For those not in the know The NFL Blackout rules stipulate that any game that doesn't sellout 48-hours prior to kick-off will be blacked out in 90 mile radius from the stadium. Pretty basic concept, if your city doesn't support your team live the NFL isn't going to support the broadcast. Simple right? Except now, with the economic environment being what it is, many highly respected talking heads and writers are suggesting that the NFL make an exception to the rule and allow the teams to air their half empty games locally.
Well I think that's just adorable. I mean in this day and age it's so difficult to come up with the money for a ticket. And these poor downtrodden fans deserve to be rewarded for wanting to watch the games from home. I mean why not let them watch the games, What's the harm?
You know what, why stop there, why not let the fans save a couple of bucks by bringing their own beers to the games? Make the game BYOB. They could let the fans that show up brown bag it instead of having to pay $9 for a hot dog, every little bits helps right? Actually why not let the fans bring grills into the game, you know to get that whole tailgating vibe. You know bring a little Hibachi into the game and just throw it on to a couple of the empty seats. I mean they're not being used anyway right? Just cook the ole Kielbasas right from your seat while you're enjoying the game.
You know, come to think of it, I think that it's the economy that is keeping the Yankees from selling out their games in the Wind Tunnel That Ruth Built. And I'm pretty sure the whole Los Angeles-Fan-Apathy-Theory is totally off base. The real reason that every single incarnation of Professional Football has failed in the City of Angles was the flagging economies of 1926, 47, 50, 67, 74, 82-95, and 2000.
You know what, why stop there, why not let the fans save a couple of bucks by bringing their own beers to the games? Make the game BYOB. They could let the fans that show up brown bag it instead of having to pay $9 for a hot dog, every little bits helps right? Actually why not let the fans bring grills into the game, you know to get that whole tailgating vibe. You know bring a little Hibachi into the game and just throw it on to a couple of the empty seats. I mean they're not being used anyway right? Just cook the ole Kielbasas right from your seat while you're enjoying the game.
You know, come to think of it, I think that it's the economy that is keeping the Yankees from selling out their games in the Wind Tunnel That Ruth Built. And I'm pretty sure the whole Los Angeles-Fan-Apathy-Theory is totally off base. The real reason that every single incarnation of Professional Football has failed in the City of Angles was the flagging economies of 1926, 47, 50, 67, 74, 82-95, and 2000.
The economy, really? The "Economy" is the problem? If we're sticking with that story we might want to do SOME research. Don't get me wrong, our current economic downturn has hit every body in every walk of life, but it doesn't translate to the major sports globally. As a diehard Steelers fan I couldn't tickets to a Steelers game if my life depended on it. That must be because the economy is just singing along in Pittsburgh, huh. I know what you're whining, "But Trip the Steelers are always great and they're the defending Super Bowl champs." Well my simple response to that is yes the Steelers ARE awesome but it certainly doesn't explain why the Milwaukee Brewers are operating at a 90% capacity todate, does it? I don't think anybody is going to tell me that Milwaukee, a city that hasn't produced anything since Laverne DeFazio, is riding high during this global thermal nuclear meltdown.
And even if you can negotiate your way through all of that, explain to me why Detroit, the poster city for this Economic Crisis, regularly ranks in the top third for attendance in every major sport, other than football (special thanks to Matt Millen and the Fords for that). You just can't do it.
Attendance for everything in the world relies on one of two things, the product and whether there is anything better to do. It's simple. In Pittsburgh the Steelers great, people watch the games. In Milwaukee there isn't anything better to do, people watch the games. In Los Angeles you can be skiing, swimming, surfing, smuggling, star gazing, sky diving and stripping within that same 90 mile radius. The result, a line of cars driving AWAY from Dodger Stadium while Kirk Gibson hobbled around the bases. In fact the only sport that is traditionally successful from an attendance stand point in LA are the Lakers. Two reasons for that , they're always good and the smog levels are traditionally at their most dangerous during the winter.
The NFL should tell the teams that are having trouble selling tickets to look at the Steelers, Patriots, and Packers for some ideas. They could also look to terrible teams that still sellout games like the Redskins, Cowboys and Browns, those teams have proven year after year that just because you can't win a playoff game doesn't prevent you from selling out.
And if they still can't get people to fill the stadiums? Let 'em die on the vine. Believe me there are plenty of places that would support an NFL team and the free market will determine where those places are.
So if the NFL decides to lift Blackout rule, I say shame on them. But if they do, send each of the true diehard fans in each of the sold out cities a tax credit for every game they attend. And don't stop there. I think that the NFL should pay the property taxes for all of the diehards that DIDN'T get to go to those games as well. Starting with Steeler fans.
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