Thanks for the Draft but It’s Not Enough

Well I sure enjoyed watching the Draft this weekend. Regardless of how one feels about Seattle’s picks, it was sure great to catch a whiff of football for the first time this off-season.

And just when everything was feeling almost back to normal again: SLAM! That was the door between fans, the players, and the league as the lockout was once again reinstated.

Don’t worry. I won’t bore you with the endless legal jargon used to explain the current state of the league concerning the owners and the players. No sir. I am going to flip out as a fan with a blatant disregard to the legal process because I really DON’T CARE at this point.

I don’t care who is at fault or who is being more greedy. I just want football back. If anybody should be mad, it’s the fans.

Didn’t we pay for the stadium that won’t be used if the NFL doesn’t start on time? What does that mean to taxpayers? Answer: that we will be paying for an empty stadium during one of the worst economic times in recent history. Way to go NFL and players. You guys really know how to treat your fans.

Especially Qwest Field with your $40 parking, terrible concessions, and $8 beers. And let’s not forget how they loved to charge more for the same amount.

I was willing to overlook so many things because the product was so good. Now I can’t help but sift through the ashes of a once great organization (the NFL) and point out how overpriced everything actually is.

The owners make too much money and the players make too much money. You know who doesn’t make nearly the amount of money they should for the hours they work? Me and you. Yet we are the ones financing this greedy, resentful, and spoiled operation.

And don’t give some sob story about players’ health benefits or the average playing career. Remember that these guys went to college… for free.

It’s not my fault they did not take advantage of something that the rest of us would more than appreciate. And it’s not like anybody is making them play football. You know the risks, and you know the glory. Now make your decision and please don’t hold me accountable for it.

I sure hope this gets resolved soon because every passing day sheds more light on an underbelly that exists in all professional sports. One that the NFL has done an incredible job of hiding from its fans. One that has the potential to run fans off as a result of its preferential treatment and ridiculous amounts of money that the typical fan can’t relate to.

I don’t feel sorry for the players or the owners. I feel sorry for the fans who voted to fund a stadium that may not house the product they were promised.