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[NickFire]

Based on NBA ratings, I don't think the product is appealing to anyone, let alone old men.

That's not good. Looks like I might be in the minority on this one I guess.

 

[diffusionx]

Baseball is better than it has been in 15-20 years thanks to the rules changes and the new crop of players they are bringing in. It was legit unwatchable in the mid-to-late 10s because of the analytics and TTO and all that, but they are fixing that. Basketball and football, though, are still in the middle of the "statistical revolution" and like baseball 10 years ago, it's ruining both sports. But football is also confounded by the intractable safety problem so they keep trying to make up rules to showw the illusion of safety. Basketball and football also both have labor problems, in that the players have so much leverage they do things like not play because they dont feel like it, or demand trades a year after signing a huge deal, leading to chaos and disconnecting fans with teams

 

[Ballthyrm]

Americans love contact sports, none of that pussy ass shit soccer where they flop without being touched.

If that were true, rugby and NHL would be king.
I think Americans love "start and stop" sports. Where they can go get a beer and come back and not miss anything.
Americans sports are convenient, like the fast food you eat while watching them.

Soccer players are plenty capable of not flopping all over the place, the rules are just shit and they aren't sanctionned for it.
FIFA is corrupt and they don't want to change the dumb rules.

 

[RagnarokIV]

I quickly read this as modern NSA is garbage, was expecting a different thread.

 

[BigBeauford]

If that were true, rugby and NHL would be king.
I think Americans love "start and stop" sports. Where they can go get a beer and come back and not miss anything.
Americans sports are convenient, like the fast food you eat while watching them.

Soccer players are plenty capable of not flopping all over the place, the rules are just shit and they aren't sanctionned for it.
FIFA is corrupt and they don't want to change the dumb rules.

Americans love drama or the idea of a dramatic moment. The potential for a dramatic moment is there on virtually every football play, from both the offense and the defense. Add in the infrequency of the games (16 games played) and each game represents a very high stakes affair, where 1 or 2 losses could mean the end, and the inverse can apply to the wins.

I think high stakes soccer (think world cup or the Olympics) is fantastic, while most of the time a soccer match feels like watching a cross country event with a soccer ball thrown in. Lots of long periods where the ball is being passed backwards and sideways. While I understand why it's done, it doesn't make it any more compelling.