According to a Wall Street Journal study of four recent broadcasts, and similar
estimates by researchers, the average amount of time the ball is in play on the
field during an NFL game is about 11 minutes.
I wish a comparable study was done on baseball. It would have to do better than 11 minutes per three hours.
You can compare the commercial time fairly easy, 60 minutes for football according to this study. For baseball, I figure 2 2 minute breaks before the game starts, a 2 minute break between each half inning (17), and say 3 mid-inning pitching breaks (which should be high I would think, so very conservative). That is 22 commercial breaks at 2 minutes a pop, or 44 minutes of the same three hour average broadcast time. Over 33% more in a football game, sure seems that way.
So football is finally over. And unlike with the baseball season, I am glad it is over. I already spent too much time watching football, and I'm thankful it is finally done. However painful the season ending game may have been, at least we don't have to spend another week waiting for the same fateful ending that 31 teams share each season.
Now we can really get on with baseball! Even Mr Hoyer noticed and has taken some action lately. And I even read a pitchers and catchers post. We're close!
