***Official*** I'm done watching the NFL (1 Viewer)

[Ministry of Pain]

Initially I could understand the need to cut down on hits where the WRs were completely defenseless but then it got worse and worse. Next it was unnecessary roughness calls over the past couple seasons that finally lead us to the point the receiver has to be allowed time to catch the ball and make a football move before the defender can touch him. Now we get the news that RBs cannot lower their helmets. I thought Eric Dickerson stated it very well along with many other former players. I think it's time to just focus on college football or other things in life. The game has changed a lot in the last 10-20 years, not for the better IMO. Steroids were killing athletes but since the outlaw of them in the NFL the weight increase of the players across the board has been astronomical. They need to roll the playing weights back to what they were prior to the steroid ban, that with the more modern protection they have available would drastically cut down on these injuries. I never heard much about ACL tears prior to the early-mid 90s.

Other things like the Saints catastrophe last year and a disingenuous Commissioner who allows outside forces and outside conditions to impact the sport and has alienated many of the players. All things come to an end and perhaps the NFL will roll on into eternity but at some point all things come to an end. My love for the NFL has been waning for many years, these new rule changes only speed up the process. There are other sports and there are lots of other ways to spend time. I'm ready to pull the plug, anyone else feel the same way?

 

[FF Ninja]

***Official*** we need a non-FF football talk forum

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Classic MOP here.

 

[GroveDiesel]

I knew who started this before even opening it.

I think it's sad when a bunch of neanderthals whose brains AREN'T at risk of getting scrambled complain when the NFL tries to prevent brain damage for its players.

Guys are supposed to hit with their heads up anyway. Putting the head down and spearing defensive players with the crown of the helmet is not only dangerous to both players, but it rarely creates much of a benefit for the guy spearing the other player anyway.

 

[Banemorth]

I quit watching when they legalized the forward pass. Ruined the game. Now I just hang out on fantasy boards and complain about it.

 

[lod01]

When do your rankings come out for week 1? See ya then.

 

[King of the Jungle]

I quit watching when they legalized the forward pass. Ruined the game. Now I just hang out on fantasy boards and complain about it.

I hate the forward pass as well. Switched to rugby a long time ago.

 

[Kleck]

 

[Dark Matter]

My link

 

[Donnybrook]

MOP to football: "I wish I knew how to quit you."

 

[Wyld Stallyns]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

 

[Banemorth]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

Still don't understand why people dislike this. The more football the better IMO.

 

[King of the Jungle]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

Amen on the Thurs night games. I love football and honestly thought I would enjoy the option....I was wrong. Even too much of a good thing is too much.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

Same here. I've played FF since 1995 and I'm close to my limit when it comes to Goodell. The Thursday games, the draft going on for 4 days, London games and possibly a team, and the ####ification of the sport just sit wrong with me.

 

[KCitons]

I've decided to boycott watching NFL games...................................until the preseason starts.

 

[Shane Falco]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

Same here. I've played FF since 1995 and I'm close to my limit when it comes to Goodell. The Thursday games, the draft going on for 4 days, London games and possibly a team, and the ####ification of the sport just sit wrong with me.

same here too.And Thur games all season suck. You need to set a line-up and make decisions way too early. And if you're married with kids, its a complete PITA to actually try to watch the game on an additional night. Not even getting into the issue with the games being kind of poor quality

 

[Tackling Dummies]

Off season posters to avoid/exploit:

MOP

 

[Slapdash]

I knew who started this before even opening it. I think it's sad when a bunch of neanderthals whose brains AREN'T at risk of getting scrambled complain when the NFL tries to prevent brain damage for its players. Guys are supposed to hit with their heads up anyway. Putting the head down and spearing defensive players with the crown of the helmet is not only dangerous to both players, but it rarely creates much of a benefit for the guy spearing the other player anyway.

I will complain about Thursday games and drawing out the draft all day. But player safety absolutely needs to get better. I love football, but I don't want to see players I grew up watching kill themselves because of what it does to their bodies/mental state. It is just a game.

 

[Bamac]

I quit watching when they legalized the forward pass. Ruined the game. Now I just hang out on fantasy boards and complain about it.

I hate the forward pass as well. Switched to rugby a long time ago.

Serious question: why did so many people die in the early years of football, yet not in rugby? I know little about either rugby or early football.

 

[Fiddles]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

Same here. I've played FF since 1995 and I'm close to my limit when it comes to Goodell. The Thursday games, the draft going on for 4 days, London games and possibly a team, and the ####ification of the sport just sit wrong with me.

same here too.And Thur games all season suck. You need to set a line-up and make decisions way too early. And if you're married with kids, its a complete PITA to actually try to watch the game on an additional night. Not even getting into the issue with the games being kind of poor quality

the games on after the kids are asleep much better than a sunday afternoon

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I quit watching when they legalized the forward pass. Ruined the game. Now I just hang out on fantasy boards and complain about it.

I hate the forward pass as well. Switched to rugby a long time ago.

Serious question: why did so many people die in the early years of football, yet not in rugby? I know little about either rugby or early football.

I think the helmets the players wear make them feel like they are safe. Also i think there are less 300+ lb rugby players. Lot of big boys but not 300+ lbs.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Classic MOP here.

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

mop wait ..........no seriously

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I knew who started this before even opening it.

I think it's sad when a bunch of neanderthals whose brains AREN'T at risk of getting scrambled complain when the NFL tries to prevent brain damage for its players.

Guys are supposed to hit with their heads up anyway. Putting the head down and spearing defensive players with the crown of the helmet is not only dangerous to both players, but it rarely creates much of a benefit for the guy spearing the other player anyway.

Thank You

 

[Bamac]

I quit watching when they legalized the forward pass. Ruined the game. Now I just hang out on fantasy boards and complain about it.

I hate the forward pass as well. Switched to rugby a long time ago.

Serious question: why did so many people die in the early years of football, yet not in rugby? I know little about either rugby or early football.

I think the helmets the players wear make them feel like they are safe. Also i think there are less 300+ lb rugby players. Lot of big boys but not 300+ lbs.

Were there many 300-lb football players in the 1900s, though?

 

[zed2283]

Same here. I've played FF since 1995 and I'm close to my limit when it comes to Goodell. The Thursday games, the draft going on for 4 days, London games and possibly a team, and the ####ification of the sport just sit wrong with me.

I think this sums things up quite nicely.

 

[domvin]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

Still don't understand why people dislike this. The more football the better IMO.

I think it depends on your demographic here some. Other parameters that affect it as well.For me:late 30'sMarried, Kids-soccer, football, boy scouts, just a ton going on with the family.Time limited.The Thursday games really force me to do my lineups by Thursday.before the current setup, I'd enjoy doing my lineups on a saturday, or sunday morning. But now, I have to look at everything in a small window of time Thursday and force decisions.If you are on this board, you are pretty much diehard fantasy.....but some dudes have more teams than just one or two.It's frustrating to cram all that in with limited info(by Thursday). Last year, I had 11 leagues.I am dropping those down.....that's my own dilemma. But more football televised on a short week, when guys ain't even healed up from the Sunday games. That's insane...The television, money, and safety protocols are ruining the game. Just too much....And I prefer college now. I still like the NFL, but I love college

 

[JNox3]

Initially I could understand the need to cut down on hits where the WRs were completely defenseless but then it got worse and worse. Next it was unnecessary roughness calls over the past couple seasons that finally lead us to the point the receiver has to be allowed time to catch the ball and make a football move before the defender can touch him. Now we get the news that RBs cannot lower their helmets. I thought Eric Dickerson stated it very well along with many other former players. I think it's time to just focus on college football or other things in life. The game has changed a lot in the last 10-20 years, not for the better IMO. Steroids were killing athletes but since the outlaw of them in the NFL the weight increase of the players across the board has been astronomical. They need to roll the playing weights back to what they were prior to the steroid ban, that with the more modern protection they have available would drastically cut down on these injuries. I never heard much about ACL tears prior to the early-mid 90s. Other things like the Saints catastrophe last year and a disingenuous Commissioner who allows outside forces and outside conditions to impact the sport and has alienated many of the players. All things come to an end and perhaps the NFL will roll on into eternity but at some point all things come to an end. My love for the NFL has been waning for many years, these new rule changes only speed up the process. There are other sports and there are lots of other ways to spend time. I'm ready to pull the plug, anyone else feel the same way?

I'm not sure if you're fishing or not but lately I've been feeling the same way. The RB rule just kind of makes me think "I can do without football". Maybe in October I won't feel that way though.

 

[Shutout]

Agree with the Thursday night games. All things in moderation, people. Too much of this stretched out makes it go from something you look forward to all week to a job you have to clock in with every day. It wrecks the fantasy lineup side of things and you never get away from it long enough to miss it again before its right back to the "work" side involved in it.

In the OLD days, I can remember sitting somewhere on a Wednesday licking my chops, saying "I can't wait until those games Sunday." Now I sit somewhere on Tuesday and groan and moan and say "Man, do I really ahve to start looking at which of my RBs are questionable already?"

To the origianl posting: Yes, the game has changed so much and if you are in that 32-45 year old demographic, you are probably sitting in that particular window where you have seen it change the most because you grew up watching LT and Singletary and those guys decapitate guys and Ronnie Lott forcing full grown men into a fetal position. You remember how the "tough WRs" were lauded for being big enough and brave enough to go over the middle and you recall how that made a difference. You laughed at Ricky Watters' aligator arms. And now you watch every team exploit this massive passing game where QBs can't be touched and no one fears crossing the middle. It is a different game and we all just have to decide if there is enough of that left to continue.

 

[Devine Intervention]

I agree as well. The contact IS football. This is what sets it apart from other sports. MMA has such a big following because of the violence that the fighters CHOOSE to take when fighting. Im sure you care about their safety as well, but to the extent that youre gonna take out getting hit in the head? No, because thats what makes the sport.

In football it is the violent nature that attracts fans whether they admit it or not. Its the idea of being the toughest of the tough. It is a dangerous sport and I see how old time players complain that they didnt know the risks of playing. Well guess what, they know what the risks are now, let the players make a choice to take that risk. Sacrifice their body for millions of dollars or DONT. Simple as that. I work doing physical labor, I dont make millions but I chose that job and when I end up with back problem then I deal with it because that is a risk of doing that work.

The real problem with all of this isnt the player safety. It is how it is going to effect the game. I give it a handful of calls during the season where these calls actually warrant a flag. But it will be called more than that, there will be replays showing how it was a bad call, and it will happen to change the game on a ticky tack call that probably didnt need to be called. And even worse it will be against a team playing against the NFLs beloved Patriots on a 3rd and 1 that went for a first but got called back for a bogus call.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Off season posters to avoid/exploit:

MOP

 

[Amused to Death]

When they eliminate the kickoffs and punts I'm done.

 

[grateful zed]

it has been fun while it lasted.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Thank god.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Sports as always is a microcosm of our society.

Here we are with our institutions obssessed with litigation, the media and the people that follow them obssessed with political correctness.

I can't stop watching football and won't ever.

At halftime our cheapskate owner runs out 8-9 year old biddy football players and they score touchdowns and make long gains and the crowd loves it. Honestly it might as well be reality tv, it costs nothing to the owner and people just sit there and soak it in with their col' drinks and snacks.

This beautiful American game is indeed being destroyed and reason with it.

Yes that was a diatribe, so what.

 

[Jeremy]

Ironically it's probably our hobby that allows the NFL to do all of this. The game has already become less enjoyable to watch for a variety of reasons, but ratings have never been higher.

Fantasy football allows the NFL to not have to worry much about what the fans want, because fantasy football (and other forms of gambling) will keep us interested even as the product gets worse with Thursday games, replacement refs, 18 games seasons (probably coming), and expanded playoffs (definitely coming).

Nobody is going to make good on the kinds of the threats the OP is making and the NFL knows it.

 

[sho nuff]

They can't lower their helmets?

Interesting that you quit and still dont even know the new rule.

 

[mbuehner]

Its much more interesting watching concussion tests every other play and waiting for the next dementia case to go Chris Benoit on his family. Thats my kinda football.

 

[pecorino]

you lost me in the first sentence when you said you understand the rules about hitting defenseless WRs. to me, that's the price for going over the middle or for having a QB that hangs his WR out to dry on a post pattern with a safety bearing down on him. the receiver should be subject to that hit and the fear preceding it. i know that i am far to the right on the gladitorial side of the coin, i get it. but i think these players know what they signed up for and they are being compensated handsomely for the risk and their necessarily short careers. making the game safer is not just an oxymoron, it is fundamentally changing the game--i agree with the OP premise. however, i am not going to stop watching altogether (what else would i complain about?) but i'm done with shelling out the money to attend the games, etc.

 

[zilladog]

No offense but you all sound like a bunch of babies.

Boo hoo! They can't kill each other anymore.

Boo hoo! They're making me set my lineup earlier in the week.

Boo hoo! They want Brittish people to like football too.

Football is awsome. Quit whining.

 

[Christo]

 

[Apple Jack]

 

[KellysHeroes]

yeah right

 

[pecorino]

Football was awesome.

 

[cobalt_27]

Addition by subtraction. See ya MoP.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Initially I could understand the need to cut down on hits where the WRs were completely defenseless but then it got worse and worse. Next it was unnecessary roughness calls over the past couple seasons that finally lead us to the point the receiver has to be allowed time to catch the ball and make a football move before the defender can touch him. Now we get the news that RBs cannot lower their helmets. I thought Eric Dickerson stated it very well along with many other former players. I think it's time to just focus on college football or other things in life. The game has changed a lot in the last 10-20 years, not for the better IMO. Steroids were killing athletes but since the outlaw of them in the NFL the weight increase of the players across the board has been astronomical. They need to roll the playing weights back to what they were prior to the steroid ban, that with the more modern protection they have available would drastically cut down on these injuries. I never heard much about ACL tears prior to the early-mid 90s. Other things like the Saints catastrophe last year and a disingenuous Commissioner who allows outside forces and outside conditions to impact the sport and has alienated many of the players. All things come to an end and perhaps the NFL will roll on into eternity but at some point all things come to an end. My love for the NFL has been waning for many years, these new rule changes only speed up the process. There are other sports and there are lots of other ways to spend time. I'm ready to pull the plug, anyone else feel the same way?

I'm not sure if you're fishing or not but lately I've been feeling the same way. The RB rule just kind of makes me think "I can do without football". Maybe in October I won't feel that way though.

Not fishing at all, that's why I fired up this thread.

 

[Chachi]

I have no problem with grown men who get paid millions of dollars beating the crap out of each other.

What Goodell is doing though has a trickle down all the way to pop Warner. Seeing children get paralyzed from a freaking game is unacceptable. The NFL is setting the example and the Chachinator applauds what it and especially Goodell is doing.

 

[AngryPatriot]

If its time to move on its time to move on, write a book, learn an instrument, get out there and do stuff. SOme would call that maturity and its each persons individual deal. The main issue I have with the NFL (and MLB among others) is the lack of truly transparent drug testing. Obviously there are a lot more players that are on some illegal PED and are not being caught. But who knows how many?

 

[Da Guru]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

Still don't understand why people dislike this. The more football the better IMO.

I agree..it is only one game..not a full slate.

 

[cobalt_27]

I'm actually verrry close to being right there with you MoP. For me, it's everything you stated plus the dang Thursday night games all season long.

Still don't understand why people dislike this. The more football the better IMO.

I agree..it is only one game..not a full slate.

To MoP and the others, what's keeping you around in this midlife crisis of yours? You're about ready to pull the plug, fed up with how the game has emotionally injured you, and all that. I get it. But, what's making you stick around? Why not take this to the Dr. Phil thread or leave?