Grantland.com (2 Viewers)

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

:whoosh:

 

[Eephus]

soccer ftw

"Ties and no playoffs? Why do you even do this?"

To prevent 83 win Cardinals teams from being "champs"?

Dentist alias?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

soccer ftw

"Ties and no playoffs? Why do you even do this?"

We can have that argument another time and place. The point being made today is that soccer fans, players, administrators and sponsors have all decided that they can work with 45 minutes of non-stop game time, that maybe it's in everybody's best interests. The NFL will add as many commercials to a broadcast as it can and stop the clock as often as possible until big numbers of viewers begin to protest and desert. The 32 teams have a government-protected cartel and a slavishly devoted fanbase; they're gonna squeeze the fans, sponsors and local governments for every nickel they can.

I guess that's good business but don't expect me to remain silent when multi-billionaire Steve Bisciotti holds up the state of Maryland for half a billion in stadium upgrades because he's only 20th in the league in luxury box revenues.

I know people 50 years ago never thought boxing, horse racing, and baseball would ever stop being the Big Three in America but I wonder if - without some kind of catastrophic event (and I can't even imagine what that would be) - the climate is so different now that the NFL isn't bullet-proof for several decades. It seems no matter what happens, it gains and gains.

I'm certainly no visionary, nor am I a fan of the way the NFL/TV does its business - but I am having a really hard time trying to dream up a realistic tipping point for the NFL's popularity.

 

[JB Breakfast Club]

soccer ftw

"Ties and no playoffs? Why do you even do this?"

We can have that argument another time and place. The point being made today is that soccer fans, players, administrators and sponsors have all decided that they can work with 45 minutes of non-stop game time, that maybe it's in everybody's best interests. The NFL will add as many commercials to a broadcast as it can and stop the clock as often as possible until big numbers of viewers begin to protest and desert. The 32 teams have a government-protected cartel and a slavishly devoted fanbase; they're gonna squeeze the fans, sponsors and local governments for every nickel they can.

I guess that's good business but don't expect me to remain silent when multi-billionaire Steve Bisciotti holds up the state of Maryland for half a billion in stadium upgrades because he's only 20th in the league in luxury box revenues.

I know people 50 years ago never thought boxing, horse racing, and baseball would ever stop being the Big Three in America but I wonder if - without some kind of catastrophic event (and I can't even imagine what that would be) - the climate is so different now that the NFL isn't bullet-proof for several decades. It seems no matter what happens, it gains and gains.

I'm certainly no visionary, nor am I a fan of the way the NFL/TV does its business - but I am having a really hard time trying to dream up a realistic tipping point for the NFL's popularity.

My prediction for the catastrophic event is an NFL player dying on the field.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

soccer ftw

"Ties and no playoffs? Why do you even do this?"

We can have that argument another time and place. The point being made today is that soccer fans, players, administrators and sponsors have all decided that they can work with 45 minutes of non-stop game time, that maybe it's in everybody's best interests. The NFL will add as many commercials to a broadcast as it can and stop the clock as often as possible until big numbers of viewers begin to protest and desert. The 32 teams have a government-protected cartel and a slavishly devoted fanbase; they're gonna squeeze the fans, sponsors and local governments for every nickel they can.

I guess that's good business but don't expect me to remain silent when multi-billionaire Steve Bisciotti holds up the state of Maryland for half a billion in stadium upgrades because he's only 20th in the league in luxury box revenues.

I know people 50 years ago never thought boxing, horse racing, and baseball would ever stop being the Big Three in America but I wonder if - without some kind of catastrophic event (and I can't even imagine what that would be) - the climate is so different now that the NFL isn't bullet-proof for several decades. It seems no matter what happens, it gains and gains.

I'm certainly no visionary, nor am I a fan of the way the NFL/TV does its business - but I am having a really hard time trying to dream up a realistic tipping point for the NFL's popularity.

My prediction for the catastrophic event is an NFL player dying on the field.

Wouldn't even slow anything down. There'd be safety reviews and memorials and remembrances and such, but football has shortened/ruined lives for decades now, one ending suddenly on the field isn't a massive leap from that.

 

[Eephus]

The NFL will continue to dominate the US sports scene but there isn't indefinite growth potential within its borders. There's a huge but finite amount of broadcast revenues from the US networks so the league will continue to milk that cash cow for all it's worth.

I've never seen any numbers about the league's international television revenues but I'd guess they lag well behind those of other sports. Goodell is never going to reach his growth targets without some level of success overseas. There are a lot of reasons why the NFL will fail but it'll be interesting to see them try.

 

[pats3in4]

As long as the NFL keeps to a predominantly Sunday schedule and doesn't dilute the regular season with too many games or adding too many playoff teams, it has a built in advantage over the primary competitors (fan-friendly game times, every game matters - is event-like). I cannot see anything directly football-related that would tip the scales out of its favor (on-field death, PEDs, bad behavior, injuries).

I think it would take a cultural shift outside of football to knock its popularity. Something else on Sundays becomes the go-to activity. Or the next generation is so used to DVR and VOD that more and more games are watched as replays, and then that habit subsides as the scores are known in advance.

Something else is going to have to knock off football from its perch. It's not going to knock itself off.

 

[17seconds]

Just stick to Simmons and Cousin Sal's degenerate NFL gambling preview and you won't get angry

 

[roadkill1292]

The millennials currently consume significantly less football than the meat of football's fanbase, which is slightly older (its popularity tails off again with boomers and the very elderly). They're the generation to watch, imo. Will they latch on to football in greater numbers as they approach middle age or will they pass along a continuing downward trend to their own children? I keep thinking football's replacement as the No. 1 American sport hasn't been invented yet but that's just me talking outta my ###.

I give football little chance to become a big deal internationally before it's DOA here, making it nearly impossible, as gb Eephus noted above, for Mr. Goodell to hit his $25B revenue goal.

A player killed during a game will only slow things down a little. For now. Little things have a way of piling up into big things.

 

[dparker713]

As long as the NFL keeps to a predominantly Sunday schedule and doesn't dilute the regular season with too many games or adding too many playoff teams, it has a built in advantage over the primary competitors (fan-friendly game times, every game matters - is event-like). I cannot see anything directly football-related that would tip the scales out of its favor (on-field death, PEDs, bad behavior, injuries).

I think it would take a cultural shift outside of football to knock its popularity. Something else on Sundays becomes the go-to activity. Or the next generation is so used to DVR and VOD that more and more games are watched as replays, and then that habit subsides as the scores are known in advance.

Something else is going to have to knock off football from its perch. It's not going to knock itself off.

Everything you're talking about is the NFL as a TV sport. But its a crappy live experience and generally getting worse. I used to want Giants season tickets and was on the waiting list for 20 years. But after going to one game in the new stadium, I can't even imagine going again unless it was free. Maybe the league will fix these problems or they just won't matter too much, but football could very well be killing its long term health for the sake of current TV contracts.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Just stick to Simmons and Cousin Sal's degenerate NFL gambling preview and you won't get angry

He's a pretty big rube, gambling-wise. I get a little heated.

 

[Brony]

Just stick to Simmons and Cousin Sal's degenerate NFL gambling preview and you won't get angry

He's a pretty big rube, gambling-wise. I get a little heated.

That's actually what I love about it. They try to look at all the angles and yet they still suck at gambling just like the rest of us.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

soccer ftw

"Ties and no playoffs? Why do you even do this?"

To prevent 83 win Cardinals teams from being "champs"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KeG_i8CWE8

 

[bosoxs45]

As long as the NFL keeps to a predominantly Sunday schedule and doesn't dilute the regular season with too many games or adding too many playoff teams, it has a built in advantage over the primary competitors (fan-friendly game times, every game matters - is event-like). I cannot see anything directly football-related that would tip the scales out of its favor (on-field death, PEDs, bad behavior, injuries).

I think it would take a cultural shift outside of football to knock its popularity. Something else on Sundays becomes the go-to activity. Or the next generation is so used to DVR and VOD that more and more games are watched as replays, and then that habit subsides as the scores are known in advance.

Something else is going to have to knock off football from its perch. It's not going to knock itself off.

If I lived in Colorado, I'd spend my Sundays hiking or kayaking.

Football is great to watch but it's not a necessity.

 

[facook]

Just stick to Simmons and Cousin Sal's degenerate NFL gambling preview and you won't get angry

He's a pretty big rube, gambling-wise. I get a little heated.

That's actually what I love about it. They try to look at all the angles and yet they still suck at gambling just like the rest of us.

And they KNOW they suck, and they make fun of themselves. E.g. one of them calling the other to play a 2 game tease on so-and-so and knowing it's going to lose before the bet is ever placed. The self-awareness of sucking is what makes the Cousin Sal BS Reports my favorite.

On the other hand, I'll add my voice to the chorus that looks at the itunes update and says, "Zack Lowe ####### AGAIN!!? You're already ####### previewing the NBA?! That's ALL you ####### talked about all summer long! God ####### dammitt Simmons you one trick pony! It's ####### FOOTBALL season! Get Lombardi or Wingo or McShay even ####### Barnwell on there again. But stop talking about the NBA!!" Or something.

 

[Kev4029]

As long as the NFL keeps to a predominantly Sunday schedule and doesn't dilute the regular season with too many games or adding too many playoff teams, it has a built in advantage over the primary competitors (fan-friendly game times, every game matters - is event-like). I cannot see anything directly football-related that would tip the scales out of its favor (on-field death, PEDs, bad behavior, injuries).

I think it would take a cultural shift outside of football to knock its popularity. Something else on Sundays becomes the go-to activity. Or the next generation is so used to DVR and VOD that more and more games are watched as replays, and then that habit subsides as the scores are known in advance.

Something else is going to have to knock off football from its perch. It's not going to knock itself off.

If I lived in Colorado, I'd spend my Sundays hiking or kayaking.

Football is great to watch but it's not a necessity.

The great thing about the mountain time zone is you can do both. I often do something in the morning (especially at the start of ski season) and get back by 2pm to watch the Broncos.

 

[pollardsvision]

Just stick to Simmons and Cousin Sal's degenerate NFL gambling preview and you won't get angry

He's a pretty big rube, gambling-wise. I get a little heated.

That's actually what I love about it. They try to look at all the angles and yet they still suck at gambling just like the rest of us.

And they KNOW they suck, and they make fun of themselves. E.g. one of them calling the other to play a 2 game tease on so-and-so and knowing it's going to lose before the bet is ever placed. The self-awareness of sucking is what makes the Cousin Sal BS Reports my favorite.

On the other hand, I'll add my voice to the chorus that looks at the itunes update and says, "Zack Lowe ####### AGAIN!!? You're already ####### previewing the NBA?! That's ALL you ####### talked about all summer long! God ####### dammitt Simmons you one trick pony! It's ####### FOOTBALL season! Get Lombardi or Wingo or McShay even ####### Barnwell on there again. But stop talking about the NBA!!" Or something.

You should listen. Zach Lowe is the best thing going at Grantland. Though I do love some Jalen and Jacoby popping the trunk.

 

[facook]

Just stick to Simmons and Cousin Sal's degenerate NFL gambling preview and you won't get angry

He's a pretty big rube, gambling-wise. I get a little heated.

That's actually what I love about it. They try to look at all the angles and yet they still suck at gambling just like the rest of us.

And they KNOW they suck, and they make fun of themselves. E.g. one of them calling the other to play a 2 game tease on so-and-so and knowing it's going to lose before the bet is ever placed. The self-awareness of sucking is what makes the Cousin Sal BS Reports my favorite.

On the other hand, I'll add my voice to the chorus that looks at the itunes update and says, "Zack Lowe ####### AGAIN!!? You're already ####### previewing the NBA?! That's ALL you ####### talked about all summer long! God ####### dammitt Simmons you one trick pony! It's ####### FOOTBALL season! Get Lombardi or Wingo or McShay even ####### Barnwell on there again. But stop talking about the NBA!!" Or something.

You should listen. Zach Lowe is the best thing going at Grantland. Though I do love some Jalen and Jacoby popping the trunk.

I DO listen. I like Lowe. It just bugs me that he's focused on NBA throughout the summer. Two weeks before football kickoff he interviewed Lowe on basketball world games or something. NBA gets old.

 

[njherdfan]

soccer ftw

"Ties and no playoffs? Why do you even do this?"

We can have that argument another time and place. The point being made today is that soccer fans, players, administrators and sponsors have all decided that they can work with 45 minutes of non-stop game time, that maybe it's in everybody's best interests. The NFL will add as many commercials to a broadcast as it can and stop the clock as often as possible until big numbers of viewers begin to protest and desert. The 32 teams have a government-protected cartel and a slavishly devoted fanbase; they're gonna squeeze the fans, sponsors and local governments for every nickel they can.

I guess that's good business but don't expect me to remain silent when multi-billionaire Steve Bisciotti holds up the state of Maryland for half a billion in stadium upgrades because he's only 20th in the league in luxury box revenues.

I know people 50 years ago never thought boxing, horse racing, and baseball would ever stop being the Big Three in America but I wonder if - without some kind of catastrophic event (and I can't even imagine what that would be) - the climate is so different now that the NFL isn't bullet-proof for several decades. It seems no matter what happens, it gains and gains.

I'm certainly no visionary, nor am I a fan of the way the NFL/TV does its business - but I am having a really hard time trying to dream up a realistic tipping point for the NFL's popularity.

My prediction for the catastrophic event is an NFL player dying on the field.

Wouldn't even slow anything down. There'd be safety reviews and memorials and remembrances and such, but football has shortened/ruined lives for decades now, one ending suddenly on the field isn't a massive leap from that.

Yeah, there's no way the NFL doesn't already have its playbook written for what happens once a player dies on the field. The players are just too big and fast not to plan for it.

 

[Tick]

Grantland podcasts for me (I'm a podcast fiend):

BS Report - I listen to pretty much every one. I'm still amused after all these years, for the most part. Cousin Sal is great.

Lowe Post - I listen to all of these. I'm not really an NBA fan, but it's just a smart conversation every time. The guy's a professional.

Jonah Keri - I probably listen to about 20% of these. I liked his old podcast pre-Grantland, but just can't handle baseball talk very often.

Jalen and Jacoby - I listen to all of them. I skip ahead when they do shoutouts or the hip-hop bracket, but it's a funny show. I can tell this will get old for me before too long, though.

NFL - I really enjoy these. Funny and engaging.

Cheap Heat - What the hell is this doing on a sports feed? They have a pop culture feed - move it there. Never listened to one, never will.

Sucks that Men in Blazers went to their own feed, because my stoopid iTunes downloads every episode from the last 3 years every 2 days or so.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Grantland podcasts for me (I'm a podcast fiend):

BS Report - I listen to pretty much every one. I'm still amused after all these years, for the most part. Cousin Sal is great.

Lowe Post - I listen to all of these. I'm not really an NBA fan, but it's just a smart conversation every time. The guy's a professional.

Jonah Keri - I probably listen to about 20% of these. I liked his old podcast pre-Grantland, but just can't handle baseball talk very often.

Jalen and Jacoby - I listen to all of them. I skip ahead when they do shoutouts or the hip-hop bracket, but it's a funny show. I can tell this will get old for me before too long, though.

NFL - I really enjoy these. Funny and engaging.

Cheap Heat - What the hell is this doing on a sports feed? They have a pop culture feed - move it there. Never listened to one, never will.

Sucks that Men in Blazers went to their own feed, because my stoopid iTunes downloads every episode from the last 3 years every 2 days or so.

MIB left ESPN for NBC. ESPN doesn't have the next WC, and NBC has the EPL, so it made sense.

 

[Tick]

Grantland podcasts for me (I'm a podcast fiend):

BS Report - I listen to pretty much every one. I'm still amused after all these years, for the most part. Cousin Sal is great.

Lowe Post - I listen to all of these. I'm not really an NBA fan, but it's just a smart conversation every time. The guy's a professional.

Jonah Keri - I probably listen to about 20% of these. I liked his old podcast pre-Grantland, but just can't handle baseball talk very often.

Jalen and Jacoby - I listen to all of them. I skip ahead when they do shoutouts or the hip-hop bracket, but it's a funny show. I can tell this will get old for me before too long, though.

NFL - I really enjoy these. Funny and engaging.

Cheap Heat - What the hell is this doing on a sports feed? They have a pop culture feed - move it there. Never listened to one, never will.

Sucks that Men in Blazers went to their own feed, because my stoopid iTunes downloads every episode from the last 3 years every 2 days or so.

MIB left ESPN for NBC. ESPN doesn't have the next WC, and NBC has the EPL, so it made sense.

I know it makes sense, and I'll still listen, but iTunes doesn't handle the new pod feed well on my computer.

 

[Dentist]

soccer ftw

"Ties and no playoffs? Why do you even do this?"

To prevent 83 win Cardinals teams from being "champs"?

 

[Premier]

Simmons suspended 3 weeks.

Right before his NBA preview videos were about to roll out.

 

[shader]

Simmons suspended 3 weeks.

Right before his NBA preview videos were about to roll out.

Espn looks silly here. That being said, Simmons seems like he's allowed success to go to his head. I think he's on a power trip. I liked him better when he was a small town Boston guy. Bill Simmons, media mogul, isn't working for me.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

soccer ftw

"Ties and no playoffs? Why do you even do this?"

To prevent 83 win Cardinals teams from being "champs"?

Couldn't you say the same about seventh-seeded men's basketball teams?

 

[Dickie Dunn]

Simmons suspended 3 weeks.

Right before his NBA preview videos were about to roll out.

Espn looks silly here. That being said, Simmons seems like he's allowed success to go to his head. I think he's on a power trip. I liked him better when he was a small town Boston guy. Bill Simmons, media mogul, isn't working for me.

I know several people who worked with Simmons before he got big, and none of them could stand him.

That said, it's a pretty neat trick to get me to side with Simmons on an issue. Well done, ESPN.

 

[TheAristocrat]

That's f###### b#######.

 

[Mister Martie]

That is really ####### unbelievable.

 

[Billy Bats]

Challenge accepted.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

The "stet all changes" bit from that ESPN book really made him look like an insufferable butthole. An editor is your friend.

 

[Bojang0301]

This is kind of the cherry on top. I've been done with ESPN for awhile but this is a strong reinforcement to be done with them. They are biased toward the SEC, NFL and they have practically become a poor sports version of TMZ. It's unfortunate they got Schefter. Luckily, he's about all they got.

 

[Premier]

This is kind of the cherry on top. I've been done with ESPN for awhile but this is a strong reinforcement to be done with them. They are biased toward the SEC, NFL and they have practically become a poor sports version of TMZ. It's unfortunate they got Schefter. Luckily, he's about all they got.

Edit to add: if any of you are thinking about cutting the cable

As long as they have college sports I have to watch.

 

[Billy Bats]

I wonder what his rights are to Grantland and if he has the right to keep the site if he decides to jump ship from ESPN when his contract is up. I'm sure another media outlet would love to gain his followers.

 

[Premier]

I wonder what his rights are to Grantland and if he has the right to keep the site if he decides to jump ship from ESPN when his contract is up. I'm sure another media outlet would love to gain his followers.

I'm sure ESPN keeps Grantland. No way they would have let that happen, especially with all the talent there they have under contract. That's also why he's going to shut up and accept his punishment. And they have his beloved NBA.

 

[Abraham]

Was this about his rant on the podcast about god dell?

 

[Joe Summer]

Was this about his rant on the podcast about god dell?

Gotta be.

Simmons started his rant by saying, "Not enough is being made of the fact that they knew about the tape and they knew what it was on it. Goodell, if he doesn't know what was on that tape, is a liar."

Simmons ended his rant by daring ESPN to punish him:

"I really hope someone calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell. If one person says that to me, I'm going public. You leave me alone. The commissioner is a liar, and I get to talk about that on my podcast. Please, call me and say I'm in trouble, I dare you."

What do you want to bet that Simmons chickens out and doesn't "go public" with whatever top secret info he's hiding??

 

[massraider]

Did Simmons speak out before the video inside the elevator surfaced?

 

[mphtrilogy]

I listened to that podcast on Monday, one of my favorites to listen to as he picks the lines with cousin sal.

It was a great rant, and I felt the same way.

Espn probably had to suspend him otherwise there nfl investment is gonna take a hit..

But man, what a joke, this is why Simmons is a good listen, I hope this doesn't stop him from speaking his mind.

GoNn miss him picking the lines with cousin sal the next three weeks..

Goodell needs to go, hope this keeps the fans flamed...

 

[Joe Summer]

I wonder what his rights are to Grantland and if he has the right to keep the site if he decides to jump ship from ESPN when his contract is up. I'm sure another media outlet would love to gain his followers.

I'm pretty sure ESPN owns Grantland. They registered the domain name before Simmons had even been hired for ESPN.com.

 

[culdeus]

Did Simmons speak out before the video inside the elevator surfaced?

Yes

 

[Bojang0301]

Was this about his rant on the podcast about god dell?

Gotta be.

Simmons started his rant by saying, "Not enough is being made of the fact that they knew about the tape and they knew what it was on it. Goodell, if he doesn't know what was on that tape, is a liar."

Simmons ended his rant by daring ESPN to punish him:

"I really hope someone calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell. If one person says that to me, I'm going public. You leave me alone. The commissioner is a liar, and I get to talk about that on my podcast. Please, call me and say I'm in trouble, I dare you."

What do you want to bet that Simmons chickens out and doesn't "go public" with whatever top secret info he's hiding??

I'm not taking that as he has knowledge of secret info, I'm taking that as he would get told by the higher ups to tone it down. They responded with a harsher punishment then what Ray Rice got initially.

 

[Baloney Sandwich]

Simmons must have F U money at this point so it will be interesting how this all plays out. However, his rants against Goodell are misplaced, Roger is just a puppet of the owners and they love the fact that all the public vitriol is towards Roger instead of them. Simmons seems like a smart guy so I'm surprised he doesn't know this.

 

[Willie Neslon]

espn will back down is my prediction

 

[belljr]

Love the cousin Sal podcast,

 

[wazoo11]

So I guess Jalen and Jacoby will be filling in with Cousin Sal.

 

[Kev4029]

Simmons must have F U money at this point so it will be interesting how this all plays out. However, his rants against Goodell are misplaced, Roger is just a puppet of the owners and they love the fact that all the public vitriol is towards Roger instead of them. Simmons seems like a smart guy so I'm surprised he doesn't know this.

Simmons has said that on numerous occasions.

It almost seemed as though Simmons was daring ESPN to suspend him, he's been pumping up the Goodell hate for his last few podcasts.

 

[pollardsvision]

Was this about his rant on the podcast about god dell?

Gotta be.

Simmons started his rant by saying, "Not enough is being made of the fact that they knew about the tape and they knew what it was on it. Goodell, if he doesn't know what was on that tape, is a liar."

Simmons ended his rant by daring ESPN to punish him:

"I really hope someone calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell. If one person says that to me, I'm going public. You leave me alone. The commissioner is a liar, and I get to talk about that on my podcast. Please, call me and say I'm in trouble, I dare you."

What do you want to bet that Simmons chickens out and doesn't "go public" with whatever top secret info he's hiding??

I'm not taking that as he has knowledge of secret info, I'm taking that as he would get told by the higher ups to tone it down. They responded with a harsher punishment then what Ray Rice got initially.

And a penalty 3 times harsher than Stephen A. Smith got for saying battered women just got what was coming to them

 

[T Bell]

Was this about his rant on the podcast about god dell?

Gotta be.

Simmons started his rant by saying, "Not enough is being made of the fact that they knew about the tape and they knew what it was on it. Goodell, if he doesn't know what was on that tape, is a liar."

Simmons ended his rant by daring ESPN to punish him:

"I really hope someone calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell. If one person says that to me, I'm going public. You leave me alone. The commissioner is a liar, and I get to talk about that on my podcast. Please, call me and say I'm in trouble, I dare you."

What do you want to bet that Simmons chickens out and doesn't "go public" with whatever top secret info he's hiding??

I'm not taking that as he has knowledge of secret info, I'm taking that as he would get told by the higher ups to tone it down. They responded with a harsher punishment then what Ray Rice got initially.

And a penalty 3 times harsher than Stephen A. Smith got for saying battered women just got what was coming to them

It makes me wonder whether more went on behind the scenes with Simmons.

 

[Limp Ditka]

And Olbermann got nothing for basically saying the same thing, just a tad more eloquently.