A survey of 2,088 people by Morning Consult shows "declines in viewership" of NFL games "among older viewers and those with conservative political views," according to Joe Flint of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Year-over-year viewership has "declined more for people over 45 years old than people 18 to 45." Some 24% of respondents 45 to 54, for example, said that they are "watching some or much less football this year," compared to a 16% drop for people 30 to 44. Interest in the election "certainly played a part in keeping viewers away from the games." The survey, done in November, found that 16% of respondents were "somewhat or much less likely to have watched football because of election coverage including debates." Conservatives are "watching less football this season compared to last season versus other political groups." Some 28% of conservatives said that they were "watching some or much less NFL," versus 20% for moderates and 16% for liberals (WSJ.com, 11/30).
BACK IN THE SADDLE: USA TODAY's Erik Brady notes NBC's Al Michaels will call tonight's Cowboys-Vikings game, his "first since he took off three games in eight days -- Sunday, Thursday, Sunday -- over Thanksgiving week." He called it, "with characteristic suavity, his bye week." At 72, Michaels "figured he deserved a small break from a season’s worth of grinding travel." Michaels: "I feel tremendously fresh now. I don’t want to say necessarily refreshed, because I was doing fine." He added, "We looked at the thing and said, 'Hey, why don’t we give you a little time off?' It was my choice at that point. And I said, ‘That sounds good to me.’ Because I just didn’t want to get frazzled to the point where -- if you get too tired, and it begins to show on the air" (USA TODAY, 12/1).
