Pro sports becoming unwatchable?

[rh71]

I'm all about hockey but even the 2 intermissions suck to sit through.

Forget baseball (foul balls or no swings) and football (replays and stoppages). Basketball too with their fouls. No flippin' chance.

 

[Muse]

A little bit over a year ago I went to a LAFC MLS game for like $20 and have been sold on soccer since. It was their atmosphere that sold me on it - which was and is still by far the best I have been a part of in any sporting event AINEC. I assume the only events that would exceed it would be... soccer games in Europe.

I am very hyped to be attending LAFC vs LA Galaxy playoff matchup tomorrow. I just hope Zlatan isn't too quick of a buzzkill.

Soccer isn't as boring as a 0-0 game might depict from the outside once you start to realize that all rushes and crosses effectively are "good scoring chances" even when they don't register shots on goal.

Yup, and I'm only watching soccer on TV. Mind you, high definition TV on big screens. I thought the men's World Cup was exhilarating. It was brilliant. I appreciated the struggle, the strategies, the great goals, the fabulous saves, and I liked the video reviews. I thought the officiating was pretty damn good. Naturally, they are going to have the best soccer officials in the world working the WC (something I assume... I was pretty impressed). In comparison, I think the NBA is a farce now. Maybe I shouldn't, but even though I live less than 20 miles from Oracle Arena, where the Warriors played for decades (they're first home game not there in decades is played tomorrow against the L.A. Clippers) I haven't enjoyed watching them all that much. Honestly, I have found it painful a lot of the time... again, on my hi def systems.

I also was thrilled with the women's World Cup! Great stuff! Megan Rapinoe, quite a hero. The American women were all but arrogant, but they absolutely backed it up.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I just learned to stop caring about sports in general. What helped was switching to fantasy.... No seriously, I spent more time looking at fantasy stats than I did watching actual football games (which was very little).

I also just really am turned off by the whole "Go local sports team and/or college!" Thought process from people. I mean if a team name that has your city in it wins a "championship" is what makes you get emotional, cry, or celebrate extatically then you seriously have some mental issues.

You didn't win anything. You didn't do anything. Someone else did something.

 

[kn51]

What I find funny is how the NFL game announcers are sometimes confused with DPI calls. Sort of like what constitutes a catch. Of course they are reviewable now but I think around 6% gets overruled.

They definitely have problems, but at the same time I'm amazed how well they get things right and tracking everything going on. Hard to explain, but an NFL game in person seems to move twice as fast versus on TV.

Haven't watched NBA lately. I assume make up calls are still quite the thing?

 

[Muse]

NFL refs are pretty damn good. They usually get the calls right. And they know the rules!

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

NFL refs are pretty damn good. They usually get the calls right. And they know the rules!

I think the problem is that there is too many damn rules - and when every play for 10 straight plays get called back, penalized, etc... then it's no longer a game anymore.

That and plenty of the "calls" are INCREDIBLY subjective and not always a "yes or no" such as pass interference and even facemask calls.

 

[Muse]

I think the problem is that there is too many damn rules - and when every play for 10 straight plays get called back, penalized, etc... then it's no longer a game anymore.

That and plenty of the "calls" are INCREDIBLY subjective and not always a "yes or no" such as pass interference and even facemask calls.

When there are a lot of calls, I don't blame the refs. They are usually spot on. The fault is with the teams... players and to some extent, their coaches, who aren't coaching up the players correctly to know the rules.

Pass interference is a tough one. It continues to evolve. I'm sure the refs have to review that one every year, the rules. Also the roughness rules, they continue to change. The refs get holding calls wrong a lot. Not reviewable too.

 

[Homerboy]

MLB is still the best thing going. The post season has been great. The WS thus far has been outstanding. I understand baseball isn't for everyone, but when things get exciting, nothing beats baseball.

NFL I have been getting less and less interested in every year. Too many plays are decided by the refs. Resulting in too many games being decided by the refs. Rules seem to be subjective (was it a catch or not?) Flags and then challenge flags are thrown all over the place. Players are becoming more and more unliklable. I find myself watching virtually no NFL anymore - and the Packers still are good and have Rodgers.

 

[BudAshes]

Huh? Have you eyes to see?

I even played soccer all through my youth and into high school, until one day I realized this is a sport for little children to tire them out. It's a great sport for ages 5-13 but it's not a spectator sport. I want violence and risk as a spectator watching professional athletes, not grown men pretending to be hurt and rolling around on the ground faking injury to try and get a penalty kick.

 

[Muse]

True that baseball is way less about the officiating. But... it is slow. What the NFL has going for it is the mental/strategy aspects. Play calling!!! On the offensive side, but also the defensive side. Baseball, well, there is some strategy, decision making, but nothing like other major sports.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

I even played soccer all through my youth and into high school, until one day I realized this is a sport for little children to tire them out. It's a great sport for ages 5-13 but it's not a spectator sport. I want violence and risk as a spectator watching professional athletes, not grown men pretending to be hurt and rolling around on the ground faking injury to try and get a penalty kick.

Hockey: High speed soccer with weapons.

 

[Muse]

I even played soccer all through my youth and into high school, until one day I realized this is a sport for little children to tire them out. It's a great sport for ages 5-13 but it's not a spectator sport. I want violence and risk as a spectator watching professional athletes, not grown men pretending to be hurt and rolling around on the ground faking injury to try and get a penalty kick.

I just ignore any injury faking. I think the women do that less! I really do think it's a great spectator sport. You don't, but look, it is the world's game and that's because the world enjoys observing it!

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

True that baseball is way less about the officiating. But... it is slow. What the NFL has going for it is the mental/strategy aspects. Play calling!!! On the offensive side, but also the defensive side. Baseball, well, there is some strategy, decision making, but nothing like other major sports.

It is just as much officiating considering that the homeplate ump calls every single pitch... It's just that each call they make has FAR less of an effect of if it will be a game-changer or not... I mean... unless you're down by 3 in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded with 2 outs and the last pitch is a called strike I guess.... Either way, you still can't insinuate that if the batter had 1 more ball that it would have been a grand-slam.

Whereas in the NFL a lot of times the penalty call or not can literally be the full difference maker in the game.

 

[Muse]

It is just as much officiating considering that the homeplate ump calls every single pitch... It's just that each call they make has FAR less of an effect of if it will be a game-changer or not... I mean... unless you're down by 3 in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded with 2 outs and the last pitch is a called strike I guess.... Either way, you still can't insinuate that if the batter had 1 more ball that it would have been a grand-slam.

Whereas in the NFL a lot of times the penalty call or not can literally be the full difference maker in the game.

I would welcome automatic balls and strikes calling by a laser system. Until about a year ago I thought the umpires had gone crazy for the last couple decades with their expanded strike zone. TV commentators would excuse this by saying "as long as they're consistent." It drove me nuts and I thought "what message are you sending the kids with this?" I don't watch TV baseball except the world series, although I missed it so far this year. What? Games 1 and 2, right? But last year (IIRC), or at least the last game or 2 or 3 I watched, I had the impression that B&S are being called much much more accurately than they had been for many years. I think this is a really really good idea. I think they've juiced the ball, right? That's really not a good idea. They should come up with a way to make a baseball a baseball and STICK WITH IT. INDEFINITELY.

 

[cirrrocco]

haven't watched sports in about 2 decades. Saved me hundreds of hours which allowed me to nef a lot

 

[Muse]

haven't watched sports in about 2 decades. Saved me hundreds of hours which allowed me to nef a lot

My last GF took a rigid stance that watching sports on TV is a waste of time, period. Didn't stop me.

Nef (from Urban Dictionary)
Created in the Anandtech forums, it was a member who posted useless crap to increase his post count. Hence, the term eventually branched out in to other forums and became a popular term among forum goers. Lifers are usually a harmless bunch, not as vicious as trolls. All they care about is the postcount..
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nef

 

[cirrrocco]

My last GF took a rigid stance that watching sports on TV is a waste of time, period. Didn't stop me.

Nef (from Urban Dictionary)
Created in the Anandtech forums, it was a member who posted useless crap to increase his post count. Hence, the term eventually branched out in to other forums and became a popular term among forum goers. Lifers are usually a harmless bunch, not as vicious as trolls. All they care about is the postcount..
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nef

Yeah didnt someone also register the domain nef then. I started seeing nef Tshirts quite a bit in bay area and also on the east coast. That should have been capitalized by whoever started the term.

memories!!!

 

[bigi]

"becoming" unwatchable?

They even changed Olympics to show what only shows on TV so mob can watch.

It is a money making scheme as any other business.

And yes, I've not watched any pro game for 20+ years.

 

[Scarpozzi]

NFL refs are pretty damn good. They usually get the calls right. And they know the rules!

I agree with this. They typically don't mess up when you consider the number of plays per game....but these days, they're actually defaulting to making calls in favor of the offense (or defense in the case of a fumble) because they know a play will be reviewed... So they're letting the game be played a lot more, rather than calling plays dead pre-emptively.

My biggest complaint is still the ball spot on forward progress...not just on 3rd and 4th down either. I often see the ball being stepped back or forward and when you're not seeing teams pick up 1st downs by more than 2-3 yards, it makes you wonder if they had a few bad spots ruining their drives.

 

[robphelan]

i think it's really hard to appreciate soccer without either: 1) playing it for years or 2) watching it for years.

It can be a beautiful game (as a matter of fact, that's kind of its 'unofficial' nickname ), there are lots of nuances and strategies that you really don't appreciate unless you've done one of the above.

Watching grown ass adults run up and down the pitch for 90 minutes can get boring. But the anticipation just builds and builds throughout the match and when someone scores, it can be an incredible feeling.

here are some great goals scored on some fantastic passing

and just because my daughter is a goalkeeper.. here are some great saves

 

[purbeast0]

I also just really am turned off by the whole "Go local sports team and/or college!" Thought process from people. I mean if a team name that has your city in it wins a "championship" is what makes you get emotional, cry, or celebrate extatically then you seriously have some mental issues.

You didn't win anything. You didn't do anything. Someone else did something.

On the flip side, I think that anyone who can't understand this has:

1. "mental issues" as you said.
2. always sucked at most things in life and can't be competitive in anything.
3. never been part of something bigger than themself that has succeeded

So basically, a loser.

MLB is still the best thing going. The post season has been great. The WS thus far has been outstanding. I understand baseball isn't for everyone, but when things get exciting, nothing beats baseball.

You can basically that about any sport though. Nothing beats "_______" in anything you are a fan of is basically true. Especially when it's a local team. I was saying the exact thing when the Capitals made their Stanley Cup run.

And I'm also saying the same thing right now as the Nats are up 2-0 in the WS. I was at game 4 of the NLCS and it was so much fun. I have never experienced anything like that in a stadium. I was also outside the Capital One arena at the viewing party when the Caps won the Stanley Cup and that is also unlike anything I've ever experienced. But being in the ballpark was just totally different than being outside on the streets, but they both had a very similar vibe.

And I'm not even an MLB fan. I'm a sports fan in general and a homer and I always know what is going on with the Nats just from sports radio. I used to love baseball when I was a kid but when the strike happened in the 90's, i lost a lot of interest and just never got it back. I can say though that the Nats run has definitely made me like it more again, and I can guarantee next season I'll be paying more attention to regular season Nats than I ever have.

Here's a video when the Caps won from outside the arena.

And here's a video when the Nats clinched.

Nothing like sports to bring together people who are so different. All races, genders, political views, religions, etc, all just getting together and rooting for the same thing.

 

[Muse]

i think it's really hard to appreciate soccer without either: 1) playing it for years or 2) watching it for years.

It can be a beautiful game (as a matter of fact, that's kind of its 'unofficial' nickname ), there are lots of nuances and strategies that you really don't appreciate unless you've done one of the above.

Watching grown ass adults run up and down the pitch for 90 minutes can get boring. But the anticipation just builds and builds throughout the match and when someone scores, it can be an incredible feeling.

here are some great goals scored on some fantastic passing

and just because my daughter is a goalkeeper.. here are some great saves

I played almost no soccer but it didn't take me long to develop a love for watching high level soccer on TV. At that level it's really hard to score goals. The teams are very defensive minded.

My worst experiences watching such games are when the winner is decided by penalty kicks. 5 players from each side (chosen by that side), kick in turn against the opposing side's goal keeper. If I'm rooting for one team, it's nervous time. The USA women won one such game in the recent World Cup, and convincingly. Rapinoe strikes again, she was phenomenal on her penalty kicks. Some people were saying she wasn't playing well, but I never bought that. I thought her level of play was great. I watched just about every game I could of the World Cup, maybe all of them. DVR FTW in hi def, large screen!

 

[jhansman]

I only watch the occasional NFL game, and the camera work and blather is enough to drive one to drink. Endless shots of coaches mumbling into their mics, players spitting and talking shit to one another, bench sitters emptying their noses, and on and on. If you were to extract just the play action out from a broadcast (without all the BS from the booth), the game would take 20 min. or so (less?). Remember, it's all about money. Selling commercial time to beer, car, and food companies. I'm just old enough to remember when pro football was first put on TV (I know, that's old) and it's such a circus now it's not worth my time. A walk in the woods is a better day spent.

 

[Muse]

I only watch the occasional NFL game.... -snip- ... A walk in the woods is a better day spent.

Mark Twain famously said "golf is a good walk spoiled." I played a round of golf this morning (and I walked the course!). So, you see, Twain and I can differ. I also can really get into an NFL broadcast. I don't watch a ton of those. The 49ers are undefeated, so I am watching them now. I'm kind of a fair weather fan, and TBH I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Why should I root for losers?

 

[OccamsToothbrush]

I think the problem is that there is too many damn rules - and when every play for 10 straight plays get called back, penalized, etc... then it's no longer a game anymore.

That and plenty of the "calls" are INCREDIBLY subjective and not always a "yes or no" such as pass interference and even facemask calls.

Football is essentially ungovernable. Too many things happening too fast for any human to get it right. There are missed calls on every single play. There's always a hold or some illegal contact or hands to the face or any one of a number of minor things that the refs can't see. There are 7 people watching 11 different mini-wars per play. While one ref is watching a guard block a tackle and another is watching CB cover a WR nobody sees the center trip a blitzing linebacker. They're never going to get it right all of the time and they're rarely going to get any play 100% right. Too many things that we see from the 4th angle on super slow-mo are invisible in real time from the field. No matter how good they are, they're going to be wrong a lot of the time and the losing team is going to have a beef most of the time. That's one of the reasons I rarely watch now. It's not the missed calls, its the idiots constantly whining about the missed calls as if that's a new thing. The missed calls have been there all along, the only thing new is how clearly we get to see it.

I do think the NFL needs to fire a few people and let some heads roll over the pass interference debacle. Seems like the refs are intentionally not over-ruling that call as their childish line in the sand. They're tired of being second guessed and have chosen to strike on that one issue as a form of silent protest. There has to be enough oversight that these guys fear for their jobs over calls that are egregiously wrong. Some of these pass interference calls could be gotten right by Ray Charles in a heavy fog, but the refs are not doing anything as a giant "fuck you" to whoever made that call reviewable. If they're not willing to do their jobs properly they shouldn't have the job. Replace them with refs mature enough to understand that they miss calls due to the speed of the game and who can reverse those calls without seeing it as a personal attack on them.