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We’re only two weeks into the NFL season and it’s very clear that, generally speaking, the NFL sucks more than usual this year. To be fair, the NFL is usually a disappointment, but this year has been especially disappointing. I’ve always preferred college football, mostly because I feel more of a tie to my alma mater than my hometown team, but in the NFL I do like to see some players from my school succeed at the next level. There are other reasons that college football is better, but that’s a different column. Still, I love football just enough to continue watching the NFL on Sundays, but this year has already been abysmal.
Unless you’re watching the elite teams, there is definitely a noticeable decline in the quality of play. The Thursday night game between Houston and Cincinnati put me to sleep quicker than my melatonin. Niners versus Rams won’t be much better. Hoyer versus Goff. Oh man, pick the over. Even if you like defense it will likely be a sleeper. Buffalo lost to Carolina 3-9, a Buffalo field goal away from at least some entertainment value. Seattle’s offense only put up 12 points on San Francisco’s subpar defense. Quarterback play has been mediocre at best. I could keep going, but you get my point. The play is less than thrilling for all but maybe five or six teams. Sad. Will the season continue on this path of pure boredom? Who knows? All I know is this—Jay Cutler is 1-0, well on his way to being MVP.
I’m sure some may say it’s the NFL’s fault for no teams giving Kaepernick the contract he so clearly deserves (ha) after he opted out of his previous one. Others may say the players are sluggish from sore knees from kneeling during the national anthem. It could be a bunch of new coaches taking over or injuries to key players. Or maybe the NFL just sucks as it always has, but we’re starting to notice it more as we get exhausted with sports journalists focusing on Kaepernick drama, the NFL’s failed domestic violence policy, Gooddell being a clown, and misquoting players for clicks rather than substantive analysis of, you know, the actual sport itself. The only ones doing a deep analysis of actual professional football are the fantasy football analysts.
Whatever the issue may be, I do know this—ratings for the NFL are plummeting. They are completely through the floor, and viewership is declining. It could be the quality of play. It could be the drama among a bunch of “one percenters” who complain about how oppressive this country is. It could just be poor leadership at the very top who cares more about deflated footballs than players beating women and player safety and prioritizes personal vendettas over improving ratings. The NFL certainly is not what it used to be. We long for the days when the Saints were good, when Los Angeles did not have two teams who couldn’t even beat USC in attendance, when Knowshon Moreno shed tears during the Star Spangled Banner rather than knelt during it for attention, when Flacco was still a good (but never elite) quarterback, and when JJ Watt wasn’t the only role model in the game.
The NFL has been in decline for several years, but between quality of play, distractions, and ratings, this year already sucks more than usual..
Image via Shutterstock
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@5OClockShadow_
The NFL can suck my dick ever since they took the Rams away from me and my city
After you took them from us? You don’t deserve to have anyone suck your dick.
Fuck the entire state of Missouri. I like it just about as much as California. Big middle fingers to both.
Jason batemen, is that you?
Nah, it Micah
To be fair, out of all the current starting QBs, Kaepernick would be about 20th on the list. He’s not a bum but he’s not stud by any means either, so it’s understandable why a team wouldn’t bring him on. None of them just have the balls to say why is all. Anyway, my boy Cutty going to have a career year.
I feel like it’s fairly obvious. You can’t rank 1st in pain in the ass and “20th” In quality of qb
Kaep’s GF’s tweet sunk him. If every coaching decision ever made regarding Kaep is going to be “because racism” then it’s just shit the coaching staff and ownership doesn’t need for a highly specialized, barely-above-mediocre player.
I sort of want a team to hire him so A: People finally shut the fuck up and B: So he can show he’s not worthy of a starting job which will also shut the people up.
I’m so sick of hearing about it. At this point an owner may make more money by signing him so all the hippies will attend their first NFL game.
If teams aren’t willing to sign Tim Tebow because a back up QB isn’t worth the media circus that surrounds him, why would they sign Krapernick?
Maybe because your other options are Scott Tolzien and Jacoby Brissett? It’s rough in Colts nation right now, guys.
Cutler is elite
I really want a team to sign him, but they only send him in for kneel-down plays.
Also, people forget that there are QUITE a few teams (the Jets, Browns, etc.) who are tanking for one of the stud QBs in the next draft. Realistically, there are like 3-4 teams that would actually be interested in Kaep.
Cutler is the worst
Is he really even as high as 20th?
This would explain why my fantasy team is so bad.
Most of the teams in my league are not breaking 100 points. It’s abysmal.
This might cause some to advocate my man card to be taken away, but I’m actually kind of ok with this. The 49ers sucking is obviously bad, but on the bright side I don’t have to plan 16 Sundays a year around their games and the mediocre general NFL product makes it okay to miss the games. I only have one fantasy team so I’ll check in a few times an hour on Sundays to see how it’s doing, but no biggie. I still get my football fix from college football, which is a FAR more superior product than the NFL (hot take, I know).
Amen. Football has been dead to me for a year or so now.
Haven’t watched more than a few NFL games a year for a while now. College football, however, deserves the full Saturday’s attention on a weekly basis. Much better product.
NFL may be down, but Bills Mafia started the season strong with not one, but two public BJs and it’s still warm weather. Plenty of upside left in the season
My theory is the media outlets covering the NFL have tilted so far left, it has ticked off their core consumer base (conservative males). I’m fully aware that diverse demos make up fan bases, I just don’t understand mocking the values of a huge percentage of your patrons.
Agree, WDEATL. Sports used to be a welcome break from the politics being spewed from TV constantly. People are sick of politics and the NFL is becoming obnoxious to a lot of people.
So those “values” would be the continued oppression of marginalized groups and a refusal of progress? And “mocking” said values is a bad thing?
AuburnnotGinger- I feel like you don’t understand what oppression means.
Per dictionary.com:
“the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.”
So you are saying that oppression is the incorrect word to describe the killing of unarmed black men by the police? Or are you a parody account?
100%- the police aren’t conspiring to kill black people. I’m fairly confident in that statement. If you want to name call, roll over to deadspin.
Who’s name calling? And I’m sorry that drawing attention to a very real, fucked up social issue ruins your NFL Sunday. Also I gotta say your use of “100%” and then saying that you’re “fairly confident” in the your own statistic that you pulled out of your ass leads me to believe you have a nuanced and informed opinion on the world.
Yeah, you’re right. I’ve covered sports and news on various digital platforms for 10 plus years for major media properties. I must have no idea what’s going on in the world lol.
You must be fun at parties AU not ginger. Enjoy life as a rambling SJW
Friend- you live in the greatest country in the wold with the most opportunities out there. Kapernick is a locker room cancer, isn’t talented enough to hang. That’s what he hasn’t been picked up.
Week One had fewer games where the outcome was decided by 7 points or less than any other opener since 1973, making it objectively the least entertaining opener in over four decades.
The biggest reason to me why college football is better is the amount of games on. There are literally 5 games at least on from noon to midnight on Saturday. So even if 2 or 3 or the games on suck, there are always good ones on. The NFL isnt like that at all
I think college is all together way more entertaining than pro but the volume of games is a major plus in its favor. The NFL really blows their load on the 1:00 games.
The Giants linemen are truly offensive and it makes me want to cry. This team is so painful to watch, and living in Philly with all the Eagles fans ripping on me doesn’t make it any easier
You have 2 Super Bowls in the last 10 years and you’re complaining about eagles fans, who don’t have any? Come on dude
In his defense eagle fans are trash.