Week 3 in the NFL has bench marked a new standard in the
business of football; the introduction of the soap opera. The NFL has long been
a story of highs and lows, triumphs and failures, and comebacks of many kinds.
We’ve had players guarantee win’s, “The catch”, “The miracle at the Meadowlands”,
“The music city Miracle”, an undefeated team scratched from the record books
with one incredible catch, but no drama has ever been induced and hand fed like
the soap opera the NFL has scripted and puppeteered this year… The year the NFL
takes control of the business and treats it like a game.
It all started very coy (cue the melodramatic music). March 2nd
2012 began the unraveling of America’s love interest with Bountygate. The commissioner
and the rest of the NFL systematically destroyed the team that America had grown
to love, the team that overcame a natural disaster to win the country’s heart
and hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy. The NFL had created this storyline over
the past 7 years; they created a romantic story for all of the country to root
for. It was organic; it pulled on the heart strings of all Americans. They took
a team and a city that was fraught with despair and destruction, gave us a
reason to believe in the good of humanity and gave us a hero to root for; just
to tear it down. Now they have created a monster, a foe, for all NFL fans to
despise… They gave us a reason to side with them. Over the past 8 months, like
an abusive relationship, they have made us believe that they know what’s best
for us.
This season is poetry in motion. If Bountygate was the Iliad,
the beginning of the NFL season is the Odyssey. The NFL initiated phase 2 in
its new plan to monopolize the country’s beloved sport; replacement officials. Simply
put, the term replacement official is a bit of an oxymoron. One of the most
powerful corporations in the world has replaced the very checks and balances
that keep its company running smoothly. This would be like running a world
class restaurant with McDonald’s cooks, sure they can operate a microwave and a
fryer, but they can’t perfectly execute a porterhouse, couscous or any one of
the five mother sauces. More importantly, why would you want them to even try?
These poor guys have been called up to the big league without even the chance
to succeed. The NFL has created a villain, one for us to root against and blame
our beloved team’s shortcomings on.
The NFL’s answer? A referee God. They have placed a sideline
Ref that’s lone job is to communicate with another Ref upstairs to oversee that
the Refs on the field are reffing correctly. Huh? So the official’s final call
is divulged from a source that the public does not see, hear or know? The NFL
has taken measures to make sure that the NFL’S product is the one that is on
the field. The drama that has ensued from the replacement Refs is exactly what
the NFL wants. Their ratings are up, they are in the headline of every story
come the beginning of the week and fan’s just can’t get enough. Remember
William Hung? American Idol rode that train wreck as far as they could, exactly
like the NFL is doing with the replacement Refs.
So when does the madness end? The NFL has constructed a very
powerful case to leverage themselves in the negotiations with the real refs.
While the NFL keeps reporting on its continued negotiations, they continue to
get to point the finger at the Refs union and the replacement Refs. Want better
Refs? It’s the union’s fault they haven’t agreed on anything and they have
forced us to use replacement Refs. The NFL can’t afford to pay pensions! That’s
absurd… especially with all of the money they are raking in with the ratings
increase and resurrected interest in the NFL. I’m sure the government will be
looking into this soon enough, since they have their nose in every other
national sport.
With every flag thrown, call missed or close field goal decided, an
anticipated meltdown ensues (see Belichik). Dramatic finishes, underdogs and
hero’s are in the past, the NFL had to commit to a new storyline, one to resurrect
this corporation in a down economy. The business of football is a 10 Billion
dollar industry and the commissioner can’t let its share holders down. Touché
Roger Goodell, I’ll be tuning in again this week to watch the drama unfold!