Will American Football Be Dethroned?

in sports •  7 years ago  (edited)

Superbowl NFL.jpg

This was supposed to be the NFL’s week. American football, the sport that has the deepest cultural pull of any sport in the U.S., has been busy taking over more of peoples’ lives. Sunday football wasn’t enough, so decades ago, they added one game on a Monday night. It was brilliant because people talked about that one game all week. We recently finished some playoffs that spanned both Saturdays and Sundays. The National Football League also has added Thursday night games, reaching an agreement today with Fox to support those games.

The NFL Draft was once an afterthought, scheduled when no one was watching, and most people gave it a pass. But the league has played this up so much now that the draft anticipation is incredible; people are doing mock draft predictions up to one year in advance. Scouting of secondary school talent has reached a fever pitch. Now even during the offseason, the league makes a point of scheduling something regularly to keep the talk going; it might be the release of the upcoming year’s schedule or the deadline to sign free agents. Whatever the NFL does, it keeps people watching and talking. When the season comes, people can’t wait to tune in and support those advertisers.

It’s a weeklong, yearlong, 24/7 source of entertainment.

And that does not even include Fantasy Sports or gambling, which both grow each year. Fantasy football has spread like wildfire in the last few years to the point where there’s someone in every office and every bar talking about his team. Gambling is half the reason the NFL exists, though no one likes to admit it. This week alone, there are estimates that Americans will place $4.76 Billion worth of wagers on Sunday’s Super Bowl. That may not even factor in online gambling, 95% of which is illegal in the U.S. and generally handled by offshore entities.

SportsBetting.jpg
Sports Betting. Source: Creative Commons via Flickr by ghoseb.

And this is football’s big week. The Superbowl, the NFL’s championship game, will be played on Sunday. This year, the game matches up the perennial favorite New England Patriots with the surprisingly good (even though they are missing a starting quarterback) Philadelphia Eagles. In preparation for the Superbowl, the NFL schedules two weeks between the previous round of playoff games and the big game itself.

That two weeks provides enough time for media members and other hangers on to reach the destination city and be ready for the game. Once upon a time, Superbowls were played each year in Miami and New Orleans, some of the most southerly (and therefore desirably warm) places to visit this time of year. Now, the NFL rotates the game and often uses it as a rewards for cities that invest in new stadiums. This year’s Superbowl ended up in one of the coldest places one can imagine, Minneapolis.

The two week lead-up to the Superbowl is anchored by an event that takes place the beginning of Superbowl week. It’s called Media Day. The coaches and some players are forced to come out of hibernation and answer some questions from the media. After all, they are entertainers, and the media needs more things to write about, so give those reporters some juicy quotes. In most years, Media Day is a little wacky. There are some crazy radio hosts who have media badges and get in, often asking some outlandish questions. There have been dancers, strippers, and people in various stages of drew or undress. It’s an opportunity to get some attention.

MediaDay SI.jpg
SuperBowl Media Days of the past: a little wilder. Source: si.com

This year, with media budgets limited, the number of people was smaller at media day. Those who went reported that it was more serious than usual and with fewer of the colorful entertainers and radio hosts showing up. Perhaps they didn’t feel like going to Minnesota in the wintertime.

Media Day should be a big deal. It should dominate the sports news. There should be enough quotable quotes and reportable actions to keep the American sports media occupied with stories for the next few days, leading up to the big game on Sunday.

But a funny thing happened this year. The next morning, the NFL ended up in second place. All of the Superbowl Media Day stories were one rung below the lead story, which was about basketball. The Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) traded a star (even if he’s an overrated one). They sent Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons in a multi-player exchange.

Griffin NBC Sports.jpg
Source: NBC Sports.

Blake Griffin is a power forward, the kind of player who would have been great in the 1970s. It’s not his fault that he is not as mobile as most of the NBA’s best performers in this era, but he’s still a very, very good layer and perhaps Detroit will be a good enough fit that he can excel in new ways.

So an NBA trade scooped the NFL’s Media Day coverage, bumping it to second fiddle. And there we can see the flippening of America’s favorite sport. The NFL has been king for a very long time. But the demographic of its fans is aging. Younger people are not as engaged with football as their parents were. Slowly, basketball is taking over as America’s most deeply rooted cultural sport and it's quite well liked outside the U.S. also. It has a long ways to go, but we can see that trajectory as a probable outcome.

The NFL has had a lot of problems recently. The brain trauma that players are suffering in this violent sport has caught the attention of medical experts. A disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been found to be prevalent among former players and it’s eating their brains. Some players have quit while they are young so they don’t have more head trauma.

CTE.jpg
Source: CNN.com

There are former players and game announcers who now say they will not let their own kids play football.

Then there have been PR flaps in the way the league has dealt with cases involving players who are alleged to have committed crimes and domestic abuse. And there is the flag protest that has involved some players sitting (not standing) while the National Anthem is played before each game. Some fans on either side of this issue have boycotted the games.

Basketball, meanwhile, is a sensation that continues to grow. The most recognizable U.S. sports players around the world tend to be our basketball players (of course, the teams are smaller than in many other sports). It’s on TV all the time, more often than football. The basketball stars stand out and they are quite popular. If a Blake Griffin trade can knock the NFL off the top position on sports media during SuperBowl week, we are seeing something new.

Barring some change, I see football fading in the coming years as the talent pool shrinks and more pro athletes are drawn to other sports. Personally, unless two good teams are playing, I find most NFL games to be unwatchable these days due to the frequent breaks and penalties. Meanwhile, basketball continues to surge in popularity.

KingNBA.png
Source: NBA King of Court 2.

If this continues, the flippening is coming. Football cannot remain king. Stay tuned.

Sources:

Mock Drafts are almost year-round: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2756898-nfl-draft-2018-1st-round-mock-draft-as-super-bowl-52-approaches

CTE: https://www.sbnation.com/2018/1/24/16927456/bob-costas-super-bowl-brain-trauma-nfl

Superbowl Gambling: http://abcnews.go.com/US/super-bowl-lii-prop-bets-exceed-900-total/story?id=52722490

Griffin trade that dominated headlines: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22258464/blake-griffin-los-angeles-clippers-talks-traded-detroit-pistons

NFL Media Day: https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/01/29/super-bowl-media-day-highlights-patriots

NFL Thursday Night Fox Deal: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000912686/article/nfl-fox-sports-reach-thursday-night-football-agreement

Top image: NFL

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American Football will be dethroned by the NBA for one simple reason.....the flag protests. No team, no business, no religion can possibly survive when you actively spit in the face of half your audience. Plain and simple. This will be the only reason why Football will first be dethroned, then eventually wither and die. And it all lies at the feet of Roger Goodell.

Look at the NBA. The Commissioner put his foot down and stated emphatically that "You will stand during the National Anthem" No ifs ands or buts. He knows that it's a divisive issue, and that it's best left off the court and in the real world. Sports events are supposed to be an escape from reality, not a political event.

Kudos to the NBA, the future #1 sport in America!

Sir.

They've gone up the ventilation shaft.

Absolutely, and ESPN is going down with the NFL.

Yes, that's another reason. It's very important to people (on both sides of that flag controversy, actually) and football clearly didn't handle it well.

Honestly a lot of people are simply tired with the Patriots constantly being at or near the top every single year with little change to the roster composition. We've heard every story about Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski and Bill Belichick, what more can we say about them?

There's also the fact that nothing big really came from media day this year. In previous years we've had Marshawn Lynch and his antics and Rob Gronkowski and his antics, but this year it was quite tame, plust the huge news of Blake Griffin moving to Detroit would dominate almost any headline anyway.

At this point, I pretty much only watch the Super Bowl for the ads and the gambling (speaking of which, check out my Super Bowl Contest: https://steemit.com/contest/@brandonp/steemit-super-bowl-squares-official-nfl-super-bowl-contest).

The NFL definitely needs to make some big changes to compete with the NBA, but we've known that for a long time.

I totally agree with you. I just watch now to see all the new ads and find out later how much was spent on each ad. Its funny to see how much they spend on these ads.

Advertising is just a hobby for rich people.

I used to watch the Super Bowl for the ads as well, but they went down hill the past few years. I might tune in this year to simply mock those roughing the winter snowstorms for "entertainment".

Even the ads are losing some luster, but they still are quite entertaining.

If people are sick of Brady and the Pats then how do we all feel about Lebron?? Do we really need to have Cavs vs Warriors every year??? Get so league wide talent and some parody in the NBA.

At this point, Celtics are doing great! I am not sure if Cavs will be in finals this year. We will have to wait and watch. I am Lebron and Wade fan but things are looking right. But I am sure Lebron will be Lebron in playoffs.

I still want Tom Brady to win. I am not sure if he is retiring after this year. I am not at all bored watching him. He is an amazing quarterback and the best in NBA history.

You're right. These dynasties can last for a while and there are only so many elite players in each league.

Maybe we will have some crypto adv this time!

Those are factors also. You're right that there wasn't anyone as entertaining as in some past Superbowl Media Days.

Well the Patriots have staff that steal signs. Not to mention they always cheat! I bet the Eagles practices were gift wrapped for Belechik and Brady by someone. I think Patriots win big on Sunday. #brandonp do you bet? Who you think will win?

The roster changes dramatically
What are u talking about ?

The United States is known for a high level of independence. There is the American English, American football and so on. This is why I think American football cannot be dethroned in the country. There is so much passion for the game and we thst stay far away, even if we do not enjoy watching the game, it is portrayed with high esteem in movies and it is always challenging.

Fantasy football has spread like wildfire in the last few years to the point where there’s someone in every office and every bar talking about his team. Gambling is half the reason the NFL exists, though no one likes to admit it.

This is true for all sports. Some people make a living from Fantasy football and gambling, especially in a world where education is no more lucrative.

Though soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, American football and Basketball remain a great passion for the American audience.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

I really don't know about bushel assuming control football. The fans won't all of a sudden change their taste on account of the considerable number of issues caused by this game.
At last, fans are the ones who choose which wear is the number 1, and I see no motivation behind why individuals will begin to help b-ball once again football.
What I see developing in notoriety in the US is soccer, yet despite everything it has far to go before achieving European levels.

It will end when crypto ends... never lol #humor

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@donkeypong, I have some most attraction with football before long years ago with NFL league. But I have never seen American football lever come to near by European professional level. I really enjoying with watch both game adventures. Its very speedy and powerful game. The association will have to reach out to the casual fans. Considering the average regular season NFL Sunday night game averages more viewers than the NBA Finals, it's clear the NBA has some catching up to do, especially to lure more advertisers. That's really interesting post.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Obviously, There is need for more giants to arise. Naturally it gets boring when people get to watch the same set of people perform or win a competition. People want to see that competitive edge, that is what keeps fans around wanting more. Thanks for your views

If those future giants are younger kids now, then are their parents going to let them play a game with a danger of brain trauma? Some will, and there's still the money, but some of those top athletes may go a different direction rather than football.

Eagles 27-24 !!

its never going to end man

I've certainly lost some interest in football the last few years. Talking to other friends and in general, it seems the sentiment on the NFL is waning. The NFL may be playing second fiddle in the coming years.

I can't watch a game anymore unless there's someone really good playing. It's like 11 minutes of actual football per hour now, in between all the ads and penalties and timeouts. I used to be a big football fan, but it's nasty out there now.

The game is getting more and more political. People tune it to see a competition. Just because they play the game like a rock star doesn't mean their politics are worth a second of my time.

I havent watched pro sports in a long time..... I enjoy high school and college much more. There is so much more heart in the athletes....

I agree, but unfortunately even college football is becoming commercialized.

True, but beyond the SEC and the elite teams in each league, the college game still has spirit and some measure of unpredictability which makes it fun.

I actually am not sure about basket taking over football. The fans will not suddenly change their taste because of all the issues caused by this sport.

In the end, fans are the ones who decide which sport is the number 1, and I see no reason why people will start to support basketball over football.

What I see growing in popularity in the US is soccer, but it still has a long way to go before reaching European levels.

Soccer is the world's sport and I love it, but I don't see it gaining traction in the U.S. for a while still. Every few years, people predict that will happen and it still has not happened yet.

I really don't how it happened that soccer wasn't able to penetrate the US.
It's like you guys have some sort of soccer firewall or something.

NFL and NCAA had better figure out a way to mitigate the CTE problem in a big way. If not, the regulators will eventually step in and try to solve it for them--and that will spell the end of American football.

Yes. I don't know what they'll do, but it probably will involve eventually curbing the violence. That would turn off part of the audience for sure. Maybe we'll see grown men playing flag football soon? :)

Certainly, we are seeing a lot more rugby-style tackling. The surest way to help curb the violence and the concussions would be to lose the helmets. They are missiles!

Here in Nigeria! We adore the NBA more and most of us don't find the American football fun in anyway.. some of us can't even differentiate it from rugby. But personally feel it's a very interesting sport. And the issue of boycotting the national anthem by some players is more of a protest against racism which is still very much evident in America.

The NFL is screwed, they totally alienated their base with the kneeling debacle and there are ads running 24/ recruiting current and former players for a mass tort against the NFL for the CTE thing and that is in addition to facing competition from more and more televised sports every year, they are not the only game in town now. Nobody is going to let their kids play a sport that causes brain damage so the quality of the players will decline which will make it even worse. I sure as hell would not invest in a NFL franchise right now.

That's right. You summed up my thoughts in about five lines. :)

I'm probably in the minority with my standpoint about sports in general, not just football. It bores me. lol I'm sorry, but sports always did, all the way back to when I was a little kid. I just couldn't get into it. My dad was even my little-league coach for basketball and baseball for 5 years up until I was 10 years old. I was always the kid out in the field bored and kicking dirt. Consequently, I carried that lack of excitement about sports with me into video games. I played them for several years when I was a kid, but around the time I started work at my first job in my teens, I lost all interest. My world became less interactive and more creative. I spent time writing, drawing, mixing, producing....making. I know not all creatives are like that, but this one had to be. It was a requirement that I naturally find those things dull in order to allow room for creativity.

Awesome writeup my friend - also happy to be one of the first to see and read this. Usually I only see it in trending way after posting - probably because of our time zones.

On American Football I have two opinions - as a European we see Football as a different thing and can not believe why you American like that sport where guys wear knight's armour and a so-called action sports that is usually stopped after 5-10 seconds - lol sorry to say.

On the other hand I been to a World League Match in Frankfurt with Frankfurt Galaxy when they tested if the sports is appreciated across Europe by adding NFL players in their summer break to Euro / World League clubs. The whole event was awesome - it started on this place you park the car with barbecue happenings - a lot Americans been there - US forces been in Germany still that time and it was fun, so the American Football thing is a happening I like - the sports itself is...hmmm.... well sth US needs to continue educating a lot Europeans.

It's a fun sport in many ways. I've been a fan all my life, but it's getting harder to watch for various reasons. And I don't think American football will ever have the international attention that is paid to soccer/football.

Yeah - but is provides a show element other sports never will achieve. It is a happening - thanks for replying.

Very interesting and informative post!
I think the NFL ratings have fallen not just only because the players head trauma and injuries which could have led to lower motivation of young players and their parents. It also could be the whole kneeling thing. People just hate when politics are involved. They want to watch the game and not just another political thing.

To me, what's most interesting about this development is that the new top of the ladder is being taken by a "global" sport, basketball. Basketball ranks 2nd in world population only to soccer/football... I grew up with basketball and it was not really thought of as an "American" sport.

As a European native who's lived in the US for over 30 years, I always found it interesting how "US-centric" sports were, here. One of the things I picked up on here-- already in college-- is the popularity of sports in the US being strongly linked to their natural integration with commercial TV. A lot of people have theorized that soccer was never popular in the US because (a) it's played for 45 minutes a half without interruptions (no chance for commercials) and (b) the US doesn't like sports that often end in a draw.

Just guessing here, but I would think the slow decline of US Football could be tied to the advent of the Internet... we're becoming a global community, so uptrends are more likely to happen in sports that are seen worldwide, while the importance of "local/country" sports will decline.

Let see how it goes and counts down but for me i dont see American football going down with ease as there is one fantastic and unique thing about that sport although Basket ball is also surging high. Let us see which one gets the horn on a longer term as for me, am team football @donkeypong

Football will remain hugely popular, but its direction and top spot are becoming questionable.

I know little about American football, but reading this post about super bowl makes me have a feeling of the UEFA Champions League in Europe. And the CTE reminds me of the movie Concussion where brain damage from Football was discovered by Dr Omalu

Baseball Tanked After the Players Strike
Football is having the multiple issues that are akin to players striking
Basketball - Its only a matter of time before they strike over something.

Everytime the momentum of the professional league takes over the players life, they strike. The checks and balances of disproportional labour and business environments. Its all part of the game every party chose to play.

In my opinion, this couldnt be more wrong.
I'm from Germany and started watching Basketball for many years before switching more and more to Amercian Football. The most important reason was that the NFL is way more competitive than the NBA.

Yes, the Patriots are very successful, but this is the only exception.
The NBA is even worse. Just check out the finals of the last 10 years. Only five and four different teams for the conferences respectively. The NBA is more top heavy, and that's logical of course. One great player makes the difference, that's why the Heat and Cavs were the only teams from the East who went to the finals in the last 7 years.

Maybe, for one day, the NBA is more in the focus, even in a superbowl week. But it's only the media day and only because a special and well known player was traded. Of course its a couple of levels below "The Decision", but Blake is really good player.

Just some outside thoughts from Europe :-)

Good. Thank you for your comment. There is a lack of parity in both sports, for sure. We are seeing these dynasties last for several years, since the elite players seem to be able to carry some of these teams again and again.

I enjoy watching the sports because of exciting actions.
Bodies colliding together.
Actually their is no sports without body movements. It won't be called sports then
But I never really understand the mechanism of the sports though. In Nigeria soccer is what we really know about.
I'd love to know how this sports work.
All sports have their own risks and there is truly no sport that is totally rid of drug utilization.
After all said and done. I'm not American but I don't think with the amount of viewers of the sport it will be dethroned. It just can't happen.
Except the world ends or a more entertaining sports is invented.
@donkeypong

i think . . . . .It is impossible just like with Bama in college. The reason is the officials don’t call shit on them but call less egregious fouls on the other teams. Not only do teams have to beat them but the officials too. Not possible. So, my solution aims to cripple them by taking out their knees every time they touch the ball.

@usmanzeb, just become an Auburn fan. You know, the only team to beat Alabama this year. WAR EAGLE!

You have a good point there. A lot of people like to see not only excitement, but some collisions and that's the violent aspect. It may be dangerous, but it's entertaining.

Yea.
One of my favorite sports is boxing..
The adrenaline is awesome.
Right from my TV set I can feel it

I guess that's why a lot of people watch WWE

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I just recently develop interest for American football. I have been used to the other type of football. I just picked up baseball too. It might not fade because there are still some who genuinely have love for this sport. The introduction of VAR doesn't mean the European football too will fade due to inconsistencies, penalties and also simulations. They would rather change some rules instead and i am sure that is what you are clamouring for and rightly so. Yes, basketball is gaining more popularity.

As a former player i definitely agree the game is going down the tube. To me it start soon with the CTE issue and how that affects youth/parent outlook, and then how it has changed the rules of the game. Parents and young players simply aren’t going to choose football with so many other options out there. I just read an article about a former Notre Dame receiver who is a baseball star—guy would’ve been out of the NFL in 6 years and beat to a pulp. He’s had like a 12 year MLB career (good on ya shark!). Why risk it?

And then on the flip side, the way the league has tried to pay lip service to the issue is by pacifying the game Andy taking away what we loved to see-big hits and violence. I love the strategy and scheming as much as anyone, but schemes can be seen in any sport-i watch football for the collisions.

Add in that young athletes are also becoming more aware of where the money is. The NFL makes huge money compared to the other leagues, but the players have the worst contracts and shortest careers. That’s going to divert talent to other sports, which undermines the quality of the game.

People like to point to politics, but the NBA players are very vocal politically-they just don’t kneel, so i dunno.

There are so many different thing so playing into this devaluation of the NFL, it’s hard to blame just one thing. End of the day, it seems still entertaining, it’s still fun, the XFL return might actually help by getting more mind skills on football year round. Who knows?

Yeah, if the NFL doesn't change things up quickly then I definitely agree with you that they're going to lose their throne. Surprised it's taken so long for something like this considering that over the past few years nothing innovating or game changing has taken place, and there's just been a lot of negative aspects to the league what with the brain damage problem and everything else.

I wouldn't be the least surprised to see the NBA take over. Though I'll just pray that maybe one day decades, or centuries from now we'll see the NHL take charge over everything else ;)

Hi @donkeypong. Interesting post. I'm a pretty big fan of the NFL. I've been a supporter of the game for a long time. I'm a 49ers fan, even though I have not been to San Fran yet. It is certainly on my bucket list.

The movie 'concussion' was a real opener. It shouldn't be suprising considering the extent of contact in the game and the fact that players are bigger and stronger and hitting harder than ever. Chris Borland (Linebacker for 49ers) retiring at the end of his rookie year because of fears of the effects of concussions was certainly a setback considering how promising he was during that rookie year.

I'm not a fan of Thursday night football either. Teams need a longer break and more time to prepare. The Thursday game definitely gives the home team an advantage. They also wear strange gimmicky uniforms.

The 2017 playoffs struggled because of the drama of the election and Donald Trump (well, so was claimed). They really needed that amazing Patriots comeback in the Superbowl to give them a boost. On another topic or maybe not, allegations around cheating and match fixing is certainly not helping the sport.

Hi @donkeypong, I'm not an American citizen and to be honest with you, I'm not familiar with the American football game. What I’m interested about is the flag protest issue. I was wondering why were the players deliberately sitting during the playing of National Anthem when they know their action will surely draw the public attention.

After reading some articles in the internet I found out that it was their way of showing their silent protest to issues like police brutally and racial inequality. In other view, I think this is actually a good thing as they could represent the people that don’t have their voice heard. Just my two cents opinion.

I am sorry, but this post had me triggered a little bit, but not for the reason you might think.
Like, when will Americans catch up with the rest of the world and realize that the one true sport is FOOTBALL, and by football I mean real football, not the American version of rugby. It is big in every other country in the world except in the US and Canada. And who came with the made up term of “soccer.” I absolutely hate this ridiculously sounding made up term.
And why Americans call the Super Bowl winner world champions???? How can they be World Champions when all other teams are American only; and like one or two Canadian ?

Talking about World competition, how many people know the US didn’t qualify for Russia 2018, because they lost to an island 90 percent of Americans cannot find on the map; and all they needed was a draw??
The sad thing is if America invested half of the money in football as they did in American rugby they would be world contenders .

But instead football is not even top 5 sports in the US

Soccer/football is the world's sport and justifiably so. Kids in the US play it widely, but it's never really caught on at a pro level in terms of the reach that these other sports have in the US. Good point with the World Champions label. As you know, we Americans can be rather us-centric. :)

Logistically speaking basketball is a much easier game to play. There are hoops everywhere and if you got a ball your good. The NBA has a unique system where a easy to access sport was created and curated in the U.S. while soccer reigned supreme everywhere else. They had time to grow a sport that was easily adoptable for many people.
Football is much harder to just walk outside and play not to mention its just a shittier version of Rugby. The only survival of the NFL I see would be a slow movement towards a Rugby Football hybrid of some sort, no pads smaller teams, lots of speed and skill. With that being said I think we still have quite some time to go before the NFL really begins to fizzle.

That's probably true. It's not exactly fizzling now; the NFL makes a ton of money. But looking at the trajectory and the current issues, it does not seem to be going in the right direction.

I was reminded of the Utah Jazz match with the Toronto Raptors in 2012 ago. It was the first experience of watching the NBA directly and was very impressive.

NFL is big waste of time. I use to watch 3 hours on Mon, 3 hours on Thur, nine hours on Sun, spending $500 on Home Games.
Thank You Colin Kapernick for setting me free. I now lots of free time and more money.

Haha. Great comment.

$4.76 Billion My God, really?? I'm not sure what I'm more surprised to learn, that amount or the possibility of football being dethroned. Although I can definitely see the point, the head trauma alone would be reason for people to question this form of entertainment in a modern age.
How do you personally feel about it?
I've always enjoyed basketball... ;)

I understand all of your points and they have some validity for sure. However, I have to disagree with the notion that the NFL is going to fade I. Popularity and be overtaken by the NBA. As sports are concerned the NFL is king and as long as there is such a strong connection to gambling both through game betting and especially with fantasy football there will continue to be a large and strong fan base for the NFL. The NBA in my opinion needs to do a lot I. Terms of the quality of the product across the league and make it so that games are exciting all way through.

Using the Patriots dynasty as a reason for fan loss makes absolutely no sense. If that's the case then the NBA is in a world of trouble because frim season to season only a small handful of teams have a legitimate opportunity to make the finals. I mean come on, how many times do the Cavs and Warriors need to meet in the final for people to see how little parity there is in the league. I get that Lebron is great but if you are sick of seeing Brady and the patriots then you have to be long past the limit of seeing Lebron in the finals.

Just my 2 cents for what it's worth!!

Good points. The lack of parity is an issue for both, which can be dominated by dynasties for a time. We'll see which direction things go, but lots of factors make me question whether the NFL can hold the top spot.

The NFL needs to fix a lot of things for American football to emremain relevant.... They have PR problems all over the place, they are barely doing anything to innovate or reach new audiences and for me personally... the worst offender is turning the Superbowl into a huge commercial reel... I mean you can't blame them for taking the money but really? Most of the people these days don't talk about the games but about the commercials.... What does that day to you huh?

Yes. That's all true.

The XFL will start eating into the NFL's market share in a couple years as well. The NFL is dying..

I like to watch superbowl coz of the halftime break presentation 😂

I don't hear the same issues on chronic traumatic encephalopathy in rugby league, rugby union, or Aussie Rules in Australia. Maybe the NFL needs to think about a change of football code. These football codes are hugely popular in Australia and many other countries.

As a former football player, football coach, medical professional, & son to a dad who has Alzheimer’s I am crossing my fingers this game will die.

Football is at best state sponsored brain damage encouraging violence worship, racism, obesity, alcoholism & prescription pill abuse. Sub concussive blows to the head create many problems in life & the American football & medical communities have been covering it up to protect their profits a very long time.

Honestly feels like I’m living in the twilight zone when I talk to people about this, the cultural conditioning is so powerful you can literally hit people in the head with information & they don’t even blink 😞

Moar like this!

The NBA has been more exciting lately.

There's a chance but I guess not now.

Barring some change, I see football fading in the coming years as the talent pool shrinks and more pro athletes are drawn to other sports

I totally agree with you. Football is now living in its past glory and in a little while, it's going to give way for sports more interesting. I am not huge on football but I favour athletics.
Thanks for sharing @donkeypong

Nice post @dongkeypong
Thank for sharing...

American football can go out of style just remember what happened to baseball

Exactly.

interesting point of view!!!

I had some interest with American football for a while, but definitely mine is the NBA

I used to watch HBB games, now I am amazed at myself. Though I am a folks fighting to watch the Mediterranean Games, whether it is sports or mud - I have an interesting situation that I have not been able to learn yet because of that time, but the end of matches goes on and on. You are watching the match enthusiastically, it is one and a half minutes to the end of the match, and the team that is three in number can not go ten yards in four attacks. At that moment, the film breaks, everyone falls to the sahara before the match is over, the players are happy, the speaker is totally free from the "yes, the field is mixed, the referee has difficulties in calming the events." he says. If it is thought that a bunch of clusters have been identified in this futbol, ​​then why is it that impermanence, lakayt? Why does the team that is defeated do not go to the Arbitration Committee? he will ask.

If I have to tell you the truth. At first glance, it seems to be a sporadic event in which the nation is intertwined with each other, but when it is studied and learned a little, it is understood that it is a sport in which your instinct and intelligence reign. Thousands of tactics of each coach, there are game books consisting of game plan. Coaches are no different than chess when it comes to their pain.

For me I believe no sport can take the place of football, i hardly make out time to watch other sports if not football.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

hello sir @donkeypong ,may I mentraslate your article into indonesian language,if you wish, you can reply,thank you

please help sir@donkyepong

Superbowl will live on

not so fast my friend you made some great points but football in America is and will always be the number one sport. Football is a family event that from Friday night to Sunday afternoon is one of the most entertaining event in the country.

Vince McMahon is going to #MAFGA (make American football great again) #XFL2020

nice sports

Go Royals! Go Jayhawks!

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

American football won't be dethroned. There is too much money involved.

GO PATS!

I will say the gambling part even makes the game going and more interesting, it's obvious there needs to be a change in the organizing bodies of the American football, they can take a cue from England and develop their sports so as to make it more competitive for people to enjoy again

i dont watch any sports show but after reads your post i am now interested in sports especially football and i think its a very interesting and exercise able for us because football is the only game which pull up our hole body

I knew that fad wouldn't last. :-p

Feminism is make a last drive to destroy masculinity. It was "toxic masculinity", now they are going for all.

So, the most masculine sport is on the chopping block. It is getting shunned. And little by little american football will shrink away.

Those brain charts are looking scary,
The game can be so demanding.
But I wouldn't like to see the sports go.

I doubt the sport would go. Everyone understands the risks involved with playing football. If they choose to pursue it professionally, who should stop them?

Just... Just drop that and come to the world of REAL football :D

The one you guys call Soccer... now that's the KING of sports!
Cheers

good morning mr @donkeypong !!! best wishes for you to try your family and hopefully god always bless you. I am Indonesian. I have just joined the world of steemit and have just followed you. Here is my first comment on your post. After reading your post about soccer sport. My spirits and spirit blaze because they want the action of the players. It's crazy if it's a soccer game. In Indonesia quite a lot they do. Love and enjoy the sport of football. Wooowww a very special sporting match from other matches to make a churn. What an entertaining spectacle. ... oh yes, I just joined in the world of steemit, hopefully you are pleased to occasionally see my post in account @ junsusukhairi. Please guidance mr @donkeypong so I can grow in steemit !!! SALAM SPORTS !!!
bonjour mr @donkeypong !!! meilleurs voeux pour que vous essayiez votre famille et j'espère que Dieu vous bénisse toujours. Je suis Indonésien. Je viens de rejoindre le monde de steemit et je viens de vous suivre. Voici mon premier commentaire sur votre message. Après avoir lu votre post sur le sport de football. Mes esprits et mon esprit flambent parce qu'ils veulent l'action des joueurs. C'est fou si c'est un match de football. En Indonésie, ils le font beaucoup. Aimez et appréciez le sport du football. Wooowww un match sportif très spécial d'autres matchs pour faire une baratte. Quel spectacle divertissant. ... oh oui, je viens de rejoindre le monde de steemit, j'espère que vous êtes heureux de voir occasionnellement mon poste dans le compte @ junsusukhairi. S'il vous plaît conseils mr @donkeypong afin que je puisse grandir dans steemit !!! SPORTS DE SALAM !!!

Basketball is the ethereum of the US sports world? BUY BUY BUY!

Complain all you want about Bitcoin investors, but at least they never intentionally hid a problem as severe as repeated concussions causing CTE. Remember kids, even light concussions put you at risk for health complications later in life, and repeated concussions skyrockets them.

I think basketball's rise is assured, looking at the demographics shift in the US and who is giving birth to how many kids it's kind of clear that football is on the out. I could care less about all of this, it's just another way for investors and media conglomerates to make money while distracting people, but I don't judge anyone who enjoys watching either game.

Sports whose pace revolve around advertisement slots are so 20th century.

A sport on its own level.

It's a LONG way off, but I have seen the growth of Rugby in the USA in leaps and bounds. Perhaps in a few decades this will be the new contact sport king? Well I personally sure hope so

The National Football League also has added Thursday night games, reaching an agreement today with Fox to support those games.

This past season Amazon even streamed some Thursday night games on Prime. And Twitter has been doing Thursday night games as well. There is coverage everywhere!

There have been a lot of factors that have contributed to the decline. Part of it is the aging population of NFL watchers. Another factor was the overload of advertising. The NFL was smart to reign that in this season, because it was not entertaining to have that many commercial breaks. I mean, I break after the touchdown, the PAT, AND the kickoff??!!! Come on!
The protests hurt the NFL greatly. Even if they hold even in viewership and engagement, that fiasco cost them growth. They should have nipped it in the bud by making a stand right away. They had it in their bylaws that the players should stand. If that had immediately enforced that it wouldn't have gotten out of hand. They could have set up a fund to help charities that the players support and everyone would have been happy. As it turned out, they just bungled the whole thing.

CTE probably is a factor too, but it's difficult to tell how much of an impact each of the issues is having on the sport overall.

Time will tell if the "flippening" continues, but you're right, it doesn't bode well that the first day of SuperBowl week was overshadowed by a mere NBA trade.

I like playing.But I like playing cricket football.Superbowl also i like.

This is a really good article. I am not really into football - or sports in general - but this did catch my attention solely because i have noticed myself that football isn't all the talk anymore! It will definitely be a cultural shift but i can see where you are going with this! Thank you for the information and the hard work.

ok already I vote. do not forget to vote back

I think it is great sports post. Outstanding job. Thanks for sharing

The NFL managed to shoot itself in the foot. Congrats!

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Based on the numbers, I have to agree that the NFL is hurting. I personally have boycotted for one thing only: kneeling during the National Anthem. As a Veteran, I find it disrespectful. As an American, I find it unconscionable. As a fan of football, I'm waiting for Baseball to start!

Realy good post.fantastic job.

@donkeypong I do enjoy watching a good game. Especially a great football match up. Bottom line is that most, if not all sports are simply a run business to make the owners of such team get richer. Fyi I'm not disputing the passion the athletes have. Great post :) Best wishes to you always. - @splendorhub

I get coaxed into Superbowl parties for the food. Almost like Thanksgiving for me but with a spin. A deep-fried, cream cheese and beer spin. What's not to like for an American?

That is really unfortunate. It reminds me of the movie concussion. It has to deal directly with this problem.

well i am here for the first time and just start reading you post i think its amazing and i should read the old post too nice one

The NFL missed a huge opportunity in taking the flag protests and using them as an opportunity to build their brand as a force for social justice. Instead, they sat on their hands and allowed people to extrapolate their own interpretations of what was happening. I think with a new commissioner, more transparency, and more committed resources to concussion prevention, and the NFL will be just fine.

Gotta say, the first time I encountered american football was through a video game lol. I never really understood much of it.

NBA player is very strong man

The NFL will be supplanted by soccer and basketball as far as traditional sports, but it’s going to be E-Sports that will rule over all of them. No concussions, no injuries, and even more immersive.

@donkeypong wow Such a great article
##Upvote/Resteem###

I can only congratulate the winning team, and the losing team should try harder to win. Greetings sport for American

Hiii @donkeypong, that's realy nice post regarding sports. most popular here is footbal. l am also sportsman, but i have no much interest in football. Because in our country football has no any craze, only Cricket is passion of every one. So in our country mostly played and watched the Cricket.

Its quite funny that what we in Nigerians know as football is very different from what Americans call football. I believe American call what we call football "soccer".
Honestly speaking I don't quite understand the rule the game, but I must confess that its interesting to watch (well-built men running around and throwing a ball, all aiming to cross the line with the ball in their hand).

I have never really sat down to watch American football outside what u watched in the movies, I hope it is that interesting.

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American football is the most famous sport in the United States. In this country it will hardly be dethroned by another sport. They tried to create a great soccer league, hiring players from the best leagues in Europe but at the end of their career, however they did not succeed. American football will continue to grow worldwide.


I have always preferred Basketball when I was a kid Jordan was a sensation.

Truth is on the international soccer space, government at all levels and well meaning individuals should support the upcoming people to rise, soccer will be more fun if more talented people are encouraged to participate. Thanks so much for this @donkeypong

Never knew you were a sport enthusiast

Sports has brought people together and as well set people apart for years. It's always been exciting to watch. I'm not an American, but I've heard how much American Football is to Americans. Yes, it's dangerous and has left various athletes with one damage or the other but it hasn't stopped them. The spirit is just way too high I guess 😅.

All of my attention has migrated over to to the NBA. I’m not dealing with the NFL anymore. It’s very disheartening to turn a protest into Anti-American rhetoric. I’m out.✌🏼😁

The NBA is definitely kicking NFL's ass. Adam Silver's getting a lot of things right at the moment, and like you said the brain injury issue is big. I remember watching the movie Concussion where Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian, made that discovery and the NFL trying their best to run him down, because obviously they knew te end result! It's happening!

Makes a lot of sense. Look how hard they smash their helmets together. There's no way that is good for anybody's brain!

Good Post. Unfortunately, the great NFL business machinery takes human aspirations as an exchange coin...

Sport is one aspect of humanity that has brought together different personalities from different tribes, we all have a role to play in making sports better internationally, hence the need for scouting of fresh talent.

This is my opinion @donkeypong

In my country, Nigeria, we are a football-loving people because it is the only game that unifies us.

I like sports and I think it is a great sports post. Thanks for sharing

To me, it's proof that right now, the thing people really care about in sports is trades and signings and the like. We're all backseat GMs now.