The NFL's owners and players -- and the somewhat shockingly clueless commissioner -- drew their line in the FieldTurf last night and put the 2011 season and both parties' incredibly fat cash cow in jeopardy.
No NFL? Life goes on. Hear that Goodell? Hear that Kraft? If a 20-year season ticket holder who bothers to waste his time blogging about the experience has a take-it-or-leave-it attitude you might want to think twice about killing this season. You listening Mr. Ponytail? Mr. Mankins? Mr. Manning? See "baseball, strike of 1981." ESPN's Howard Bryant has an excellent column today that shares the same sentiment.
Don't get me wrong. I want the NFL to keep on rolling just as it is now. I would miss it. Tailgating at Gillette this last season was one of the best years ever. I would miss watching to see if Belichick and Brady can get that fourth Lombardi. I would miss rooting for my favorite team. I would miss the months of meat and cocktails consumed in the cold. But mostly I would miss the chance to spend some Sundays with a great group of longtime friends.
It's hard to even listen to the rhetoric coming from boths sides as the rights of teachers and firefighters are under attack in Wisconsin and elsewhere. The owners (Goodell) finally backed off the ridiculous 18-game schedule proposal and offered improvements on the most important issue facing the game -- players' health and longterm medical care. The players said they were willing to make serious financial concessions as long as they got a good long look at the teams' books. The players sued (in what will be known as Brady v. NFL because his name is alphabetically first on the suit) and the owners locked them out. Whatever. Just work it out and get back to making a lot of money and providing entertainment and distraction.
The NFL is like "The Sopranos," "The Wire," "Band of Brothers." I really looked forward to watching them every week for a few months each year. They were riveting drama mixed with brilliant humor. And I was a little bummed when they ended. But there are always things to do that don't involve watching TV. And every now and then I can pop a DVD in and watch an old episode. I have some 300 Pats games on tape. I can always watch one of those whenever I need a football fix. And the Pats will always win. And I can get some stuff done in the fall.
You listening Mr. Kraft?
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