The golden goose is not dead or even on life support quite yet, but it got some troubling news at the last vet visit…
What? You don’t want to watch the Monster Energy Big 12?
Well I’m not sure if my viewership is being counted (which is much sparser than it used to be anyway). I canceled my Sling subscription ~ Jan 2025 after they raised prices again. I tried one day of Sling day pass this last weekend, and it would keep pausing after about 90 seconds. Same thing when I tried it last year when it was new. There’s usually at least one stream from the high seas that’s more reliable.
Plus the other issues that have dramatically reduced my watch time: Ridiculous amount of commercials, shitty broadcasters, mercenary players / pay-to-win, unpunished cheating.
I’ve actually been watching more NFL due to the more traditional and fan-friendly structure and presentation (we are officially in crazypants world now). I’m still paying attention to my CFB teams and to one or two big games each week, but nothing is appointment viewing anymore, and especially during the first half of the season when I have no idea WTF players I’m watching, it doesn’t take much to get me distracted and doing something else.
I can’t morally fault the players for getting the bag and pushing back on antiquated rules, but hoo-buddy, as a “thing I want to watch” college football is in a bad place.
I was all for student athletes getting paid. But I was thinking a stipend that they could use to live on, maybe go out to eat now and then, etc. Maybe even up to, say, a $50k/year salary.
I was not thinking millions of dollars in NIL deals and then being able to switch teams as easily. The pendulum swung way too far the other way, as it often does.
