Fergasun Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Thinking is wrong about the NFL. Collective Bargaining Agreement is coming up... lockout anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btfoom Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 NFL - No way it ever 'goes down'. Yes, the CBA is coming up, and they may even have a lockout, but Pro Football will be king in this country for a long, long time. Each team only plays 16 games, so each game is huge. People have a whole week to study the game, get prepared, have a bunch of folks get together, and watch the game. It is also the easiest sport to bet on and fantasy is much easier in NFL. NBA - I don't like pro basketball, but just looking at the infrastructure (large stadiums that are almost 100% owned by the teams/owners, TV deal with major cable and big networks, good local TV/Radio deals) shows that it will be a force for a long, long time. Heck, they even have enough $$$ to prop up the WNBA - any sport that can do that is in good shape. MLB - I detest major league baseball. I can watch playoffs (though not Bos-NY) for a few innings, but the rest just bores the crap out of me. The ONLY reason it continues to do well (relatively speaking) is that it has no competition (with other 'major' sports) all summer. It still keeps sliding downward, but I don't think it will go out. NHL - I love the NHL. It is a great sport and has benefitted the most with the invention and proliferation of HD programming. It is much easier to watch on a 55" HD than a 17" w/bunny-ear antenna. The problem is that the NHL does not have a good TV deal (where the money is). ESPN never gave it good slots and would pre-empt it for almost any other programming. Canada lives and breathes the sport (as well as some other northern cities), but it is the closes to going. If you said one was going to be 'gone' from being a major sport in the next 10 years, here is how I would predict: NFL - 0.05% NBA - 9.95% MLB - 30% NHL - 60% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 If you said one was going to be 'gone' from being a major sport in the next 10 years, here is how I would predict: NFL - 0.05% NBA - 9.95% MLB - 30% NHL - 60% Seems way too high for MLB. That league has been around for over 100 years and people still love it and watch it. I would say MLB and the NFL are the two safest. MLB is great because there's nothing like going to a game on a summer evening/afternoon. And like you said about the NFL, its only once a week so its easy to follow and have people get together. The NBA, I think will be fine for a while, but they need to change some things to get more people interested. The NHL is starting to come back, but needs to get on ESPN so more people will watch it. Having huge playoff games on Versus when most people can't watch it is never good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMURedskins Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 MLB: Longoria, Wright, Utley, Josh Hamilton, Ryan Howard, Tim Linecacum, Manny, A-Rod. I don't know MLB might be in some trouble. The MLB has way more stars than that. Plus the popularity is too high for it to be in trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I gotta say in this order: NHL MLB NBA NFL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btfoom Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Seems way too high for MLB. That league has been around for over 100 years and people still love it and watch it. I would say MLB and the NFL are the two safest. MLB is great because there's nothing like going to a game on a summer evening/afternoon. And like you said about the NFL, its only once a week so its easy to follow and have people get together. The NBA, I think will be fine for a while, but they need to change some things to get more people interested. The NHL is starting to come back, but needs to get on ESPN so more people will watch it. Having huge playoff games on Versus when most people can't watch it is never good. Realistically, you are correct. I only put MLB so high because if there were another scandal in the next several years, it could potentially lose enough fans to get it out of the 'major' category. It wouldn't ever go away (I don't think any of them will). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Realistically, you are correct. I only put MLB so high because if there were another scandal in the next several years, it could potentially lose enough fans to get it out of the 'major' category. It wouldn't ever go away (I don't think any of them will). Too be honest, I think the scandals make baseball what it is. Throughout the history of MLB there have been plenty of them. The Black Sox, Pete Rose, and now the Steroids Era to name a few. I think the only thing that turns fans away from a sport are lockouts. Baseball took a big hit in 1994 when they had their problems, hockey the same, and even the NBA. The NFL is the only major sport to not have a work stoppage in the last 15 years. Could it happen after this CBA is up? Maybe, but I think thats why the NFL is so successful right now, if they were to have a work stoppage, it would be interesting to see how the fans would react. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillUnknown Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 when your playoff series are on Versus, your league is the closest to going under Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rdskn4Lyf21 Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 when your playoff series are on Versus, your league is the closest to going under I watched DET/CHI on NBC yesterday :finger: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Even though the NHL is my 2nd favorite of the 4 listed, they are clearly the most likely to go out. This is all about money, and the NHL makes the least. Hockey is every bit as exciting as football, and personally, i find the NBA and especially MLB to be slightly less boring than church, but both of them have contracts with ESPN and the major networks. The NHL is on Versus and has a few playoff games on network TV. I do think the NHL made a MAJOR stride forward in popularity this year, thanks in part to OV's insane skill level and style of play, and the Pittsburgh/Caps 7 game series. That could just be locally though. I know the Caps probably doubled their fan base in the last 2 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorresA Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I don't think any will "go out" but when talking about the 4 major US sports, only one of those 4 sports is not global... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 none of the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peeping Wizard Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I think the sports in trouble or at least the NON NFL teams just have too many games.NHL 82 is way too many for the physicality of the sport. I'd be happy with 60 and starting the post-season earlier. Hard for the casual fan to equate June with Stanley Cup. NBA ... way too many freakin games. You could pair it down easily by half. Same with MLB. Does anyone actually watch all 160ish games? Thats the benefit of the NFL ... every week matters. I agree 100% I think the greatest transgressor for this is baseball. You can go on a double-digit losing streak then turn around and make the playoffs. That is just bizzare. The NFL is great because every game is extremely important. Scarcity has created the product. The regular season in the NFL has a similar atmoshere to playoffs in other sports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrypticVillain Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 MLB has plenty of young stars. Longoria, Wright, Reyes, Howard, Braun, Markakis, Jones, Pedroia, Hamels, Lincecum, Billingsley. As well as veterans like Pujols, A-Rod (people will still watch him and Manny), Santana, Halladay, Sabathia, Teixeria, Jeter, Beckett, Utley, Rollins, Soriano, Chipper, etc. Baseball has plenty of star power, I actually think it has more now than it ever has. The MLB has way more stars than that. Plus the popularity is too high for it to be in trouble. Yeah, WE know that the MLB has some nice Superstars. But When making this statement, I was trying to imply that casual sport fans don't know who they are. Who doesn't know Kobe and Lebron, Crosby and Ovechkin, and Manning and Brady? The question was which sports would go first. I think it will be MLB because it's star power is weaker than the other 3 and the steroids issue is really making them look bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrypticVillain Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 The regular season in the NFL has a similar atmoshere to playoffs in other sports. And because the regular season is like the playoffs, it makes the playoffs that much better. College Football is stupid for not creating a playoff, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chachie Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Baseball. They all cheat. "America's game" is a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Yeah, WE know that the MLB has some nice Superstars. But When making this statement, I was trying to imply that casual sport fans don't know who they are.Who doesn't know Kobe and Lebron, Crosby and Ovechkin, and Manning and Brady? The question was which sports would go first. I think it will be MLB because it's star power is weaker than the other 3 and the steroids issue is really making them look bad. I think the NHL has the least recognizable star power of the 4. The NHL has just Crosby and Ovechkin as their main 2. That's great, but outside of hockey fans, how many people know who they are? How many people know who A-Rod, Manny, Pujols, and Jeter are? I'd say ALOT more. And like I said, MLB has always had scandals throughout their history and yet for 100+ years the games still go on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spec138 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I don't think any will "go out" but when talking about the 4 major US sports, only one of those 4 sports are not global... Hockey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rdskn4Lyf21 Posted May 18, 2009 Author Share Posted May 18, 2009 Hockey? Hockey is played everywhere.... Then again you are a Cowboys fan so your knowledge must be limited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Hockey? Its definitley the NFL. Hockey is played in the US, Canada, and Eastern Europe. I would say that the NHL has the least % of American born players out of the 4 leagues. I wonder how many international players are in the NFL. I don't think I can name many off the top of my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Today I don't think any are at serious risk but it's down to leadership. In any of the four a lengthy players strike, if mishandled by owners, would affect TV contracts and fan interest. It wasn't that long ago that horse racing and boxing were huge. Greed and mismanagement can destroy any industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spec138 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Its definitley the NFL. Hockey is played in the US, Canada, and Eastern Europe. I would say that the NHL has the least % of American born players out of the 4 leagues. I wonder how many international players are in the NFL. I don't think I can name many off the top of my head. Wow I wasn't thinking at all :\ OT though, I don't see any of these sports leaving, however, I chose NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiebear Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I remember the strike year.. it was fabulous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeysc23 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 If NHL goes through another lockout odds are good they will lose out. NHL probably has one of the most loyal fan bases but it can only be tapped so many times. NFL is obviously here to stay even with the upcoming CBA because it is so attracting to just the casual fan. Pretty much simple rules and a short season make it very easy to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubble Screen Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 The NHL, for sure. I can't tell you how happy I was when they went on strike. That was great coming home, watching ESPN and not having to sit through useless hockey highlights. No one cares about the NHL. Case in point, I remember a few years ago SI had an article that stated the NHL got lower ratings than the PBA!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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