It's Time Fan's Make Their Voices Heard
by Mike Drakulich, Pittsburgh SportsNation
If you've ever had a doubt that the people running our favorite sports could care less about their respective fan bases, may I present to you facts about the past year:
1. The 2011-12 NBA is coming off of a shortened season, caused by an Owner's Lockout.
2. The 2012-13 NHL season is currently on hold as NHL Ownership has enabled a Lockout.
Both of these lockouts are devastating to the local economies, affecting arena employees to local bars and restaurants that benefit from home games. While billionaires fight millionaires, the common worker loses money in their paychecks.
3. NCAA continues to allow major realignments, killing off several storied rivalries, including Texas-Texas A&M, Oklahoma-Nebraska, and Pitt-West Virginia.
West Virginia fans now find their closest in-conference rival nearly 1000 miles away. So much for tradition! Seriously, UConn and San Diego State will face each other in the new Big East.
4. The NFL has a Lockout on their main referees, with actual NFL games being officiated by replacement officials, of which, robbed Green Bay of a victory this past Monday Night vs Seattle on a horrendous last play call than incorrectly awarded Seattle's Golden Tate a touchdown when the ball was CLEARLY intercepted by the Packer's M.D. Jennings.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Sports today is big business, and money is what makes the world go round, so when the people running these leagues are making these decisions that infuriate the paying customer, they are banking on P.T. Barnum's famous saying, "There's a sucker born every minute."
Advertisers and the major networks like ESPN, Fox, and CBS may be the major contributors in feeding the hungry pig beast, but it's the common fan that ATTENDS the game, and TURNS ON HIS/HER TV at home to watch these games.
Without the common fan, the one who invests their hard earned money and countless hours per week to support their teams, these leagues lose their true identity and their true standing.
It may be a pipe dream, but it's time for fans to make a stand for their rights, and their needs. I find it asinine, that in a few years, Pitt's schedule may cease to include neither West Virginia, Penn State, or Notre Dame.
That's ridiculous.
It's also ridiculous that there's more yellow flags hitting the Heinz Field turf than there are yellow seats in the joint. And that includes the former refs. Today's NFL game lacks any flow whatsoever, laughably being interrupted by flag, after flag, after flag.
It's bad enough season ticket holders are forced to pay full price for two pre-season games!
I have an idea! Let the players play! I want the outcome of the game decided by the players, not the men in stripes. Last I checked, no one wears a ref shirt to the games. Now, I'm not saying you don't call holding or offsides when it occurs, but the judgmental calls on hits to offensive players has to stop. The game is way too fast to have players thinking about how they are going to make a damned tackle on the QB. It's simple, if you are on offense, you will do whatever it takes to score on every play, and if you are on the defensive side of the ball, your job is to prohibit the offense from advancing the ball. These are men, they are paid well to do what they do. They understand the risks involved in playing such a violent game. There is risk in many jobs, such as being a fireman or on the police force. It simply is what it is.
So what as a fan do you do? I know it's hard to not support your teams, but there are ways to create chaos, such as boycotting the advertisers of the games and starting a social media frenzy while doing it. Sometimes these little gestures catch fire and explode.
This week my focus is on the state of the NFL.
You can also do what I plan to do this Sunday as the Pittsburgh Steelers are off, IF, and I mean IF the replacement refs are still calling and ruining the integrity of the game:
Don't watch.
Turn off the TV and spend time with friends. Go on a hike. Go to Point State Park and find a pick-up football game--whatever, do anything BUT watch the NFL this Sunday. Believe me, if Steeler Nation unites on this one as one, it will reflect in the local TV Ratings, and it will send a message to NFL Hierarchy that as fans...we can control you.
You can make a difference.
And how about the fans from Indianapolis follow suit?
Or you can go on status quo, allowing the corporate pig beast's to continue to humiliate you in every way possible, laughing their way straight to the bank at your expense.
Mike Drakulich covers sports for Pittsburgh SportsNation. Subscribe to PSN's feeds today on Facebook and follow on Twitter @PghSportsNation
If you've ever had a doubt that the people running our favorite sports could care less about their respective fan bases, may I present to you facts about the past year:
1. The 2011-12 NBA is coming off of a shortened season, caused by an Owner's Lockout.
2. The 2012-13 NHL season is currently on hold as NHL Ownership has enabled a Lockout.
Both of these lockouts are devastating to the local economies, affecting arena employees to local bars and restaurants that benefit from home games. While billionaires fight millionaires, the common worker loses money in their paychecks.
3. NCAA continues to allow major realignments, killing off several storied rivalries, including Texas-Texas A&M, Oklahoma-Nebraska, and Pitt-West Virginia.
West Virginia fans now find their closest in-conference rival nearly 1000 miles away. So much for tradition! Seriously, UConn and San Diego State will face each other in the new Big East.
4. The NFL has a Lockout on their main referees, with actual NFL games being officiated by replacement officials, of which, robbed Green Bay of a victory this past Monday Night vs Seattle on a horrendous last play call than incorrectly awarded Seattle's Golden Tate a touchdown when the ball was CLEARLY intercepted by the Packer's M.D. Jennings.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Sports today is big business, and money is what makes the world go round, so when the people running these leagues are making these decisions that infuriate the paying customer, they are banking on P.T. Barnum's famous saying, "There's a sucker born every minute."
Advertisers and the major networks like ESPN, Fox, and CBS may be the major contributors in feeding the hungry pig beast, but it's the common fan that ATTENDS the game, and TURNS ON HIS/HER TV at home to watch these games.
Without the common fan, the one who invests their hard earned money and countless hours per week to support their teams, these leagues lose their true identity and their true standing.
It may be a pipe dream, but it's time for fans to make a stand for their rights, and their needs. I find it asinine, that in a few years, Pitt's schedule may cease to include neither West Virginia, Penn State, or Notre Dame.
That's ridiculous.
It's also ridiculous that there's more yellow flags hitting the Heinz Field turf than there are yellow seats in the joint. And that includes the former refs. Today's NFL game lacks any flow whatsoever, laughably being interrupted by flag, after flag, after flag.
It's bad enough season ticket holders are forced to pay full price for two pre-season games!
I have an idea! Let the players play! I want the outcome of the game decided by the players, not the men in stripes. Last I checked, no one wears a ref shirt to the games. Now, I'm not saying you don't call holding or offsides when it occurs, but the judgmental calls on hits to offensive players has to stop. The game is way too fast to have players thinking about how they are going to make a damned tackle on the QB. It's simple, if you are on offense, you will do whatever it takes to score on every play, and if you are on the defensive side of the ball, your job is to prohibit the offense from advancing the ball. These are men, they are paid well to do what they do. They understand the risks involved in playing such a violent game. There is risk in many jobs, such as being a fireman or on the police force. It simply is what it is.
So what as a fan do you do? I know it's hard to not support your teams, but there are ways to create chaos, such as boycotting the advertisers of the games and starting a social media frenzy while doing it. Sometimes these little gestures catch fire and explode.
This week my focus is on the state of the NFL.
You can also do what I plan to do this Sunday as the Pittsburgh Steelers are off, IF, and I mean IF the replacement refs are still calling and ruining the integrity of the game:
Don't watch.
Turn off the TV and spend time with friends. Go on a hike. Go to Point State Park and find a pick-up football game--whatever, do anything BUT watch the NFL this Sunday. Believe me, if Steeler Nation unites on this one as one, it will reflect in the local TV Ratings, and it will send a message to NFL Hierarchy that as fans...we can control you.
You can make a difference.
And how about the fans from Indianapolis follow suit?
Or you can go on status quo, allowing the corporate pig beast's to continue to humiliate you in every way possible, laughing their way straight to the bank at your expense.
Mike Drakulich covers sports for Pittsburgh SportsNation. Subscribe to PSN's feeds today on Facebook and follow on Twitter @PghSportsNation
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