America is a free country. A multimillionaire remains free to kneel during the national anthem. Joe Six Pack remains free to turn off the television.
The NFL sees its ratings going down faster than Colin Kaepernick after hearing “O say can you see.”
The Eagles-Bears ratings declined by double digits from last year’s Week Two Monday Night Football contest and represents the lowest number since the franchise moved from ABC to ESPN. The NFL experienced drops, albeit smaller ones, for the Sunday slate, too.
The 8.3 overnight rating for Eagles-Bears is ESPN's lowest "MNF" Week 2 figure in a while. At least 2009. Eagles-Colts did a 9.3 in 2015
— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) September 20, 2016
Viewership likely same story for MNF week 2. Primetime not good through 2 weeks for NFL. Sunday afternoons lower too, but not double digit % https://t.co/FDjKQns1yd
— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) September 20, 2016
Reasons exist beyond San Francisco for the slump.
The two faces of the league for more than a decade, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, watch the action at home. The former by choice. The latter by the commissioner’s whim. Two franchises, the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, essentially play in a limbo state. They ask, like The Clash, “Should I stay or should I go?” Their fans don’t care for the prolonged mistreatment that comes with franchises flirting with other markets. And certainly excessive flags and unwelcome rules—such as the attempted negation of the kicking game by bringing touchbacks to the 25—turn off some people who now turn off the NFL.
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