The Captain patch

[irish]

Originally Posted by GMScud

So what if they're for the fans? The fans are the driving force of the NFL anyway. The whole league is for the fans really. I think it's silly to suggest a player wouldn't be proud of wearing a captain's patch. Obviously the players and coaches know who the leaders are. But many of the fans out there wouldn't know who the team captains are without the C patch. It lets all the viewers know who leads their respective unit. I'm sure that means something to every player with the C on their chest.

I guess we could also debate the idea that the fans are the driving force of the NFL. IMO that couldnt be further from the truth. The driving force of the NFL is TV revenue. To a large extent it doesnt really matter what the fans want or when they want it, it all about what the TV networks want. If it comes down to a battle between TV or the fans the fans lose every time.

I'm sure players are proud to wear a C patch but I suspect they are more proud to know that they are viewed by their teammates and coaches as leaders whether they have a patch or not.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by irish

I guess we could also debate the idea that the fans are the driving force of the NFL. IMO that couldnt be further from the truth. The driving force of the NFL is TV revenue. To a large extent it doesnt really matter what the fans want or when they want it, it all about what the TV networks want. If it comes down to a battle between TV or the fans the fans lose every time.

I'm sure players are proud to wear a C patch but I suspect they are more proud to know that they are viewed by their teammates and coaches as leaders whether they have a patch or not.

What drives TV revenue? In large part it's ad sales. What brings top dollar for ad sales? Tons of viewership. Who views games? Fans.

If TV ratings sucked because there were no fans to watch the games, what would happen to TV revenue? Exactly.

Where are games played? In stadiums full of fans who pay top dollar for tickets, concessions, and parking. Revenue directly from fans' wallets into the teams' bank accounts.

Ultimately it all comes down to the fans. I'll argue this to death. If no one cared about football, it goes away. Pretty simple really.

[irish]

Originally Posted by GMScud

What drives TV revenue? In large part it's ad sales. What brings top dollar for ad sales? Tons of viewership. Who views games? Fans.

If TV ratings sucked because there were no fans to watch the games, what would happen to TV revenue? Exactly.

Where are games played? In stadiums full of fans who pay top dollar for tickets, concessions, and parking. Revenue directly from fans' wallets into the teams' bank accounts.

Ultimately it all comes down to the fans. I'll argue this to death. If no one cared about football, it goes away. Pretty simple really.

The fans are an indirect driver of revenue but when it comes to real muscle the TV networks win every time. The NFL knows the fans are a bunch of suckers that will lap up anything football related at any price. I just cant think of one case where the fans demands won out over TVs. IMO, thats where we see who has the true clout.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by irish

The fans are an indirect driver of revenue but when it comes to real muscle the TV networks win every time. The NFL knows the fans are a bunch of suckers that will lap up anything football related at any price. I just cant think of one case where the fans demands won out over TVs. IMO, thats where we see who has the true clout.

I'll agree that when it comes to decision-making surrounding all things NFL, TV contracts and ad dollars are a much bigger influence on the league than fans.

My contension is simply that if there weren't so many fans of NFL football, the league and it's TV deals would be irrelevant. And if that's the case, fans are therefore the driving force of the NFL.

[SmootSmack]

The league itself (and the teams) has much more clout over the tv networks

[tryfuhl]

jesus...

[SkinEmAll]

irish, i got a patch for ya, it has no stars but the initials, S.T.F.U. since your so smart and all knowing see if you can figure out what the initials stand for. and by the way you remind me of several people ive known over the years, and they were the ones that people would walk the other way when they saw them coming, or they ended up with some sort of bodily harm, ....just sayin