NBA NBA Allows Players to Change Jersey Name to Message of Social Justice

hyduK

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Feb 21, 2009
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Also lol @ the nba ratings discussion.

NBA is fine. The ratings are down because cable TV ratings are an irrelevant way to measure popularity in 2020. NBA has probably the youngest fanbase of the major sports and once they pivot to proper streaming services that will show (and MLB and NHL will suffer not having their perceived popularity enhanced by their aging fanbase who still have cable).

I don't know anyone under 35 with a cable subscription.
 
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bleedblue1223

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Also lol @ the nba ratings discussion.

NBA is fine. The ratings are down because cable TV ratings are an irrelevant way to measure popularity in 2020. NBA has probably the youngest fanbase of the major sports and once they pivot to proper streaming services that will show (and MLB and NHL will suffer not having their perceived popularity enhanced by their aging fanbase who still have cable).

I don't know anyone under 35 with a cable subscription.
All the streaming services like Sling, AT&T TV Now, Youtube TV, etc. all carry that channels that provide NBA games, and that's why everyone in my age group uses, that 30ish year old. There are plenty of reasons why ratings are down, but this isn't one of them. It's also not a get woke, go broke situation because I'd bet the core audience supports what the players are doing or at least isn't bothered by it.
 

hyduK

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All the streaming services like Sling, AT&T TV Now, Youtube TV, etc. all carry that channels that provide NBA games, and that's why everyone in my age group uses, that 30ish year old. There are plenty of reasons why ratings are down, but this isn't one of them. It's also not a get woke, go broke situation because I'd bet the core audience supports what the players are doing or at least isn't bothered by it.
Aren't there significant blackout issues associated with those? Maybe that's just a Canadian thing. I'd happily pay for a service that gave me a no BS way to watch any game I want in HD. My experience with NBAs streaming was that I couldn't view any game that was on "cable" (which included premium channels such as NBA TV as well as games that were available on cable but not in my region). Meanwhile it takes me about 2 seconds to find a perfect HD stream of basically any game I want, and it's free. Again, happy to give my money, but not for an inferior experience when there's no excuse for it.

The other problem with those services is that you're paying for a lot of fluff. I (and most people around my age that I know) don't want to pay for Fox News, CNN, NBC, HGTV, and the long list of other channels you get on these services - at least the Youtube TV one). I just want to pay for NBA games. Sports has been subsidizing these channels for too long.
 

Terry Yake

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ratings have been down since the beginning of this season

holding playoff games on weekday mornings/afternoons obviously has a lot to do with the lower ratings as well. how are you gonna compare playoff games from last season that were shown on primetime to games being played on monday at noon? not to mention the playoffs have been an absolute snoozefest so far aside from the clips/mavs series and a couple other games
 
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bleedblue1223

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Aren't there significant blackout issues associated with those? Maybe that's just a Canadian thing. I'd happily pay for a service that gave me a no BS way to watch any game I want in HD. My experience with NBAs streaming was that I couldn't view any game that was on "cable" (which included premium channels such as NBA TV as well as games that were available on cable but not in my region).

The other problem with those services is that you're paying for a lot of fluff. I (and most people around my age that I know) don't want to pay for Fox News, CNN, NBC, HGTV, and the long list of other channels you get on these services - at least the Youtube TV one). I just want to pay for NBA games.
I think the segment that only wants NBA games and nothing else, compared to people that only want a MLB.TV package and nothing else, etc. is pretty small. If the problem was just cord-cutters that aren't picking up the streaming services, then the games on ABC wouldn't have had a massive ratings drop too. Not sure if you or other have The Athletic, but ABC has had a bigger ratings drop than TNT and a much bigger drop than the games on ESPN. It's more than just cord-cutting.

And bubble game ratings aren't all that comparable to normal situations, so I wouldn't even factor those in as a whole, we'd need to breakdown the specific primetime games and see if there is a trend there.

Media Circus: TV ratings experts break down NBA's viewership numbers
Strauss: Why the NBA has a serious viewership problem it needs to fix
 

hyduK

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Feb 21, 2009
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I think the segment that only wants NBA games and nothing else, compared to people that only want a MLB.TV package and nothing else, etc. is pretty small. If the problem was just cord-cutters that aren't picking up the streaming services, then the games on ABC wouldn't have had a massive ratings drop too. Not sure if you or other have The Athletic, but ABC has had a bigger ratings drop than TNT and a much bigger drop than the games on ESPN.

Media Circus: TV ratings experts break down NBA's viewership numbers
Strauss: Why the NBA has a serious viewership problem it needs to fix

Dropped my Athletic sub recently unfortunately, appreciate the links though! I'll find a way to read them. Interesting that ABC has felt the effects more than the other more premium channels.

Another issue that does arise from the younger audience is the way they've been taught to consume content in general and unfortunately a 2.5 hour broadcast is pretty far off from that. I know the NBA has had issues with their fanbase gravitating towards condensed games/highlights in the past. I think getting off cable TV could help that quite a bit, reduce length of games by way of less commercial breaks.

FWIW, I know that in Canada at least, Raptors game 1 this year already broke records for cable ratings. Obviously there's a different dynamic though with the amount of momentum they've gained in the last 12-18 months.
 

hyduK

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Makes sense.

The boycott worked, it brought awareness to the issues and put them back in the spotlight. But if they continued, long term it loses momentum and if the result is a lockout where they lose their platform (and money, which can and by some is being used to fight the issue) for a long period of time, it doesn't help. The news cycle is too quick these days and the boycott would inevitably be out of the spotlight quick once there's nothing new to report.
 

bleedblue1223

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Makes sense.

The boycott worked, it brought awareness to the issues and put them back in the spotlight. But if they continued, long term it loses momentum and if the result is a lockout where they lose their platform (and money, which can and by some is being used to fight the issue) for a long period of time, it doesn't help. The news cycle is too quick these days and the boycott would inevitably be out of the spotlight quick once there's nothing new to report.
Brought awareness? The country has been constantly actually protesting and rioting ever since George Floyd. We don't need to pat the players on the back. Awareness isn't the issue, it's people that just disagree on certain details.
 

Shockmaster

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Brought awareness? The country has been constantly actually protesting and rioting ever since George Floyd. We don't need to pat the players on the back. Awareness isn't the issue, it's people that just disagree on certain details.

Not to mention it might have given the NBA owners a reason to void the CBA.
 

The Burdened

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May 1, 2017
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The boycott 100% worked.
No black people have been hunted down and killed by police since they went on strike. I think the police finally got the message.

Hopefully we can all move forward now that the systemic racism and police brutality problem has been solved
 
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kanuck87

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Oct 12, 2008
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Makes sense.

The boycott worked, it brought awareness to the issues and put them back in the spotlight. But if they continued, long term it loses momentum and if the result is a lockout where they lose their platform (and money, which can and by some is being used to fight the issue) for a long period of time, it doesn't help. The news cycle is too quick these days and the boycott would inevitably be out of the spotlight quick once there's nothing new to report.

The fact is that the players can only do so much on their own. They can boycott the rest of the season and go protest in their own communities, but that's not going to garner much attention, which is what they need more than anything else. They need the NBA owners and the sponsors to help influence change, and they won't get that help by boycotting games.
 

SouthGeorge

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May 2, 2018
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Makes sense.

The boycott worked, it brought awareness to the issues and put them back in the spotlight. But if they continued, long term it loses momentum and if the result is a lockout where they lose their platform (and money, which can and by some is being used to fight the issue) for a long period of time, it doesn't help. The news cycle is too quick these days and the boycott would inevitably be out of the spotlight quick once there's nothing new to report.

I have to disagree. It brought awareness to a league with horrible ratings. That's about it.
 

Rabid Ranger

2 is better than one
Feb 27, 2002
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The fact is that the players can only do so much on their own. They can boycott the rest of the season and go protest in their own communities, but that's not going to garner much attention, which is what they need more than anything else. They need the NBA owners and the sponsors to help influence change, and they won't get that help by boycotting games.

They need their Chinese overlords to step in and foment social change! I find the hypocrisy that surrounds this galling.
 
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hyduK

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I'm just curious what is the demo that pays attention to the NBA that isn't aware of everything that is going on?
It’s not directly about people that tune into the NBA. The boycott makes national news, it trends on Twitter/social media in general, etc.
 

hyduK

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Feb 21, 2009
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I have to disagree. It brought awareness to a league with horrible ratings. That's about it.
Lol NBA is fine. It has a sizeable and young fan base. Unlike NHL and MLB which is basically driven by elderly white men.
 

hyduK

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Feb 21, 2009
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Brought awareness? The country has been constantly actually protesting and rioting ever since George Floyd. We don't need to pat the players on the back. Awareness isn't the issue, it's people that just disagree on certain details.
Yes. And those protests are still going strong but their presence in everyday news has dwindled because there’s only so long you can report on the same story.

it’s about keeping the fact that the police are problematic and need to be changed drastically at the forefront.
 

SouthGeorge

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May 2, 2018
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I'm just curious what is the demo that pays attention to the NBA that isn't aware of everything that is going on?

That would be 0.0%. That's why putting stuff on jerseys, t-shirts, post game interviews, and boycotting one game does nothing. Not playing at all would have made huge headlines and gave no distraction to a huge % of the movement over pointless basketball games. That's been Kyries point from day one.
 
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bleedblue1223

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It’s not directly about people that tune into the NBA. The boycott makes national news, it trends on Twitter/social media in general, etc.
The people tuning in to the channels and on Twitter/social media are already aware. Twitter/social media is overwhelmingly young and on the left. The news you watch is going to be polarized to what you believe. If you are active on those mediums, you are going to be already aware of everything that is going on. Awareness as a need has gone out the window after George Floyd. If there is anyone out there isn't aware by now, they aren't going to be made aware by the NBA taking the night off during the playoffs.

People that aren't onboard just disagree, and taking a night off isn't going to convince them to all of a sudden agree.
 
Mar 1, 2002
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The boycott worked, it brought awareness to the issues and put them back in the spotlight.

It wasn't a boycott. They are still playing the games, they were just postponed. To boycott, the games aren't played, like when the US boycotted the Olympics.

It was a protest, but it sure wasn't a boycott.
 
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Jan 21, 2011
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The people tuning in to the channels and on Twitter/social media are already aware. Twitter/social media is overwhelmingly young and on the left. The news you watch is going to be polarized to what you believe. If you are active on those mediums, you are going to be already aware of everything that is going on. Awareness as a need has gone out the window after George Floyd. If there is anyone out there isn't aware by now, they aren't going to be made aware by the NBA taking the night off during the playoffs.

People that aren't onboard just disagree, and taking a night off isn't going to convince them to all of a sudden agree.

I told my fiancee this the last time it happened.
 
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hyduK

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Feb 21, 2009
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The people tuning in to the channels and on Twitter/social media are already aware. Twitter/social media is overwhelmingly young and on the left. The news you watch is going to be polarized to what you believe. If you are active on those mediums, you are going to be already aware of everything that is going on. Awareness as a need has gone out the window after George Floyd. If there is anyone out there isn't aware by now, they aren't going to be made aware by the NBA taking the night off during the playoffs.

People that aren't onboard just disagree, and taking a night off isn't going to convince them to all of a sudden agree.
Nope. Continued awareness is necessary until there's change. Even if it reached a single additional person.

Keep it in the spotlight until change happens. Sure, like you said, some people are idiots and lost causes. Doesn't matter. Pound it home until there's substantial change to the police. Momentum has been lost before and it can't happen this time.
 
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bleedblue1223

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Nope. Continued awareness is necessary until there's change. Even if it reached a single additional person.

Keep it in the spotlight until change happens. Sure, like you said, some people are idiots and lost causes. Doesn't matter. Pound it home until there's substantial change to the police. Momentum has been lost before and it can't happen this time.
No, you are missing what I'm saying. You seem to think that people will just automatically agree with your position if they are aware, and I disagree with that notion. You can call them idiots and lost causes, but if people don't agree with the solutions put forward, then you aren't going to make any progress. Right now, that's the spot we are in.
 

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