sports Future of American Football.

[CastletonSnob 3,074]

With all the concerns about concussions, what do you think is American Football's future? Will it even still exist in 20 years?

 

[BlueStreak98 828]

I think it will, though I think they run the risk of losing some viewership and fanbase. The NFL and college football are currently running with the idea that their growth will continue to be exponential, and they're taking actions based on that notion. I think they're starting to see cracks in their "impenetrable" armor, but they're not wanting to see it yet. MLB made huge mistakes doing this years ago, and they let football creep up on them and surpass them. The same could easily happen with football, but much like baseball their biggest liability is their believed invincibility.

[DixonTheAdversary 1,632]

I think that it would still be around in the many years to come. With all of the dedicated fan bases for various teams across the leagues, money shouldn't be a problem. But, on the topic of concussions the NFL would have to invest in better helmet technology and maybe tone some stuff down, but I still think that American football will be around for many years to come.

[Denim&Venöm 18,579]

I can't really see anything that would take it down a few pegs, let alone replace it. The only things I could think of causing problems, are losses from relocated teams. Both the Rams and the...ugh...chargers.... are now in L.A., a place with a far from stellar history with football. Anyone who watches football in LA, is from somewhere else, and are fans of another team. There's also the matter of the raiders moving to Las Vegas, a place unproven as a viable market. 

 

Abandoning loyal fanbases and leaving ownership of teams to individuals can cost the league big in the future. Having teams go public like the Packers have been, is a more secure path. 

[DixonTheAdversary 1,632]

Abandoning loyal fanbases and leaving ownership of teams to individuals can cost the league big in the future. Having teams go public like the Packers have been, is a more secure path. 

The thing is, the NFL requires a team to be owned by one person or a small group of people. The only reason the Packers are owned by Green Bay is because they were like that before that rule came into place, so they got an exemption. But they might change that rule to let more teams be community owned if the circumstances require it.

[Denim&Venöm 18,579]

The thing is, the NFL requires a team to be owned by one person or a small group of people. The only reason the Packers are owned by Green Bay is because they were like that before that rule came into place, so they got an exemption. But they might change that rule to let more teams be community owned if the circumstances require it.

That would be a bigger step in securing a teams viability. Let the city buy the rights to the team from the franchise owner. That way, the fans are happy, the former owners get a huge paycheck, and there isn't a risk of a team's sales bombing in a new territory. 

[EpicEnergy 23,139]

Football's huge, I don't think it will die at all unless America is nuked or something.

[ZiggWheelsManning 9,763]

@EpicEnergy

We can't afford to lose that  Nor can we lose hockey.  

[EpicEnergy 23,139]

11 minutes ago, ZiggWheelsManning said:

@EpicEnergy

We can't afford to lose that  Nor can we lose hockey.  

Football is integrated into the heart of 'Merica, nothing can separate the two!

[CinnamonPop 3,350]

On 2024-09-08 at 10:12 PM, ZiggWheelsManning said:

We can't afford to lose that, nor can we lose Hockey 

There are wayyy too many international markets for hockey that I doubt it fails to exist even if the US refuses the NHL anymore. 

The NFL however, as a Jags/Bears fan I can say that watching the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers move in my lifetime have made me really upset to say the least. I feel terrible for the people of St. Louis (Yes, I am a Cubs fan), Oakland, and San Diego. I just can't see many people trying to be idolized as "markets" unless they truly like the sport. There's too few opportunities for athletes to get into the game and play it that you're seeing some crazy strategies and freak athletes getting in and either rejected or knocked out within the end of their rookie/practice contracts. If the NFL doesn't make a developmental league inside the US in smaller communities, ("markets") Other start-up leagues can. Someone can cheer for the Jaguars to move to London all they want but then they can get the same problems as the Overwatch League. The price being way too high to move their players around the world, and asking the "markets" to adjust to that. It's borderline a entire week of work saved up in order to get a single ticket to watch these events, something that only lasts a single hour, before it all ends with no guarantees to get even a high-five in/out of the tunnel. It's becoming less of a common person's game and more of a status symbol. Lacroixing the NFL surely will make fan attendance and merchandise sales fall, drop, and with people losing interest in the spectacle of American Football these teams will rush to markets left and right to gather money before folding.

They can't even fall back on International markets, that's why the NFL has made every attempt to branch out overseas from the Wembley Series of games to playing a few in Munich, Mexico City, and Sao Paulo. While it may be a holiday for winning teams when they make the playoffs, the last time I had gotten the same out of that league was when my Jags lost against Brady the game before the Super Bowl, and my Bears lost to the Champion Eagles the same year by the infamous "Double Doink." I don't want to talk about it any further. 

[Arrlong28 664]

On 2017-02-04 at 2:49 AM, CastletonSnob said:

With all the concerns about concussions, what do you think is American Football's future? Will it even still exist in 20 years?

 

 

 

From a Southern European perspective, I think that nothing will change in any country. Every country is attached to some sports, and there's usually just 4 of them and the rest are just minor.

When I was a child I liked the Barcelona Dragons and American Football. Even I wen't to saw the players signing autographs.

Sadly, Barcelona Dragons where disbanded but I think there's other team with the same name.

And here in Europe American football is seen as a boring game. In Spain, baseball is literally a child's game we call "Pichi" and nobody taques that seriously.

'Merica and American Football, from my southern european experience, are inseparable. But I think they have to add some ideas from soccer, like that teams can move over leagues. So if a team loses too much games, they change the league to a lower rank. And more humble teams, if they win enough games, can up their rank and play in superior leagues.