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NFL: The Improbable Decline of America’s No. 1 Sport

By Peter Panacy

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (left) and Connie Payton announce the number eight overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (left) and Connie Payton announce the number eight overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 29, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon LaFell (11) makes a catch as Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard (25) defends in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 29, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon LaFell (11) makes a catch as Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard (25) defends in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Oversaturation and a Bad NFL Product

Another one of Perloff’s reasons was the fact the NFL has simply oversaturated the market.

Just think, when was the last good Thursday Night Football game you watched? Sure, a 16-game schedule is fine. But now we have games Thursday night, all day Sunday and Monday night. Tack on Saturday flex games late in the season and, well, do you really expect a casual fan is going to tune in constantly?

It wouldn’t be as bad if the on-field product was better. But it’s not.

Without diving too far into the details, just consider Perloff’s breakdown:

"The first two night games this year featured the Broncos without Peyton Manning and the Patriots without Tom Brady. Tony Romo is out. Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Andrew Luck are having tough seasons. Also, there are a lot more mediocre teams this year. Last season, the Cardinals were 13–3 and the Jets were 10–6, and they came into last Monday night’s matchup at 2–3 and 1–4 respectively. All three primetime packages have featured more losing teams than the NFL could have expected."

The league is losing its star-studded power. And while we should expect, or at least hope, to get it back, all this means is viewers may be more inclined to watch something else.

Rules may also play a factor. What’s a catch? Why can’t defenses actually, you know, defend anymore? How does quarterback Cam Newton wind up taking so many hits, but if an opposing player taps quarterback Tom Brady on the shoulder, it’s a penalty?

Huh? Confusion sparks disinterest.