TOO MUCH FOOTBALL?
The season
is fast approaching and I am excited, but is it possible, have we actually
reached “Football Overload?”
Once upon a
time watching a football game was a big deal. You could go to your local High School game on Saturday afternoon, or watch the college “Game Of The Week” on TV Saturday
afternoon. Sunday was professional
Football; one game, if it was your home teams away game. If my Giants played at home, the game was
blacked out. Why? I don’t really know.
When the
Giants played at home, we listened to it on the radio. Still it was a big deal. The exception to this was if the Giants
played at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.
We lived in New Jersey, 70 miles from Philadelphia. When the Giants played at home against the
Eagles, Pop went up on the roof and faced the antennae towards Philadelphia.
In half of
all the houses in Westfield, New Jersey, there was a Pop on the roof yelling
down to his son “How’s that?” It was like a visit to the ophthalmologist only
yelling, “Better, better, worse, that’s good!”
Years later
they eliminated home game blackouts and started broadcasting two Sunday Pro
games when they added the AFL. The
Saturday college games were also broadcast over multiple networks and the TV
airwaves were filled with weekend daytime football.
TV ratings
were so high ABC added “Monday Night Football.”
Monday night
football brought joy to a testosterone overloaded audience. Somehow even women got caught up in Monday
night football. There were parties every
Monday night to watch whoever was playing.
The announcers were Frank Gifford, who called play by play, the expert, Dandy Don Meredith was Mr.
Personality, and the whole country formed a love hate relationship with Howard
Cosell.
Soon, Sunday
Night Football was on TV, College games were televised Friday nights and
Saturday nights. Cable started
broadcasting College games all day Saturday on multiple channels. High School games are now telecast Saturday
morning and Friday nights.
Thursday
night became time for college football, and last year games were also aired on
Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The week
was complete, football every day, and unlimited football all weekend.
This year
the NFL is broadcasting Thursday Night Football.
Is it
possible, has TV actually reached Football overload? What person could possibly watch football every single
night. Who could watch all day on
Saturday and Sunday? It is just not
humanly possible.
Still, I’m
gonna try.
You've just gotta pace yourself, Joe. I pretty much limit myself to college games. Sometimes there's a good one on Thursday night, but mainly from about 3 o'clock on Saturday until bedtime my TV is tuned in to college games. Saturday am and Sunday are reserved to do things with the Mrs. That seems about right to me.
ReplyDeleteIf I ever became enamored with pro football I'd be in trouble, though. But not to worry....I drive by the county jail every couple of weeks and get my fill of looking at felons. ;)
S
never been into it - except when i was in high school where it was more about the boys and socializing than anything.
ReplyDeleteI like how all the big end of season tournaments in almost every sport have been moved out a month or two and expanded to a gob more games in an effort to suck every last bit of energy and dollar out of the season.
ReplyDelete24/7 sports has put me way off TV. I read my news on the internet because my local station thinks OSU games are more important.
ReplyDeleteI think you can handle all this football. In fact I'm pretty sure you can. You probably will too. Say some parting words to your wife before the football season starts. I'm just saying.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and weekend. :)
I guess I don't qualify as one of those high testosterone males who can't get enough football. I watch one game a year---the Superbowl, and I watch mainly for the commercials. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteI like football... a lot.
ReplyDeleteI don't like when there is no alternative.
I don't need to know about spring football, mini-camp, the workouts, OTAs, and I only give a little bit of a fig about the draft.
I also think the season is much too long, both college and pro.
Heck... even HS football now extends into December.
Ditto, Stephen Hayes.
ReplyDeleteI think you can do it. There's really not much else to watch.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a real football fanatic. Twice, I won the weekly winner-picking contest ($100 prize money!) in my local paper. Not such an easy task. I had to review the records and stats and injury reports for pro, college AND the local high school teams. After that, there was nowhere to go but down. I think I reached my football saturation, and now I only watch the Super Bowl.
I wanted to write a witty comment on your post today, but it's all in Greek...
ReplyDeleteWatch down the road there will be a 12 step support group for those caught up in the "addiction" of so much football :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Even the word football is too much as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteAmerica and Australia are both swimming in WAY too much football - even if different kinds. I can't stand either kind. Luckily I married one of those rare guys who is not into watching sport on TV.
ReplyDeleteI have to listen to Greek music a lot though - I guess there's always a trade off.
Dish Network has the NFL Channel so sometimes the hubby can catch games in re-runs. Personally I think its boring because we already know who won the game. I was however laughing at that pic. OMG reminds me of those days when we had one of those and just to get like three channels and the days of playing here old this with the rabbit ears just so mama could watch the soaps. :)
ReplyDeleteAmen, Joe. Football has become 24/7/365 on ESPN and their many related TV and radio outlets. I like football, so I try to avoid as much of it as possible during the off-season (which is called that for a reason.)
ReplyDelete