Which of the Big 3 in sports will be in big trouble in ten years?

A sample of some of their problems-


MLB:

-aging fan base

-to youth, speed of game unappealing and slow compared to NFL & NBA

-too many regular season games, regular season games seem to have little consequence


NBA:

-players run the show

-creation of the super team make 99% of the NBA teams irrelevant

-ticket prices eliminate the true fan outside of nosebleed seats


NFL:

-most political of all professional sports often turns off fans

-emergence of CTE brain injuries turning off parents of having their offspring play the sport

 

Good question! I don't think any will disappear, but each will be diminished for the reasons you allude to. I gave up on NBA as it seems to be the most blatantly officiated to favor the star players & better teams. If I had to pick one, NFL for a combo of reasons, not the least of which is the guy in charge seems to be ill prepared to manage anything remotely resembling a crisis...T

 

And what about the NHL?

Anyway, I have felt for years that MLB should pare back at least to the old standard of 154 regular season games, at least since the World Series started extending into November. No one wants to watch the Series in near-frigid weather. I don't think baseball is in danger, especially seeing how many kids I see at the ballparks. The fact that the action is not constant can actually be a benefit. And ticket prices are reasonable compared to the other sports.

My biggest complaint about basketball has more to do with the relationship between the NBA and the colleges; I think "one and done" should be outlawed, and players should be required to spend at least 2 years in college, if not 3 like football. There is also too much physical contact in the NBA, which is not how the game was originally designed. I have also advocated an additional "normal man's" pro league, identical to the NBA but with a height limit of, say, 6'3"?

I agree that football is in the most danger; for one thing the same ticket-price complaint shown for the NBA applies here as well. The big problem is the CTE situation; unless someone can come up with a helmet design that virtually eliminates the concussion risk - and that seems rather unlikely at present - the number of players at the school levels is likely to dwindle to an unacceptable level, especially as other sports appear as alternatives. Here in Atlanta, lacrosse has progressed from nearly unknown in 1996 to a big deal high school sport today, and I know of at least one talented football player who gave up the sport for lacrosse. Another gave up football after two concussions, and his younger brother bypassed football altogether (he would have been a fabulous player) to play baseball and ultimate frisbee (!) instead! I predict that football, as we know it, will be extinct in 25 years.

 

NFL
MLB

NBA has been the smartest of the big 3 no matter how I feel about them. Basketball is an urban sport, the others not so much. Yes lots of kids play baseball but few watch like they did back in the "good Ole" days

 

Which of the Big 3 in sports will be in big trouble in ten years?

The Lions!

 

Normally, this time of year I would be getting cranked up about football and the NFL starting up. Now, I'm not interested. Between the brain cases, the politicalization of the game, more and more players revealing themselves to be the thugs they truly are, college coaches only interested in the dollar, and on and on, I have lost interest. You see, I was a fan because I played I high school and loved the game. I have never played fantasy football and never intend to. I just liked watching football games.

I have just moved to a small Texas town. Once it cools off, I think I'll check out some high school games. Maybe that will get me interested again.

 

I still can't figure out why rugby isn't the biggest sport in the US... short 80 minutes of play time, no stopping except for half time, all the speed and action of the NFL combined with the nonstop flow aspect of soccer and hockey, easy to follow rules, etc etc. It's all the things people love about sports but somehow hasn't caught on. Along those lines, I'm surprised that the NFL has held on as long as it has. If any of the big three goes away suspect that it will be the first to fade as more people get tired of spending 3.5 hours watching a 60 minute game that has 10 minutes of actual action. If you like watching ads for beer and cheap American cars, that's your sport.

 

Rugby 7's has definitely grown in popularity over the last decade; if football interest subsides, it is a good candidate to take its place. Most colleges have a club and I've even heard of some high school programs.

I always enjoy watching Australian Rules Football. But to play Aussie Rules on our fields would require some modifications. And those guys do it without helmets!

 

Now that gave me a good laugh this morning, thanks!

 

When the Rugby 7's come to Vegas they hold it at Sam Boyd Stadium right by my house. It's crazy and tons of people flock to it. You wouldn't know Rugby isn't popular those 3 days each year.

https://www.usasevens.com/las-vegas/

 

Lol

 

NHL isn't even in the top 4

 

MLB. they have to completely reinvent the game to stay relevant.

NFL can solve their political problems (keep their mouths shut and focus on the game), and equipment updates and relatively minor rules changes can/have cut down on concussions.

NBA is doing really well right now, people love superstars. NBA gives the people what they want.

 

Thug ball? I don’t think so. I played high school ball in Illinois. If you took more than two steps without passing, the coach had a heart attack.

No thank you. Frankly, MLB is this only sport that gets my respect. Those guys know they are damn lucky to be out there, and it shows.


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I'm glad you took it in the good natured ribbing that was intended.

I actually have a little stake in them now that Matt Patricia is their coach.

Go Lions!

 

well we live in a thug culture so no surprise the NBA is doing well....

and I thought you grew up in Florida?

 

Yeah, but I ended up going to high school in corn country. Long story, not worth telling. I left as soon as I could and have never been back. Although, the beginning of REO Speedwagon was my high school band, but I never liked their music.


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I used to go to Vegas 4 or 5 times a year, with one of those trips always toward the end of February when the tournament is on. Unfortunately I always had a stack of things to do and never made it but did happen to meet a group of women one time who were there to try to hook up with rugby guys... good times

One thing that surprises me most about rugby is the rarity of injuries compared to NFL. Guys get hurt of course, but not like American football. I was at my local Irish pub one morning last year to watch EPL and after the games the TVs all switched to college football. In the next ~20 minutes there were only three plays completed, with each one taking an extended amount of time as they all resulted in a player being carted off the field. Some professionals have come out in the last few years to say that they wouldn't let their kids play because of stuff like this, which probably doesn't bode well for the future of the sport.

 

I think the NFL will eventually adopt Rugby style rules for tackling due to CTE concerns. I don't think it will substantially alter the enjoyment of the game, and probably make the games go faster (fewer injury time outs).

 

All three major sports have up and down years. I think a lot of it has to do with promotion, advertising and random events. I don't think the leagues have much to do with it.

The problem is more of a financial one more than one on the field or court. The rich get richer and get the better players so it's a self fulfilling prophecy. But, every 5 years or so some team comes out of nowhere and that drives interest (aka a random event). The "kneeling thing" is also a random event.

What will kill sports is what happens with today's 5-10 year olds. Its at this age that you develop a life long interest in a sport and even more specifically in a team. If today's kids lose interest to play, watch, play a video game of a sport, or go to the games then these sports will slowly die.

Forget soccer and rugby ever being major sports in America. Never gonna happen.

 

I agree that rugby will never catch on in the U.S. (for completely inexplicable reasons), but right now MLS is well ahead of NBA and NHL in average attendance, and has been for a few years now. Seattle Sounders and Atlanta United are pulling in 65-70k per game which puts them up there with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. Miami has a team coming soon and the plans for their stadium look extremely impressive and will no doubt bring in huge numbers given the demographics of the area. I've had season tickets for DC United for years now and opening day at our new stadium last week was insane. MLS has a long way to go in order to catch up with MLB and NFL, but it's definitely on the rise while those two seem to be in decline.

 

MLS will be the future.

I spend almost 10K a year on my boys to play hockey. Another 5K a year on lacrosse and gymnastics.

Soccer is like $250. Of course the future is soccer.

If I never step inside another hockey dressing room I’ll be happy.

Me and a lot of my buds were big NFL fans. When the kneeling started, we all bolted. Don’t miss it.

Edit: heading for the exits regarding the NFL was our protest movement.

 

I disagree. I think the NFL is deliberately disengaging from America. The NBA already has. Welcome to thug world.


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Do you think that the owners are gradually separating themselves from liability?

Or

Are they participating in the breakdown of the “old American ways of life?”

 

I think the owners see legacy fans as yesterday’s wine. The only thing keeping them going are the TV contracts, and when they look at how NASCAR is dying, they see the need for an expanded fan base. Thus, the stupid games in London and Mexico City.

Frankly, if it wasn’t for fantasy football and gambling, the NFL would have tanked long ago. The game is boring, e.g., plays designed as 5-yard passes. The players are uneducated thugs. The only decent QB is Brady.

Said another way, the NFL is deliberately letting this political crap happen because they think it will mean more money for them. Stupid.


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