Seton Hall Sports Poll

By a 2-1 margin, and In the first measurement of “speed-up” rule changes initiated this year by Major League Baseball, 46% of Americans believe that these changes, especially limiting visits to the mound, will make the game feel like it’s going faster.  Only 24% said it would not feel faster, (31% had no opinion.) The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted last week after three weeks of this season had concluded, presented a positive endorsement for MLB of its changes. The poll showed 53% saying games took too long, with 40% disagreeing. When the same question was asked by the Seton Hall Sports Poll in 2011, only 44% said the games took too long, with 51% disagreeing.  The “feel” of the games having a faster pace was important to officials at MLB during the winter, when the changes were approved.    By 3 to 1, a rule that was implemented only on the minor league level was soundly booed by respondents.  The minors are experimenting with allowing a runner to be stationed at second base to start an extra inning, b

By a margin of 55% - 35%, the American public favors legalized betting on sports events, according to a poll conducted this week by the Seton Hall Sports Poll. And by a margin of 48% - 42%, those same respondents feel that legalized betting would negatively impact the integrity of sporting events.  Even among those favoring legalized gambling, one of three believes that it would have a negative impact. The poll also asked whether people feel that sports betting should be controlled by individual states, or by the federal government.  (The U.S. Supreme Court is about to rule on that issue).  62% said it should be under state control, with 27% saying the federal government should control it. Broken down by gender, men are much more inclined to support legalized betting, with 63% saying yes.  Only 47% of women favored legalized betting.  Approval fell significantly by age, with 68% support from ages 18-29, down to 37% at age 60 and over.  Similarly, the support number fell based on level of education, with 71

Vice President Mike Pence’s decision to remain seated as the combined North and South Korean teams entered the stadium during Olympic Opening Ceremonies received a harsh rebuke from the American public - by 3-to-1, according to a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week.  A strong 66% said the gesture was not appropriate, with only 18% supporting the decision.  People in the 18-44 age bracket disapproved by 72%-14%, while older people, by 60% to 22% -  were somewhat more supportive - but still strongly opposed. The poll was conducted this week with random calls to 775 adults on landlines and cellphones across the country, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.6%. As for the Olympic Games themselves, 17% named “streaming” as the manner in which they mostly watched the Games, and while 54% named NBC’s primetime coverage, the 17% is significant for the communications industry as a breakthrough number.  (12% named “other TV networks” as their most preferred option). Meanwhile, as far as general interest in the

The Winter Olympics in South Korea may be 14 time zones removed from the Eastern Time Zone of the US - but 43% of Americans say they plan to watch NBC’s live streaming content during the Games, with only 48% saying they did not have such plans. A big chunk of the country - 63% - say they will watch at least some coverage of the Games, which begin Friday, February 8.  That is double those who said “no” (31%) to watching any coverage.  Asked if they would be more likely to buy a product advertising during the Olympics, 87% said it would make no difference, a number that advertising executives would surely debate.  Five percent said they were “more likely” and 5% said “less likely” to buy the product. BIG PUSHBACK ON NBA PROPOSAL FOR GAMBLING ON GAMES IN NEW YORK STATE The Poll also asked people about a proposal from the NBA that would allow gambling on its games in New York State, using hand held devices and kiosks in addition to casinos and racetracks.  (The league would receive one percent of all wagers). 

Reflecting a season-long decline in viewership, a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week shows 54% of Americans planning on watching Sunday’s Super Bowl, down from 68% when the same question was asked two years ago.  Interestingly, of those who identified themselves as people who “closely follow” the NFL, 16% say they won’t be watching. Another factor might be the return of the New England Patriots, with 20% of the population feeling less inclined to root for them.  12% said they were more inclined, and 62% said there was no difference.  Another slow trend that the league and broadcasters are surely watching is the migration of viewers from traditional TV to alternate devices.  In 2016, 98% said they would be watching the game on television - this year, the number is down to 90%, with 10% citing other devices or a combination of TV and other devices. 22% said they were most looking forward to the game’s commercials, with 61% most looking forward to the  game, and 14% the halftime show  Among men, 76% sa

By a margin of 49% - 35%, Americans have said “no” to the inclusion of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The two have not yet been elected by the Baseball Writers, who are voting now for the 2018 inductees.  Both seemingly had Hall of Fame credentials even before their linkage to performance enhancing drugs.  The poll also showed Americans agreeing with Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, who sent a letter to voters saying players named as PED users should not be elected.  62% supported Morgan’s position, with only 26% opposing.  

A Seton Hall Sports Poll has found that 71% of Americans would like President Trump to stay out of the NFL controversy surrounding the protest actions of players during the national anthem.  23% say he should continue to comment.  Just a month ago, 37% felt it was appropriate for the President to get involved in the issue, when the question was posed regarding his call for a petition to support standing for the anthem. The poll asked if keeping players in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem next season would be an effective way for the NFL to deal with the controversy.  63% said no, and 27% said yes.  The Poll also asked whether people intended to purchase any NFL merchandise this holiday season, with 20% saying yes and 74% saying no.  Of those saying yes a fifth said they were affected by the current controversies, and of those saying no, a third were affected by the controversies.   As for the rehiring of Roger Goodell as NFL commissioner, only 19% felt his contract should be extende

In a week in which a record number of home runs were hit in a single World Series game…..and post-season coverage provides continuous use of the strike zone boundaries for each pitch….fans are clear that they want umpires - and not a computer - calling balls and strikes…..but also suspicious of the use of performing enhancing drugs driving all those homers. Perhaps driven by the umpire calls when the strike zone box is up, (or perhaps just by being traditionalists), a strong 75% preferred that the umpire make the ball-strike calls, with only 11% opting for computer calls.  (14% had no opinion).  On the matter of home runs, of which a record number were hit this season in the Major Leagues, respondents were asked to say “yes” or “no” to a variety of factors.

By a 47% to 42% margin, Americans believe that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should have ordered the league’s players to stand during the national anthem.  By a wider margin - 55% v. 37% - people said it was inappropriate for President Trump to request that people sign a petition saying that the players stand.  The Poll also asked a number of questions related to the safety of youth football.  Asked if football organizing groups should have medical personnel advise parents about the dangers of playing organized football before their child signs up to play, a huge 82% said yes, with only 11% saying no.  Asked if they thought youth football leagues through high school are taking adequate steps to improve the safety of the game, 49% said yes, and only 22% said no.  Respondents were also asked at what age he or she would allow a child to play football, 39% said ages 7-11, 27% said ages 12-15, and only 9% said age 16 and over.  20% responded “never.”

Statisticians at the Seton Hall Sports Poll dug a little deeper this week, looking at figures reflecting the opinions of people who identified themselves as “fans of the NFL,” and separating their responses to the overall responses published last week.  The excision of those results showed that nearly a third - 30% - said they were watching fewer games this season (9% were watching more, 55% about the same), and that 52% of those watching less gave the reason as players protesting the national anthem.   In an overall margin of 49% to 31, Americans believe that baseball stadiums should extend netting down the foul lines to protect fans from foul balls and wayward bats. The remaining 20% either did not know or had no opinion. When broken down according to age, however, a different view appears: 18-29 year old respondents reached the opposite conclusion, opposing the extension of protective netting by a 39% to 33% margin.

A poll conducted this week by the Seton Hall Sports Poll has found that 84% of American support the NFL players’ right to protest,    with only 16% saying the players should be ordered to stand for the anthem or be dropped from the team if they refuse.   Of the 84% supporting the players’ right to protest, 49% felt they should find a different way to express their political opinions, and 35% felt that not standing for the anthem is an acceptable way to protest.  There was a wide racial gap in those saying it was an acceptable form of protest.  70% of African-American chose that option while only 28% of whites did.   The poll of 845 adults (on both landline and cellphone) was conducted across the US on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday of this week.  It has a margin of error of 3.4%.    President Trump has called on NFL owners to fire any players who refuse to stand, and on this, he received 28% support overall.  6% of African-Americans supported the president on this; 32% of whites.  Commissioner Roger Goodell an

With the NFL and NHL about to move into Las Vegas for the first time, nearly half of the US population foresees the increased likelihood of players, referees or team officials gambling on the outcome of games.  A Seton Hall Sports Poll found that 46% responded yes to the question of increased likelihood for gambling on games, while 42% thought the likelihood would not increase. The poll, conducted this week asked 687 adults (on both landline and cellphone) whether professional teams should be making their home in Las Vegas, and 47% responded yes, with only 27% no.  26% said they had no opinion.  The poll, sponsored by The Sharkey Institute, has a margin of error of 3.8%. When asked if the move to Las Vegas will tarnish the league’s reputation, 21% said it would harm the NFL and 19% said it would harm the NHL.   ONE IN FOUR SEES NEED FOR MORE WOMEN COACHING WOMEN’S TEAMS The Poll asked several questions regarding women’s sports and women coaches. The public seems perfectly fine with men coaching women’s tea

A clear majority of the American public believes that television revenue generated by the NCAA Basketball Tournament has turned collegiate athletics into too big a business, detracting from a university’s academic goals. 53% responded “yes” to that question in a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week among 739 adults across the country.  35% responded “no.”  The poll has a +/- 3.7% margin of error and is conducted with both landline and cellphone users.   When asked, however, how much importance universities place on graduating basketball players - 58% said they believed the schools placed either a high or medium importance on graduation.  This is about even (59%) from a similar Seton Hall Sports Poll taken five years ago. Both the NBA Commissioner and the president of the NCAA have suggested raising the minimum age for eligibility in the NBA draft from 19 to 20.  That essentially raises the commitment to college basketball from one year to two years.  19% thought it should remain at one year, but 41%

If younger people are to set the trend for the future of legalized gambling in America, they are certainly showing support for the concept today. Asked by the Seton Hall Sports Poll this week, “It’s been said a lot of people bet on sporting events anyway, so government should allow it and tax it.  It’s also been said legal betting on sporting events is a bad idea because it promotes too much gambling and damages the integrity of sports.  Which comes closer to your view?”……. ….46% of Americans stated support for allowing betting on sporting events, while 42% said it was bad idea.  This is a substantial increase from 2010 when a Fairleigh Dickinson poll showed 39% of Americans supported it, with 54% saying it was a bad idea.  Younger people are twice as likely to say “allow it” than those over 60.  There is a clear age trend in support by age group: 67% of 18-29, 48% of 30-44, 42% of 45-59 and 30% of 60+.    The age trend also was demonstrable on a question of whether it was appropriate for NBA Commissioner

An era of cord-cutting may loom in the future, but for now, traditional television viewing of the Super Bowl has a firm grasp on the American public.  According to a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week in the days after the game, a whopping 98% watched on TV, with only a combined 1% - barely - watching on phone, tablet or computer. Meanwhile, asked if Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history, 63% of those who identified as sports fans agreed with only 19% disagreeing.  Of those who said they were NFL fans, 51% agreed, and 21% disagreed.  Among the general population, 39% agreed, with only 21% disagreeing.   Finally, in the excitement following the first overtime in Super Bowl history and the fifth Super Bowl win for the  Patriots, 44% found the game the most compelling of recent championships, with Game 7 of the World Series registering 26% and the college football championship (Alabama-Clemson) at 11%.

The November Seton Hall Sports Poll, asked Americans how they felt about the concussion/head injury issue in football.  People were asked if they most agreed with President Obama’s feelings about having to think twice about letting a son play football, or President-elect Trump’s statement that head-on-tackles in the NFL are incredible to watch and the league has gone too soft on the issue of head injuries.  59% agreed with the Obama position while only 23% agreed with the Trump statement.  By gender, women agreed with Obama over Trump by 66%-17%, and men agreed with Obama by 52%-29%. In a year of declining television viewership for NFL games, 23% of Americans say they are watching fewer games, and a quarter of them attribute it to the protests during the playing of the national anthem. As for Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco quarterback who triggered the national anthem protests, 50% expressed disapproval over his deciding not to vote in the presidential election, with only 14% showing approval.  Only 30

By a 58% to 24% margin, Americans believe that professional leagues and college conferences are not doing enough to police instances of sexual abuse by athletes.  A total of 58% said “no” on the question of doing enough to police the instances, with only 24% saying enough was being done.   By 72% to 16%, Americans believe that male athletes discuss their sexual conquests of women in locker room discussions.  That finding was evenly placed among men (73%) and women (71%).  By 54% to 33% American believe that athletes speak in the manner expressed by Donald Trump in his 2005 tape, with 58% of males thinking “yes, they do” and 51% of women thinking the same. Rick Gentile was interviewed by Seth Everett for this podcast on the poll’s findings

Viewership for NFL games is down approximately 12% this season, sending league and club officials in search of reasons.  A Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted this week asked people to identify factors accounting for the drop.  Each question was asked separately, allowing for a yes, no or don’t know response.   Thus, respondents could weigh in on each of the seven possibilities as a contributing factor without identifying one single factor.   The leading factor - the one receiving the most “yesses” was players not standing for the national anthem.  However, the seven factors all evoked a large number of yes responses, so that even the least chosen, at 33%, represents a lot of fans. 56% of respondents cited players not standing, with 50% citing the distraction of the presidential campaign, and 47% the controversy over the handling of domestic violence cases involving players. On the question of domestic violence, men and women responded equally; 47% of men cited that as a possible reason, 46% of women said ye

Welcome to Season 2 of the Seton Hall Sports Poll Podcast.  In this premiere episode, Seth Everett & Poll Director Rick Gentile discuss the poll's latest findings on the recent controversy involving Colin Kaepernick & other NFL players NOT standing for the National Anthem. Americans disapprove by nearly 2 to 1 (with many having no opinion) of San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s sitdown/kneeldown during the playing of the national anthem in protest of police violence against people of color - but approve of his right to protest by a 4-1 margin., according to a national poll conducted this week by the Seton Hall Sports Poll.   

By more than a 2 to 1 margin, the nation believes the National Football League has not been honest in recent years on the subject of head injuries, according to a Seton Hall Sports Poll. While 26% believe the league has been honest, 58% feels it has not been. 51% feel the NFL is not doing enough to protect its players from concussions and head injuries (vs. 35% who feel they do),  While a national dialogue on the matter of equal pay for women plays out on the Presidential campaign trail, on the matter of members of the US Women’s Soccer team (World Cup champions), receiving comparable pay to members of the Men’s team, 73% indicated they should receive the same pay, with an additional 11% saying they should receive more. With the NBA Commissioner saying he would like to raise the minimum age to draft players from 19 to 20, this effectively meant college players would have to complete two years, not one.  55% of respondents agreed with the two years of college plan, with only 13% supporting one year. The Set