nfl ratings are sicko ...

[tmcats]

the faux fan noise was worse than no fans in the seats. i found that very annoying throughout.

[gdgjr78]

the faux fan noise was worse than no fans in the seats. i found that very annoying throughout.

I'm sure they're playing that to try and drown out the cussing. I heard a bunch of f-bombs even with the fake crowd noise but without it would put Deadwood to shame lol

[WIldWIllieCat]

the faux fan noise was worse than no fans in the seats. i found that very annoying throughout.

I didn't find it to be a huge issue except in the Saints v Bucs game. It sounded like the sound crew was trying to cue up "cheers", "boos", and "jeers" for individual plays.....it was bad and quickly became just annoying. The games that simply featured white noise, crowd buzz were better.

I agree, though, that the empty stadiums made the games feel a little like a glorified scrimmage instead of an actual event.

[tmcats]

i noticed that at the saints' game too, willie.

[DeereCatFan]

Haven't watched any, but never really did the last few years. I'll be honest the kneeling was the death nail for me. Dont miss it regardless. NBA is far worse to me. They support a lot of things I disagree with. I haven't watched that since Jordan years and it doesn't really seem like basketball to me any more. MLB - never cared for it. Just as soon watch paint dry, but to each their own. I can watch golf many cant.
Really college sports is all I care about.

[stlcatfan]

I didn't watch, and won't, but I really haven't been watching the NFL for 3-4 years. I did watch the Superbowl last year for the first time in 4 years because I was happy for the city of KC, but like the NBA, it could go away and I wouldn't care. I have no problem admitting that the kneeling crap was the final straw for what little interest I had left in watching overpaid athletes.

To be frank, my passion for college sports is starting to wane as well. The rampant cheating, the ridiculous arms race of facilities, the free agency in athletes, the "wanting paid" stuff, and above all, 99.5% of schools having no prayer at a national title because of over-inflated scholarship #'s and TV set bias is starting to ruin it for me. My priorities were already shifting as I approach 50, but Covid has accelerated it. I've just found other things to spend my time doing now.

that's an interesting take. next weekend i won't watch the nfl because I'm far more interested in the u.s. open championship. i never watch pro baseball or the nba anymore. i left the nba with larry and magic's departures. but I'm not sure why. it's a combination of factors too: the salaries, free agency, individualism, and yes, politics. but even before the political stuff, i was turned off with pro sports mostly due to free agency, i believe. players represented themselves rather than the city/franchise sans a few like jordy. and they sold themselves to the highest bidder like pimps on the streetcorner. it just lost its appeal and that started with baseball.

Very similar to my story, except that I never really got into golf or tennis on TV. I can't even remember the last NBA game I watched. It may have been the '95 Chicago Bulls, but I'm not for sure. I lost interest in the MLB after the strike in '94. I tried to watch it a little bit, but eventually stopped, especially with the Royals tanking in the years following the strike. I did watch the NFL until about a decade ago. In recent years, my college sports viewing has dropped way off. This year so far, it has been non-existent, outside of checking scores of Big 12 games. Like wild@nite said, I have found better ways to spend my time on the weekends. I hope a fresh start in 2021 re-kindles my interest in K-State sports.

[KITNooga]

I think they're down because a lot of people are tired of having sports mixed with politics

i also found it infuriating to listen to the constant prattle about 'which player got paid' with big contracts/extensions. don't think that needs to be 'out there' as discussion fodder for show time commentators.

I watch the pre-game/anthem and frankly see real pain on some of the faces. I respect that and like them look for a world where everyone can 'feel' like they have equal opportunity.

as a white guy, I can tell you that economic opportunity is not equal for 'us' either. we just don't get to talk about it. it's up to us to 'handle our business'. you might think the comparison I'm drawing to is black/white... some. but don't overlook male/female. (as a father of a daughter, I've spent a lot of time developing self-reliance and resilience in both of my kids. life is not fair, and hurdles abound. doesn't matter WHO you are).

[tmcats]

[ToledoCat#3]

I recorded several games. Forwarded through all the pre-game political crap and started watching at the kickoff.

Mostly, pretty boring -- but better than watching MASH or Seinfeld or Gunsmoke reruns.

Politics and sports don't mix well and viewers are showing their feelings.

[WIldWIllieCat]

While I've no doubt there are numerous people that wish professional athletes would just "shut up and play", if you go look at any graph of television viewership for the last decade you'll see the trend....or not, sometimes it's uncomfortable to acknowledge certain truths that don't align with your beliefs.