After years of ratings dominance, viewing of NFL games on TV this season is down by 12 percent. But why? Click on to see some possible reasons.
Donald Trump
The GOP nominee has impacted everything else, so why not football? Fans have understandably had a hard time paying attention to the game during this crazy White House campaign.
Peyton Manning
The legendary QB has retired, depriving the NFL of one of its most recognizable faces.
Chicago Cubs
Yep, as Cubs fan Bill Murray knows, the baseball team's fantasy journey from perennial losers to the World Series has been this fall's Cinderella story. Kinda makes football look puny in comparison.
Colin Kaepernick
His principled refusal to stand for the national anthem has turned into a cause celebre that has polarized fans and generated bad PR for the NFL.
Thursday Night Football
Hey, who (aside from New Englanders) wants to see the Patriots score a 27-0 blowout against the Texans? Didn't think so. Hardcore fans are complaining about the lousy match-ups on this season's schedule.
Ray Rice
He may not play anymore, but the former running back is the symbol of ongoing domestic-violence scandals that have soured many fans on the sport.
NFL RedZone
A lot of fans have gotten hooked on the special NFL-owned, game-day exclusive RedZone channel, hosted by Hanson. Unfortunately, that might mean lower ratings for broadcast partners.
Brett Favre
Fan concern has steadily increased about the health effects on pros who took repeated hard hits during their career. Former QB Favre even said that his occasional memory lapses scared him and convinced him not to come out of retirement again. The worry has led to special game rules that some fans say has made the games boring.
Roger Goodell
He may be "the most powerful man in sports," but the NFL commissioner has taken a lot of flak lately over issues from domestic violence to Deflategate - including from league owners, three of whom told The Daily Caller this year that it was time for a replacement.
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