On the heels of that madness in Seattle last night, there are people claiming that this is the start of the downfall of the NFL. People are claiming they will stop watching the games. Really? Have fun Sunday afternoon watching re-runs of some horrible TV show on WGN.
What people don't realize and what the league does is that the NFL has become so powerful and significant in our culture that it would take something revolutionary to bring it down. My Facebook and Twitter were blowing up last night about people saying the NFL is garbage now, but I know come Monday that I'll see plenty of "Bears football, YAY" or "Can't wait for the Bears game 2nite" updates. You'll still watch. Packers fans are pissed, but I'll bet all of them will still watch their game next week. The unfortunate part about this situation is that the fans, even in this age of social media, can do nothing about it. In fact, all this publicity is helping the league. It has become such an issue that even non-sports people are commenting on it, leading to more publicity and exposure for the league, and perhaps even snagging non-viewers that want to see what all this commotion is about.
Without causing too much controversy, this situation reminds me a bit of this upcoming election and the overall political system in the US (if you have strong political views on either candidate, just skip these next two paragraphs). Similar to the NFL, we know the problem; the economy is in the dump, our deficit is increasing, and unemployment rates are still high. Similar to the NFL, the government has become such a behemoth that their power has become too great. In my opinion, similar to the NFL, the two options being presented to us as presidential candidates are unacceptable. Do you expect either one to make our economy flourish and fix our debt? I don't. Why? Because similar to the NFL, the people in power are too untouchable.
Roger Goodell can receive all the hate mail you want to send him, but in the end people will still watch the games on TV and pay their hard earned money to see the game. The NFL and its executives will not see a change in their lifestyles. Lobbyists and politicians in DC have zero motivation to look out for the well being of us (the people) so long as their agendas are met and they get paid. Obama can be the NFL with replacement refs and Romney and be no NFL (or vice versa). Both are options that will not fix the problems we have, but for now, like the NFL, we are forced to settle for one or the other. In politics, it is going to take a drastic deviation from the norm by a politician or someone in power to truly shake up the system to focus on the problem.
In the NFL, it is going to take something drastic by an owner, team, and/or coach to make a significant impact on the league. Even then, it might not be enough. If a coach gets out of line with replacement officials, BAM! they get a fine slapped on them or potentially a suspension (Bill Belichick). Owners will refuse to get caught up in it because their teams are still profitable. "I'm free this weekend. Want to go to the (insert favorite team here) game?" "No, I'm not too fond of the replacement officials and I think the product on the field suffers." That response would never happen. We are essentially lemmings when it comes to the NFL. I'll even admit I suffer from the same thing.
The final call last night was atrocious along with many other penalties (or non penalties) along the way. But I'm still going to watch next week. Had that TD sent the game to overtime, I would have still watched it. There was a point in the middle of the Eagles-Cardinals game this weekend where the refs were taking too long so I changed the channel...to another NFL game. Even after last night, I would still rather watch a Cowboys-Redskins game with replacement refs than an Angels or White Sox game even though both teams are battling for a baseball playoff spot. Viewership will still remain high for the NFL, and the league will still be intact. So what can they do?
Many people might have already turned off their TVs, but after the TD last night, an extra point play still had to be run. There was madness on the field obviously and many of the Packers and Seahawks had already left. Mike McCarthy, head coach of the Packers and the ultimate professional last night, brought his team back out for the play even though they had just been robbed of a win. Along those same lines, could we see an entire team strike? Remember, there needs to be something drastic for the league to change. Perhaps prior to a game or right after an inexplicably bad call, the team just decides they're through. They pack up their stuff and head to the locker room. This would obviously result in a loss for said team, as well as unhappy fans, and fines and/or suspensions handed down from the league office. A unified agreement by two teams in one game would be even better. Something as drastic as that, while not exactly feasible, is an example of something that would need to be done.
Small signs of unity such as perhaps pre-game shirts that have sayings supporting the real NFL refs won't do the trick. Twitter hash tags are useless. Referee memes, while amusing, will only get a slight chuckle from the general public, a hilarious belly laugh from Roger Goodell, and do nothing beyond that. Until a significant portion of fans decide to boycott the games and viewership, there is nothing that can be done. So next Monday night, before the Bears game, you'll receive the weekly question of "Are You Ready For Some Football?" Are you ready for some terrible calls? Are you ready for more replacement officials? Are you ready for your social media feeds to be consumed by this topic? No, but where will you be? That's right, on your couch, your HDTV turned to ESPN to watch the Bears and Cowboys vs the refs. Goodell's got us; hook, line, and sinker. Long live the NFL.
Matty O
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