Around the NFL: News and Rumors

[Willbacker]

i just think its crazy the ratings are held as such a big deal - it's clear they arent an accurate way to understand how many people are actually watching football (or any tv for that matter)...

people consume all media differently now and the networks are all stalling and not agreeing to allow streams and non-tv-broadcast views into the ratings because it affects advertising revenue (an ad on live tv brings in more income because of traditional tracking methods so it's in the networks' interests to keep the tv ratings separated despite that not being realistic)

but it means that the raw figures look bad and so despite the NFL posting higher profits every year they are worried about the ratings - which naturally means that the NFL are going to want to cater to the audience that counts in the ratings which will likely skew older/more traditional viewers who are likely more conservative and who are likely to feel a particular way on the issue

im not saying i dont understand why the owners made this rule because i 100% do - i just think its an incredibly miscalculated move because for this rule to stick there had to be buy in from the players but the players werent even consulted - the stated reasoning for this rule was 'to bring the focus back to football' but by foisting the players they alienate them and naturally make the issue not about football - they turned an issue that was dying down towards the end of the year anyway and turned it into a labour dispute that basically has become about the right to demonstrate...

no matter what your opinion on the players' rights to protest the anthem etc. i think this was clearly a miscalculation
i guarantee you that this will now be a focus of the first few weeks at least of the season when it could easily have been forgotten in the background of this offseason

but i agree that the 15 yard penalty is stupid (as are the fines on the teams/organisations) because they add other problems...
1) you have to define respect... (is linking arms disrespecting the anthem? what about raising your arm? what about not looking the right amount of proud? - it opens up a pandoras box of problems)
2) how to you adjudicate the fouls if both teams have protesting players?
3) you put the judgement call of respect on the officials...
4) the owners have to pay for the adjudication of their own rule if the fines do happen on the organisation
5) the policy was left up to individual teams to decide which may well create a divide between front office/coaching staffs and the players

i wonder if we're gonna see a whole team not come out for the anthem in week 1...
legally that's allowed but i can bet you there would still be a hoopla about those players not respecting the anthem and should be punished for it


would you personally be ok if the Ravens all stayed in the locker room at M&T for the anthem?

All I know is if the networks aren't getting ratings the price for televising contracts will go south.

I love #2 about both teams having protesting players. I would love to know what they'll do about that lol.

Yes I wouldn't be too happy about the Ravens staying in the lockerroom but I'd have to respect their decision. Just my opinion of course.

 

[rossihunter2]

You could also look at it this way. The players wouldn't be making millions if they weren't employed and no they don't truly have a pedestal when they're pissing off customers and causing the employers to lose business.

thats not really the case though - if the NFL didnt exist there would be a different football league with different owners...

 

[rossihunter2]

All I know is if the networks aren't getting ratings the price for televising contracts will go south.

I love #2 about both teams having protesting players. I would love to know what they'll do about that lol.

Yes I wouldn't be too happy about the Ravens staying in the lockerroom but I'd have to respect their decision. Just my opinion of course.

and that's fair enough to dislike it but respect it but i bet you there will be millions of people (to whom this rule is being catered) who do criticise and villainise those players who do stay in the locker room - and you bet the media will be taking a role call of who's not on the sideline

you could run into all sorts of legal issues because the NFL is technically a domestic league (despite the superbowl winner being called the world champion) - what about all the foreigners who play in the league - are they now potentially being discriminated against and being treated differently (not saying this will happen but there's all sorts of ways this rule could fall foul of labour laws etc.)


but on the ratings thing im not sure that's actually true because even if the ratings do "officially" go down the networks know that the viewership is actually the same because of streaming etc. but those figures arent publicly available

i saw somewhere that the average age of viewers who watch Fox on cable is 67 and the average age for MSNBC is 61 - younger people have for the mostpart moved away from traditional ratings-counted coverage

and the owners are nothing if not intelligent - they know that those ratings drops mean virtually nothing

 

[Willbacker]

thats not really the case though - if the NFL didnt exist there would be a different football league with different owners...

Ok we'll put it this way. Paying customers are needed. So don't piss a major chunk off.

 

[Somerset Ravens]

there's no real equivalency
people dont tune in to watch any random guy in an office building type at a computer

and the replacement level means that the NFL literally could not function without the players - therefore they have an earned pedestal

and they are expected to be role models for their community - the protest is an extension of that - the thing the league wasn't banking on was that the communities the players represent and the communities the owners typically pander to are different with differing views on some fairly significant issues

and while i know there has been a strong outpouring in certain sections of NFL communities that have changed their viewing habits in light of the protests, i dont think there's actually any actual statistics that suggest the NFL is losing money over the protests beyond the broadcast ratings which arent a good statistic for who's watching anyway...

The players’ celebrity has given them that pedestal you speak of but not on the employer’s time. If they want to speak out on their time I would admire them for doing so.

The players are not hired to be role models they are hired to play football. It would be great if the players were good role models but it really doesn’t matter in the NFL. Is Reuben Foster still a 49er?

Do you really believe hasn’t lost any money over the protests? It would be naive to think so. Honestly that really doesn’t matter anyway, if the owners believe the protests negatively affect them they should take action to end them.

So you know, I had no problem with the protests, but again it is not my call to make.

 

[Willbacker]

and that's fair enough to dislike it but respect it but i bet you there will be millions of people (to whom this rule is being catered) who do criticise and villainise those players who do stay in the locker room - and you bet the media will be taking a role call of who's not on the sideline

you could run into all sorts of legal issues because the NFL is technically a domestic league (despite the superbowl winner being called the world champion) - what about all the foreigners who play in the league - are they now potentially being discriminated against and being treated differently (not saying this will happen but there's all sorts of ways this rule could fall foul of labour laws etc.)


but on the ratings thing im not sure that's actually true because even if the ratings do "officially" go down the networks know that the viewership is actually the same because of streaming etc. but those figures arent publicly available

i saw somewhere that the average age of viewers who watch Fox on cable is 67 and the average age for MSNBC is 61 - younger people have for the mostpart moved away from traditional ratings-counted coverage

and the owners are nothing if not intelligent - they know that those ratings drops mean virtually nothing

I have to disagree. Those ratings and stadium attendance have to be important. They gotta be feeling pressure from sponsers or why would they be trying to bring this issue up. Rossi you just don't seem to understand how important this issue is to a lot of Americans and the flak its causing. The whole thing is unnessassary and detrimental to the game. I think people have gotten the point and don't need to have to keep having it slammed in their face and yes I do blame the media for most of it.

 

[rossihunter2]

The players’ celebrity has given them that pedestal you speak of but not on the employer’s time. If they want to speak out on their time I would admire them for doing so.

The players are not hired to be role models they are hired to play football. It would be great if the players were good role models but it really doesn’t matter in the NFL. Is Reuben Foster still a 49er?

Do you really believe hasn’t lost any money over the protests? It would be naive to think so. Honestly that really doesn’t matter anyway, if the owners believe the protests negatively affect them they should take action to end them.

So you know, I had no problem with the protests, but again it is not my call to make.

the celebrity though is a major reason why people engage with the sport - think about the money the NFL makes off player branded merchandise or how their celebrity represents the NFL even when they aren't on the job

 

[rossihunter2]

I have to disagree. Those ratings and stadium attendance have to be important. They gotta be feeling pressure from sponsers or why would they be trying to bring this issue up. Rossi you just don't seem to understand how important this issue is to a lot of Americans and the flak its causing. The whole thing is unnessassary and detrimental to the game. I think people have gotten the point and don't need to have to keep having it slammed in their face and yes I do blame the media for most of it.

on that we can agree - players had been kneeling for years without repercussion or major national outrage or attention - one camera and one editor deciding to highlight kaep in particularly have cooked up a firestorm

i absolutely understand how important this issue is because it's dominated news coverage of the sport for 2 and a half years - id be insane not to realise how important it is - and im not trying to ignore the side of the story that made this decision happen but it just seems to me that logically ratings absolutely have nothing to do with this... stadium attendance is a different matter (and to that i will admit as a foreigner who's never been to m&t i have no idea)

but as someone who tries to work in TV (at least sometimes) i do understand ratings and media platforms and how they work and i sincerely doubt that the ratings numbers are at all a significant reason the NFL was worried about this

 

[Inqui]

All I know is if the networks aren't getting ratings the price for televising contracts will go south.

I love #2 about both teams having protesting players. I would love to know what they'll do about that lol.

Yes I wouldn't be too happy about the Ravens staying in the lockerroom but I'd have to respect their decision. Just my opinion of course.

Fwiw despite the fall in ratings (which has been happening with most major leagues including the NBA, Premier League and Nascar) NFL advertising revenue is actually up.
http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-...espite-dropping-viewership-2017-10/?r=AU&IR=T

 

[JO_75]

This is the NFL:

View attachment 1036

This is the NFL After screwing up the Anthem Protests:

Full Speed Ahead toward Implosion!

 

[Deebo813]

on that we can agree - players had been kneeling for years without repercussion or major national outrage or attention - one camera and one editor deciding to highlight kaep in particularly have cooked up a firestorm

i absolutely understand how important this issue is because it's dominated news coverage of the sport for 2 and a half years - id be insane not to realise how important it is - and im not trying to ignore the side of the story that made this decision happen but it just seems to me that logically ratings absolutely have nothing to do with this... stadium attendance is a different matter (and to that i will admit as a foreigner who's never been to m&t i have no idea)

but as someone who tries to work in TV (at least sometimes) i do understand ratings and media platforms and how they work and i sincerely doubt that the ratings numbers are at all a significant reason the NFL was worried about this

You seem to always understand and for the most part able to think beyond or have an idea about whats really going on other just going with the narrative the media created! Salute to you for being wise homie.

 

[Dom McRaven]

would you personally be ok if the Ravens all stayed in the locker room at M&T for the anthem?

I'd still be a fan of this team regardless if they all stood with hands over their hearts, stood and locked arms, all kneeled, all waited in the locker room until the anthem was over, etc. I was never bothered by any of this ever since Kap originally sat down for the anthem in a preseason game.

 

[JO_75]

I'd still be a fan of this team regardless if they all stood with hands over their hearts, stood and locked arms, all kneeled, all waited in the locker room until the anthem was over, etc. I was never bothered by any of this ever since Kap originally sat down for the anthem in a preseason game.

Same here, it doesn't bother me. I'm still going to the HOF Ceromony next month to see Ray get inducted, still going to get tickets to the Ravens/Panthers game, still going to root for them to win every game and get into the playoffs. To me, they need to just come to one single conclusion that works for everyone.

 

[Dom McRaven]

Same here, it doesn't bother me. I'm still going to the HOF Ceromony next month to see Ray get inducted, still going to get tickets to the Ravens/Panthers game, still going to root for them to win every game and get into the playoffs. To me, they need to just come to one single conclusion that works for everyone.

Exactly! Especially since our team hasn't been......lucky (for lack of a better word) in the PR department. I always have the mindset that as long as a player doesn't get hurt or get in legal trouble, then I'm good.

Now a number of people who bring up the analogy of not being able to protest during their work. Yes, I get that, but I guess my issue with that analogy is that when the players kneel, is the progress of the game hindered? Regardless if they kneel, sit, lock arms, whatever, the anthem is still going to be played or sung by someone at the same rate and the game goes on. Just my two cents.

 

[Sandtown]

Here’s the thing about kneeling for the anthem in protest, whatever it is you want to protest about you had to know what kind of a reaction you would get, so you’re not complaining that you didn’t get a reaction, but that it wasn’t the reaction you wanted, which is entirely your fault for choosing that time to protest.

Most other times people would either agree with or not care, but being so stupid as to choose the anthem? Come on you had to know.

It’s not the owners or the leagues job to support your position, but your own, so complaining that they’re the ones not doing enough or focused on the wrong thing is just plain ridiculous.

What's so stupid about choosing the anthem to make statement?. Do any of you guys know who was the original creator of the national anthem?. Have any of you guys done any research on the opinion of minories that the oringal creator of national anthem had. Do any of you really know what national anthem suppose to stand for ?. I have seen so many people talk about how it's disrespectful towards our country and soliders to kneel doing the national anthem or to even protest against the flag but yet our country has consistently over the years shown that equal treatment towards minorities is still a issue that needs to be worked on which technically contradiction to what the national anthem stands for . All this talk about disrespecting the soliders is cool and all but do any of you consider how many African American soliders back in the day was forced to go to battle at the front line so they would be the ones to die first in battle ?

Most of The NFL owners were probably born around the segregation era and more. They probably have a old school way of thinking but at the end of the day they respect money more than anything. I understand that they respect money and aren't trying to offend their consumers but it's actually dumb on their part to make up these rules and policies concerning the national anthem without including The NFL Players Association. They are not making the situation better by doing so and it once again shows that they care less about their players ideas and opinion. This is a total slap in the face to what the owners were trying to accomplish last year when meeting up with certain players concerning the protest and more. It's really not a smart move on their part to do this and I get that people believe that politcal statements shouldn't be demonstrated on the footbal field or during the game but the national anthem itself is a political statement.

Ok we'll put it this way. Paying customers are needed. So don't piss a major chunk off.

It doesn't make it better to piss off players/employees that is atleast 75 % percent African American/minorities. If we going to talk about business which is something I have been studying in college for three years then let's keep in mind that not only do a business owner have to keep his consumers satisfied but there employees as well. Consumers are maybe more important but no busienss owners is going to be able to run a business properly with dissatisfied employees. Actually dissatisfied employees can make for dissatisfied consumers.

 

[Rusfan]

What's so stupid about choosing the anthem to make statement?. Do any of you guys know who was the original creator of the national anthem?.

Francis Scott Key

Have any of you guys done any research on the opinion of minories that the oringal creator of national anthem had.

Irrelevant

Do any of you really know what national anthem suppose to stand for?

Yes

I have seen so many people talk about how it's disrespectful towards our country and soliders to kneel doing the national anthem or to even protest against the flag but yet our country has consistently over the years shown that equal treatment towards minorities is still a issue that needs to be worked on which technically contradiction to what the national anthem stands for . All this talk about disrespecting the soliders is cool and all but do any of you consider how many African American soliders back in the day was forced to go to battle at the front line so they would be the ones to die first in battle ?

Ah yes, the always present "it exists because I say it does and if you disagree you're either a racist or don't believe that a few individual occurrences proves a point"

Also I thought the Anthem was supposed to be racist or something, since you hate Scott Key so much, yet you say it stands for the opposite of some exaggerated problem.

And every soldier was pushed to the front lines, the only difference being in what regiment they served in, which were started to be desegregated to ALLOW THEM TO FIGHT during WWII in 1944, (Battle Of The Bulge) because of a lack of troops for General Dwight D. Eisenhower. And they were completely desegregated in 1948, 70 years ago.

Look up the book "Eisenhower" from 1972 explains some of that pretty well.

 

[Sandtown]

Francis Scott Key


Irrelevant


Yes


Ah yes, the always present "it exists because I say it does and if you disagree you're either a racist or don't believe that a few individual occurrences proves a point"

Also I thought the Anthem was supposed to be racist or something, since you hate Scott Key so much, yet you say it stands for the opposite of some exaggerated problem.

And every soldier was pushed to the front lines, the only difference being in what regiment they served in, which were started to be desegregated to ALLOW THEM TO FIGHT during WWII in 1944, (Battle Of The Bulge) because of a lack of troops for General Dwight D. Eisenhower. And they were completely desegregated in 1948, 70 years ago.

Look up the book "Eisenhower" from 1972 explains some of that pretty well.

I never said I hated Francis Scott Key so where you getting that from ?. I do know that he didn't have high opinion towards African Americans and he didn't create national anthem with African Americans in mind but it is what it is. .When you said "it exists because I say it does and if you disagree you're either a racist or don't believe that a few individual occurrences proves a point" either you getting way too emotional over this issues or you really just painted this picture of me that is no where near correct. That's the issue with our society when we talk about any issues we are too quick to paint picture and not willing to listen. I hope you realize in my first response I didn't paint you any kind of way so what's the problem.I don't think you want to listen and I think you already have your own thoughts. I could be wrong and just overall just took things the wrong way.

I didn't make my statement with I know it all mentality and I'm willing to hear anyone point of view s but honestly your reply is not what i'm looking for. I was expecting more of a open minded response but instead I got very disappointing response. Hope you have nice day and weekend though(not being sarcastic I really meant that)

 

[Willbacker]

What's so stupid about choosing the anthem to make statement?. Do any of you guys know who was the original creator of the national anthem?. Have any of you guys done any research on the opinion of minories that the oringal creator of national anthem had. Do any of you really know what national anthem suppose to stand for ?. I have seen so many people talk about how it's disrespectful towards our country and soliders to kneel doing the national anthem or to even protest against the flag but yet our country has consistently over the years shown that equal treatment towards minorities is still a issue that needs to be worked on which technically contradiction to what the national anthem stands for . All this talk about disrespecting the soliders is cool and all but do any of you consider how many African American soliders back in the day was forced to go to battle at the front line so they would be the ones to die first in battle ?

Most of The NFL owners were probably born around the segregation era and more. They probably have a old school way of thinking but at the end of the day they respect money more than anything. I understand that they respect money and aren't trying to offend their consumers but it's actually dumb on their part to make up these rules and policies concerning the national anthem without including The NFL Players Association. They are not making the situation better by doing so and it once again shows that they care less about their players ideas and opinion. This is a total slap in the face to what the owners were trying to accomplish last year when meeting up with certain players concerning the protest and more. It's really not a smart move on their part to do this and I get that people believe that politcal statements shouldn't be demonstrated on the footbal field or during the game but the national anthem itself is a political statement.



It doesn't make it better to piss off players/employees that is atleast 75 % percent African American/minorities. If we going to talk about business which is something I have been studying in college for three years then let's keep in mind that not only do a business owner have to keep his consumers satisfied but there employees as well. Consumers are maybe more important but no busienss owners is going to be able to run a business properly with dissatisfied employees. Actually dissatisfied employees can make for dissatisfied consumers.

You do realize that FSK wrote about the slaves that fought for the British correct and considered them traitors and that stanza in the National Anthem is never used.

As for your statement on the employee situation there have been lockouts and strikes but believe me the owners can most definitely withstand lomger. Lets just hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[Nurps]

I'd still be a fan of this team regardless if they all stood with hands over their hearts, stood and locked arms, all kneeled, all waited in the locker room until the anthem was over, etc. I was never bothered by any of this ever since Kap originally sat down for the anthem in a preseason game.

I agree with every word.

 

[Sandtown]

You do realize that FSK wrote about the slaves that fought for the British correct and considered them traitors and that stanza in the National Anthem is never used.

As for your statement on the employee situation there have been lockouts and strikes but believe me the owners can most definitely withstand lomger. Lets just hope it doesn't come to that.

I'm aware of that but i'm more focus on what really Francis Scott Key stood for. The guy was lawyer and more who even freed black slaves but at the same time he was a slave owner himself and even represented slave owners in court in effort to help them regain their slaves. He really wasn't totally against slavery in general but just against the mistreatment that white slave owners committed against slaves due to his religious belief. Overall slavery seem to be ok as long as you were nicer to slaves in his book it seems. Basically our country inherited a song/national anthem that was created by a person whom had narrow views concerning equality and freedom. Such narrow views are still alive and kicking today which is pretty sad.


These same narrow views is what NFl players were fighting against and more. It's hard to sing the national anthem that states this is the land of the free while seeing on the news incidents that contradict such belief . Minorities in America have been fighting for equality for a very long time and progress has been made but the fight is far from over. Concerning The NFL owners I just think if they really respected players and their thoughts then they would have atleast involved NFLPA before releasing this new policy concerning the anthem. Instead it seems like they were more willing to take another approach which can be taken in so many ways. I know players make millions of dollars but it don't matter how much money a person makes on their job it's always great to be respected in the end and I don't think The NFL owners showed respect in this case even though it's understandable for them to want to save face when it comes to the consumers.