FACE IT, HOMETOWN NFL FANS. TO THEM YOU'RE ALL JUST A BAND OF SUCKERS: Granted and upfront, nothing we discuss here will make a speck of difference in the popularity and profit margin of the National Football League. A meteor the size of Aaron Rodger’s ego could strike the Earth, wiping out most of the homo-sapient population, and the NFL would still figure out a way to make a buck and be a socio-economic juggernaut. That should not, however, distract from the greed and extortion that is practiced every season by the NFL, taking complete advantage of the local fan base, and is only going to increase.
The extortion factor has long been in play, with meaningless practice games added to season ticket purchases as full priced games, and the skullduggery where you won’t get your season ducats if you don’t cough up the stupid amounts of cash for these exhibition disasters. The greed factor is spread heavy over everything the NFL does, but perhaps none more so than Roger Goodell’s promises there will be an expansion of international regular season games. This means there will be one less home game for the dedicated home fan, considered little more than suckers by the NFL, in order for the owners and the players to cash in on new dollars. Loyalty and dedication be damned.
If the NFL can find new ways to make more money while ensuring that your game ticket price, concession prices, clothing and memorabilia rates and parking fees can all be increased with nary a whimper, they’ll do it. I didn’t even include the stunning amount of money it takes every year if you want to purchase games on cable or over the Internet. One day, and you can wager on this one already, there will be an NFL International League, and perhaps they will even find a way to include them in a Super Bowl round-robin competition.
But until that far off day arrives, grab your wallets loyal suckers, I mean fans, because the NFL knows you will pay anything to have your football. They haven’t gone to surrendering your first-born child yet, but give them time.
WOLVERINES NEUTERED BY THEIR OWN BLOATED BOSSES: Ah yes, lo those many seasons ago I and many other who covered college football…..you remember “COLLEGE” football, yes?….would dig into those stories on cheating by coaches and then feel sorry for the student-athletes, (see, these were guys who actually went to class and had to get these things called “GRADES” in order to actually play in a game), as they were abused by coaches who were using them for nothing more than a stepping tone to fatter contracts or a deal in the NFL, which is, of course, that big pot of lucre in the sky that has been using “COLLEGE” football as nothing more than a minor league feeder system.
Well, not anymore, my fellow minions. Feeling any twinge of sorrow for these profit pirates is a greater waste of time than watching the Deion Sanders Colorado Clown Show.
In the case of the University of Michigan, not one whit of emotion after they were torched by Texas. That blowout was just the capper for a program that watched from their multi-million dollar Athletic and Administration offices as Jim Harbaugh lied and cheated his way into a National Championship. This while the players, who have become “students” when it comes to accounting for NIL money, are using and jobbing the system with transfer glee. Granted, not all of them, but those who make the team contenders don’t give one spit about the “Alma Mater”, (because most of them have no intention of sniffing a degree or diploma), and are just there for the cash ride.
There is no way the UM bosses didn’t know what was going on, and they just let it happen secure in the knowledge that even if Harbaugh got busted, they would STILL have that National Championship trophy and the money that came with it in their main office and bank account. Sure, let the title and wins be stripped. You just try going after all that cash. That, and their boosters won’t leave. Neither will the sponsors. In a few years, all will be forgotten and the gravy train will stoke up again.
Feel sorry for these crooks? Be serious.
NASCAR CONTINUES DRIVING INTO THE DITCH OF GREED & MEDIOCRITY: Speaking of remembering the past, recall when NASCAR had gained the title of 5th “major league sport” in America and was even considered to one day rival the NHL and MLB for a higher position? It might have come to pass, only if NASCAR hadn’t been so damn greedy. Ratings were skyrocketing, sponsors were falling over themselves to get plastered on the side of cars, drivers were even crossing over into entertainment and coming off as less than backwoods hicks and rednecks, (which has never been fair to begin with seeing as most drivers only live in the South to stay close to their teams and owners), and everyone was finally seeing the payoff.
Then, along came NASCAR to ruin NASCAR.
They took all the fun out of the cars by making them all literally the exact same with no personality. They cracked down on the few personalities they had behind the wheel and made them all shut up and play nice, when what fans wanted from both was originality and maybe even a little physicality. NASCAR would change the specs on their cars on a whim, seemingly after almost every few races, and “The Chase” made for the single most boring playoff set-up since someone decided to try it for greased pig racing. The broadcasts and broadcasters were busy turning vanilla while the tracks themselves lost their dangerous charm. Oh, and let’s not forget people come to the races to see wrecks. Lots of wrecks. Sure, they want the drivers to be safe, but they want to see sheet metal flying and then a few fists doing the same in the pits.
Now, NASCAR is in a real fix over their Charter Agreements. Think of it as NASCAR being the McDonalds home office and every team is a franchise that has to cough up cash and then be happy with what the big guns send down the pipe. Some notable teams won’t sign the charter, claiming that NASCAR is holding back from paying everyone a good chunk of the profits, (haven’t we heard this before), and teams are going broke trying to make ends meet. The old sponsorship fallback is also dragging, as that big money is drying up because it’s just not enough to have a driver wearing those logos and have them steamed onto the car bodies. The return isn’t there anymore, fans are impatient and not blindly shoveling money to sponsors, so that vein has slowed considerably.
As with so many other sports, we’re right back to where the league ownership won’t take even a little less money to help their teams, instead wanting to keep as much as they can. Last time I checked, those suits in Daytona Beach could do with a few less buffets and a few more original ideas to help the teams stay afloat and give the fans more of what they really want.
Hit the gas. Turn left.
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