Coming to terms with Arena Ball

I'd like it if defense was still a thing that mattered in the NFL.  Crazy track meets get old after a while and a lot of games are boring blowouts now.   Having some balance between O/D makes it competitive and more interesting to me.  But I get that the NFL just wants t.v. ratings and catering to fantasy football players makes that happen so yeah, it's arena football most of the time now.   To me it's just not that interesting watching guys run up and down all night banging touchdowns.   Some struggle and challenge is more interesting and makes the scores matter a lot more when one happens.  Guess I'm a dinosaur.

I'm so tired of listening to Zimmer and DeFilippo mention at every press conference how they tried to establish the run as the key component of their game plan. Like you mentioned, there were some great defensive plays in this game and they still managed to set the record for most points in MNF history, and third most all time in the NFL. There is zero chance you are going to win against these high octane teams trying to run the ball, especially with this line. Unbelievable game. 

I didn't watch the whole game because I get bored with score after score. There were a lot of lame penalties too. But I am glad the defenses made plays too. The run game is important but the role is changing. It's time to focus on offense first. There has been plenty of money spent on defense. We need an OL. 

I did not watch the game. Some will say there was no D. 
How many of the 105 points were off turn overs? 
Rams scored 14 points with 2 pick 6's. Just 1 offensive play after another INT resulted in 21 of their 54 points 
Did they score off of the 2 DFR's?
Chiefs scored 7 points with a pick 6 
Did they score off of their 2 DFR's
If they did 49 of the 105 points might have been because of short fields and DTD's. 
Hey at least neither team gave up after getting punch in the mouth, like a team we all know.

And the media just blows their load over these types of games: last night was an 'instant classic'. But regardless, this will attract new viewers, especially the coveted 18-34 year old demographic. 

The NFL times, they are a changin'.....much to the chagrin of old diehards like ourselves.

p.s. I didn't watch a second of the game last night. When the Vikings are mediocre or worse, my taste for the rest of the NFL is bitter.

Welcome to the NBA of football.  Sorry...I didn't watch a second of the game 'cause I predicted this scoring weeks ago.  Two mediocre defenses and score at will offenses.  Last team with a possession wins.  Nope.  Can't embrace this.

@"StickyBun" said: And the media just blows their load over these types of games: last night was an 'instant classic'. But regardless, this will attract new viewers, especially the coveted 18-34 year old demographic. 

The NFL times, they are a changin'.....much to the chagrin of old diehards like ourselves.

My son says it's even getting old watching the nba because of the lack of defense.  I think this style of game is even wearing thin on the younger generation as well.  The league will find out that the fans didnt want the wide open scoring as much as they wanted something different,  but this type of interest will wane and they will have to try and put the struggle back into the game.

While I don't paticularly care for soccer,  i have to recognize it's global popularity and it's low scoring rates hold a larger fan base than the nfl,  but yet the nfl wants to lure that fan base with wide open scoring fests?  

A score should he something to celebrate,  not something you come to expect 6 times before the half.

The commentators were salivating about the scoring and I kept hearing them say welcome to the new NFL. I had my phone in my hand and was doing work on my laptop during the game. It wasn't riveting to me, it was a lopsided product. I was watching with my son and even he was like meh. He kept commenting about the defenses. It was clearly orchestrated by penalties and the narrative for the outcome they wanted. 

@"StickyBun" said: p.s. I didn't watch a second of the game last night. When the Vikings are mediocre or worse, my taste for the rest of the NFL is bitter.

That's me to a "t"

Vikings are mediocre or suck? I don't watch much. 

Smells like .500 to me - so disappointing too. 

First we got fake news.
Now, we've got fake football.
'Merica.

I haven't watched much other football. I have been focusing more and more on college football. Last night I watched some mainly because I was curious about the narrative. There is more and more narrative to games now. I did appreciate how they honored the first responders and hearing about the impact to people's homes. Some people think wildfires and think trees burning but it's so much more. 

@"prairieghost" said: First we got fake news. Now, we've got fake football. 'Merica.

This is truer than most believe.  Remember the McGwire v. Sosa homerun shoot-out was MLB's contrived way of taking America's mind off the baseball strike years and subsequent declining viewership (steroids be damned...full speed ahead!).
What you see this year with the defensive rule changes and coddling of quarterbacks is the NFL's way of taking America's-3rd grader-short-attention-span off of the NFL kneelers & resulting declining attendance and the looming concussion scandal. 
It's contrived Kabuki theater, folks.  To read that foppish article on ESPN calling last nights game an "instant classic" is like calling an NBA all-star game a nail biter.

@"prairieghost" said: First we got fake news. Now, we've got fake football. 'Merica.

Fake, fantasy it's all the same. 
The NFL has so sold itself to fantasy they forgot the football. You know the one. Where trying to stop the team from scoring was half the game. Think it's less then a 1/4 now. 

This message was brought to you by Grumpy old men of America.

@"suncoastvike" said:

@"prairieghost" said: First we got fake news. Now, we've got fake football. 'Merica.

Fake, fantasy it's all the same. 
The NFL has so sold itself to fantasy they forgot the football. You know the one. Where trying to stop the team from scoring was half the game. Think it's less then a 1/4 now. 

This message was brought to you by Grumpy old men of America.

This is the media hyperbole I'm talking about, so over the top:

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/11/20/chiefs-rams-nfl-new-era-high-scoring-offenses-mnf

@"StickyBun" said: This is the media hyperbole I'm talking about, so over the top:

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/11/20/chiefs-rams-nfl-new-era-high-scoring-offenses-mnf

Want to solve the energy crisis?  Hook up turbines to the coffins of Lombardi or Halas, 'cause 'dem boys are spinning in their graves!

@"Ralphie" said:

@"StickyBun" said: This is the media hyperbole I'm talking about, so over the top:

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/11/20/chiefs-rams-nfl-new-era-high-scoring-offenses-mnf

Want to solve the energy crisis?  Hook up turbines to the coffins of Lombardi or Halas, 'cause 'dem boys are spinning in their graves!

Just reported: biggest MNF ratings in 4 years for this game. 

@"StickyBun" said: Just reported: biggest MNF ratings in 4 years for this game. 

Shocked.  Shocked, I tells ya'!

If we want to duplicate last nights game, trade Waynes, Rhodes, Barr, Kendricks, Griffen, and Hunter and get as many draft picks as possible.  Let any defensive FA's walk and take the savings and put it all on OL free agents, WR and RB's and get all the young, raw athletes on D.
We'll give up 40 points per game average but, gee, won't it be exciting!