NASCAR, where have all your fans gone?

NJJammer said:
The metrics being used to measure digital media are relatively new so I would presume that every sport would have wild year over year growth as smartphones become ubiquitous. The true measures are TV viewership which determines sponsorship dollars (both in the networks' pockets and sponsorship of our favorite race teams) and in paid attendance at the track. By those measures, NASCAR is failing miserably and is in decline. The reasons are many and highly debatable but the truth is this sport will be around for a long while but everyone from the owners, drivers to the shop employees are looking at large revenue decreases and pay cuts in the future. The NASCAR bubble grew too large and it will continue to deflate until it reaches some form of equilibrium. The result will likely be that by the mid 2020s, NASCAR will field fewer teams and race cars (down to 36 or even 32), less races (32 or 30) in front of more intimate grandstands (think 40-50K except Daytona) with less viewers watching the races on TV or devices.

Where is the money for the sport if people just casually check the race results on their phones? I occasionally check the box scores for my local NHL team but no longer watch them on TV or attend in person. Do my twenty clicks a month on the NHL website generate any money for my team? In short, very little or nothing.
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You get a like for your post just for using the word "ubiquitous" as rich and descriptive words are not in great use anymore. The rest of your post is spot on and I agree that Nascar will always be around in some form but in a more stripped down version. IMO Nascar has a glut of product with 3 series and 36 cup races as those things represent the halcyon days and will need to be adjusted downward at some point to align with demand.

I think Nascar will eventually have to merge trucks and X as those series are woefully supported and cars counts will have to drop to the low to mid 30's. Some of the tracks have already been through 2 seating reduction phases and it looks like most will need to trim more as there is no need for them. I see most races attracting 35-40 thousand fans and everyone will still be making money but far less than in the good old days.
 
gnomesayin said:
The ESPN screeds here are a bit silly, because if ESPN is doomed by the realities of shrinking cable subscribers, so certainly are its much smaller competitors. ESPN is both losing revenue and still the most profitable division of Disney. People are worried about Disney because it is so dependent on ESPN. Creatively, Fox Sports isn't doing anything interesting but hiring away ESPN's loudest (and most expensive) yakkers and hot takers and benefiting from when they get MLB playoffs and major events. I watch their motorsports programming, but I also watch CBS Sports and MavTV, and those networks are nothingburgers in terms of audience. The new cheaper skinny cable TV bundles that are helping cable companies retain some customers include ESPN but often not the other sports nets.

Regarding the intended thread topic, I have trouble digesting digital numbers, especially promotional ones. NASCAR's digital consumption is growing as digital consumption of everything is. I believe that if they had truly impressive figures to tout that would rebut the falling TV numbers, they would do so. Instead they remain vague. I do hope there is a bright future for NASCAR online, as races can potentially be covered with much more depth than is possible on a TV broadcast.
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I believe that if overall interest and engagement with Nascar was robust there would be more evidence of it in our local communities. Way back when bars and taverns used to cater to Nascar fans, people had Nascar themed get togethers and groups of friends would be in fantasy leagues and attend races together. There were stores that sold Nascar merchandise and retailers would use a Nascar promotion or theme to entice people to do business with them but those days are gone.

Nothing I am saying is by any means scientific but when coupled with sagging attendance, sharp yearly drops in viewership and the recent giveaway of the title sponsorship it all adds up. It is remarkable that Monster is essentially making a 2 year commitment to see if it can knock the stink off the series and turn it into something worthwhile. If they can't then 2 years from now there may be no more title sponsor.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
When it comes to streaming TV providers, Playstation Vue is king. I only subscribed so I could watch the Olympics but I haven't cancelled. Between Vue and Netflix, I'm usually pretty well covered.
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Thanks for the suggestion. It took a bit of digging on their site to get some details about the service. Initially, it looks like there may be several deal breakers.
  • They apparently don't carry PBS. I can probably pull an acceptable signal with an antenna, but I'll need to buy a separate DVR.
  • It appears the service requires a Playstation for each of my three TVs. I don't have don't have one, much less three. If that's the case, that's more start-up hardware expenses.
  • I'm not sure about the speed of my DSL connection being sufficient to support watching or record two shows at once. My alternative is switching back to Time-Warner for Internet service, and they've pissed me off so many times I won't consider using them regardless of how much I could save.
  • Assuming DSL is sufficient, I don't have connections in the rooms where two of the TVs are. Indeed, the one TV in the same room with a connection is 15 feet away with a fireplace in between. Running a cable across the floor isn't an option, assuming either one of us would tolerate that visually.
  • It appears l'd lose the ability to watch Fox and NBC at work. I use my Dish account to watch practice and qualifying on Fridays.
It doesn't initially look like it fits the way I watch the tube, and that the start-up costs may exceed the payback. Any suggestions for other alternatives? In your opinion, what makes Vue better than them? Do they all have similar requirements and limitations?

Regardless, thanks for the starting info!
 
When I was out in the Malibu area for a couple of months last May and June I felt like I was the only person who had even watched a NASCAR race. People were curious but and would start watching with me but they would get bored and start looking at their phones and finally just leave the room. Even when I'd inform them as to what was happening they just could not make themselves care. He's from Bakersfield! He's from El Cajon! <crickets> They just didn't care at all. It bummed me out that they were so quickly bored. Even my son gets bored watching races. He loves going to races, loves playing NASCAR Heat on his Xbox One and enjoys talking about NASCAR with me just can't watch more than a few minutes of racing at a time. He loves restarts and close battles but that's about it. How does NASCAR capture these young people who need to replace the old fans who are getting too old to attend races or who can no longer afford it? I give credit to NASCAR for trying so hard because they are facing challenges that just did not exist 10 years ago.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Thanks for the suggestion. It took a bit of digging on their site to get some details about the service. Initially, it looks like there may be several deal breakers.
  • They apparently don't carry PBS. I can probably pull an acceptable signal with an antenna, but I'll need to buy a separate DVR.
  • It appears the service requires a Playstation for each of my three TVs. I don't have don't have one, much less three. If that's the case, that's more start-up hardware expenses.
  • I'm not sure about the speed of my DSL connection being sufficient to support watching or record two shows at once. My alternative is switching back to Time-Warner for Internet service, and they've pissed me off so many times I won't consider using them regardless of how much I could save.
  • Assuming DSL is sufficient, I don't have connections in the rooms where two of the TVs are. Indeed, the one TV in the same room with a connection is 15 feet away with a fireplace in between. Running a cable across the floor isn't an option, assuming either one of us would tolerate that visually.
  • It appears l'd lose the ability to watch Fox and NBC at work. I use my Dish account to watch practice and qualifying on Fridays.
It doesn't initially look like it fits the way I watch the tube, and that the start-up costs may exceed the payback. Any suggestions for other alternatives? In your opinion, what makes Vue better than them? Do they all have similar requirements and limitations?

Regardless, thanks for the starting info!
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I watch PBS programming on the PBS app.
You do not need a Playstation. You can use Vue on Roku and Chromecast.
My internet is DSL (CenturyLink) and I've streamed on three devices simultaneously before.
You can use your Playstation credentials to watch Fox and NBC at work the same way you do now.

Yeah, getting a Roku device is an up front cost, but they are worth it. Not just for Playstation Vue but everything else they offer as well. You have to keep in mind with cable, you're paying each month for all the equipment and that probably adds up to what a Roku stick costs.
 
Matthew2470 said:
... Feel free to PM if you have any questions.
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I may, since I'm not familiar with most of the terms you used.

I'm paying Dish $98 for their 'Top 250' tier and three receivers, one with DVR. I'm beginning to think I'm better off staying put. I don't have a philosophical dog in this fight, no 'me vs. The Man' outlook. I don't have any of the required equipment some of y'all have mentioned. If I can't gather numbers showing I'll save beau coup big bucks after the first year (say, $25 monthly), I won't bother with the startup costs and hassle.

But thanks. I'll take a look at that link, and I may bug you further.
 
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There isn't a cable sports network that is truly flourishing these days. Everyone is losing subscribers in some fashion. NBCSN actually posted the biggest loss among the flagship networks (ESPN, FS1, NBCSN) going into the month of December, losing 620k while ESPN and FS1 lost 555k and 258k. It'll be a long time before NBCSN has a programming inventory that is even half as strong as ESPN's. FS1 is putting together some solid programming but is modeling themselves very much after ESPN yet without all of the subscriber revenue; it'll be interesting to see how they're able to pay for all of the properties they're accumulating in the future and how much their fee goes up. Regardless, all three of them are going to have to get more friendly and creative with over-the-top options.

https://sportstvratings.com/how-man...-december-2016-cable-coverage-estimates/6936/
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
From the stats @FLRacingFan posted a while back the addition of digital platform consumers didn't even come close to offsetting the losses posted by Nielsen.
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Consider that these two events are a couple of ESPN's most-streamed ever:

Peach Bowl semifinal:
TV - 19,344,000
WatchESPN - 470,000

Fiesta Bowl semifinal:
TV - 19,236,000
WatchESPN - 410,000

http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-r...-audience-growth-increases-tv-audience-games/

http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-r...ee-overnight-increases-set-streaming-records/
 
darlingtonfan said:
Most of the guys I know don't even have these cable channels NASCAR is on.I have to buy a sports package to pick up these channels.
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I had some family switch from their cable provider to DirecTV recently. Turns out NBCSN is on a tier above what ESPN and FS1 are initially offered on. You'd have to pay at least $13+/month extra to watch the second half of the season.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
I watch PBS programming on the PBS app.
You do not need a Playstation. You can use Vue on Roku and Chromecast.
My internet is DSL (CenturyLink) and I've streamed on three devices simultaneously before.
You can use your Playstation credentials to watch Fox and NBC at work the same way you do now.

Yeah, getting a Roku device is an up front cost, but they are worth it. Not just for Playstation Vue but everything else they offer as well. You have to keep in mind with cable, you're paying each month for all the equipment and that probably adds up to what a Roku stick costs.
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Thanks!

I'm not sure how I would get content from a PBS app to my TV. I'm also unclear how a Roku or Chromecast device works, in particular what would act as a remote control. It looks like the Roku comes with a rudimentary remote, but I couldn't figure out how it changes channels. I don't have an iPhone or Android phone to act as a remote, and I assume the costs of buying either (and the required cell contract) would put this whole notion on the shelf.

I wish there was someplace where I could see how these pieces fit together.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Thanks!

I'm not sure how I would get content from a PBS app to my TV. I'm also unclear how a Roku or Chromecast device works, in particular what would act as a remote control. It looks like the Roku comes with a rudimentary remote, but I couldn't figure out how it changes channels. I don't have an iPhone or Android phone to act as a remote, and I assume the costs of buying either (and the required cell contract) would put this whole notion on the shelf.

I wish there was someplace where I could see how these pieces fit together.
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Roku comes with a remote and it's pretty simple actually. You don't "change channels", you click out of something and on something else. Definitely have to "re-learn" watching TV but it's worth it. My monthly television bill is less than $50 between Playstation and Netflix.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Thanks!

I'm not sure how I would get content from a PBS app to my TV. I'm also unclear how a Roku or Chromecast device works, in particular what would act as a remote control. It looks like the Roku comes with a rudimentary remote, but I couldn't figure out how it changes channels. I don't have an iPhone or Android phone to act as a remote, and I assume the costs of buying either (and the required cell contract) would put this whole notion on the shelf.

I wish there was someplace where I could see how these pieces fit together.
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Charles ... http://www.howtogeek.com/199565/mir...-computer-to-your-tv-using-google-chromecast/

I have a Chromecast unit. I use it to "cast" utube videos to my flatscreen. I use my iPad but could be using my PC.

Easy stuff for you.
 
aunty dive said:
Charles ... http://www.howtogeek.com/199565/mir...-computer-to-your-tv-using-google-chromecast/

I have a Chromecast unit. I use it to "cast" utube videos to my flatscreen. I use my iPad but could be using my PC.

Easy stuff for you.
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So Chromecast echos on the TV what's on my computer screen? Would I need a second computer to watch different shows on different TVs? If I wanted to use the computer for something else while my wife was watching TV, could I?

I'm reasonably certain there are resources to assist with configuring everything, although I definitely do better if I've seen a working system so I know what the final result is supposed to look like. It's not the physical set-up that's my sticking point, it's determining what hardware and services will come closest to duplicating what I'm used to. I'm not yet sure if any of these shoes will fit my feet. Matthew2470's link provided a lot of info, but I'm having to wade through a lot of new terms and concepts and I won't assimilate it quickly. Maybe this weekend when it will be too cold to do anything else.
 
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AndyMarquisLive said:
Roku comes with a remote and it's pretty simple actually. You don't "change channels", you click out of something and on something else. Definitely have to "re-learn" watching TV but it's worth it. My monthly television bill is less than $50 between Playstation and Netflix.
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How do I tell it what to go to? I don't see anything like a keyboard to enter a URL or web address.

One of the big kickers is how well my Darling Bride will adapt. I'm used to relearning stuff for a living. She's not a technophobic Luddite, but she definitely needs cleats and ski poles when climbing a technology learning curve.

If yours is less than $50, mine might be less since neither of us will care about Netflix.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
So Chromecast echos on the TV what's on my computer screen? Would I need a second computer to watch different shows on different TVs? If I wanted to use the computer for something else while my wife was watching TV, could I?

I'm reasonably certain there are resources to assist with configuring everything, although I definitely do better if I've seen a working system so I know what the final result is supposed to look like. It's not the physical set-up that's my sticking point, it's determining what hardware and services will come closest to duplicating what I'm used to. I'm not yet sure if any of these shoes will fit my feet. Matthew2470's link provided a lot of info, but I'm having to wade through a lot of new terms and concepts and I won't assimilate it quickly. Maybe this weekend when it will be too cold to do anything else.
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Yes. Yes ... or a tablet. Yes .. at least I can on my iPad.
 
Matthew2470 said:
My DirecTV bill had climbed to over $200/mo and since AT&T took over I was no longer able to negotiate lower rates. So I cancelled. I now have Netflix, Sling TV (I use those via Chromecast) and an antenna
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I went with Playstation Vue because Sling didn't have NBCSN (Olympics, NASCAR, INDYCAR) or MSNBC (Olympics, News). Two weeks after I got Vue, Sling got the NBC channels.

FLRacingFan said:
NBCSN actually posted the biggest loss among the flagship networks (ESPN, FS1, NBCSN) going into the month of December, losing 620k while ESPN and FS1 lost 555k and 258k.
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NBCSN is on an upper tier. FS1 largely benefited from acquiring SPEED's carriage agreement. No chance Fox could've started that network from scratch.
 
Regarding hardware, I need to crack open the manual on this 6-month-old Samsung 'Smart TV' and see what capabilities I've been ignoring. I now recall setting a connection to my wireless router during the initial set-up and wondering what it was for, but haven't found a reason to revisit it.

Of course, that won't affect the other two 'dumb' sets, but it may act as a starting point and proof of concept. This definitely gets easier to test if I don't have to buy any additional hardware.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Regarding hardware, I need to crack open the manual on this 6-month-old Samsung 'Smart TV' and see what capabilities I've been ignoring. I now recall setting a connection to my wireless router during the initial set-up and wondering what it was for, but haven't found a reason to revisit it.

Of course, that won't affect the other two 'dumb' sets, but it may act as a starting point and proof of concept. This definitely gets easier to test if I don't have to buy any additional hardware.
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If you have a smart tv, you already have what you need. Ps vue is basically an app that'll run on that tv. Just download it from the store.
 
blanston said:
If you have a smart tv, you already have what you need. Ps vue is basically an app that'll run on that tv. Just download it from the store.
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Uh, what store? Searching the Windows store turned up nothing for 'Playstation Vue' or 'PS Vue'. (Googling 'Vue app for Windows' turned up a bunch of loudly negative results, making me wonder about how to connect to the service from a workplace computer.)

Am I downloading an app for my computer or my TV? If the latter, how do I get it onto the set?
 
Matthew2470 said:
When I was out in the Malibu area for a couple of months last May and June I felt like I was the only person who had even watched a NASCAR race. People were curious but and would start watching with me but they would get bored and start looking at their phones and finally just leave the room. Even when I'd inform them as to what was happening they just could not make themselves care. He's from Bakersfield! He's from El Cajon! <crickets> They just didn't care at all. It bummed me out that they were so quickly bored. Even my son gets bored watching races. He loves going to races, loves playing NASCAR Heat on his Xbox One and enjoys talking about NASCAR with me just can't watch more than a few minutes of racing at a time. He loves restarts and close battles but that's about it. How does NASCAR capture these young people who need to replace the old fans who are getting too old to attend races or who can no longer afford it? I give credit to NASCAR for trying so hard because they are facing challenges that just did not exist 10 years ago.
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The hook for me with Nascar happened before I even knew what it was as I, like many boys of my generation, had a natural love affair with the car long before we were legally old enough to drive. Once we were able to get our own wheels we kept them as clean as a pin and did everything we could think of to make them look better, sound better and go faster. It was debatable if we ever accomplished those things but we loved trying. We would go to our local short track on Saturday night and watch stock cars race and we always had a great time. I am sure everyone has a story as to how they first became interested in Nascar and it would be great to hear about them on this or another thread.

Where I was born to gravitate toward Nascar I think it is different today as I don't know of any car culture at present that ties into Nascar. At car shows I don't see very many young kids as for the most part everyone is at least 55 and the bulk of the people are retirement age. Most individuals don't change the oil in their vehicles let alone work on them so kids don't have a chance to get involved like I did. Getting a drivers license and becoming mobile is not nearly the big deal it was in my time as getting a drivers license was of the highest importance to us. We knew when our friends were taking their tests and if you flunked it was a permanent black mark of shame.

In what ways can a kid become hooked on Nascar today?
 
Man this thread gave me a head ache. :rolleyes:
I don't know what all those things are, probably because they are American related.
It sure sounds to me like many of you are being ripped off just to watch TV.
Someone mentioned ROKU, I have a similar device called ARNU. It is a master storage unit of every show produced and every season that show ran. Many of the shows on TV we don't get but I get them all on my ARNU box.
The only problem I have is finding live Nascar Races, but someday I will and then it is goodbye Satellite.
ARNU runs off my internet and does quite good even though my speeds are not very good. Also it can be run with a cable or WiFi.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
The hook for me with Nascar happened before I even knew what it was as I, like many boys of my generation, had a natural love affair with the car long before we were legally old enough to drive. Once we were able to get our own wheels we kept them as clean as a pin and did everything we could think of to make them look better, sound better and go faster. It was debatable if we ever accomplished those things but we loved trying. We would go to our local short track on Saturday night and watch stock cars race and we always had a great time. I am sure everyone has a story as to how they first became interested in Nascar and it would be great to hear about them on this or another thread.

Where I was born to gravitate toward Nascar I think it is different today as I don't know of any car culture at present that ties into Nascar. At car shows I don't see very many young kids as for the most part everyone is at least 55 and the bulk of the people are retirement age. Most individuals don't change the oil in their vehicles let alone work on them so kids don't have a chance to get involved like I did. Getting a drivers license and becoming mobile is not nearly the big deal it was in my time as getting a drivers license was of the highest importance to us. We knew when our friends were taking their tests and if you flunked it was a permanent black mark of shame.

In what ways can a kid become hooked on Nascar today?
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I keep reading that younger generations are no longer getting driver's licenses as soon as they're eligible. I know a large percentage of the population lives in areas without mass transit, so I'm not sure how they getting around. Maybe this trend is limited to the big cities, and that larger percentages of those young inhabitants are delaying or even skipping what you and I regarded as a rite of passage.

Maybe owning a car is headed for the same historical junkyard as owning a horse, something that was once a necessity but has been obsoleted by evolving technologies and cultural norms. If that's the case, auto racing isn't going to stop that.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I keep reading that younger generations are no longer getting driver's licenses as soon as they're eligible. I know a large percentage of the population lives in areas without mass transit, so I'm not sure how they getting around. Maybe this trend is limited to the big cities, and that larger percentages of those young inhabitants are delaying or even skipping what you and I regarded as a rite of passage.

Maybe owning a car is headed for the same historical junkyard as owning a horse, something that was once a necessity but has been obsoleted by evolving technologies and cultural norms. If that's the case, auto racing isn't going to stop that.
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Some of the reasons I have heard for young people not getting licensed is fear/anxiety, someone in the household takes them everywhere they need to go, a friend picks them up and don't/won't need it. Another difference I notice with younger people is they seem far more content to stay home on a Friday or Saturday night where with us you HAD to be out and doing something in the weekend.

Even though I think Nascar will always be around in some form it seems destined to become a niche sport like open wheel. That is not necessarily a bad thing as I really liked Nascar in the 80's and early 90's as it was not bland like it is today.
 
I have no idea what those numbers really mean. How do they acquire the data? Do they include bots? It looks like advertising to me.
 
Looking at other sports to get a baseline. The Packers-Cowboys drew a 28.2 overnight rating, the highest for a Divisional round in 20 years. Compare that to Homestead's 3.32.
 
sloggie said:
Looking at other sports to get a baseline. The Packers-Cowboys drew a 28.2 overnight rating, the highest for a Divisional round in 20 years. Compare that to Homestead's 3.32.
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Wow. The NFL is a juggernaut. The Packers-Cowboys game sure was exciting.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
They had all sorts of game 7 moments and the NFL didn't have to throw any bogus yellow flags, reset points or manufacture any other drama.
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More important, they had a couple of lopsided games on Saturday, but you won't see the NFL creating a bunch of gimmicks next season to force 'Game 7' moments.
 
29-4 said:
Post of the day. Fake drama is not dramatic, it cheapens the sport.
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Eh I will say the ridiculous protection of QBs and inability to touch receivers anymore made that comeback more likely. But if anything the NFL has absolutely embraced gimmicks lately; 33 yard extra points, essentially eliminating kickoffs by putting the ball on the 25, and two minute warnings are a free timeout that essentially works like a caution.

With the exception of baseball I think it's safe to say all sports have made changes like this in recent years, hell the uproar over eliminating ties via shootout in the NHL was much stronger than you all complaining about caution clocks and other things
 
Mispeedway15 said:
Eh I will say the ridiculous protection of QBs and inability to touch receivers anymore made that comeback more likely. But if anything the NFL has absolutely embraced gimmicks lately; 33 yard extra points, essentially eliminating kickoffs by putting the ball on the 25, and two minute warnings are a free timeout that essentially works like a caution.

With the exception of baseball I think it's safe to say all sports have made changes like this in recent years, hell the uproar over eliminating ties via shootout in the NHL was much stronger than you all complaining about caution clocks and other things
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2 minute warning has been around since the days before field clocks. 33-yard extra points are a good change in my view as they turned a free point into an actual challenge. I'd agree with you on some of the other things, but none completely undermine the spirit competition like BS cautions, caution clocks, the Chase etc.
 
Mispeedway15 said:
Eh I will say the ridiculous protection of QBs and inability to touch receivers anymore made that comeback more likely. But if anything the NFL has absolutely embraced gimmicks lately; 33 yard extra points, essentially eliminating kickoffs by putting the ball on the 25, and two minute warnings are a free timeout that essentially works like a caution.

With the exception of baseball I think it's safe to say all sports have made changes like this in recent years, hell the uproar over eliminating ties via shootout in the NHL was much stronger than you all complaining about caution clocks and other things
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The NHL has created artificial parity with 3 point games but if one team wins outright as usually happens it is all good. 3 on 3 OT and the shootout are not to my liking but each team has an equal opportunity where in Nascar and their shenanigans the top teams are penalized to help those that have failed that day. It is the same for NFL teams as each team is subject to the same rules and can both benefit. I like the longer extra point tries as they are no longer automatic and as far as the kickoffs go you can thank the safetynicks for that as the rule change was implemented to lessen the chance of concussions. A lot of teams have been kicking the ball short instead of into the end zone so there are still a lot of returns.
 
Mispeedway15 said:
Eh I will say the ridiculous protection of QBs and inability to touch receivers anymore made that comeback more likely. But if anything the NFL has absolutely embraced gimmicks lately; 33 yard extra points, essentially eliminating kickoffs by putting the ball on the 25, and two minute warnings are a free timeout that essentially works like a caution.

With the exception of baseball I think it's safe to say all sports have made changes like this in recent years, hell the uproar over eliminating ties via shootout in the NHL was much stronger than you all complaining about caution clocks and other things
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You're probably right to point toward the 33-yard extra points as a bit of a gimmick, though I really view it as a reevaluation of a practice that had become meaningless. 99% of extra points were being made, what was the point of the play? I suppose the non-gimmick way to deal with it would have been to eliminate them entirely, but I have to admit I actually like what they did.

With the rest of it, you're missing the larger context of what is happening with all of those attempts at reducing concussions and brain damage. The NFL is massively popular, but in a perilous position with society's better understanding of what hits to the head actually do to the players. They are in a delicate balancing act trying to remain America's favorite family sport. We can talk tough as fans, but I don't take that very seriously when it's not our brains and bodies on the line. I'll listen to what the players say, and most of them either want some form of protections or come to wish they'd had them later in life.

I agree that all sports tinker with rules for greater entertainment value. I'm not a big NHL fan, so I can't speak to their changes, but I know they have been considerable. It has largely 'worked' in that the NHL is doing better than it was in the early 2000s. NASCAR has the distinction of having made severe and desperate competition changes and having lost a huge portion of their audience while doing it. It's not working.
 
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