NFL: 2020 Season

[Aerides]

Of course, the owner want that preseason money, so... it will be interesting.

Back in the day when I avidly followed the game, the fans most definitely wanted preseason too. We could not care less about readiness, it was exhibition and yet we were very much there for it.

 

[street]

The NFL is a money maker for the owners and is a joke for the sport of football.

I was a fan of NFL but not anymore. Players don't play and it such a commercialized, controlled game it makes it not fun for me.

I started to watch College and what a difference how the game is played and attitudes and the whole community of college football is better. IMO

 

[target2019]

Chiefs' RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire appears to have been a smart draft pick. Of course just one game, but early signs are that Chiefs' culture and organization is getting stronger.

 

[Rex]

No more NFL.....My final break point was yesterday when the mayor of New Orleans gave the Saints an exemption to play football Sunday.......

The NFL is too woke for me....."Rules for thee but not for me".....I'm over it.

 

[nobody]

Having lived in KC for 20 years, I'm trying to use Chiefs football as a substitute for college ball, just not the same..

 

[Dawg52]

The NFL is a money maker for the owners and is a joke for the sport of football.

I was a fan of NFL but not anymore. Players don't play and it such a commercialized, controlled game it makes it not fun for me.

I started to watch College and what a difference how the game is played and attitudes and the whole community of college football is better. IMO

I feel the same way about college. But I'm afraid college may be headed in the same direction as pro ball. The NCAA voted to allow players to profit from their names and images. Which may seem reasonable but it will probably lead into other methods of paying players. Of course many have been paid for years under the table so perhaps this is just legalizing it. Amateurism per se is a thing of the past.

 

[JoeWras]

I won't be watching or attending this year. COVID and other things have changed my perception of sports.

The COVID break was a really hard forced break off from sports. It opened up my eyes to other forms of entertainment and distraction.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

Got up kinda early this morning to brew some good coffee, boiled a few eggs to have on toast, then sat back to enjoy the 10 am (local time) Seahawks vs. Falcons game. And they won! Go Hawks!

Then watched two other NFL games on TV (NO vs. TB, and LAR vs. DAL), while doing other stuff in my home. I had an entertaining and enjoyable Sunday.

 

[Midpack]

I’m glad pro football is back, I don’t understand why some have lost interest, but no matter.

After week one it’s Belichick 1 Brady 0. We’ll see how this plays out. DW may never wrap her head around Brady in another team uniform.

I thought it was silly they’ve piped in fan noise, even timed applause after scores. Then I imagined football with no background noise, and it probably would have seemed very strange.

 

[pb4uski]

.... After week one it’s Belichick 1 Brady 0....

To be fair though, the Bucs were playing a much higher quality opponent in the NO Saints than the Patriots played.

Brady..... TB #13 vs NO #4 in the power rangings
Belichick.... NE #15 vs MIA #26 in the power rankings

And the outcomes/final scores pretty much reflected the power rankings IMO.

That said, it wasn't one of Brady's best outings and the 2 INTs were killer and Gronk was close to a no-show with 2 receptions and 11 yards, but there is a lot of football yet to be played.

Given it is the first game and no pre-season, I thought the qualitof play was pretty good. It was good to have football "back", suggesting that some sense of normalcy might be possible.

 

[LRDave]

I thought it was silly they’ve piped in fan noise, even timed applause after scores. Then I imagined football with no background noise, and it probably would have seemed very strange.

I think the piped in noise is so silly.

 

[Aerides]

I think the piped in noise is so silly.

They piped in for NHL games too. I think it seems silly, because... "dude I can see those seats are empty", but I think it's part of the overall ambiance of a game - and I think it's piped in directly in the stadium so the environment feels more natural to the players?

They probably ran some trials both ways with players and focus groups (because of course they did) and found it's better to be silly than silent.

 

[Car-Guy]

I thought it was silly they’ve piped in fan noise, even timed applause after scores.

They piped in for NHL games too. I think it seems silly, because... "dude I can see those seats are empty",

I don't watch the NHL games so I can't comment but the piped in fan noise and fake fans in Baseball and Football is a joke.... Every time I hear the canned noise I think of the Star Trek episode called "Bread and Circuses"... Sports today reminds me of that episode in so many ways.

On the positive side, without the crowd noise, I can turn the volume down and I don't have to listen to the announcers BS... Doesn't really matter to me anymore since at this point I'm now done with football for the year. Still watching some baseball but that's very limited. I'm even pretty much finished with NASCAR for the year too since my favorite drivers are all out of the playoffs. I may watch the final race but that's it..

 

[timo2]

They piped in for NHL games too. I think it seems silly, because... "dude I can see those seats are empty", but I think it's part of the overall ambiance of a game - and I think it's piped in directly in the stadium so the environment feels more natural to the players?

They probably ran some trials both ways with players and focus groups (because of course they did) and found it's better to be silly than silent.

I was initially opposed to the fake crowd noise in all sports on principle. But then i observed how well the NHL background noise operators mimicked the ebb and flow of the game. The noise operators at the two NHL sites are artists (i hope it's not AI yet) . They really studied the crowd noise patterns. For the NFL the crowd noise implemention seemed more generic and inconsistent, basically white noise. I believe the NFL crowd noise is capped at a certain decibels. Probably because some of the teams have used piped in noise as a weapon in the past.

 

[jollystomper]

I watched NFL Red Zone. I preferred it to watching the broadcast games - no commercials, focuses on the actual football being played and stats only, get to see almost every scoring opportunity in each game. I enjoyed it. It did not hurt that I was able to see the main players on my fantasy football teams do very well.

 

[timo2]

I watched NFL Red Zone. I preferred it to watching the broadcast games - no commercials, focuses on the actual football being played and stats only, get to see almost every scoring opportunity in each game. I enjoyed it. It did not hurt that I was able to see the main players on my fantasy football teams do very well.

RedZone is very entertaining. DW's favorite TV is redzone. We have Dish, and they had a dispute with NFL all summer. I and I'm sure countless others called and complained in the last week about the lack of the NFL channel and Red Zone. Finally, midday this last Sunday, Red Zone came back on Dish. Funny how that worked, first day of the season and all!! I was watching the Cardinals on VPN so I didn't care that day. I do know people that find RedZone too disorienting, but it's basically just highlights in real time.

 

[Midpack]

I think the piped in noise is so silly.

I agree, but imagine if they played and that background noise wasn’t there? Might seem strange with just the actual sounds on the field. And turning off the sound isn’t the same IMO. In the end I don’t care either way, just glad to have pro football to watch again.

I hope they never let Seattle fans back in their stadium...

 

[harley]

I'm not sure if the NFL is doing this yet, but MLB is "allowing" fans to pay to place cardboard cutouts of themselves in the stadiums. I can't be sure if there are some really smart people in professional sports, or some really stupid people who are fans. Or maybe they just have money to burn, and want to blow that dough.

Here's what it would cost for me to be in the stadium for my favorite team - https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/fans/cutouts

 

[pb4uski]

I'm not sure if the NFL is doing this yet, but MLB is "allowing" fans to pay to place cardboard cutouts of themselves in the stadiums. I can't be sure if there are some really smart people in professional sports, or some really stupid people who are fans. Or maybe they just have money to burn, and want to blow that dough.

Here's what it would cost for me to be in the stadium for my favorite team - https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/fans/cutouts

The $299 or $149 cost (less the $11.25 cost of the cutout) is a charitable contribution to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation for their charity work.

Net proceeds from the fan cutouts will benefit the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, as they tackle the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness, and social justice for all Angelenos. Purchases are tax-deductible net of the fair market value of the cutout received by the purchaser (valued at $11.25).

 

[harley]

Well, that's better, then. Obviously I didn't read the info, just glanced at the prices. Thanks or the clarification.

 

[dingo]

I gradually got out of the habit of watching pro football years ago. I spent so much time watching college football on Saturday that I needed a free day away from it.

It really is crazy because I used to love the Falcons going back to the early 70’s. There were mostly bad but they were my team.

I love the pageantry etc of the college game. I like to hear the bands play and not the piped- in noise. Unfortunately , the college game is getting more like the pro game which will lessen the experience for me there too.

 

[garyt]

I only watch Chicago Bears regular season games and some playoff games. But if I see or hear one political statement, the NFL will be banned from my tv.

So now that you're not watching the NFL, how're you occupying the time?

 

[pb4uski]

He's watching a good college team, but on Sunday rather than Saturday.

 

[Ronstar]

So now that you're not watching the NFL, how're you occupying the time?

Monday / Thursday nights - watch something else on tv

Sundays - Outside activities - yard work, workshop,

I must confess - I did see the end of the Bears game on Sunday. I came in from outside. DW had it on. It wasn't as blatantly political as I thought it would be.

 

[gerntz]

When does the season start?