to serve.

2/17 Air Cav

John Wayne the actor and John Wayne the man somewhere along the line got intertwined. It happens today with Hollywood types, usually by fans mistaking the character depicted for the actor. Examples of this abound. John Wayne the actor did take deferments other actors did not and these allowed him to remain home while others fought or at least served in uniform in some capacity. It’s just the truth. John Wayne’s value to American culture is a separate matter entirely.

2/17 Air Cav

Correction…”John Wayne the man did take deferments…”

A Proud Infidel®™

I’m sure that’s all “Chesty” can come up with whenever he isn’t blowing winos behind bus stops for spare change while wearing dirty spandex.

The Other Whitey

“Tropic Thunder” is the only movie in which I actually enjoy Tom Cruise’s role.

“Jack Reacher” is a circle-jerk about him being the world’s deadliest midget. I gave the first one a shot, but couldn’t go fifteen minutes before I turned it off.

“Top Gun” is softcore gay porn with jets.

“The Last Samurai” was a boring shitshow that managed to insult American and Japanese history.

Some Guy

““Top Gun” is softcore gay porn with jets.”
No wonder it worked so well for Navy recruitment… 😉
/duckandrun

Graybeard

I don’t enjoy Tom Cruse’s movies, period. Same for Johnny Depp’s trash.

Mike Tyson was incredible to watch – when he was managed by someone who kept him from going all ghetto stupid. I remember an interview when he was in his prime, and knew then the kid was messed up in the head. Now – not so much.

And I don’t have a clue who Orson Scot Card is – and don’t have a desire to read his drivel.

And I haven’t enjoyed NFL football since the Cowboys were coached by a real gentleman who was able to keep the players’ egos from getting to puffed up.

Not even remotely interested in any of it.

Carlton G. Long

Actually, Orson Scott Card lives here in Greensboro and writes an article for a weekly conservative publication. While I typically don’t read much sci-fi, he is actually a pretty level-headed fellow and is right-on about most social issues.

LC

I’m no fan of Depp either, but I’ve enjoyed a number of Cruise’s movies – though hardly all.

As for Mr. Card, Ender’s Game is his most famous book, and appears on various military reading lists:

Here it is on the list from the Commandant of the Marine Corps:
http://grc-usmcu.libguides.com/usmc-reading-list/primary-level-enlisted

And here it is on the Army SMA’s ‘book club’ in 2016:
http://cape.army.mil/news/sma-daileys-book-club

It’s worth a read.

Graybeard

Huh, well I have read his revised Ender’s Game and the (later) Ender’s Shadow.

So, Mea Culpa, I do like Mr. Card – I’m just bad with author’s names.

OldSoldier54

YUeah, Ender’s Game was outstanding SciFi. The twist at the end completely blindsided me, too.

Yef

But I didn’t like the sequels. Something about Brazilians in space or something.

And the mechanics of space travel very pretty retarded.

Ret_25X

if you think Orson Scott Card is a “grumpy, gay hating sort” you have nothing to contribute to any discussion on, well, anything, given his actual positions and advocacy in both his books and private life.

Apparently, he is not violent enough…

But then, this is the sort of knowledge rejection I expect from anyone who finds Tom Cruise even remotely entertaining.

LC

Mea culpa – I didn’t mean it literally, it was a bit of hyperbole. He’s against gay marriage, with complex views about gays. The fact is, I’ve got zero problems with gay marriage, so we’re at odds on this issue. My point was simply that even though we’re diametrically opposed on this issue, it doesn’t reduce the enjoyment I’ve gotten from his books.

And like Jonn, I found Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher absolutely laughable. But I’ve enjoyed a number of his other movies. Feel free to insert virtually any other actor. Harrison Ford is pretty liberal, but his Jack Ryan movies were great, in my opinion – his politics don’t change the quality of the movies.

Yef

You got zero problem with gay marriage?

What about gay adoption of orphans?

You do know they, the Left, will keep moving the goal post no matter how many culture fights they win.

I say draw the line in the sand now and stop them before being gay becomes mandatory.

A Proud Infidel®™

The left got gay marriage and mark my words, they’re now trying to normalize pedophilia. YES, they tried it a good 15 to 20 years ago via a published paper by the APA, American Psychiatric Association which was condemned via resolution by more than one State Legislature. IDGAF how many PhD Degrees one has, the moment they try to use them soley to push a political agenda their credibility with me goes to zero/

LC

Uh, no. I don’t care what consenting adults do, regardless of what’s between their legs, but kids are a totally different story.

I’m not sure how that’s a hard concept to understand.

LC

I’ve got zero problems with gay couples adopting kids. Two people looking to provide a loving home for a kid who doesn’t have one? Fucking sign them up, with haste.

Why is it somehow better to let kids be in an orphanage than with people who care about them and help raise them?

akpual

The only good thing about Tom Cruise was when he kicked Wilfred Brimley’s ass

Atkron

Only because Wilfred has the Diabeetus.

Casey

Mike Tyson conservative? Not hardly.

Mindless thug, yes. Neanderthal, perhaps. Conservative? No.

Marine0331

And that’s your prerogative, just like it’s mine not not to watch them. What you apparently don’t get is that, by watching the NFL you are giving into their bullshit, anti Veteran, anti American rhetoric and showing support for their product. But that’s your right. Enjoy watching a bunch of punks!

LC

Yeah, I’m not telling anyone they have to watch football – it’s just that I don’t view the NFL as anti-veteran or anti-American. Just ’cause a few assholes do things I disagree with?

That’s the same nonsense as the far Left saying, “Oh, shit, here’s evidence of a few racist or sexist Republicans, ergo Republicans are racist or sexist!”. Nope.

Skippy

Epic…
talk about self-destruct
Who are they going to blame now

Graybeard

They just keep doubling down on Da Stupid.

Let ’em. It is a free country. They can hang themselves if they want to – I won’t stop ’em.

Fjardeson

Me? Waiting for Astros Spring Training… 🙂

Graybeard

+1

just lurkin

11 days until pitchers and catchers report.

akpual

I’ve always been a big Phillies phan.

Commissioner Wretched

Cubs getting started this season to go all the way again!

AW1Ed

A telling point will be how many season ticket holders pay the big bucks next year.

1610desig

Maybe Goodell will finally realize gargling balls of color was a “misstep”…he seems consumed with hubris though

RetiredDevilDoc8404

The players are a huge part of the problem, and Goodell doesn’t help. The players are way overpaid for what they do, it used to be that the players actually had off season JOBS selling cars, insurance, etc. These boobs like Krapernik think they should be telling the nation how we should think, that because they play a game and make a buttload of money people have to want to hear what they say. Now comes the dawn for them, the advertisers have been feeling it, we can change the channel and not watch them and be better off for it.

Graybeard

“Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you know diddlysquat about politics or policy.”

Casey

The players are the reason why fans are willing to spend $$$ on tickets, jackets, and other goodies. Do you think they’re giving up their hard-earned cash to watch a bunch of back office executives do their job?

I think the players are over-paid, too, but the players see the billions of dollars made every year by the league and they want a piece of that. Can’t blame them too much as they’re the ones getting beat up every week.

The trick the owners have mastered is guilting the fans into buying tickets during the bad years, when the team keeps posting 4-12 records. They go on & on about “loyalty” and such, but show no such loyalty to the fans or the players. There’s more than a few players (not “name” marquee guys you’ve heard of) who sustained life-changing injuries on the field, but the league says “who?” before their contract is up.

Marine 0331

Agreed!!! Well said!!!

Veritas Omnia Vincit

The other problem they have is a much lower youth participation rate lately as well. They don’t talk a lot about that either, but the less kids that play the lousier the games will be….and a lot of the games suck ass now according to the Sports Networks (I don’t know because I don’t watch them and have not in decades)….less wheat in the mill means less flour on the output…soon enough between no one watching and less kids participating their shit will get really weak.

Once it becomes a tier two sport the athletes can talk to soccer players in the US about how well known they’ll be.

Perry Gaskill

I once worked as a sportswriter. Because I was the FNG, they used to give me the scut work of covering all the weird sports nobody else wanted to do. Things such as Olympic-caliber canoe racing, 9-ball pool tournaments, tennis, drag racing, golf, and so forth. I actually liked doing those kinds of stories. A lot of the people were surprised anybody in the media was curious about what they were doing. Most also tended to be congenial sorts and interesting to talk to.

Except for maybe rugby players. Rugby players were animals…

A Proud Infidel®™

There’s a reason why Rugby Players sport stickers and shirts saying “GIVE BLOOD, PLAY RUGBY”.

Drag Racing Maniac

“…Olympic-caliber canoe racing, 9-ball pool tournaments, tennis, drag racing, golf…

Drag Racing is weird? Its fricken awesome!!!!

Perry Gaskill

You’re preaching to the pit crew, dude.

Still, it can be weird if you have editors who think “ET” means extra-terrestrial, and a funny car is the one when all the clowns climb out.

The Other Whitey

Fuck the NFL.

A Proud Infidel®™

#FuchTheNFLUpTheAssSidewaysWithRadioactiveBarbedWire

Martinjmpr

The other problem they have is a much lower youth participation rate lately as well.

Bingo. Kneeling and protests are just a blip on the radar screen. What will destroy the NFL are fear of injuries, particularly head injuries.

When Mr. and Mrs. Middle Class realize that having their son play football is more likely to result in a life-changing injury than in a free ride to college and a million-dollar career, they’ll opt out of football for another sport (soccer would be my guess but there could be others as well.)

Eventually, schools are going to struggle to find enough players to fill a team.

What’s more, colleges and universities recruit their players out of high school which means their “talent pool” is going to shrink as well.

Hard to say how colleges will react. They are so addicted to the $$ that football brings in that they’re going to have a hard time giving it up.

And if middle class parents don’t have kids in football in high school or college, their interest in pro football is likely to diminish, too. Football will simply cease being important to a growing segment of the TV-watching public.

This isn’t going to happen overnight. It will take decades, most likely.

Graybeard

My nephew is having a lot of fun in lacrosse.

George V

The whole kneeling act was sort of a last straw for me. I was never a rabid fan, but would enjoy watching a game on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I started to lose interest because of the crazy on-field celebrations for performing basic football plays. OK, you sacked the quarterback for a 10 yard loss. Congratulations – an important play, but it does not warrant you, the sacker, stomping around, chest bumping, and yelling like a 4 year old pretending to be a lion. Caught a pass for a touchdown? Same thing, you did the basic “met expectations” of your job. You don’t need to prance and dance like a pop-star’s back-up singer. Even worse, prance and dance after scoring a touchdown when your team is down by 4 touchdowns.
Watching skilled athletes is enjoyable. Watching little children dancing about in happiness is enjoyable. Watching athletes dancing like little children for simply doing their job is just… sad.

/Rant off

Casey

Congratulations. You just described the rationale behind BASEketball. 🙂

Former EM1/SS

Their appeal is becoming more selective.

Spinal Tap Rules- even if Reiner is the worlds second biggest squeakhole

CWORet

Big bottom
Big bottom
Talk about mud flaps
My gal’s got ’em.
Big bottom
Drive me out of my mind.
How can I leave this behind?

AW1Ed

Prior Service

The team I used to watch led the league in kneelers for several weeks. I watched the Kneehawks since their second year through many crappy seasons, but I’m done with them, and the rest of the NFL as well.

Atkron

Same here, I was six years old when they had their first season. I finally got my wife to watch football with me like six years ago. She fell in love with the Seahawks. Except as soon as Bennett started his bullshit, I quit watching. Now, she’s mad at me because my convictions are getting in the way of her spending Sundays next to me watching them play.

Fuckers…ruined 31 years of fandom.

Atkron

Shit…41 years, not 31.

Prior Service

Yep. ATKRON at NAS Whidbey? OH was my hometown.

A Proud Infidel®™

I was a fair weather fan especially when my home team went on a winning streak, but as soon as they started tolerating kneelers, all my shirts with their logo on them became garage rags.

A Proud Infidel®™

There are still plenty of videos of former NFL fans burning and breaking their favorite teams’ merchandise promising to never again return to watching them.

MustangCryppie

I won’t be happy until these clowns play to EMPTY stadiums.

NormanS

What if they paid you to watch them play?

Graybeard

If they pay me a sum equal to the total salary of everyone on both teams to watch one game, I might.

UpNorth

And if they paid me that much, and knelt to begin the game, I’d walk out as soon as the cash hit my hand.

2/17 Air Cav

What if they didn’t pay players to kneel? That’s what the NFL is doing, paying players to kneel. How’s that? Players are on company time, on the company dime, when they are on the sidelines before a game. So, if players kneel, they are being paid to do just that. And….fuq ’em.

crucible

Its more than just the kneeling for me (that’s bad enough). Its that the NFL has chosen a side here: they did nothing about the kneeling, they allowed the head kneeler to wear police=pig socks, but specifically disallowed the Cowboys from trying to honor the five officers that were murdered there.

It was bad enough there so many maggot players smacking their wives around, or crying that they deserve more money for playing a doggone game, and worse. I got tired of all that and slowly starting drifting away years ago.

And football used to be a break from politics and other real life issues: have a break and a good time following the game and teams, then get back to reality afterwards. There were no political sides or issues, only team loyalties, sportmanship and good competition from week to week….no one followed football to extend the daily grind of everything else in the world.

But it happened, and the NFL chose to allow politics to enter here. Then, they fricking chose an actual side.

And then I had to choose a side too. And my side is the NFL can rot.

Martinjmpr

And football used to be a break from politics and other real life issues: have a break and a good time following the game and teams, then get back to reality afterwards. There were no political sides or issues, only team loyalties, sportmanship and good competition from week to week….no one followed football to extend the daily grind of everything else in the world.

But it happened, and the NFL chose to allow politics to enter here. Then, they fricking chose an actual side.

Yep, this too.

Most businesses learn that there’s no real value in taking sides in a controversial or divisive political issue because for every customer you win by taking a stand, you lose at least one other, if not more.

NFL has apparently not learned this lesson or they’ve forgotten it.

Pissing off customers – the people who pay your salaries – is just flat out dumb.

Graybeard

Target.

UpNorth

Yeah, I wonder what school of business the geniuses at the NFL attended. I can’t think of a single one that encourages a business to offend at least half of their audience.

Mason

Yeah, it used to be nice to watch sports, movies, or any entertainment to escape reality for a bit. Now, no matter where you go, somebody is shoving politics down your throat.

I don’t care at all what some a-hole who plays a child’s game or plays pretend for a living thinks about every little political issue. How much political commentary are we going to get with the Olympics?

OldSoldier54

Could care less about the NFL.

College ball is lots better, IMO, but the only football game I really care about is Army-Navy.

2/17 Air Cav

There’s a reason it’s not ever called the Navy-Army game, OS54.

11B-Mailclerk

Sadly, when organizations decide to “roll left” , that becomes their one trick. The worse things get, the harder the leftward roll.

Fans leaving us? We must not be going far enough? Moar Harder Left!

One rather wise sportsball player with some intention to earn beyond his physical decline said “conservatives buy shoes, too”.

Smart.

Rosalee Adams

DOD has paid the NFL to honor vets e.g.
between 2011-2012 fourteen teams were each paid $60,000-$1 million (in federal taxpayer money) to pause before the start of games to salute the city’s “hometown heroes”.
I am certain that if the American taxpayers had not footed the bill, they would not have lifted a finger.

A Proud Infidel®™

Maybe next we can see the NFL’s monopoly be broken AND we stop subsidizing them with taxpayer dollars? FUCK, if Roger Goodell and his minions have money for mansions, lavish private jets and the like while their business gets subsidized by us taxpayer, maybe it’s time for a changs?

Ex-PH2

I have no interest in what used to be the sport of football, so I’m late to the game. However, I did note this line:

“Within a four-year period, men aged 18 to 49 who say they “closely” follow the NFL has dropped from 75 percent to 51 percent.”

Well, this is not a surprise to me at all. IF the no-longer relevant NFL bothered to spend a small amount of its useless time on population trends, then the people who run that organization might realize that their audience is fading away.

Why? Because a recent study found that people in the 18 to 25 year age range have the maturity of 15-year-olds and are proving to be slow to mature to adulthood.

Apparently, they aren’t pushed into the early responsibility levels that previous generations had to embrace. Whether this has anything to do with helicopter parenting or some other factor, I do not know. It could also have to do with an extended life span in humans.

If anything, I’d blame parents who do everything for the kids and maybe have only one child instead of several. Maybe it’s time to reverse that trend before it’s too late.

Jorge

Don’t watch, never had watched, and will boycott the whole stupid pile of ass tomorrow. I’m am pretty pissed that the NEX and DECA are still idolizing these thugs. Cannot believe the services advertise during the televised thuggery, and pissed as well that services and service members participate in the crap.

Jorge

FuzeVT

To hell with the NFL.

Stars vs. Rangers tonight – puck drops at 1930 Sierra Time Zone. . .

2/17 Air Cav

SF 49er Linebacker Reuben Foster was drafted 31st overall in 2017. He wasted no time kneeling for the National Anthem. Last month he was arrested on a CDS charge. This month he was arrested for three felonies, including domestic violence. Thugs gotta thug.