Superbowl viewership was down sharply

[darin3]

I was in a terrible car accident the morning of Super Bowl Sunday 17 years ago.  I can't believe it's been that long, but it still eats away at me some years more than others.  I lost a friend in the wreck and spent Super Bowl watching from a hospital bed on a morphine drip.  So Super Bowl's always been kinda goofy for me.  I love going to parties and socializing... it helps me with the pain associated with that day.  Anyways, no parties this year so I was stuck at home watching with my kids.  And to be honest I found myself just messing around on my phone more than watching the game.  I got excited near halftime, because I would have won like $600 had Brady not engineered that last drive before half.  That was about it for me.  After halftime, when the score was what it was, I really didn't care to pay much attention.

 

Hoping things are "back to normal" next year so I can go to a party or a bar to watch so it's more of a social thing.  That's what I need.

[League_Champion]

10 minutes ago, darin3 said:

I was in a terrible car accident the morning of Super Bowl Sunday 17 years ago.  I can't believe it's been that long, but it still eats away at me some years more than others.  I lost a friend in the wreck and spent Super Bowl watching from a hospital bed on a morphine drip. 

 

Sorry to hear that Darin, that's horrible. 

[Gopher]

On 2/11/2021 at 8:36 AM, League_Champion said:

 

Good points. I think that all has something to do with it. But also, the product just isn't that compelling. Most games are just unwatchable. If not for Fantasy they'd have hardly any fans. 

 

 

 

Huh?  I don't think anything you just said could be further from the truth. 

 

[League_Champion]

10 minutes ago, Gopher said:

Huh?  I don't think anything you just said could be further from the truth. 

 

 

Really? How many Thursday Night games did you thoroughly enjoy? Be honest. 

[Gopher]

15 minutes ago, League_Champion said:

 

Really? How many Thursday Night games did you thoroughly enjoy? Be honest. 

I didn't keep track.  I watched most, enjoyed most of the ones I watched, etc.  Sure, there are occasionally games that are brutally bad.  But, it's a huge stretch to say that "most games are unwatchable" or that the NFL would have "hardly any fans" if not for FF.  Neither of those things are remotely true.  As for the product, what's better, in terms of sports?  The NBA isn't close.  Baseball isn't close.  Hockey might be the closest, and that's limited to a small percentage of sports fans who give a rip about hockey.  

[League_Champion]

6 minutes ago, Gopher said:

I didn't keep track.  I watched most, enjoyed most of the ones I watched, etc.  Sure, there are occasionally games that are brutally bad.  But, it's a huge stretch to say that "most games are unwatchable" or that the NFL would have "hardly any fans" if not for FF.  Neither of those things are remotely true.  As for the product, what's better, in terms of sports?  The NBA isn't close.  Baseball isn't close.  Hockey might be the closest, and that's limited to a small percentage of sports fans who give a rip about hockey.  

 

I didn't say I won't watch. To me bad football is better than no football. But if it wasn't for Fantasy or Vegas, there's no way I'd watch half of these crap games. 

 

But of course you feel that way. You're in Southern California where nobody cares about sports anyhow. It's nothing like the East Coast. I'm in a 4 for 4 City where the Sixers, Flyers and Phillies are still a big deal. 

[Gopher]

8 minutes ago, League_Champion said:

 

I didn't say I won't watch. To me bad football is better than no football. But if it wasn't for Fantasy or Vegas, there's no way I'd watch half of these crap games. 

 

But of course you feel that way. You're in Southern California where nobody cares about sports anyhow. It's nothing like the East Coast. I'm in a 4 for 4 City where the Sixers, Flyers and Phillies are still a big deal. 

 

  Pick a direction, and stick with it.  You're all over the place.  

 

[Gopher]

9 minutes ago, stevegrab said:

 

He's always all over the place because he tries to make 1000 posts a day or he doesn't get his cracker from the boss. 

 

"Nobody in LA cares about sports" just more stupidity from a clueless fool 

I actually agree with the sentiment that there are a lot of fairweather fans in Southern CA (not all fans, obviously, but a higher percentage than most places I've lived).  What I found funny was that his LA comment really had nothing to do with the topic at hand.  I'm not from LA, and actually avoid that place like the plague.  His orginal argument (if that's what you want to call it) was that the NFL product basically sucks.  Which has nothing to do with why viewership would have dropped between last year and this year (unless one is saying that it didn't suck last year, but somehow morphed into a shltty product this year?).  

 

Then, when I called him on it, his response was to infer that he's somehow more of a diehard fan (again, not 100% sure that's what he was trying to say, but that's the closest I can come to a conclusion based on the inconsistency in his posts).  Because his city has 4 sports.    Well, so does Minnesota, where I'm from (a market only 60% the size of Philly, roughly).  Bottom line, one minute, the NFL sucks.  The next minute, bad football is better than no football, etc.  

 

I'm not really sure what his point is, other than he clearly makes statements that have no basis, and then pivots/deflects when someone calls out his nonsense.   

 

[irish]

On 2/11/2021 at 6:46 PM, darin3 said:

I was in a terrible car accident the morning of Super Bowl Sunday 17 years ago.  I can't believe it's been that long, but it still eats away at me some years more than others.  I lost a friend in the wreck and spent Super Bowl watching from a hospital bed on a morphine drip.  So Super Bowl's always been kinda goofy for me.  I love going to parties and socializing... it helps me with the pain associated with that day.  Anyways, no parties this year so I was stuck at home watching with my kids.  And to be honest I found myself just messing around on my phone more than watching the game.  I got excited near halftime, because I would have won like $600 had Brady not engineered that last drive before half.  That was about it for me.  After halftime, when the score was what it was, I really didn't care to pay much attention.

 

Hoping things are "back to normal" next year so I can go to a party or a bar to watch so it's more of a social thing.  That's what I need.

 

Jesus, that's awful!  I know you'd probably prefer not to discuss it but was just curious about what happened with the accident. Who was driving?  Did you know you lost your friend immediately on- site or only later at the hospital?

 

Like I said, if you don't want to discuss it, that's cool. 

[stevegrab]

On 2/13/2021 at 11:20 AM, Gopher said:

I actually agree with the sentiment that there are a lot of fairweather fans in Southern CA (not all fans, obviously, but a higher percentage than most places I've lived).  What I found funny was that his LA comment really had nothing to do with the topic at hand.  I'm not from LA, and actually avoid that place like the plague.  His orginal argument (if that's what you want to call it) was that the NFL product basically sucks.  Which has nothing to do with why viewership would have dropped between last year and this year (unless one is saying that it didn't suck last year, but somehow morphed into a shltty product this year?).  

 

Then, when I called him on it, his response was to infer that he's somehow more of a diehard fan (again, not 100% sure that's what he was trying to say, but that's the closest I can come to a conclusion based on the inconsistency in his posts).  Because his city has 4 sports.    Well, so does Minnesota, where I'm from (a market only 60% the size of Philly, roughly).  Bottom line, one minute, the NFL sucks.  The next minute, bad football is better than no football, etc.  

 

I'm not really sure what his point is, other than he clearly makes statements that have no basis, and then pivots/deflects when someone calls out his nonsense.   

 

I grew up in LA, still have family there and visit occasionally, yes they have a lot of fair weather fans, but that doesn't equate to "nobody in LA cares about sports".

 

He acts like he's some witty sports talk guy, and he's far from it (besides which those guys are mostly annoying). 

[Gopher]

1 hour ago, stevegrab said:

I grew up in LA, still have family there and visit occasionally, yes they have a lot of fair weather fans, but that doesn't equate to "nobody in LA cares about sports".

 

He acts like he's some witty sports talk guy, and he's far from it (besides which those guys are mostly annoying). 

Yeah, like I said, it's certainly not all fans.  There are lots here (SoCal) that follow pretty closely.  And, I would say that I've run into far more die-hard Laker/Dodger fans than Rams fans, for example.  For obvious reasons, I suppose.  I have also noticed a higher number of transplants.  Or, just people that cheer for a team other than what's local.  If the guy next door follows the NFL, there's maybe a 30% chance he's a Rams/Chargers/Raiders fan, but an even higher chance he has ties elsewhere.  SF, DAL, PIT, GB, NY, MIA, etc.   Whereas, if I go to Minnesota, it's mostly Vikings fans, a smaller percentage of Packers (that grows as you head East), and an even smaller percentage of everything else.  

 

As for why fans may be more fair weather in some cases, I have my theories, and it's a mix of a few things.  Weather, a million things to do, the "Hollywood" effect (celeb's and people with lots of money), teams coming and going (Rams/Raiders/Chargers, etc.), and more.  And, it may be just my perception.  Even if it's not, the difference is small.  Noticeable enough, but still relatively small.  

[stevegrab]

On 2/14/2021 at 1:05 PM, Gopher said:

Yeah, like I said, it's certainly not all fans.  There are lots here (SoCal) that follow pretty closely.  And, I would say that I've run into far more die-hard Laker/Dodger fans than Rams fans, for example.  For obvious reasons, I suppose.  I have also noticed a higher number of transplants.  Or, just people that cheer for a team other than what's local.  If the guy next door follows the NFL, there's maybe a 30% chance he's a Rams/Chargers/Raiders fan, but an even higher chance he has ties elsewhere.  SF, DAL, PIT, GB, NY, MIA, etc.   Whereas, if I go to Minnesota, it's mostly Vikings fans, a smaller percentage of Packers (that grows as you head East), and an even smaller percentage of everything else.  

 

As for why fans may be more fair weather in some cases, I have my theories, and it's a mix of a few things.  Weather, a million things to do, the "Hollywood" effect (celeb's and people with lots of money), teams coming and going (Rams/Raiders/Chargers, etc.), and more.  And, it may be just my perception.  Even if it's not, the difference is small.  Noticeable enough, but still relatively small.  

 

Yep all those things about LA fans are true, I loved football growing up (lived there 1970-82) but was never a big Rams fan, loved the Dodgers and Lakers and even rooted for them some after moving. Older cities in colder climates like St. Paul, Green Bay, Detroit, Cleveland etc. just have a different view of professional sports teams, born and raised with a live and die mentality. I've got one brother left in LA (others moved over the decades) and he is the biggest sports fan, not much for hockey but the other big 3 and any time an LA team is in a playoff race he's pulling for them and watching as much as possible. 

[darin3]

On 2/14/2021 at 6:03 AM, irish said:

 

Jesus, that's awful!  I know you'd probably prefer not to discuss it but was just curious about what happened with the accident. Who was driving?  Did you know you lost your friend immediately on- site or only later at the hospital?

 

Like I said, if you don't want to discuss it, that's cool. 

 

My buddy's buddy was driving.  I had met the guy once before.  He fell asleep at the wheel.  We were informed that my buddy didn't make it as they were loading us both into the ambulance.  

 

And I'm hoping it was just a mistake, but someone "laughed" at my post above?  Huh.  OK.

[rajncajn]

49 minutes ago, darin3 said:

And I'm hoping it was just a mistake, but someone "laughed" at my post above?  Huh.  OK.

Wouldn't surprise me if it weren't a mistake. We've got a few that completely lack any sense of tact or self-awareness.

[darin3]

11 minutes ago, rajncajn said:

Wouldn't surprise me if it weren't a mistake. We've got a few that completely lack any sense of tact or self-awareness.

 

Honestly, there's only one clown I would even consider in that regard, and even for him that would be pretty low.  Whatevers.

[League_Champion]

2 hours ago, darin3 said:

 

My buddy's buddy was driving.  I had met the guy once before.  He fell asleep at the wheel.  We were informed that my buddy didn't make it as they were loading us both into the ambulance.  

 

Do you ever hear from the driver or see him around? I can't imagine his guilt. 

[darin3]

33 minutes ago, League_Champion said:

 

Do you ever hear from the driver or see him around? I can't imagine his guilt. 

 

Nope, the last time I saw him was at court and that was brief and didn't say anything to him.  From what I heard from my buddy's close friends, his life was pretty much ruined.  I think he spent a couple years in jail.  I imagine his guilt must be pretty tough to deal with.

[League_Champion]

34 minutes ago, darin3 said:

 

Nope, the last time I saw him was at court and that was brief and didn't say anything to him.  From what I heard from my buddy's close friends, his life was pretty much ruined.  I think he spent a couple years in jail.  I imagine his guilt must be pretty tough to deal with.

 

I couldn't even begin to imagine.