Yes I know it's a championship vs. a regular season game. However, just a few years ago the regular season football game would've blown away the World Series game.

With that said, let us all raise a glass and praise the strong return of America's past time. May this trend continue for years to come.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/nf ... 2gbyihgjku

To baseball, truly the greatest game played on grass.

After tonight, I will once again binge watch Ken Burns' marathon documentary on the subject

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Chus thinks any game played on grass is the greatest game.

Approved.


Even if the gains are mostly racist hicks protesting Kaepernick, Ill take it! Welcome!

Great post.

_________________
Elections have consequences.

Baseball is doing well but as the article pointed out, this happens every so often.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

How often does it happen where NFL ratings decline for two straight seasons?

_________________

It has been 2-3 straight seasons of a decline in football's viewership and issues like CTE are not going away. What happens when the talent level falls off because the parents of the next Tom Brady say that little Tom can't play football?

Granted my kid won't be a future star, but I'm not letting him play Pop Warner when the time comes.

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Well, all television is declining. People used to make fun of the NFL for losing to The Walking Dead. They are at a 5 year low in ratings also.

There are going to be major adjustments to how kids play sports, and football will be one of the biggest changes. It won't make it hard to get adults to play.

As for football, nothing lasts forever. There have been other sports that have been the most popular or close to the most popular that declined too. It happens.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I love the baseball fans inferiority complex. "Our epic WS game slightly beat out the NFL's dogshit regular season game! Proof MLB is better!"

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

sports will have to be changed, but baseball for the most part won't.

Yes TV ratings are down across the board, but I can't think of any time in my life where baseball would beat Monday Night Football. Even another World Series game.

I think baseball is on the cusp of a comeback to the forefront of American sports. I for one welcome it.

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

not really saying it proves one is better, but highlighting a trend that should be examined further.

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Baseball is great.

Football is great.

No need for their to be any tension.

Although I will say this stuff says way more about the problems of the NFL, than anything about MLB

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Agreed, but I don't see football's problems being resolved, but rather I see them getting worse as fewer kids end up in the football pipeline

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

It has happened before though especially with a big market out there.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yeap not mutually exclusive. You can love both. Of course any one football game is bigger than anyone baseball game save for playoff game 7's in baseball.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

It'll still take a backseat to the NBA for the foreseeable future regardless of what happens with the NFL

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

The NBA will struggle with college fans, people in NBA markets that aren't San Antonio, San Francisco, Houston, and Cleveland, and people who don't flap their arms at black guys being catty little girls on Twitter.

_________________

No it won't. None of those apply to me or most fans I know. You're bad at the NBA fan stereotype thing.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

That would be my thought. Outside of our little echo chamber on the board I do not have a good feeling for the true NBA love. We have the media tell us the numbers are great and it is a world wide game but how big is it really?

In Pittsburgh there is no team and outside of a little Lebron talk by people because Akron and Cleveland are kind of close I never hear anyone talk about it. On the upside they talk hockey in the general population and on talk radio all the time so that is good.

_________________
Elections have consequences.

To summarize, you think there is a media conspiracy to lie about the NBA ratings and popularity, and you believe it's not popular because Pittsburgh(who doesn't have a NBA team and has one of the most iconic hockey franchises ever) is more interested in hockey than the NBA. That's priceless

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I think the overall point here is that NBA basketball and NHL hockey are both niche sports and popularity is based upon the market you are in.

Baseball is American though...

"The one constant through all the years Ray, has been baseball..." - Terrance Mahan

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Not saying that at all. I believe the media when they say the ratings are huge on a national level and worldwide. What I don't know if how big is it where there are no teams.

_________________
Elections have consequences.

You have this backwards friend. Baseball is by far the sport most dependent on local market. NFL, NBA, and even NHL aren't as dependent.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

That applies to all sports but like I said above, baseball is a sport moreso than any other that is dependent on local markets. Most NBA fans on here are cool with watching a Warriors/Celtics game on national tv. Most MLB fans on here are not tuning in for a regular season Diamondbacks/Mets game.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

The NHL is far more dependent on local revenue streams than baseball is. They barely have an American TV deal.

_________________

The NHL certainly is, but I would say MLB is not.

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

That's a surprising take, imo. I didn't think there was much of a debate about local vs national appeal with MLB

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

You would say MLB doesn't rely on local revenue streams? No way, they're not there yet. The team-owned RSNs are huge for baseball teams (or the Rangers getting obscene money from Fox for some reason).

_________________