The NFL has officially locked out the players after failing to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement after the old one expired last Friday. The NFL Players Association dissolved and is now going the litigation route in order to achieve what they deem is a fair share of the $9 billion in revenue the NFL makes every year.
In the meantime, it is uncertain whether or not there will be a football season at all in 2011 because under a lockout, the players are no longer under contract. Therefore, the players’ health insurance was terminated, they are no longer allowed in team facilities and can not have any contact with team staff. With football being the most popular sport in this country, what will happen if the season is canceled?
Traditions suspended
Come late August, if players have not reported to training camp, football fans will have reason to sweat. Since the NFL is the highest grossing sport and the most popular in the nation, there will be uproar if it is canceled for one season. Americans get through their long work week knowing there will be football on Sunday and Monday night. It is how we make it through the long, bitter winter. On Thanksgiving, the tradition of kicking back with stuffed bellies and watching the football games will be interrupted.
What will people do with themselves? Being from Philadelphia, I know that people need their Eagles football, and when they don’t have it, I am almost positive there will be rioting in the city streets. What can I say? We need our football to survive.
College football will be forced to add playoffs
The current Bowl Championship Series will not be enough to sustain football fans if the NFL does not play in 2011. It is inevitable that college football will be in the spotlight, and the NCAA will have no choice but to add a playoff system to make up for the Super Bowl.
However, there are many negatives to college football becoming more popular. Without the NFL, college football’s revenues would jump, which seems unfair in a sport where players are unpaid. It is almost an exploitation of college players when the revenue jumps and they never see a check.
On a positive note, a college football playoff has been discussed for years and I don’t think anyone would be unhappy if it was added.
NHL and NBA revenues would increase
Let’s be honest, the NBA is only fun to watch if you are a fan of the Heat, Celtics or Lakers. Other than that, it can be frustrating to watch your team struggle to take down the powerhouses. Being a 76ers fan, I would know.
However, with the absence of football in the winter, it is obvious that people will crave professional sports. Not just the NBA, but the NHL revenues as well could see huge increases.
Although the NHL is one of the lowest grossing sports, I believe that if there is nothing else to watch, it could become more popular. I myself am not a big hockey fan. I rarely turn on the Flyers game (except as much as I do not want to admit it, I was a fair-weather fan last year during their quest for the Stanley Cup). But honestly, if I do not have football to look forward to over the weekend, I would force myself to become more absorbed in the NHL and NBA. It is just a fact of life that Americans need pro sports, especially in the absence of their favorite.
Americans see sports as an escape from politics and the pressures of everyday life. The NFL has to understand that suspending the fans’ heart and soul will come with many consequences.
But good things can come out of the bad. The NFL lockout could help give the other winter sports the attention they deserve. It could also break up the monopoly the NFL has over the sports market.
People need to step back and realize that it is only one season, or part of the season. I hope we’ll be able to get over it. But for right now, let’s just enjoy baseball, because it is the Great American Pastime.
sports@theeagleonline.com
