I just read that Super Bowl tickets are going for record sums. Everyone is talking about it and plans to watch it. Some of us are even buying new TVs for the occasion. I know where I’ll be at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The enduring popularity of professional football is not a surprise. The recent playoff games were “classics,” and it is difficult to find someone who doesn’t know who Tom Brady is. And this season, despite Omicron, most stadiums were filled with maskless, screaming fans, some of whom may be among the 900,000 Americans no longer with us due to the pandemic.
Most of us like football but all is not well in the NFL. The owners, the players, and the game itself “have issues.” I call them storm clouds. Let me share a few.
Concussions and other life-shortening injuries are routine in football. Improvements in helmets and other equipment haven’t solved the problem. The “concussion protocols” are a step in the right direction, but I shiver when I see players carried off the field on stretchers. Players leaving games with concussions are still routine.
The sexual harassment scandals involving Washington’s football team (now nicknamed the Commies) and other teams have not been resolved. The image of a “boys club” where owners, their friends, and other big rollers engage in sleazy behavior such as circulating topless photos of cheerleaders and lacing emails with sexually offensive language is a problem. I don’t want my money going to these types of people, do you?
Racism. I was as shocked as anyone when Brian Flores sued the Dolphins and two other teams for race discrimination. Shouldn’t professional teams be able to hire whomever they want as head coaches? But then I saw the stats—70 percent of players are Black, and there are just two Black head coaches, including the just-hired Texans coach Lovie Smith. I must ask—why aren’t there more Black coaches? I still remember the years when Black quarterbacks were rare exceptions. Is today’s situation a continuation of that past racism? What good is it to wear anti-racist slogans on the back of your football helmets if the team you are playing for practices racism?
Greed and out of control compensation is turning football into a higher-priced WWF (and I don’t mean the World Wildlife Federation, but what is now called the WWE as in professional wrestling). Brian Flores said the Dolphins’ owner offered him $100,000 to lose a game on purpose so that the Dolphins could get a better draft pick. And what about player contracts in the hundreds of millions of dollars—more than it used to cost to buy a team? To pay for these massive contracts while still enriching the owners, we now have 17 regular season games in a season that starts in August and ends in mid-February. I confess to being disgusted. Greed, my friends, is not good, especially in football.
Criminal players. Many of us remember the Ray Rice story. Rice was a Ravens player caught striking his wife/girlfriend on an elevator video. Stories like Rice’s are not uncommon today. We routinely read about players caught with handguns, involved in drug deals, or engaged in sexual assault. Recently, a former Washington star running back was convicted of fraud against the government. Just last week a star player on the New Orleans Saints was arrested for a brutal beating committed after the Pro Bowl. I am weary of these stories involving pro (or college) football players. They are the exception to the rule, but one is too many.
“Over-produced” games. I don’t like the fireworks before games, set off even by teams with dismal records. I don’t like electronic prompts directing fans on when to cheer for the defense. All this nonsense is not the fault of the owners and the leagues. I also don’t like jerks showing up dressed as gorillas or wearing fake blocks of cheese on their heads, blocking the view of others who came to see the game. Seeing all this garbage makes me nostalgic for high school games where the main event was football.
Finally, let me mention gambling. I am not happy to see ads for sports betting played during games (or anytime else). It is inevitable that gambling will lead to games being thrown or other corruption.
I’m not sure what can or should be done to “reform” football. The sexism and racism must be addressed immediately, and I have no doubt that an attempt will be made to do so. But can you take the violence out of football and still have a sport that people want to pay more than $7,000 for a ticket (Super Bowl) to see? I doubt it. Is it possible to turn back the clock and work the greed out of the game? I doubt that too.
There are a lot of problems in America today. Professional football is not at the top of anyone’s list. I’m not lobbying Congress to enact laws to “fix” the league. What I am saying is that it’s sad that something so popular has so many issues associated with it—issues that I believe are driving some fans away from the sport.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and other subjects.
Stephen Schaare says
You could not pay me to be less interested in the NFL, no offense to you.
Some months ago you asked Spy readers if the Biden Presidency was a “trainwreck”. Joe Biden has now been in office one full year. I suspect many of your loyal fans (including myself) would enjoy a follow up to your original submission.
Anything in process?
John Dean says
Thanks for reading this week’s article. . .
I anticipate writing a piece Biden in the next few weeks. I’ve held off because I expect Biden will have his biggest challenge yet with the Ukraine crisis.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Really? You cannot challenge this obnoxious
snide remark? How supercilious not to be
factual in your response.
Seriously, these people are so outside any
norm to be acknowledged.
I am sorry to say but there is no understanding
those who have no problem with an authoritarian theocracy. Welcome to the GOP
and please, be sure to take your gloves off
if you value democracy.
Yes, one likes readers but there is a point where one has to take a stand when the
opposition is anti-democratic, anti American and is fine with authoritarianism. Perhaps these people have a mental health issues? Who knows,
but they are spreading horrible lies and are responsible for the misinformation prevalent
on line and in cable news.
We have a man in the Oval who is honest
and does not lie. He has spent his life in public
service. The huge Republican $$$$ spend
an enormous amount to spread lies in order to
benefit the powerful. Duh.
Sorry, I have absolutely no patience with fascists. I stupidly thought my father and grandfather helped defeat this years ago.
Silly me.
These people need to be defeated and neutered.
John Dean says
Deirdre: I’m not sure how to respond to your comment. I admit to being confused until I realized that you are troubled that I might write something about how Joe Biden is doing as president.
I am not among those that believe it is inappropriate to criticize Joe Biden on the basis of Trump being worse. I am worried about the recent reports on how the Afghanistan withdrawal was conducted. I also just watched the tape of Lester Holt’s interview with Biden.
I remain hopeful that Biden will do better as time goes on, but it is unlikely he will if people sympathetic to his goals are afraid to speak up.
I suspect you will not like this answer but not everyone who questions Biden is a fascist or a Trumper.
Deirdre LaMotte says
And I did not say that.
Those who support the Trump GOP are, however.
What I find incredulous is the constant
focus on Biden while forces on the other side are doing all they can to eliminate our democracy. Forget any thing else one wants to focus on, this is dire.
Of course Biden will make decisions that
one questions. But he makes these decisions with a love of our nation.
Or what nation we will have left.
The other side? It is for power and money
and those with a pen need to hammer this point.
What to believe is not interchangeable with what evidence says is true.
So please do focus on the Afghan evacuation. The end of our occupation unplanned by Trump
and dragging 100,000 Afghans out by the purged Trump State Dept….and dumbed in Biden’s lap.
But I’m sure there is a both sides issue there, correct?!
John Fischer says
The player’s salaries and the owners profits are indeed very large, Mr. Dean. But the vast majority of that money comes from television networks via TV advertisers.
Advertisers pay large sums of money to have their ads shown because viewers like you and me watch the games. If you would like the players and owners to make less money, rather than complain about greed, stop watching.
John Dean says
Thanks for reading the piece. I anticipate watching the Super Bowl, but watched very few regular season games this year.
Alan Boisvert says
It amazes me(it shouldn’t) how the rich and privileged are able to continue to take advantage of US citizens. It’s largely because US citizens have lots their ability to recognize when enough is enough. They’ve lost their sense of morals and have largely gotten lazy. Why not stand for something? Do you like being taken advantage of? Do yourself a favor, turn the idiot box off and go for a long Superbowl walk.
John Dean says
Thanks for your comment.
If it not too cold, I already have a walk scheduled for half-time.
Thank you for reading the piece.