NOTE: DeflateGate is just another in a series of issues in the NFL. Some fans are fed up and speaking out.
Written by Steven Toroni
Let me start off by stating that I am, without doubt, a fan of the National Football League. Like most men my age (mid-20s), I grew up watching the greats, such as Elway and Favre. I remember Randy Moss’s historic rookie season with the Vikings.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
The NFL was at its peak heading into the New Millennium. Could anyone have foreseen the animal it is today?
The League is plagued with Prima Donnas and foul play, on and off the field. The NFL has only one party to blame: itself. The NFL, a money-making machine that generates billions of dollars, insults the intelligence of its fans.
It’s time to be offended.
Back in 2007 the NFL had an opportunity to declare that it was a no-nonsense industry. Michael Vick faced Federal charges for running a dog-fighting operation. He was found guilty and served 21 months in prison. Many people believed that Vick should have been banned from the NFL, but the League welcomed him back.
Five years later—in 2012—League referees went through a lock out, the result of an on-going labor dispute. No agreement was in place by the time the season opened. Once again the NFL—the most popular and televised sports industry in the United States—didn’t take fans seriously. Instead of ensuring that the games were judged in a professional manner, the League proceeded with replacement referees. The result? The games played during the first three weeks were filled with bad calls, capped by perhaps the worst call in NFL history: a game-deciding play during a Monday Night game between the Packers and Seahawks.
Courtesy: Huffington Post
To restate: I’m an avid NFL fan and I’m looking forward to the 2015 season. But the passion I once had for the NFL is dissipating because the League continues to insult my intelligence. The NFL seems to have no remorse about exploiting fans to make a buck.
“We’re going to put a former superstar/federal criminal out on the field, and guess what? You’re going to watch it.”
“This week, a high school referee is going to make dreadful calls that will make you want to turn off the TV. But you won’t! We are the NFL.”
To the NFL’s condescending ways I quote Howard Beale: “You’ve got to get mad!”
Great article! I started watching NFL football at age seven. That was 1969. I pretty much stopped watching it around 8 or 9 years ago. I’ll watch some of the playoffs and the Superbowl but very little of the regular season. One of many reasons I stopped watching is because of what you stated in this article. There is a criminal element in the league. Players who have committed crimes that you or I would be put in jail for. Amazing how angry fans get when they find out a major league baseball player is using steroids, but a NFL player can be found guilty of rape and no one cares. Check out the book pros and cons if you get a chance.