Resenting Football

[kitekrazy]

I love football, and I am a huge Bears fan (although unfortunately I agree about the stupidity of fanbase factor, ugh) but the overcommercialization of the NFL is what really dulls it for me. The round-the-clock coverage of everything is nauseating, and the annual Favre soap opera and things like the verbal fellating of Tom Brady, so I tend to avoid it as much as I can. This has costs though because I find myself not knowing things I normally would when I watch postgame coverage, shows throughout the week, and so on.

 

Basically everything I don't like about the NFL anymore revolves around the its relentless pursuit of revenue, and it just feels bogus as hell. The excessive commercials, the skyrocketing free agent deals, the ridiculous contracts given to rookies (costs which are passed down to the fans in various ways btw), needing DirecTV to get Sunday Ticket, the price of Sunday Ticket who only really care to watch one team, ticket costs going up every year for the same product, charging fans full price for pointless preseason games nobody gives a f*** about, exclusive licenses given to Reebok and EA Sports, I could go on. And a lot of people buy into this brand without questioning its value at all (and not really even being aware that they're doing it), so when you tell them something like this they look at you funny like "what's wrong with you, football is awesome!"

 

If the NFL does away with the salary cap to resemble MLB, I'm done with that sport. You are already starting to see more examples of NFL players after getting paid, mailing it in.

 

[Balta1701]

If the NFL does away with the salary cap to resemble MLB, I'm done with that sport.

Not a chance in Hell.

[Wanne]

OK, I don't know how popular this topic is going to be, but I am curious to see if there is anybody else out there like me. Does anybody else somewhat resent football for taking all the national and local attention away from baseball once NFL training camp starts?

 

Sometimes it feels like the trade deadline July 31 is the last time baseball gets the spotlight, from a coverage/attention point of view. Then NFL training camp starts, followed by the ultra-meaningless preseason games that are really hyped up, (then 20 pages of coverage about Cutler's two, yes, two passes), and baseball doesn't really take center stage again until the World Series.

 

I work at a bar with one big main TV at the front. Not once, not twice, but THREE times over the past two weeks I was asked to change the channel from a pennant race baseball game (twice it was the Sox) to a pre-season football game. I know I shouldn't complain about other people's preferences, but this always manages to get me frustrated.

 

Don't get me wrong, I AM a Bears fan. But I am far and away a baseball fan first. Football only really matters to me on Sundays in the fall/winter. I don't hate football, but I can't stand how America and Chicago makes it such a big deal, bigger than baseball, while there are pennant races going on. Or when the Sox tank and a popular post on Sox message boards is "I've got one thing to say: Go Bears!" To me, the Sox are so much more important.

 

Anyway, maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. Football is king, in this city and in this country, and I should just accept it. But does anybody else resent it a little?

 

Maybe they need to get a few more TVs where you work...