I don't need to google the data. I have went over it in detail the past decade. The nominal declines also coincided with the introduction of streaming services, Red Zone Channel, the popularity of central viewing points such as sports bars and such which do not count in the numbers, etc. This decline started BEFORE any of the protests started. Those on both sides of the political spectrum want to claim it is because of them. Wrong. Technology. Sorry.

I can't debate you on the impact of expanded technology but I will say as a parent of two young boys there's a list of sports I'll let them play before they ever play football (if at all). And thanks to the revelations about CTE, I'm not alone.

The growing awareness of the dangers of football is causing parents to push more kids away from football and ultimately away from being future fans.

I played baseball growing up. My older son was a swimmer. Neither of us ever played football. Yet, we are both die-hard NFL fans. Playing a sport has nothing to do with being a fan of the sport. At all. In fact, I have heard people say that they played football their entire lives and they have no desire to watch it.

You're talking about the past, I'm talking about the futre.

Yes. The future is bright for the NFL. They are just beginning to tap into the global market. A small percentage of American thinking about tuning out for one reason or another isn't going to register a blip moving forward.

Unfortunately, he's right.

I don't watch football anymore other than my beloved Saints. Too much BS involved and I used to live for football even though I never played!

I can't debate you on the impact of expanded technology but I will say as a parent of two young boys there's a list of sports I'll let them play before they ever play football (if at all). And thanks to the revelations about CTE, I'm not alone.

The growing awareness of the dangers of football is causing parents to push more kids away from football and ultimately away from being future fans.

While I was on my morning walk I was thinking about this. I have heard this argument before about the safety concerns for the NFL players and how it affects how people feel about the game. It is even more relevant considering COVID-19. I have always thought it interesting, this concern. Do people not realize there are dozens of professions FAR more dangerous than that of a professional football player? Should firefighters stop fighting fires? Should soldiers stop defending their country? Should construction workers stop building bridges? Should farmers stop growing crops? Should fisherman stop supplying fish? Should truck drivers stop delivering goods? Should we eliminate auto racing and MMA? How about movies stunts? What about trash collection? One of the ten most dangerous jobs in the world. How about mining? My dad's family were coal miners. Extremely dangerous. What about logging workers? Per capita the most dangerous job in the world.

There is definitely a risk playing football ... in any environment. But, they are well compensated so why should we be concerned over their welfare any more than they are themselves? They know the risks far better than us.

That's the point. Most people ignore BS. We don't let it bother us. Life is full of BS. None of it is important enough to me to get in the way of my entertainment, though. Portions of society have become far too sensitive. I have mentioned this before, the only person being affected by refusing to watch anything, not only football, is the person missing out on the entertainment.

The vast majority of the country do not have the same concerns about the game. The rest of the world certainly doesn't. They couldn't care less if a player took a dump on the sideline during our National Anthem. American politics is meaningless when it comes to the NFL as far as they are concerned. Pretty much the same sentiment of the vast majority of the public.

Having actually played the game has no impact on any of this. I would venture to say that 99% of the NFL viewing audience has never played a snap of organized football in their lives.