While most people are not talking about football these days since opening day for baseball just passed, football controversy has still been in the news. Football has come to become the most popular sport in the United States and is slowly turning more like America’s past time as opposed to baseball. The NFL makes around nine billion dollars a year and has just come off the most successful season in sports history. The Superbowl itself last year became the most watched event in television history.
However, this coming season probably isn’t going to happen. Why? Greed. That’s right, the NFL cannot decide how to divide their nine billion dollars in revenue, and their response? A lockout (A work stoppage meaning that football doesn’t happen).
The lockout itself is kind of complicated. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (an agreement made between the owners and players that have come together to organize the rights of the NFL players) expired early last month. For two weeks the NFLPA (National Football League Player’s Association) and the NFL met and discussed a new CBA in the hopes that they could put aside their differences and come together for the good of the sport. However, pre-existing animosity and pig-headedness stalled the discussion before it could really even get going. They even attempted to bring in a mediator to try and relieve the obvious tension and try to steer the discussion towards a resolution but it got nowhere.
The players themselves are fighting for several things. They do not want an 18-game season, which is something that the owners have been fighting for since the beginning of this season. The players also want League Owners to “open the books” showing them all the expenses that are incurred over the year. The league themselves refuse to do this and so here we stand with no football next season.
“I think it’s sad and unfortunate that both sides are so greedy in what has become a billion dollar industry. The fans always tend to be on the losing end and the sad part is, once and if this dilemma is rectified the fans will forgive them immediately and go right back to watching the games and buying the merchandise,” said junior Steve Talbot.
The sad thing is, he’s right. Most fans will most likely forgive and forget, just like when this happened to a lesser degree in 1985.
Other students share similar sentiments, as their words echo those of Talbot.
“I hate it, and I’m kind of angry that I won’t get a Superbowl now.” said senior Billy Kimball.
This brings up another good point as the annual Superbowl party that marks the midway point of the school year for most people isn’t going to happen.
“It obviously sucks that we won’t be able to watch our favorite teams develop and flourish into a Superbowl win. However it does help I don’t have to listen to obnoxious Patriots fans this year though,” said senior Richie LaRocque regarding there being no Superbowl.
However, no football next year might lead to other sports finally getting some spotlight. “I’m more into Baseball,” said senior Tabby Gallo when asked about what she’d watch for sports without the NFL. Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer will finally get some prime time television as hardcore sports fans will be clammering for whatever they can get.
Most fans are not happy. No NFL means no Superbowl parties, no fantasy football, and most of all no watching the games and sharing with your friend and family the experience of enjoying what has become America’s favorite sport at it’s highest level. Hopefully they can decide how to split their nine billion dollars soon, and save sports fans from a lost NFL season.
