Football pundits have spent all season hunting for a reason why the NFL's ratings are down—by as much as double digits through the first eight weeks. The league, among others, pointed to "unprecedented interest" in the presidential election as a reason for the decline, but while the numbers have seen a post-election bump, they haven't recovered completely. Viewership is still down overall. Americans, it seems, just don't love watching NFL football like they used to.Which is understandable, since it's not as fun to watch.It's not the football's fault. Don't listen to the moaners griping about Monday Night Football matchups—they've been doing that since the series moved to ESPN ten years ago. No, this season has been full of exciting finishes, overtime wins, dominant performances, and shocking upsets. From rookie superstars taking center stage to Tom Brady taking vengeance, the sport itself is in a golden age of high-scoring games and nail-biting finishes.Since 2010, leaguewide offensive averages have reached historic highs; though this season's average points-per-game of 22.6 is down slightly from a 50-year high of 23.4 in 2013, offenses are racking up more yards per game this season (350.2) than three years ago (348.5). There have already been 62 fourth-quarter comebacks this season, per Pro Football Reference—on pace to blow past the average (63.3) and the high (71) of the previous ten years.
This doesn't happen in any other sport. Imagine MLB fans complaining that nobody knows what a "tag" is, or an NBA game grinding to a halt while officials review if a player technically committed a "dribble." Yet almost every time an NFL game is played, fans despair over the ineffable definition of "catch."Layer on the league's attempts to improve player safety by outlawing a panoply of football techniques, and officials are drowning the game in flags. Even when bad calls don't directly change the outcome of a game, teams are breaking records for assessed penalties left and right this season.Back in 2009, officials called an accepted penalty once every 14.7 snaps, per NFLPenalties.com; that rate has increased gradually to a high of once every 12.8 snaps so far this season. With the hurry-up passing offense in vogue, that means an average of 13.9 penalties are being accepted per game, up from 11.9 in 2009, and 12.2 in 2013.As in: I roll my eyes at 99.9% of all officiating conspiracy/the fix was in fan-talk. So far, this may actually be the argument for the .1%.
— Collin McCollough (@cmccollo)November 22, 2016
"Certainly the penalties have been on the rise over the last three, four, maybe even five years," FOX rules analyst and former NFL VP of officiating Mike Pereira told VICE Sports. "But can you say the penalties are up because the officiating's getting worse? I don't think you can." Pereira pointed to the rash of games where 20-plus penalties have been assessed: If you go back and watch the film, he said, "the fouls are there" to be called."I'm loath to put it on the officials," Pereira continued. "They're only doing what they've been told to do…. Put it on the Competition Committee. They're the ones that determine what are the points of emphasis."And some of that emphasis lately seems to be severely misguided. The league's bizarrely brutal crackdown on on-field celebrations this season, for example, couldn't be more counterproductive. They're taking the moments we watch the game for—big plays, huge scores, victory-clinching moments—and grinding them to a halt for some paternalistic finger-wagging."I really don't agree with it," Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson told me. "We've spent our whole lives waiting; everyone has always told us, 'You can't celebrate until you get to the NFL.' For us to get to this point, and for the rules to become so strict? It's kind of frustrating."Full breakdown of the Raiders' record 23 penalties (they also had 3 declined and 1 offset) — Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey)October 30, 2016
Between the Josh Norman and Vernon Davis excessive celebration penalties the NFL is saying 'don't shoot anything' — Brody Logan (@BrodyLogan)October 16, 2016
Since taking over as NFL commissioner in 2006, he has portrayed the league as a sort of moral beacon, transforming the "integrity of the game" from a specifically competitive issue (no one wants to invest in a game that's rigged) into something more amorphous. This has had a way of backfiring, particularly when it comes to policing players' personal conduct. People don't want to cheer for repeat felons or abusers, but Goodell's insistence on being judge, jury, and executioner has been equally alienating for some. All too often, the NFL gets it wrong, with inconsistent punishments and inexpert investigations. The league pledged to change after Ray Rice, but this season we had Josh Brown.We've seen it over and over again: StarCaps, Bountygate, Spygate and, of course, Deflategate. Like celebrations or illegal contact on the field, when Goodell disapproves of something, he cracks down on it in Draconian fashion. How many times can he turn season tickets into "confetti," as Dave Zirin once wrote, before disillusioned fans stop buying tickets and start looking elsewhere for entertainment?When you know you're at a good place — Torque Penderloin (@AndrewCieslak)December 11, 2016
For a league obsessed with optics—pink cleats in October, salutes to the military, No More—the NFL fails to understand what its audience actually wants to see. Ham-fisted attempts at player and franchise discipline have undermined fans' faith in the fairness of the league, while a muddled rulebook and conflicting points of emphasis threaten the credibility of the officials and the results. Goodell's worrying so much about protecting the shield, but a shield can protect itself just fine. The NFL just needs to get out of its own way, and put the game—which has never been better—front and center.Want to read more stories like this from VICE Sports? Subscribe to our daily newsletter.OPEN CALL: Saints season ticket holders should sue the NFL for destroying their 2012 season. Goodell has turned your tickets into confetti.
— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports)March 21, 2012