WHERE STANDS FOOTBALL? – AT 9:56 A.M. ET:  Even without the current controversy over knees, it turns out that football is declining in popularity in the United States.  From Rasmussen Reports: 

Football still reigns supreme as America’s favorite sport, but it appears to have lost fans over the last five years.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 41% of American Adults still say football is their favorite sport to follow, but that's down from 53% in November 2012 when we first asked this question. Only 12% now name “America’s pastime,” baseball, as their favorite, while just as many (12%) say basketball. Auto racing, tennis and soccer rate four percent (4%) support each, while three percent (3%) choose hockey and golf. Eight percent (8%) prefer some other sport. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on September 20-21, 2017 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

COMMENT:   That drop is substantial, and is likely to continue.  I happen to love football, but it is increasingly seen as a dangerous, even life-threatening sport.  The sluggishness with which the NFL has dealt with injuries has damaged the sport's image.  It is now common to hear stories of parents who will not let their sons play football. 

It often seems ridiculous to see 300-pound men piling into each other.  The purpose is to win the game, not kill the other guy.

Also, the increasing politicization of some football broadcasting, especially at ESPN, is leading to lower ratings, which must translate into lower popularity for football.  Football, in many eyes, is now seen as a political sport.  Left-wing journalists, including sports journalists, are helping that along.

Finally, sports often reflect the nature of life in a particular country.  Baseball lost favor in part because it was seen, by younger generations, as a slow game in a faster-paced age.   Football has speed, and action in every play. 

September 26,  2017