Mark Cuban: "..the NFL is 10 years away from an implosion"

I can definitely see some, if not all, of this coming true. For me, it's all these NFL 'heros' I grew up watching becoming a shell of their former selves. I mean, from being elite athlete to killing themselves and others, before they hit 50, is jarring. I don't have any kids atm, but I would definitely steer them away from football if I could other than tag football with family and such

I think the NFL is 10 years away from an implosion. When pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. And they’re getting hoggy. When you try to take it too far, people turn the other way. I’m just telling you, when you got a good thing and you get greedy, it always, always, always, always, always turns against you.

1. I wouldn’t want my son playing football, would you? I’m sure helmet technology will improve over the next 10 years, but why risk it? There are plenty of sports to play. Plenty of ways to get exercise and if my son decided to do anything outside of sports and never pick up any ball of any kind, I’m fine with that. I can think of 1k things I would prefer him to get excited about doing.

As far as watching, I good with that.

I don’t think I’m alone. If we start to see a decline of popularity at the high school and then college level because kids choose other sports, it will hurt the interest in watching the NFL.

3. Their TV strategy today is perfect. Nothing wrong with expanding their Thursday night broadcasts. It is a great idea.

That said, if they continue this trend of adding games on more nights (I have been told they are looking at Saturday Nights as well) and this was the point I was making to ESPN yesterday, they risk over-saturation, a decline in interest by current, and non NFL fans feeling imposed upon because of the relative popularity of the NFL.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/03/mark-cuban-nfl-implosion-facebook/

I actually get what he means. Currently, the NFL, as i understand it, basically dominate Sunday entertainment lineups. With games going all day. And the tradition of people gathering on sundays as families etc to do exactly that. It's become a ingrained part of the culture for that day. Inseperable to some.

By continuing to spread the concertration of the games over multiple days, they lose the "sanctity" of "football day".

It's an interesting point.

And the part about a possible decline in participation given the health concerns... thats a long term wait and see. But i guess boxing is case study for it.

Both are improbable. But i get his points.

Concussions an the like will kill the NFL in a generation, I think.

I sure as hell don't want my not yet conceived son playing football (unless he's the kicker).

yall should just switch to the vastly superior sport of rugby union and be done with it.

Can't watch something that isn't shown!

Also, the NFL is probably the least global of all of the big sports in the US. Basketball and soccer will just keep growing in popularity, especially as the world becomes more connected with regards to entertainment options.

Can't watch something that isn't shown!

You mean union isn't shown?

I'm actually relatively annoyed about the very poor digital offerings put out there by Rugby Union leagues around the world.

There basically isn't any digital offering unless the pay-tv provider has a digital platform. If not, then nothing. It's pretty terrible.

Can't watch something that isn't shown!

You mean union isn't shown?

I'm actually relatively annoyed about the very poor digital offerings put out there by Rugby Union leagues around the world.

There basically isn't any digital offering unless the pay-tv provider has a digital platform. If not, then nothing. It's pretty terrible.

I'm pretty sure Rugby Union is on like some ancillary Fox Sports network that no one gets or feels like paying an extra $10 a month to get. Also give the ridiculous time zone differences and the fact that people already complain about how late West Coast games end, you're going to have a hard time developing a market in NA for a non domestic league. Even now people who are fans of the EPL or La Liga or Serie A or Bundesliga are in the minority and considered somewhat oddball.

I do agree with a lot of Cuban's assements, the concussion thing is a huge deal and what's stupid is that THERE ARE BETTER HELMETS AVAILABLE NOW. Players don't wear them because they "look stupid" or whatever dumb reasons. Or shit, any time someone's helmet pops off that means either they or the team equipment manager failed to put it on properly or adjust the straps properly. There's 0 reason for it to ever fucking happen, but some players LIKE when it happens because they think it makes them look tough/bad ass.

The TV stuff is also kind of a mess. Obviously there's a huge demand for more live football but the NFL is kind of evil about how you can see it. Local blackouts, the DirecTV monopoly, the 3 non primetime Sunday games that you don't have any control over, the shitty Thursday game that is bad for the players and teams, charging full price for boring ass pre-season games etc etc. Right now the NFL is huge and thinks its shit doesn't stink and instead of addressing domestic issues they're looking at things like the logistics of having a team in another country (hence the horrid annual London game).

I don't see things getting better as long as Goodell is commissioner. That guy gives no fucks about anything but getting richer.

Can't watch something that isn't shown!

Also, the NFL is probably the least global of all of the big sports in the US. Basketball and soccer will just keep growing in popularity, especially as the world becomes more connected with regards to entertainment options.

That's a good point about the global nature of certain sports. There's a huge barrier of entry in terms of cost for football compared to soccer where all you need is a ball, or basketball, or all you need is a ball and one hoop.

Going back to concussions, that is one of those things where you don't even need a concussion to fuck you up long term. Its looking more like the "light" repetitive hits to the head during practice in peewee/high school/college can really do damage to you as well. I mean, you always have the freak injuries in other sports, but I'd rather due with shoddy knees/ankles in my older age than what happens to you when your mind goes due to those repeated hits to the head.

The TV Rights in a lot of sports is a mess. It's something that should be relatively simple, but the push for more money has meant that networks have demanded more control over scheduling and content in return for the extra $$$.

Not that I dissagree with his main point...but wasn't Cuban blackballed from buying a NFL team or was that Baseball?

yall should just switch to the vastly superior sport of rugby union and be done with it.

:lol: :lol: good one, maybe if they want to be bored to death with penalty kicks

You can watch a real sport like Rugby League online free in most countries outside Australia

http://new.livestream.com/nrl

Concussions an the like will kill the NFL in a generation, I think.

I sure as hell don't want my not yet conceived son playing football (unless he's the kicker).

100%. I played on the football team in high school, not basketball. I was crazy into the sport - watched college on Saturday afternoons, on Sundays watched from noon to midnight. Spent the week in between obsessing over my fantasy league and writing Randy Moss fan fiction. But the way they've handled the concussion thing is just so callous, and the pervasion of HGH & other supplements in a sport where people use their physicality to injure other people - the fact that these guys all wind up dying early and/or suicidal just puts me off the whole thing. I don't like to support it. This year I only watched the Super Bowl. If I have a son, I'm putting him in something else.

yall should just switch to the vastly superior sport of rugby union and be done with it.

:lol: :lol: good one, maybe if they want to be bored to death with penalty kicks

You can watch a real sport like Rugby League online free in most countries outside Australia

http://new.livestream.com/nrl

Not unions fault that as most of the kickers in league are bad, so they don't opt to take the points.

Also should point out penalty counts are up again in League this year.