I know that it’s been awhile since my last column, and I also am aware that the last column promised NFL previews this summer. I do apologize for the lack of content, but I’m not going to apologize for skipping the NFL previews – simply put, this will be my last column covering that league.
The league seems to think the country will NEVER get enough football, but I think they are gravely mistaken. Too much of ANYTHING is bad for us, and the NFL is pretty much the McDonalds of the sports/entertainment world – popular, tasty, but not especially good for us and DEFINITELY not something you want as an everyday staple. People I’ve talked to – and read – are beginning to get that ‘ate too much’ feeling when it comes to the NFL.
It’s hard to articulate EVERYTHING that’s gotten me to this point, but let me lay out a few things that got me to this point:
1.) Greed. Every league has it, make no mistake – and the NBA, NHL, and MLB all have their share of greedy owners, inept commissioners, whining players, etc. What sets the NFL apart is their unabashed, uncensored acknowledgement of their own greed. Already the biggest ($9.5 BILLION in revenue), most popular (187 million fans – or 60% of the country) sport in America, the NFL went on record as setting its revenue goal at $25 Billion by 2027.
Taking a family to an NFL game now is both expensive and a recipe for disaster. Tickets, parking, and concessions are unbelievably expensive – and the behavior of fans at games has gone from questionable to downright nasty of late. There’s literally nothing family-friendly about watching 30,000 people get drunk and hurl insults at the refs, opposing team, and each other. And yet, the prices keep going up.
The league also has openly discussed lengthening the season – despite the obvious effects on rosters due to further injury attrition – and has expanded their TV lineup to include Thursdays every week. When is enough, enough?
2.) Violence. I get it, football is a violent sport – it has been since it was invented. Any game where running with intent to contact the opponent is the central theme will have its share of violence. For a long time I was ok with this – until the concussion issues, and more importantly the league’s unconscionable denials of them, came to the forefront. As the data piled up, it became clear that the NFL had to do something – both to protect current players, and to help former players. Almost everyone recognized this – except, of course, NFL owners (and their commissioner). Their response to this – and other issues – leads us to the next issue:
3.) Arrogance. The NFL is the biggest sport – but it would be nice if they showed a bit of humility at times, rather than acting as the ‘big bully on the block’. Over the past 5-10 years, they have appeared increasingly tone-deaf to public complaints and opinion, reacting only long after the roar became deafening. The league’s fight to deny the link between early-onset dementia/death and football was every bit as grotesque as Big Tobacco’s fight to say smoking was safe for people…and every bit as futile. There’s now OVERWHELMING evidence to show that repeated head trauma, even on a smaller scale (such as every play for linemen) does irreparable harm.
The league has consistently taken a reactive approach to such issues rather than a proactive one – the latest controversy surrounding Ray Rice, and by extension the entire domestic violence issue, is just the latest example. This wonderful column by Grantland’s Louisa Thomas (seriously, stop reading this, and go read her work – it’s excellent!) really drove this point home – these problems aren’t new, the NFL has been sweeping this stuff ‘under the rug’ for years, and it took that terrible video of Rice punching his fiancée to force any kind of real action. This is, quite simply, a failure of leadership. The NFL has taken boatloads of public money to build stadiums, and even beyond that there are millions of young men who idolize NFL players. The league has an obligation to this nation to hold itself to a high standard AND to be both a proactive leader, and a responsive listener to the public, especially where violence and safety issues are concerned.
4.) Fun. Frankly, it just isn’t as fun to follow the NFL anymore. The league is surrounded by off-field controversies, often piling one on top of the other, yet they continue to crack down on things that actually spark fan interest – like end-zone celebrations, dancing into the end zone*, and players showing any hint of personality on the field.
- Last Thursday night Devin Hester broke Deion Sanders’ career return TD record, and during the score he paid homage with Sanders’ trademark ‘prime time’ waltz en route to the end zone. I thought it was both entertaining and a classy gesture. Of course, the NFL thought it was worth 15 yards for ‘taunting’. Who, exactly, was he taunting?? I 100% agree with no-tolerance on this kind of stuff at the high school level – but gee whiz, these guys are professionals, and that was the OPPOSITE of a taunt – it was a show of respect.
So let’s take stock: Their commissioner is an empty suit – which is JUST the way the greedy owners like it; he exists to do their bidding and represent THEIR interests, NOT the interests of the sport as a whole. The owners as a group are out-of-touch billionaires who care only about adding to their bottom line – they care little about the players and less about you or I (as long as the revenues flow). The players, especially defenders, are trained to be attackers, violent and strong, and able to stand up to anyone anywhere on the field – yet they are given no training on how to behave OFF the field (the NFL could take a page from the Marine Corps here – Marines are trained to be killers, yet are also taught a lot about the value of love, respect, and family).
Now compare it to baseball – the owners are, by and large, just as greedy and out of touch…but the game is not built around contact violence, and in fact I defy you to name ONE ex-player who died or was severely disabled as a result of his on-field activities. MLB was slow to react to their own substance/steroid abuse issues, but once they did they became a leader in pro sports – and the results show on the field, as offense quickly receded to historical (or below) norms. Games are still a wonderful family experience, and still fairly affordable for the most part. Baseball remains the National Pastime, even if it’s not the most popular sport.
Every sport has its issues, but just like everything else about the NFL, its issues seem larger.
When I was a kid I loved McDonald’s, but as I grew up I realized that it wasn’t good for me, so I slowly stopped going. I still eat fast-food occasionally, but it is no longer a staple of my diet. The NFL and I are at the same place – I still officiate high school football (I still see a LOT of value in the game for teens, especially with the new emphasis on player safety), and I’ll still watch my share of college and NFL games. But I’m done writing about the league, at least until some major changes occur.
To the NFL I say: Fire your commissioner, put player safety first and fan needs second, and the revenue will STILL flow. You can run a business that is ethically/morally sound AND profitable; it doesn’t have to be a choice. If you make those decisions, I’ll be back.
Until that day, I just don’t feel like covering this league anymore.
I’ll have baseball playoff coverage coming, as well as some NHL news and notes.
As always I welcome your feedback! Email me at dsglass74@gmail.com,
