Foooseball

After Week 3 of NFL play, the only thing I feel like talking about is how much the NFL is getting me down. Specifically, I feel this year the league's TV presence is getting less and less PC. Usually, network personalities have to be incredibly fair and even handed. Everyone team has to be made out as having talented players and coaches, where every loss is a struggle (but not one that can't be overcome). As the season goes on, this starts to fade, but there is always optimism for next year! Even if these announcers do not directly work for the NFL, you get the feeling that they all have to tow the same line in order to stay on air.

I'm not getting the same feeling in 2009. I'm seeing pregame guys call the Browns "pathetic", plain and simple. There may be no arguing against that statement, but I still found it shocking. On the other end of the spectrum, I have heard more people use the nickname "Tom Terriffic" in regards to Brady than when he his team were division leaders. That could easily be the result of me not paying attention, but perhaps part of it is that they are afraid of people getting off the Patriots' bandwaggon, and are trying to do some damage control. Whatever happened to all of that love of parity?

The problem here is that there is too much football coverage. As such, the networks have to find things to talk about for far longer than anything needs to be talked about. This brings out conflicting ideas, and also allows each person to bring out their biases as they scrape for every last ounce of commentary. The answer, at least for me, would be to reduce the length and quantity of football programs. Let the networks' pre and post game guys come on for a half hour before and after the games, and during half time. No more coverage starting at 11:00 on Sunday, and then throughout the week. Leave the heaviest coverage to the local market networks and newspapers. Those guys may have biases, but we expect them there. I don't mind see lots of worship for Brady if I am up in Massachusetts, but he is one of the last things on anyone's mind here in Maryland. Don't assume we want to suck on the League's proverbial member because you're getting paid to.

An a relate note, football has been silently evolving into something more white collar for a while now, and every year this reality becomes more evident to me. I finally understood the concept of TV blackouts, and then saw it in effect (or rather, I saw nothing) when the Lions beat the Redskins. The sport is in a weird position where it both demands and spends a lot of money, in an economy where the fans cannot. This may work for a while, as the moneyed classes continue to "enjoy" the sport as a social event, but they are a fickle crowd who will never devote any loyalty to a team. You still need your diehard fans, and all I see is an NFL which is pushing them out of the picture. I love watching the game as much as anyone, but if I had to live without it, I could do so. Maybe one day I will do it by choice rather than necessity.