NFL - Don't Watch It

[MD Longhorn]

If you a truly fed up with the league trying to put an inferior (and at times unwatchable) product on the screen... stop watching it. It's our only recourse. Until ratings fall, the owners will not care - it's that simple.

[DLH17]

Theoretically correct. But, it probably won't happen. It's too much fun watching this train wreck.

[Welpe]

There are too many that will regardless. It's akin to shoveling sand into the tide.

[HLin NC]

Only thing to break this impasse is the players decline to play and we all know that isn't going to happen.

I'm torn on the whole issue. How many of us, whatever level we call games, want to be critiqued by fans, by announcers, by those not in the business?
How would we respond if someone said "you guys suck, I'm not coming out this Friday/Saturday until our conference gets better refs" ? We'd probably laugh them out of the room.

I do know this. The current officials have all called, for the most part, at a higher level than I'll ever see. I don't have much room or experience to question them.

I understand the business issues at hand. I understand the NFL officials don't want to lose at the bargaining table. It is obvious that the flow of the pro games are inhibited at this point. I don't think it is bad enough to make me want to stop watching.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by HLin NC

I do know this. The current officials have all called, for the most part, at a higher level than I'll ever see. I don't have much room or experience to question them.

I understand the business issues at hand. I understand the NFL officials don't want to lose at the bargaining table. It is obvious that the flow of the pro games are inhibited at this point. I don't think it is bad enough to make me want to stop watching.

Sure - they are better than almost all of us here, and they are doing their best.

Point is, though, that despite the blatantly obvious difference in quality here, the NFL and the owners insist that it's "ok". We, as fans, have made it apparent that no matter what the owners do to us, as fans, we will take it. We will pay full price for 2 pre-season games. We will pay 40 grand for the RIGHT to buy tickets from them. So they know that WE will do nothing, even though the product is severely inferior.

And yes, it seems like if just a few of us don't watch, it is a eye-dropper in the ocean... but the more that don't watch, the better the chances of others joining in and not watching.

[grunewar]

I'm going to be interested to see what happens when this finally does get settled. What will the end result be to the game? What about other sports - any affect? Smiles? Laughs? Hugs all around? Thanks you's? No announcer talk? No newspaper articles? No condemnation? Treat officials better overall? etc. etc.

This book is still in an early to mid-chapter........

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by grunewar

I'm going to be interested to see what happens when this finally does get settled. What will the end result be to the game? What about other sports - any affect? Smiles? Laughs? Hugs all around? Thanks you's? No announcer talk? No newspaper articles? No condemnation? Treat officials better overall? etc. etc.

This book is still in an early to mid-chapter........

There's no chance of officials being treated even as well as they were let alone better. The standard of treatment, having been lowered, will not come back up.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by grunewar

I'm going to be interested to see what happens when this finally does get settled. What will the end result be to the game? What about other sports - any affect? Smiles? Laughs? Hugs all around? Thanks you's? No announcer talk? No newspaper articles? No condemnation? Treat officials better overall? etc. etc.

This book is still in an early to mid-chapter........

I can tell you exactly what will happen.

By the second week, the honeymoon will be over and the coaches, players, fans and media will be pissing and moaning just like they always have. For those purposes, it makes no difference who's wearing stripes.

[grunewar]

Answering 10 questions about the NFL's replacement officials ? USATODAY.com

[bigjohn]

Call It Maybe (NFL Replacement Officials Parody) - KFAN FM 100.3 - YouTube

[CT1]

Only when the TV ratings and the betting handle drop to a significant degree will the owners have any incentive to settle.

Personally, I haven't watched more than a few minutes of a regular season NFL infomercial -- oops, game -- in several years.