Was just listening to Fox sports radio, they were talking about The Hernandez situation and it's effect on The NFL.and who calls in none other than Jim Schmitt, Green Bays Mayor.

He said there is nothing that can bring down The NFL Shield.

I'm not so sure, last year was a good example, the replacement refs angered many fans, it became quite apparent after week 3 The NFL had to bring back thr regular refs or the fans were going to look elsewhere for Sports entertainment.

Some of the new rules are really turning off some fans, mostly older ones, but just as on an NFL football team, there are always younger players just waiting to replace the older veterans, The NFL is changing, but the fans are changing with it.

Is Jim Schmitt right?

Any other ideas at what might be bad enough to bring down The NFL Shield?

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I'm starting to lean more towards Hockey and hoping Rugby picks up popularity. I will always follow the Packers, but it's getting more difficult to get excited to watch a game that to understand all the rules you need a PhD. Just like our country, there is too much of "Big Brother" trying to protect us. In our country it costs us our freedom. In the NFL it is costing us a game that was once great and now is just good.

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There really are people who would love to see an America without football. In order to avoid this being construed as politics, I will avoid saying which side of the spectrum has that mentality to take away what so many of us love so much, but anybody with a brain knows which side - the same ones threatening our greasy hamburgers, our sugary drinks, etc. - basically everything that is fun and/or enjoyable. It's doubtful they would ever be successful, but they very well could sissify it by rules and regulations. Just as doing that to boxing as led to the rise of the UFC, something would come along, but it wouldn't ever be what the NFL is.

The scary thing is they can ram through all these rules and regulations - regarding football and virtually everything else in our lives without any democratic process or popular approval, and the God damned news media (again I will refrain from stating which direction that media is so horribly biased) is complicit in quelling popular complaint about the stupid regulating and rule changes. Just listen to damn near EVERY stinking talking head on the pregame shows when it comes to concussions or any other such idiocy.

I hope most fans don't meekly accept the crap or jump to junk sports and foreign stuff because of what's happening.

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This topic has solid potential and hopefully others can provide their insight on the subject. Are we losing the NFL that we grew to obsess?

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hahahahahaha

Did I just hear a Flushing Sound?

The answer to your question is yes, a little bit, but not to the point of non-recognizability.

Good topic. I too hope it brings comments.

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Im not sure about some of the rules but does anyone know if the CFL have all these stupid rules like hitting a defenseless reciever or helmet to helmet contact or even the one that amazes me the illegal block if the player isn't looking at you.

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Rugby seems like a purer version of football. The word "touchdown" actually makes sense once you watch it in rugby. I think the games are quite interesting. I'd really like to see rugby become more popular too.

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im too young to remember "the old days"

I like what im getting now though [grin1]

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Getting wings yesterday and ESPN was replaying parts of the Steelers Cowboys game where Jack Lambert threw down some Cliff (I think) guy after he gave a "thank ya" tap on the Steeler Kicker for missing the kick. That was a great NFL to watch.

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Wrong wrong wrong, You tried to make this same assertion before without backing it up with any facts, and it just doesn't hold any water. I have never heard of anyone anywhere trying to get rid of football and I am certain I live around a LOT more of the people on the side of the ledger you accuse of this than you do.

The fact is, people love football enough that they will tolerate some of the worst nonsense from the league and it won't in any way diminish the league's power and popularity.

In addition, the rules change now as they always have and the game rolls on. It's far more popular now than it was 30 years ago when it was more violent, just like football 30 years ago was far more popular then than it was in 1905 when Roosevelt rewrote the rules, utterly changing the game forever SPECIFICALLY for safety purposes. (You want real football? Go back to the days before the wussy forward pass).

The only way the NFL will fall apart is if it implodes with a lockout far worse than the last one. Hell, hockey lost a season once and still does well.

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