National Football League

LeBron James warns NFL not to take 'fun' out of the game

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:46 p.m. ET

Nick Schwartz

By this point in the season you've probably heard that NFL television ratings have been sliding in 2016, and fans and analysts alike have come up with a long list of excuses ranging from the 2016 presidential election to national anthem protests to unexciting primetime matchups.

Dallas Cowboys fan LeBron James, for one, isn't sure why NFL ratings are down - but he's worried that the league might be sucking the fun out of the game.

Via ESPN:

"I've heard some of the comments from some of the players, as far as the game, the fun part of it is kind of being taken away. And I know when I played football, I played it for that reason. For the competition, one, and for the fun of it... I've seen a couple of the main guys talk about how the game is not as fun. It's all political, things of that nature, at this point. You definitely don't want to take the fun away from the game."

The NFL decided to make policing celebrations a "point of emphasis" for the 2016 season, and the result has been a rise in both excessive celebration penalties and taunting penalties.