How can fans let the NFL know the officiating is garbage?

[Joker]

sorry...showing my age, Cap'n...although I think Trout Mask Replica is PERFECT as a symbol for the current NFL regime...

 

[Galeb]

sorry...showing my age, Cap'n...although I think Trout Mask Replica is PERFECT as a symbol for the current NFL regime...

Brilliant! I always thought the character limit on posts would make it impossible to show your age on a forum. You are a true Renaissance man.

 

[goheels22002]

I keep watching this kid and it nags me...he LOOKS like another player in his facial expressions on the field....the wide eyes, the searching looks to the sideline...it kept bugging me...and then, after I went and took a nice dump it came to me...Tony Romo. He's mini-Tony....

I think they have a pill for that - thinking about Tony Romo and Johnny Manziel while taking a dump. To avoid serious injury, call your doctor if your dump lasts more than four hours.

 

[Haley]

I've thought about this a little. We haven't got a lot of good options.

Writing letters and posting about this may have a little impact but I expect this kind of feedback will largely be ignored if profits remain constant or increase. It seems to me that the 'stop watching' approach really isn't viable for most of us. Maybe if somehow fans organized a nationwide blackout for a certain weekend, but a couple of people turning off the TV while the majority of us think "screw those patsfans guys, I'm watching football!" just won't have any impact. It isn't realistic to expect people to turn off the games.

However, we may be able to organize a boycott of NFL merchandise. The difference with a movement like that is you could start small with a core group of participants who would place an insignia in their signature to indicate participation. You could then grow this group to a point where you (hopefully) spread to other boards and become relevant.

That's all I've got at this point. Let me know your thoughts, folks. If someone has a better idea that doesn't include turning the games off (I'm just not quite at that point yet), I'm all ears.

 

[Ivan]

They don't care, period, all they care about is the money and they believe this will make them more of it.

 

[Ivan]

I've thought about this a little. We haven't got a lot of good options.

Writing letters and posting about this may have a little impact but I expect this kind of feedback will largely be ignored if profits remain constant or increase. It seems to me that the 'stop watching' approach really isn't viable for most of us. Maybe if somehow fans organized a nationwide blackout for a certain weekend, but a couple of people turning off the TV while the majority of us think "screw those patsfans guys, I'm watching football!" just won't have any impact. It isn't realistic to expect people to turn off the games.

However, we may be able to organize a boycott of NFL merchandise. The difference with a movement like that is you could start small with a core group of participants who would place an insignia in their signature to indicate participation. You could then grow this group to a point where you (hopefully) spread to other boards and become relevant.

That's all I've got at this point. Let me know your thoughts, folks. If someone has a better idea that doesn't include turning the games off (I'm just not quite at that point yet), I'm all ears.

It would definitely send a message but imo they would look at it as a speed bump and continue full speed ahead turning the game into basketball.

 

[Sicilian]

I've thought about this a little. We haven't got a lot of good options.

Writing letters and posting about this may have a little impact but I expect this kind of feedback will largely be ignored if profits remain constant or increase. It seems to me that the 'stop watching' approach really isn't viable for most of us. Maybe if somehow fans organized a nationwide blackout for a certain weekend, but a couple of people turning off the TV while the majority of us think "screw those patsfans guys, I'm watching football!" just won't have any impact. It isn't realistic to expect people to turn off the games.

However, we may be able to organize a boycott of NFL merchandise. The difference with a movement like that is you could start small with a core group of participants who would place an insignia in their signature to indicate participation. You could then grow this group to a point where you (hopefully) spread to other boards and become relevant.

That's all I've got at this point. Let me know your thoughts, folks. If someone has a better idea that doesn't include turning the games off (I'm just not quite at that point yet), I'm all ears.

The problem is that you're counting on a following of people who are really against the rules. I'm guessing the majority on this board don't like the new emphasis, hate it in fact. But Patsfans.com is NOT representative of the average NFL fan. There are a ton of casual fans that have extremely fickle interest, and THAT is who the NFL is targeting when they try to get more offense into the game.

Long term, it's a poor strategy, as the core fans are the base you need to stay where you are. The fickle fan is fleeting, and they'll move on to the next flavor of the month when they get bored with this one, and no amount of offense will dissuade them. But in the meantime, you won't reach those people on boards like this, so your boycott (while well reasoned and with good intention), will only serve to boost the resolve of the fans the NFL simply doesn't care about.

Our love of football is our greatest weakness when it comes to this issue.

 

[JMC00]

There's only 1 way that you can really let the NFL know

You have to be a Nielsen Household and when you watch football watch it anywhere but the TV that has the Nielsen box

 

[Ivan]

The problem is that you're counting on a following of people who are really against the rules. I'm guessing the majority on this board don't like the new emphasis, hate it in fact. But Patsfans.com is NOT representative of the average NFL fan. There are a ton of casual fans that have extremely fickle interest, and THAT is who the NFL is targeting when they try to get more offense into the game.

Long term, it's a poor strategy, as the core fans are the base you need to stay where you are. The fickle fan is fleeting, and they'll move on to the next flavor of the month when they get bored with this one, and no amount of offense will dissuade them. But in the meantime, you won't reach those people on boards like this, so your boycott (while well reasoned and with good intention), will only serve to boost the resolve of the fans the NFL simply doesn't care about.

Our love of football is our greatest weakness when it comes to this issue.

It's great for hockey though. I have been a football first guy for my entire life but more and more i find hockey much more fun to actually watch. I still think football is the most interesting sport to follow year round because there are so many pieces that have to be put in place to actually have a great team on the field, but in terms of the action I actually enjoy hockey games more now, some of that is due to having big high def flat screens to watch it on but the dilution of defense and the don't touch him rules are making football far less enjoyable period. Too bad, i have always loved the game but Goodell and the greed of the owners are ruining it imo. I honestly think they care much more about how these changes affect fantasy interest than how they affect the real game, and that truly sucks. If the flagfest continues I am not sure how much more I can take.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Well, if you like scoreless ties settled by the equivalent of short field goals, that's what you like.

Considering how few games are decided that way, that's about as useful as writing off football because "if you like 9-6 games decided by who can punt longer and kick a couple of eventual field goals, then that's what you like".

 

[BradyFTW!]

They don't care, period, all they care about is the money and they believe this will make them more of it.

Any they might not be wrong, because most casual fans *do* enjoy games more when a ton of points are scored. People like us--the folks who take time every day to talk about football on a message board even in the middle of the summer--aren't their base. We represent a minority of the people who even go to games, let alone who tune in on Sunday. And as far as they're concerned, they have us locked in regardless anyway. And they probably do, although that could theoretically change if the rule changes go too far. But, realistically, I don't see it happening.

The real existential threat to the NFL is all of the concussion stuff that's coming to light: if I'm them, I'm genuinely scared that that's going to screw up my talent pipeline, and that the generation of kids coming now won't produce as much football talent and won't be as invested in football since they never played it.

 

[Sicilian]

It's great for hockey though. I have been a football first guy for my entire life but more and more i find hockey much more fun to actually watch. I still think football is the most interesting sport to follow year round because there are so many pieces that have to be put in place to actually have a great team on the field, but in terms of the action I actually enjoy hockey games more now, some of that is due to having big high def flat screens to watch it on but the dilution of defense and the don't touch him rules are making football far less enjoyable period. Too bad, i have always loved the game but Goodell and the greed of the owners are ruining it imo. I honestly think they care much more about how these changes affect fantasy interest than how they affect the real game, and that truly sucks. If the flagfest continues I am not sure how much more I can take.

Hockey is my other great sports love. And it's ironic because for years the NHL has been trying to infuse offense into the game because it actually NEEDS it. Football HAS it already, and still wants more.

But nothing beats playoff hockey. The energy those guys play with for 20-25 games straight isn't human.

 

[BradyFTW!]

It's great for hockey though. I have been a football first guy for my entire life but more and more i find hockey much more fun to actually watch. I still think football is the most interesting sport to follow year round because there are so many pieces that have to be put in place to actually have a great team on the field, but in terms of the action I actually enjoy hockey games more now, some of that is due to having big high def flat screens to watch it on but the dilution of defense and the don't touch him rules are making football far less enjoyable period. Too bad, i have always loved the game but Goodell and the greed of the owners are ruining it imo. I honestly think they care much more about how these changes affect fantasy interest than how they affect the real game, and that truly sucks. If the flagfest continues I am not sure how much more I can take.

I agree re: hockey, it's benefited from HD more than any other sport IMO, since before it was borderline impossible to follow the puck (remember in the 90s when they put chips in the puck to create those neon streaks on the screen?).

I like hockey, but I have a hard time separating whether I watch it more now because of HD, because the Bruins are good, or because it's quickly becoming the most physical sport we have. As a kid, I swore off hockey when Ulf Samuelsson cheap-shotted Cam Neely and basically ended his career. As a result, A lot of years passed without watching it, so I definitely feel like I'm behind now.

Just starting to be able to see the strategy at work in a lot of cases. It's kind of a weird combination between soccer and basketball, IMO, with the basketball influence mainly being seen in the slash-and-kick game and the way that defenses rotate to account for puck movement (especially when shorthanded).

 

[RayClay]

Considering how few games are decided that way, that's about as useful as writing off football because "if you like 9-6 games decided by who can punt longer and kick a couple of eventual field goals, then that's what you like".

You like soccer. We get it.

 

[BradyFTW!]

You like soccer. We get it.

And you don't. We get it.

BTW, this was the game that prompted the original 'point of emphasis'. The rulebook was completely reinterpreted because the winning team had the audacity to achieve victory by holding its opponent without a touchdown. Apparently the NFL just can't allow that.

I wish that football was a little more like soccer, at least in this respect. If they were more willing to hold to what makes the game good in the face of uninformed non-fans who only care about scoring--which is what you are in this scenario--football would be a better sport.

 

[Galeb]

And you don't. We get it.

BTW, this was the game that prompted the original 'point of emphasis'. The rulebook was completely reinterpreted because the winning team had the audacity to achieve victory by holding its opponent without a touchdown. Apparently the NFL just can't allow that.

I wish that football was a little more like soccer, at least in this respect. If they were more willing to hold to what makes the game good in the face of uninformed non-fans who only care about scoring--which is what you are in this scenario--football would be a better sport.

I don't hate soccer. That said, if soccer players were playing in the NFL, there would be 10+ players rolling around like they got shot after every play.

 

[Joker]

And you don't. We get it.

BTW, this was the game that prompted the original 'point of emphasis'. The rulebook was completely reinterpreted because the winning team had the audacity to achieve victory by holding its opponent without a touchdown. Apparently the NFL just can't allow that.

I wish that football was a little more like soccer, at least in this respect. If they were more willing to hold to what makes the game good in the face of uninformed non-fans who only care about scoring--which is what you are in this scenario--football would be a better sport.

How do you come to the conclusion that Ray Clay doesn't like soccer? His point is YOU obviously are a huge soccer fan and your opinion is skewed. I agree with him. This is an attempt to polarize a discussion by bringing the straw soccer ball into the discussion.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I don't hate soccer. That said, if soccer players were playing in the NFL, there would be 10+ players rolling around like they got shot after every play.

Definitely, that's the worst part of soccer and I hate it. The main reason why I hate where the officiating is trending is because it's bringing football in that direction. We're already dangerously close to watching basketball pass that point of no return. If it happens in football too, with receivers flopping and exaggerating contact for a guaranteed flag every time they're touched, then I just give up.

 

[BradyFTW!]

How do you come to the conclusion that Ray Clay doesn't like soccer? His point is YOU obviously are a huge soccer fan and your opinion is skewed. I agree with him. This is an attempt to polarize a discussion by bringing the straw soccer ball into the discussion.

He's made it abundantly clear that he doesn't; if you can't see that, then that's on you and your reading comprehension. As far as me bringing the straw soccer ball into the discussion, feel free to quote where I did that. If you actually read the thread, you'll discover that I wasn't the one that started this discussion.

And FWIW, I'm not a huge soccer fan. I like it well enough, in that it's fun to watch and has some pretty incredible athletes. Football, basketball, rugby and hockey are way more interesting though, IMO.

 

[Joker]

Football, basketball, rugby and hockey are way more interesting though, IMO.

what????? no BASEBALL!!! Why you scurrilous commie, I'll have you investigated by the FBI..!!