The billionaires are once again fighting with the millionaires over who gets to have the bigger share of the pie in the NFL through the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players. With the current agreement about to expire and the two sides seemingly distant on key issues, the threat of a lockout by the owners in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement is gaining much media attention. And on the international stage that is the Super Bowl, there are proponents of positions on either side of the dispute using that stage to highlight their plight.
Having played the game as a young boy, having worked as a football referee for 15 years, and having followed the follies and successes of the New Orleans Saints for the entirety of their existence, I classify myself as something more than a casual fan. As a fan, I'm annoyed at how both sides of the dispute are treating us with complete disregard again. When football took itself off the map in 1982 and in 1987 the public (fans) were forced to re-evaluate their interest in the sport. Instead of collecting like pod-people in front the television, they began to use Sunday afternoon to rediscover life. People went to the park, spent time with family, read books, watched watched movies, etc, etc etc. Although it was a bit inconvenient for the first couple of weekends, we adapted and found other things to do. What people discovered was, for all of the excitement that might accompany football games, the game only took a few hours out of one day and it could be replaced by other equally entertaining activities.
The powers that be can choose to squelch professional football again this fall, but they will quickly realize how easily they have alienated another group of fans - fans that will find other diversions and fans that may or may not come back. It shouldn't take them long to realize the general public doesn't really care about their arguments. Professional football is just another sports that, in the modern day world of cable and 24x7 access, can be replaced with little effort. Whether it is called a lockout or walkout doesn't matter - the game won't be played. If the millionaires refuse to play for the billionaires and the sides can't to put the show on the field, I'll find something else to do (again) and be no poorer for the experience.
Somewhere Aesop is remembering the goose with the golden egg and thinking ... I told you so.
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