NFL Lockout - Who's Right? & Who's Wrong?

The great NFL lockout of 2011 is about to enter its 80th day.  It is already the longest work stoppage in the history of the NFL.  National news gathering organizations are asking the public for their opinion on who is to blame for the labor unrest.  The same discussion is taking place at water coolers, family picnics, local pubs, and oh by the way, on sports talk radio.  The fans are talking but the two sides aren't.

So what are the two sides up to?  The players are busy holding workouts.  Just last week, Derrick Mason organized a three day workout for Ravens players at Towson University.  Almost every team in the NFL has had at least one player organized workout with as few as a dozen players and as many as 45 attendees.  Some teams have chosen to alert the local media for a photo opportunity while other teams have kept the workouts to themselves.  Interestingly, one of the few teams that haven't chosen to have an organized practice, is the defending Super Bowl champion Packers.

The decertified NFL Players Association and its Executive Director DeMaurice Smith have done an awful job of explaining to the public what they are fighting for.  At last week's University of Maryland Commencement, Smith stated, "And for anybody who would ever think that it is the wrong thing to do to care so much that you’re willing to risk everything because it is right, reserve those two words (you suck) for them." Using the Terps fans retort to Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll, Part 2 sure clears things up.  Not!

What about the owners?  They mostly seem to insist that it's business as usual.  The owners have met in New Orleans and Indianapolis over the last few months and have voted on rule changes.  I'm sure that these rule changes are vital to the future success of the NFL, but hearing about rule changes during the lockout is like a waiter telling you about the amazing special that the restaurant just ran out of.

Another element of the recent owners' meeting was a press conference with NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell.  He acknowledged that the league is aware that fans are frustrated and that traffic to the league's website is down.  What tremendous insight!

So how about some real numbers to show what might or might not be on the table.  According to Sports Illustrated and Fortune magazines, the NFL generates $9,300,000,000 in annual revenue.  $9.3 billion. With a B!  Each team receives $125 million from TV, radio and digital earnings.  In 2010, more than 17 million fans attended NFL games, generating nearly $2 billion in ticket sales.  Merchandising, stadium revenue, and corporate sponsorships bring even more to the owners coffers.  Players receive about 58% of an adjusted revenue amount that you need an advanced math degree to understand.

So, with the opening game of the 2011 NFL season scheduled for 101 days from today, who's right and who's wrong?  From my perspective, both the owners and the players are wrong.  Wrong for depending on the courts to solve their issues.  Wrong for waiting until the 11th hour to even begin discussions.  Wrong for trying (unsuccessfully) to take their claims to the court of public opinion.  And wrong for not currently having representatives locked in a room negotiating in good faith.

Who's right?  NFL fans everywhere.  We don't have a union.  We aren't likely to strike or boycott or picket the NFL.  But we are the major source of the revenue that the owners and players depend upon.  We control our wallets.  Let's tighten that grasp.  When you hear a player on a talk show, make sure you let him know that.  Send your favorite team a letter or an email letting them know how you feel.  Let them know where you will be spending your money and time this fall.

Major League Baseball canceled the World Series in 1994.  The National Hockey League canceled its entire 2004-05 season.  Both of those leagues let the fans down and paid a severe price.  I hope the NFL owners and players take a page from George Santayana who said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."


Give me a call at 410-481-1370 on Sports With Coleman this Thursday at 4pm on 1370am to talk about your views on the lockout.

All Hail Kegasus?

So this Saturday is the annual running of the second jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown.  The 136th running of the Preakness Stakes.  As a Marylander, I should be proud that the sport of kings honors its' rich history and holds this great event at Pimlico Race Course.  I should be proud that NBC brings Bob Costas and an award winning crew to town to cover the day.  I should be proud that the winners of this race include amazing thoroughbreds such as Rachel Alexandra, Smarty Jones, Sunday Silence, Seattle Slew and the great Secretariat.

With all of the things that could make the Preakness so memorable, why does is seem that the image I will remember most about this year's race is a drunken centaur called Kegasus?

Just in case you haven't been introduced, Kegasus is the "legendary" mascot of this year's Preakness, created by a Washington, DC advertising agency to drum up infield ticket sales.  This is the same agency that created last year's classy Preakness slogan, "Get your Preak on."  Kegasus sports piercings, a beer gut, Kenny Powers' haircut and hooves.

And if you ask the folks that run the Preakness, the Kegasus campaign is doing a great job.  They claim that  ticket sales are up 16% over last year.

But if it takes a drunken ad campaign and reckless offers such as the unlimited beer "Mug Club" to lure fans into Old Hilltop, I have to wonder if it's worth it.

A legendary Preakness Stakes should happen if Fair Hill based Animal Kindgom, his trainer Graham Motion and his jockey John Velasquez can capture the middle jewel in the Triple Crown.

A legendary embarrassment is likely to happen for the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland if a drunken centaur becomes the indelible image left behind on Saturday.