NFL: The Modern Dynasty Is Bad
The Golden State Warriors are a modern dynasty, as they have dominated the NBA landscape for the last three seasons, winning two titles in that span. Dynasties, historically, have been good for sports. The New York Yankees dynasty from 1996-2004 brought extra intrigue to baseball because everyone wanted to take them down.
The 1990's is considered one of the best times in the history of the NBA, and two teams, the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets, won 8-of-10 championships in that decade. In the past, people have not cared about whether there was parity in sports.
The issue is, that was then, and this is now. The NBA has seen Lebron James make it to the NBA Finals seven years in a row. This includes the last three years consecutively against the Warriors. A trilogy of showdowns is great, but now it is clear which team is better. We do not need to see the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State face off again.
The TV ratings were up for the Finals this year, naturally. A Warriors team now equipped with the second-best player in the world against the miracle Cavaliers that won last year. But now, when these two teams face off again next year, the magic will be gone. The Cavs, due to cap space, cannot do much that will get them over the hump. This means that it will likely be the same two teams facing off in the Finals for the fourth year in a row. Does that sound interesting to you?
The NHL has had similar issues in recent years. The Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings have won 8-of-9 Stanley Cups, with the Penguins winning the last two. After pulling in an average rating of 3.2, or roughly 5.6 million viewers, in 2015, the last two Stanley Cup Finals have pulled in average ratings of 2.4 and 2.7, respectively. The dip in viewership can be equated to a lack of big market viewership.
The most watched Stanley Cup Finals in the last 10 years came in 2013, when the Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins. If the league must continue to rely on “hockey towns” to gain viewership, it does not bode well for future ratings. The MLB has followed the same path, as viewership is down for many reasons. The World Series drew its lowest ratings in 2012 when the San Francisco Giants swept the Detroit Tigers. For context, the Giants had just won a title two years before, and the Tigers had been a regular as one of the best teams in the American League.
The sport benefits from new teams winning. Game 7 between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs last year drew the highest ratings of a baseball game since 2001. At the time, those two teams had the longest World Series droughts in history. There is so much intrigue in a matchup like that. Now, in 2017, the magic is gone. If the World Series pulls in good ratings this year it will be because of big market interest.
The casual fan will not tune in to see the Arizona Diamondbacks play the Minnesota Twins if that were to happen. The hardcore fan does not want to see the Cubs play the New York Yankees. Maybe the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals can bring that magic back.
The NFL is probably the most interesting professional sport in terms of what teams win every year. That sounds weird considering the New England Patriots just won the Super Bowl, but overall it has been positive. The landscape of the NFL changes so quickly and so often.
The Carolina Panthers went from Super Bowl runner-up to last place in the NFC South. The Patriots are not going away until Tom Brady retires. Under Bill Belichik, they play an average of 18 games a year. Basically, they are a lock to make it to the AFC Championship every year. While they are a constant, it is almost a guarantee they will play someone different every year. They have made the AFC Championship six years in a row, and have played four different opponents in that time.
The Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl three times in that span, and played three different teams. Parity is scarce for the most part in professional sports. Things do not look very optimistic, but with how quickly sports change, better things could be on the horizon.
Photo Credit: The Big Lead.
