# Papa John's Blames NFL Controversy for Poor Sales. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430 "2017-11-01T20:10:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/1 "2017-11-01T20:10:36Z")
[Really](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/papa-john-s-blames-nfl-controversy-for-hurting-pizza-sales/ar-AAujThH). Of course, it couldn’t be because Poppa John’s pizza sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/2 "2017-11-01T20:11:36Z")
Could a moderator fix the misspelling of Poppa in the thread title? Many thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/3 "2017-11-01T20:14:39Z")
Do you want it changed to “Poppa”, or to “Papa”? I’m pretty sure that the name of the chain is the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/4 "2017-11-01T20:15:55Z")
The latter, please and thanks!! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/5 "2017-11-01T20:23:15Z")
It also couldn’t possibly be because Schnatter is a jerk, and had made comments about [raising his pizza prices](https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-internets-f?utm_term=.vgxvvvx1V#.cmv3339xL) (and / or cutting his employee hours) due to the costs of Obamacare (though those were several years ago). ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/6 "2017-11-01T20:24:27Z")
Who knew that peaceful protest comes with an unexpected side benefit! ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/7 "2017-11-01T20:29:01Z")
If it wasn’t for already-signed contracts, Papa Johns and other sponsors would have pulled out of the NFL already. My old roommate is relatively high up the chain at Frito Lay and he’s told me that Frito has had meetings with the NFL about their situation as well and wishes they could pull out of their contract ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/8 "2017-11-01T20:38:12Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > My old roommate is relatively high up the chain at Frito Lay and he’s told me that Frito has had meetings with the NFL about their situation as well and wishes they could pull out of their contract You must be _swimming_ in tasty snacks! ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/9 "2017-11-01T20:40:14Z")
I wonder how their sales compare to other pizza places. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/10 "2017-11-01T20:49:17Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > If it wasn’t for already-signed contracts, Papa Johns and other sponsors would have pulled out of the NFL already. > > My old roommate is relatively high up the chain at Frito Lay and he’s told me that Frito has had meetings with the NFL about their situation as well and wishes they could pull out of their contract It isn’t clear to me why: Because they want to distance themselves from the protests? Distance themselves from the Owner’s reaction to the protests? Fear of NFL ratings going down? Something else? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/11 "2017-11-01T20:54:30Z")
Maybe his buddy Donald will bail him out. The guy is a true asshole and fuck his pizza chain. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/12 "2017-11-01T20:54:49Z")
I would’ve blamed: 1. mediocre pizza 2. obnoxious owner and annoying ads ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/13 "2017-11-01T20:56:25Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > I wonder how their sales compare to other pizza places. Yum! Brands, which owns Pizza Hut, is actually releasing their Q3 2017 earnings statement tomorrow (11/2). Those earnings will only be through September 30th, so they may not paint a full picture of what’s going on with Pizza Hut with regards to the past 8 weeks…but if Pizza Hut is down dramatically, I’d expect it to be noted. For their second quarter (ending June 30th), same-store sales for Pizza Hut in the US were down 4%, and were down 5% for “year to date.” Domino’s released their Q3 earnings three weeks ago, noting that their “same store sales” were up 8.4% for the quarter, versus the same period last year. It’s not clear to me if those figures are through the end of August, or the end of September. Little Caesars is privately owned by the Illitch family, so comparable info on their sales would be difficult to find. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Terrific](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tom_terrific/32/342_2.png) [@Tom\_Terrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Terrific)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/14 "2017-11-01T20:56:39Z")
My guess is yes to distancing themselves from the protests. Yes to fear of the NFL ratings going down even further. I think the main reason would be that they don’t think they are getting the bang for their buck that the NFL has always had. The ratings have gone down so the commercials don’t reach the number of people the advertisers are paying for. The cost of having a commercial during a NFL game is high and with reduced viewership I’m sure they would like to at least renegotiate the rates. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/15 "2017-11-01T21:02:27Z")
When I was in college, I was all about Papa Johns. But that’s because my taste buds hadn’t properly developed yet. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Terrific](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tom_terrific/32/342_2.png) [@Tom\_Terrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Terrific)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/16 "2017-11-01T21:02:39Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > It isn’t clear to me why: > > Because they want to distance themselves from the protests? > > Distance themselves from the Owner’s reaction to the protests? > > Fear of NFL ratings going down? > > Something else? Mainly to the NFL ratings going down. The costs of commercials during a NFL game are high and I am sure the advertisers are not happy about the reduced viewership They are not getting the bang for their buck they were expecting. Distancing themselves from the protests? I would guess yes, I would say yes to the fear of the NFL rating tanking even further. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/17 "2017-11-01T21:03:06Z")
I quit buying their pizza when he started whining about having to insure his employees. What an ass! Instead, I buy from a local place. It may cost a bit more, but my dollars largely stay in the county. And their pizza is lots better, too! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/18 "2017-11-01T21:10:35Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Could a moderator fix the misspelling of Poppa in the thread title? Many thanks! Fixed. (It should be Papa.) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/19 "2017-11-01T21:17:56Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > You must be _swimming_ in tasty snacks! When we lived together I definitely was. The best part was when a new prototype chip would be in testing. He would come home with a small, all-white bag and throw it at me and say “eat this and tell me what you think”. It was fun. > [@Quimby](#): > > It isn’t clear to me why: > > Because they want to distance themselves from the protests? > > Distance themselves from the Owner’s reaction to the protests? > > Fear of NFL ratings going down? > > Something else? Distance themselves from the protests mainly, or at least the controversy surrounding the whole deal. The ratings are down too, but it’s mostly because the general public now has negative feelings toward the nfl and Frito is trying to distance themselves from it ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430/20 "2017-11-01T21:44:18Z")
> [@](#): > > The best part was when a new prototype chip would be in testing. He would come home with a small, all-white bag and throw it at me and say “eat this and tell me what you think”. It was fun. So you’re one of the ones to blame for the Mt Dew-flavored Doritos? And isn’t Frito-Lay part of the same corporate family as Yum Foods? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-johns-blames-nfl-controversy-for-poor-sales/800430.md?page=2)