Column: NFL to the dogs
Published Aug. 24, 2007
Please excuse the awful pun, but the National Football League is going to the dogs.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's decision to plead guilty to felony dog-fighting charges is just another in a long line of public embarrassments that threaten to damage the reputation of a once-proud league. But if you look past the media-fueled cases of Vick and the Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam Jones, you can see the problems of the NFL run much deeper.
The NFL has enjoyed a long and prosperous run as it has wrestled the title of American pastime away from baseball. The juggernaut has grown immensely in the past 20 years as record revenues — $5.86 billion in 2006 — have transformed owners into billionaires and lifted players to larger-than-life cultural icons.
But all great powers fall. Be it disease, war or political strife, something will eventually level the playing field. And the NFL's greatest enemy has become itself. The league has grown fat and lethargic with success, and if management continues to ignore glaring problems, the league might be in danger of losing the top perch in the sporting world.
But what could possibly bring this superpower of sports and advertisement to its knees? For starters, I bring you this little gem: NFL games aren't very exciting. Millions of American sports fans swear their allegiance to football, but in many cities, the product just isn't up to par. Overexpansion, salary caps and conservative play-calling have created a slew of 8-8 teams scrambling for a playoff spot.
Off-the-field problems are much worse. This is a league that endorses steroid use by its players through slap-on-the-wrist fines and suspensions. Although baseball has been hounded by a steroid witch-hunt, the NFL allowed star linebacker Shawne Merriman to participate in the Pro Bowl despite failing a league drug test. There was even talk of naming this known drug-abuser as defensive player of the year. Talk about a lack of ethics by everyone from the media to the casual fan.
There is also the ugly little problem of former players fighting the league for pensions and disability. Gene Upshaw, Players Association chief and current league hand puppet, has continually refused to assist the players who helped create the league gain any type of financial support. Recently, Hall-of-Famer Mike Ditka, former Green Bay Packers guard Jerry Kramer and other NFL legends auctioned off memorabilia to raise funds for their less fortunate former teammates and colleagues. There is no excuse for a multi-billion dollar industry to allow its former players to suffer and, in some extreme cases, become homeless.
Despite these issues, there is still time for the NFL to right the ship. It is the responsibility of new commissioner Roger Goodell to solve the problems that were allowed to linger under former headman Paul Tagliabue. In his first year in office, Goodell has laid down harsh penalties for repeat offenders, including a season-long ban for Jones and eight weeks for often-troubled Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry. One can only hope Goodell effectively handles issues such as steroids and disabled veterans with the same gusto as he did with player conduct.
What happens if the fan base suddenly wakes up and sees the product for what it truly is? Well, there's always NASCAR.