Chances are, over the past few days you’ve seen some people on social media yelling about how NBA TV ratings have been down for the Finals then other people yelling at them about how all sports TV ratings are down (which is correct, for many obvious reasons). The sides go back and forth, round and round, day after day, year after year, yelling at each other about something that means absolutely nothing to us, the fans.
Because here’s the deal — sports TV ratings shouldn’t mean anything to us, and those who waste their time arguing about them are silly.
And I know the side usually pointing out if ratings are low usually have other motives behind their vapid, idiotic arguments. So it is OK to point and laugh at those people because they generally deserve it.
But here’s what else I know about sports on TV – I watch a game, I enjoy a game, then life goes on, maybe I have a drink, and I go to bed. The enjoyment I have from that game has absolutely nothing to do with how many other people watched the game. I don’t care if 58 million people tuned in or if I was just the only idiot watching.
So when I see a tweet the next day that has the numbers about the ratings for the game I enjoyed the night before I barely notice it. I sure as heck don’t get mad at myself for watching it if the numbers were less than a similar event that was held on a similar day the year before. And I don’t celebrate if I find out lots of people watched it.
The ratings have no impact on my life.
At all.
Wasting any time and energy on ratings is generally a stupid thing to do. Now, I know the numbers mean more to the leagues and the networks that show the games but in the big picture they really mean nothing. Networks are always going to pay more for rights when deals come up and leagues are always going to make money.
But all we normal fans can do is turn on a game that we want to watch and have fun for a few hours watching it. Because watching sports on TV is a lot of fun, no matter how many other people are watching, too.
Quick hits: NFL power rankings… Mahomes on postgame embrace with Gilmore… Fantasy football advice.
– Henry McKenna’s latest NFL power rankings has the Browns in the top 10.
– Patrick Mahomes said his postgame embrace with Patriots star Stephon Gilmore, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday, was a “mental lapse.”
– Charles Curtis has his Week 5 fantasy football studs, duds, and sleepers.