Why I don't care that much about the NFL, and why you shouldn't either.
What is the most expensive sport to go and see?
No, seriously, if you wanted to take your family to see a football game, how much would it cost?
The answer: a staggering $301.75.
Now, this includes four tickets, two beers, four sodas, four hot dogs, parking, two programs, and two caps. It's a part of the patented Fan Cost Index survey, and it's not necessarily indicative of how much it would cost for your family to attend a game, but my guess is that it's pretty close.
And frankly, it's not worth it.
The NFL's calling card is easily the fact that every game "matters." And that's admirable. There's nothing worse than a meaningless Warriors/Hawks, Pirates/Royals, or Blues/Blue Jackets game. But I've never been to an NFL game. I can't afford to go. I can afford the other sports, but not the NFL.
Why is this the case? Well, tickets have an extraordinarily high face value, much of which doesn't get discounted later on. Often, if the team is any good, the games will be long sold out, and the tickets will sell for much higher than face value. The NFL, a blue-collar sport, easily prices itself away from the casual fans. The only reason die-hards can go is because there are so few games; anyone else gets to deal directly with brokers (either internet or regular). Often, that's no good.
So I guess I get to watch my NFL games at home.
Well, this is ok with me if I live in a market with teams that don't suck. (Louisville, for example, would be a good example of a "non-suck" market this year.)
Unfortunately, that meant lots of Cleveland Browns action for me this year. But I'm ok with that. At least I don't live in, say, Sacramento. Can you imagine having to watch the Raiders or the Niners every week? That's inhumane.
Well, I can tune in and watch athletes that are the best of their profession, the height of class, right?
Wrong.
The NFL has Terrell Owens and Randy Moss, two vagabond wideouts who compete with each other to reach the apex of stupidity. It has Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick, two good quarterbacks who are overrated and whine a bunch, and Peyton Manning, a phenom of a QB who's going to have to win the big game someday, but is content to be an arrogant dude for the time being.
And it also has Tom Brady, our generation's Troy Aikman/Joe Montana/Roger Staubach type. At least it has one great star going for it. Unfortunately, the NFL still doesn't realize that the great stars of the past made themselves great by winning, primarily, and doesn't give players and teams like Jake Delhomme and Carolina, Derrick Brooks in Tampa Bay, and Shaun Alexander and Seattle any respect.
See, what irritates me about the NFL is that it's clearly the best concept of all the professional leagues, yet it prices itself out of the casual fan's reach, insists on marketing its biggest egos instead of its best players (where is Tomlinson's press???), and ruins half of its appeal by showing every single game imaginable on TV, burning me out on it halfway through. So, I don't care too much for it.
Plus, they haven't had a good MNF matchup in weeks, though there's always a chance that we could get a Namath-quality gem when the Jets are playing. But that's just whining; of course, if there was any continuity in which teams were good and which teams weren't good, the matchups might be better... but that's nit-picking.
But this year is a new year. Maybe I'll change my mind about the NFL if I can find a team to cheer for. Just don't bet on it.
No, seriously, if you wanted to take your family to see a football game, how much would it cost?
The answer: a staggering $301.75.
Now, this includes four tickets, two beers, four sodas, four hot dogs, parking, two programs, and two caps. It's a part of the patented Fan Cost Index survey, and it's not necessarily indicative of how much it would cost for your family to attend a game, but my guess is that it's pretty close.
And frankly, it's not worth it.
The NFL's calling card is easily the fact that every game "matters." And that's admirable. There's nothing worse than a meaningless Warriors/Hawks, Pirates/Royals, or Blues/Blue Jackets game. But I've never been to an NFL game. I can't afford to go. I can afford the other sports, but not the NFL.
Why is this the case? Well, tickets have an extraordinarily high face value, much of which doesn't get discounted later on. Often, if the team is any good, the games will be long sold out, and the tickets will sell for much higher than face value. The NFL, a blue-collar sport, easily prices itself away from the casual fans. The only reason die-hards can go is because there are so few games; anyone else gets to deal directly with brokers (either internet or regular). Often, that's no good.
So I guess I get to watch my NFL games at home.
Well, this is ok with me if I live in a market with teams that don't suck. (Louisville, for example, would be a good example of a "non-suck" market this year.)
Unfortunately, that meant lots of Cleveland Browns action for me this year. But I'm ok with that. At least I don't live in, say, Sacramento. Can you imagine having to watch the Raiders or the Niners every week? That's inhumane.
Well, I can tune in and watch athletes that are the best of their profession, the height of class, right?
Wrong.
The NFL has Terrell Owens and Randy Moss, two vagabond wideouts who compete with each other to reach the apex of stupidity. It has Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick, two good quarterbacks who are overrated and whine a bunch, and Peyton Manning, a phenom of a QB who's going to have to win the big game someday, but is content to be an arrogant dude for the time being.
And it also has Tom Brady, our generation's Troy Aikman/Joe Montana/Roger Staubach type. At least it has one great star going for it. Unfortunately, the NFL still doesn't realize that the great stars of the past made themselves great by winning, primarily, and doesn't give players and teams like Jake Delhomme and Carolina, Derrick Brooks in Tampa Bay, and Shaun Alexander and Seattle any respect.
See, what irritates me about the NFL is that it's clearly the best concept of all the professional leagues, yet it prices itself out of the casual fan's reach, insists on marketing its biggest egos instead of its best players (where is Tomlinson's press???), and ruins half of its appeal by showing every single game imaginable on TV, burning me out on it halfway through. So, I don't care too much for it.
Plus, they haven't had a good MNF matchup in weeks, though there's always a chance that we could get a Namath-quality gem when the Jets are playing. But that's just whining; of course, if there was any continuity in which teams were good and which teams weren't good, the matchups might be better... but that's nit-picking.
But this year is a new year. Maybe I'll change my mind about the NFL if I can find a team to cheer for. Just don't bet on it.
posted by mike at 4:38 PM
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