Saturation

Saturation.

How do you define it? Simple: Three letters, NFL.  And you know that bit's biting when the NFL big shots send out a memo to team owners playing down pro football's ratings decline, a prospect well overdue.

It's everywhere, cable, commercials, you name it. Erecting costly stadiums that costs taxpayers money, taxpayers who could care less about the sport and quite often are negatively impacted by its presence. Not to mention the increasing attempt to expand the game's attraction overseas suggests the growing recognition of a bloated home market. Despite NFL officials trying to play down falling television ratings, claiming it's this unusual election year, they would not be sending out memos if this were just a flash or two.

The WSJ reports: "Through the first four weeks of the season, NFL viewership had declined by 11%, and among the crucial adults 18-48 demographic that advertisers covet, ratings are down 12%."

But one can detect some late night graveyard whistling here. "In fact, one NFL wag said, "our own data shows that the perception of the NFL and it's players is actually up." We have no confirmation on this but one rumor afloat out there is the NFL gets it's data from the Federal Reserve.

This is a not so oblique reference to the national anthem debate. Not everyone, including us, agrees. As the Journal points out the NFL "continues to place more product on digital, a negative hit to broadcast partners is more likely." Still others use the big S word. And yet another might be growing competition from college football where ratings are up this season. All day Sunday and Monday and Thursday night games could be another reason. With all that  exposure the money goes to either the NFL sponsors or those dying breed shopping malls. Amazon online is already a monopoly.

These are some every clever, persistent folks who will try to figure out one way or another to get into your pocketbook.