The Washington Post reports on the free-fall collapse of NFL viewership. The phenomenon threatens to take down Big TeeVee as it falls.
Football, America’s biggest prime-time powerhouse, has been thrust into a crisis this fall, with dwindling ratings sparking questions over whether it can remain a gold mine for television in an age when more Americans are abandoning traditional TV.
Network executives have long used the National Football League’s live games as a last line of defense against the rapid growth of “cord-cutting” and on-demand viewing upending the industry.
My long-standing views on television and my recent decision on football are known to my audience. There is nothing wrong, per se, with either. Football is a sport, a simulated 1-hour war in a potential atmosphere of fun. Better that than a real war. TV offers (offered) the potential of idea transmission and entertainment. There is nothing wrong with that.
Blog Day Afternoon.
The problems with both institutions came from devolution. I swear both were hi-jacked and weaponized against the people many years ago. Football on television became the worst realization of the tragedy of Plato’s Cave. Now it seems people are turning both off.
The Post says the change came about from people utilizing newer forms of electronic entertainment. I’m not sure the change is for the better. Sure, some must be reading websites like this one, Googling “Plato Cave” and then reading The Republic. Intellectualization is never a bad thing.
Still, I suspect many have only traded one from of trivial control for another. Half of the internet and 98% of cable is dedicated to filth and stupidity.
We now have the ability to comment of the Tweets of Alt-Right pundits, who commented on the comments of traditional pundits, who garnered thoughts about news accounts of insults and general jabber-wacky spouted by other commentators, about the remarks of candidates in some battle royal “debate” between two sides of the same uni-party in a Club-controlled political election.
Others trespass backyards at night looking for a digital cartoon rabbit or gold stars or something.
I suppose all of this beats dodging lions, sacrificing rival tribesmen to the sun gods, or searching for a lightening-sparked fire source. Beats it but not by much.
Allow me to offer up some better alternatives for passing away the free time:
- Read a book – any book;
- Write a book – any book;
- Start a business. This is difficult given the regulatory environment and failure is likely. Still, I know you have some great ideas – something you are good at, that you enjoy, that others will pay for;
- Call the IRS (800-829-1040): go through all of the robo-options and see how many times they hang up on you. Hours of fun….;
- Vacation in Cuba and get your cigars on. Thanks, BHO!;
- Go to the gym – cross-fit, power-lift, body build, treadmill, boxing, old man shuffle – anything, just do it. 70% are flirting with diabetes and the slow death of fast food. Reverse the curse;
- If you love football, instead of watching it, buy a ball and take the kids to the park and play it;
- Take a walk in the woods. A slow walk whereby you look at and appreciate exactly what goes on in the greater creation;
- Write a letter to someone in power asking or telling them to stop a war;
- Google “Virginia Gallardo dance.” Okay, this might trend towards “filth” but, hey, she’s not hurting anyone and you gotta channel that inner Trump sometime. BTW, gentlemen, once you do this, you may thank me in the comments section;
These are only suggestions.
