Ditching the NFL, Weeks 1-21

[mcmillenandwife]

One week-end, not sure which one now I put up a new ceiling fan in my home office. Talk about monkeys and footballs, man there should be an easier way for these to get installed.

  I feel 'ya. I've done battle with multiple ceiling fan installations over the years, it always seems to be an adventure.

When we moved back to Ohio in 2018, my wife converted the dining room to a... I dunno, I guess you'd call it a parlor or a sitting room? Anyway, there was a chandelier-type fixture that needed replaced with a ceiling fan. Hanging it was actually relatively easy, but getting the multiple on/off wall switches to function properly was ridiculous.

[Rollers]

I will tell you, I don't miss it. It's kinda like the old days before NFL Sunday ticket when the games often wouldn't be broadcast where we lived, so we'd score-watch and catch the highlights after the game. 

We've made it a point to do fun things together as a family each weekend, and I wouldn't trade a minute of it. Life is better without wasting an entire day watching the $#!t product the NFL now offers. I still love the Steelers and I'm glad every time they win. But they aren't even remotely worth the staggering amount of weekend daylight hours I've invested in them over the years. 

I can't help but laugh at the irony of the Steelers starting 8-0 the year I decide to bail on the NFL. But in some ways, it's making it easier because now I don't want to jinx them by watching. 

I'm not superstitious... but I'm a little 'stitious (with apologies to Michael Scott). 

Since spending more time with my family on weekends I've felt zero desire to watch football.  I have not seen a single game all year.  My son and I spend one day at week at the gun club and that has been the most effective treatment for my PTSD and depression ever.  I never realized I suffered from those maladies and never knew why I acted out at times.  But my faith and my family has helped me more than all the counseling and drugs could have.  So goodbye NFL and Rodger Goodell.     My son helped me build my own AR as well.

[mcmillenandwife]

Since spending more time with my family on weekends I've felt zero desire to watch football.  I have not seen a single game all year.  My son and I spend one day at week at the gun club and that has been the most effective treatment for my PTSD and depression ever.  I never realized I suffered from those maladies and never knew why I acted out at times.  But my faith and my family has helped me more than all the counseling and drugs could have.  So goodbye NFL and Rodger Goodell.     My son helped me build my own AR as well.

I'm with you, Rollers. Time spent with people you love is the best medicine, by far. 

Meanwhile, our intrepid governor here in Ohio is wagging his finger and waging war on the family, telling us we don't dare spend time with our loved ones over the holidays. The spread of the virus is obviously due to our "reckless behavior" so we have no right to actually live our lives with the people we love. 

Gov. DeWine definitely isn't on my Christmas card list. 

[Rollers]

Since spending more time with my family on weekends I've felt zero desire to watch football.  I have not seen a single game all year.  My son and I spend one day at week at the gun club and that has been the most effective treatment for my PTSD and depression ever.  I never realized I suffered from those maladies and never knew why I acted out at times.  But my faith and my family has helped me more than all the counseling and drugs could have.  So goodbye NFL and Rodger Goodell.     My son helped me build my own AR as well.

I'm with you, Rollers. Time spent with people you love is the best medicine, by far. 

Meanwhile, our intrepid governor here in Ohio is wagging his finger and waging war on the family, telling us we don't dare spend time with our loved ones over the holidays. The spread of the virus is obviously due to our "reckless behavior" so we have no right to actually live our lives with the people we love. 

Gov. DeWine definitely isn't on my Christmas card list. 

Same here.  The guy that is our health secretary Rachel Levine.  and yes he's a guy, has told us to not spend time with our families.  If you'll notice some of the Christmas commercials are trying to get us to "social distance" as well.  I remember as the number of cases dropped in the summer they were touting there "mitigation" efforts.  Now it would seem those very same mitigation efforts aren't effective at all.  But then we're supposed to believe that it's all our fault.  I think the virus will be here until it runs it course and there's not much we can do about it.  I just keep living my life wearing my mask so others don't bother me and I try and enjoy my family.  Screw the government.

[mcmillenandwife]

Same here.  The guy that is our health secretary Rachel Levine.  and yes he's a guy, has told us to not spend time with our families.  If you'll notice some of the Christmas commercials are trying to get us to "social distance" as well.  I remember as the number of cases dropped in the summer they were touting there "mitigation" efforts.  Now it would seem those very same mitigation efforts aren't effective at all.  But then we're supposed to believe that it's all our fault.  I think the virus will be here until it runs it course and there's not much we can do about it.  I just keep living my life wearing my mask so others don't bother me and I try and enjoy my family.  Screw the government.

Yep. Trump got crucified when he said, "It is what it is," plainly stating the fact that to a large degree, the virus simply has to run it's course. We can't control it, we can't stop it. The "mitigation efforts" (ineffective masks chief among them) are mostly window dressing. Again, I suspect mask-wearing will ultimately be determined to have been a net-negative; the false sense of security provided by the wrong types of masks is actually accelerating the spread instead of slowing it. Time will tell.

What is certain is that there's a massive, undeniable money trail from certain corporations to certain politicians in all of this. While small businesses and entire segments of the economy are being decimated, there are numerous big-name corporations -- who also happen to be big-time contributors to various Democratic candidates and causes -- who are absolutely raking in cash as a direct result of these lockdowns. 

Steve Bezos' personal wealth has risen by by $73 billion during the pandemic. Think about that. When this started, he was worth $40 billion; now he's worth $113 billion.   

He didn't create anything new to accumulate all this extra wealth; he was simply the beneficiary of his competition being wiped out by government decree. 

Explain why it was okay for Walmart to stay open, but if you were a smaller retailer, you were forced to shut down. 

It proves that it pays to have an army of Washington lobbyists. For certain big corporations, not only are you positioned to do well, but someone closely tied to your company is likely to end up as part of the Biden administration. Bernie may be anti-corporation, but Joe Biden is not, especially in terms of collecting their truckloads of payola.

Joe is the undisputed KING of influence pedaling. It's disgusting. 

[mcmillenandwife]

9-0. I'm absolutely blown away. Never would've predicted that kind of a start. 

I've been score-watching in ESPN. Looks like Ben is having a big day. Happy for him. 

[RaynorShyne]

Damn solid chance to meet the Ratbirds at 10-0

[mcmillenandwife]

Damn solid chance to meet the Ratbirds at 10-0

I can barely wrap my brain around the Steelers being 10-0. Pretty amazing.

It's interesting to me that only 6 of the 15 teams who have started 10-0 in the Super Bowl era have gone on to win the Super Bowl. I would've expected the success ratio to be a little higher than 40%. 

The Championship teams are:

• 1972 Dolphins
  
• 1985 Bears
  
• 1990 Giants
  
• 1991 Redskins
  
• 1998 Broncos
  
• 2009 Saints
  

[spokan steeler]

I have to admit I've come full circle on this boycotting thing.  I still haven't attained my previous levels of fanaticism, but I am watching the games again and cheering for the Steelers.

It's been such a gruesome, difficult year for everyone, and I want to participate in the things I really enjoy, like Steeler football.  Everything has become so hyper-politicized that I'm increasingly numb to it all.  It seems little by little, players are taking the name in question off the helmet.  

Perhaps it's my teenage son's wise counsel.  Like he pointed out, he loves the composer Wagner.  Wagner was horrifically anti-semitic.  Should he stop listening to his music?  I boycotted Cat Stevens for years and years, but now I am really enjoying his music.  You can proudly stand up for your values, firmly condemn celebrities when they say and do stupid, unpatriotic things, but at the end of the day you can only control the things that you can control.

Go Steelers.

[mcmillenandwife]

I have to admit I've come full circle on this boycotting thing.  I still haven't attained my previous levels of fanaticism, but I am watching the games again and cheering for the Steelers.

It's been such a gruesome, difficult year for everyone, and I want to participate in the things I really enjoy, like Steeler football.  Everything has become so hyper-politicized that I'm increasingly numb to it all.  It seems little by little, players are taking the name in question off the helmet.  

Perhaps it's my teenage son's wise counsel.  Like he pointed out, he loves the composer Wagner.  Wagner was horrifically anti-semitic.  Should he stop listening to his music?  I boycotted Cat Stevens for years and years, but now I am really enjoying his music.  You can proudly stand up for your values, firmly condemn celebrities when they say and do stupid, unpatriotic things, but at the end of the day you can only control the things that you can control.

Go Steelers.

I feel 'ya, Spokan. But I doubt I'll ever go back to watching live. Yes, it started as a "protest" against the NFL's over-politicization and insincere social justice pandering, but it's become something very different.

I've been spending my Sundays doing far more fulfilling. meaningful things. Time with my amazing wife and beautiful kids and grandkids. Weekends previously wasted on football are now spent enjoying life with people I love. Why would I ever go back to how it was before?

I've taken breaks from the NFL at times in the past. When my kids were in middle school/high school, they had a band and practiced at our house on Sundays. I helped them with their music, so I would record the games and watch them later. But I was still pretty involved in football and many times, the game was going on the basement TV (muted) while they practiced. 

I'm beyond that now. I do score watch on my phone if nothing else is going on. But I'll never willingly give up my weekend daylight hours to the NFL again. 

 

[Spokan Stiller]

We are definitely on the same page. I too enjoy a lot of family activities on the weekend, and I know an Autumn weekend day here in Virginia is indeed a very valuable commodity. Over the years I've become fairly adept with DVRing the Steelers, so I can watch them at my own pace (preferably around dinner time) with minimal commercials. There's been a lot of spoilers over the years, but all in all it works pretty well.

I think for me, the Steelers really are a family thing. My son goes to college in Pittsburgh now, and he is a bigger fan than ever. He really enjoys watching the games.

But we all very much agree; we need to stand up for our armed forces and law enforcement, and family needs to be our top priority.

On an unrelated note, I seem to have made the seismic leap from MW special teamer to hall of famer, all in one thread. It's nice to see my 2,545 posts were archived somewhere!

[Spokan Stiller]

Wait, what? I'm back to special teamer! What happened?

[mcmillenandwife]

I've got to tell you... I missed NOTHING about the NFL this season. NOTHING. 

I made the mistake of tuning in for the playoff game vs. Cleveland. The draw was just too strong and my resolve finally crumbled. 

First snap, the ball goes 10 yards over Big Ben's head for a Cleveland TD. Then 3 hours of shitty coaching by Tomlin vs. a team who was literally without a head coach.   That's what I get for not sticking to my guns. 

How in the F--- do you not go for it on 4th and 1 and midfield with a chance to narrow the score to 35-30? Gutless. Unimaginative. Weak. And then I see the clip of Andy Reid sending his team to the AFC Championship with a full balls-out 4th-and-1 conversion by his career backup QB? The contrast couldn't be more stark.

Adding to the stomach-churning debacle on the field was the NFL's phony "social justice" pandering sprinkled throughout the broadcast. Complete lip service that will ultimately change nothing. 

The NFL has fallen SO far over the last decade. It's sadly not worth watching anymore. The only regret I have about not watching this season is that I ultimately caved and watched.  I'm disappointed in myself for doing so, but I'm more disappointed in the weak-ass shadow of its former self the NFL has become.

[mcmillenandwife]

Wait, what?  I'm back to special teamer!  What happened?

Spokan, you have 2 different accounts. This one is under the gmail email, the other (lower case username with the Hall of Fame post count) is under the sbcglobal email.

[Rollers]

Wait, what?  I'm back to special teamer!  What happened?

tis ok.  doesn't really mean anything

[Chucktownsteeler]

Tim - Your sons did grow up fast. I remember the "game-boy" photo. LOL

[mcmillenandwife]

Tim - Your sons did grow up fast. I remember the "game-boy" photo. LOL

Time friggin' FLIES, doesn't it? 

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

What did you do? Looks like you rented a couple of men for the holidays and try to pass them off as your sons? 

Enjoyed the pic of your wife and your uncle Bernie. 

[mcmillenandwife]

What did you do? Looks like you rented a couple of men for the holidays and try to pass them off as your sons? 

Enjoyed the pic of your wife and your uncle Bernie. 

 LOL. Yeah, I replaced them with a WR and an OG. 

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

Now the bottom picture is how I remember them.
Funny how they aged but I didn't.

[mcmillenandwife]

Truth in advertising... curiosity got the better of me and I tuned in to watch some of the Super Bowl via 720psteam.me. Unexpected outcome. I've got to give mad props to Tom Brady. I've despised him his entire career because he's basically been our daddy. But I can't help but laugh that people are now acting like Arians is a genius.  Arians is a good coach, but the genius is Tom Brady. It was true in New England, it's true in Tampa. Bill Belichick was MADE by the dumb luck of drafting Tom Brady as cannon fodder in the 6th round followed by a fluke injury to Drew Bledsoe. 

Tom Brady has made a career of making head coaches and offensive coordinators look like geniuses while making defenses look clueless. Tampa bay just came off seasons of 5-11, 5-11 and 7-9. One thing changed. 

G.O.A.T. Yes, I understand the argument that he wouldn't have lasted a season in the 1970's, and I don't necessarily disagree. But he didn't play in the 1970's, so we'll never know. 10 Super Bowl appearances, 7 Super Bowl wins? It will never be matched. Never. Hats off to Tom Brady.

Despite Brady's greatness, good riddance to a garbage NFL season. I didn't miss it a bit, especially when the weather was nicer and despite a global pandemic. If they continue the rampant social justice pandering (which is phony lip service IMO anyway), I'll sit out next year as well. I didn't see the whole game or any of the pregame, but from what I did see, the commercials, public service announcements and non-stop leftist nonsense were insufferable. And WTF was that halftime show?  

Have a great offseason, everyone.  

[Chucktownsteeler]

There is also a little credit to be given to Tampa Bay's defense. Not taking a thing away from Brady but they held KC to 9 points (3 FGS). Not too shabby by any stretch of the imagination. That defense was flying around and punishing KC. I read all told Mahommes ran for 497 yards, albeit only 33 yards past the line of scrimmage.

[mcmillenandwife]

There is also a little credit to be given to Tampa Bay's defense. Not taking a thing away from Brady but they held KC to 9 points (3 FGS). Not too shabby by any stretch of the imagination. That defense was flying around and punishing KC. I read all told Mahommes ran for 497 yards, albeit only 33 yards past the line of scrimmage.

Yes, no question. Tampa's defense played lights out.   Never would've believed they would limit KC to 9 points. Not in a million years. 

However, KC was missing both of their starting OT's. That was HUUUUGE. It reminded me of how much the Steelers missed Pouncey in SB XLV, only far worse. Not saying the Chiefs would've won had their OT's been healthy, but I'm confident it would've been a much more competitive game. 

Regardless, Tampa had a phenomenal game plan on both sides of the ball, and they executed to near-perfection.

But Brady was the real difference IMO.

[mcmillenandwife]

So the question for 2021 is: To ditch, or not to ditch?

The likelihood that this is Ben's final season is a major draw for me. He was the primary draw last year as well, but my disgust levels with the NFL were high enough that even Ben couldn't overcome it.

I didn't miss watching live. I loved having my weekends filled with family stuff. Plus, we've added a new, amazing third grandchild to the mix. 
  
So I think I just answered my own question. 



However, that doesn't mean I'll completely bail the way I did last season. We'll see. At this point, I think it's more likely I'll watch after the fact vs. a total boycott, but it depends what bull$#!t the NFL may be trying to jam down my throat as the season approaches.

[RaynorShyne]

The new 100B+ TV package will have the NFL happily playing in the back yard this season and I think the game (*hopefully*) will be left alone. It'll certainly be a transitional year. Rivers and Brees have retired, and it's the last season for Ben and Brady. Rogers and Wilson are a little long in the tooth, and the only one of the new 'young guns' to have proven themselves (somewhat) is Mahomes - and all he's done is proven that it takes a truly outstanding QB (Ben?) to survive without a line - and that WITH an O-line - you can be great (e.g. Mahomes has exactly the same number of rings as one Trent Farris Dilfer).

[mcmillenandwife]

... I think the game (*hopefully*) will be left alone...

I hope you're right. I hope to be able to enjoy Ben as he finishes out his career.

[Chucktownsteeler]

My rule of thumb the past 2 seasons is I will watch night games or if they are day games I will tape and watch at my convenience.

I will not sacrifice family time nor will I pay 1 red cent to the NFL for the rights to watch the game. Most now can be streamed on your mobile devices.

That's just me.

[mcmillenandwife]

I will not sacrifice family time nor will I pay 1 red cent to the NFL for the rights to watch the game. 

Damn straight. 

[gino111f]

Hopefully you are coming back next season Mac, we could use your amazing win-loss record at Heinz field this year. At least for some games haha. If not we still thank you for keeping this site going.

[mcmillenandwife]

Hopefully you are coming back next season Mac, we could use your amazing win-loss record at Heinz field this year. At least for some games haha. If not we still thank you for keeping this site going.

Well, we'll see. It's unlikely I'll ever attend a game in person again. That said, if my youngest decides he has time and really wants to do it, of course I would go. But it's a big if. He still lives in Michigan, we moved back to Ohio, so there are a lot of things that would have to come together. We've done it before, but as the kids get older, their lives get busier.

Beyond that, I just don't love the current Steelers. Other than Ben, who remains one of my all-time favorite players, the "modern" incarnation of the team doesn't do much for me. The game as it's now played has been watered down with too many bad rule changes. And the modern NFL is completely dead to me; a withered husk of what it once was. Too much virtual signaling toward too many sides, with far more allegiance payed to gambling, fantasy football and corporate sponsorship than the game itself, the players and the fans. 

I realize this probably makes me sound like an aging "get off my lawn" curmudgeon. But when you've experienced something at it's absolute pinnacle, only to watch helplessly as it's systematically dismantled, I think it's a natural reaction.