Some blame the 'roids for overinflating the numbers. Some blame the "4-Letter Network" for celebrating individuality in what are supposedly team sports, glorifying poor judgement and making us pay for what was once free. Some blame the commissioners for not, well, 'commissioning.' Some blame the team owners for signing players no matter how long their criminal record is. Some blame the gamblers. Some blame Congress. Whatever. I've found the culprit that no one can argue....
It's us....You, Me, Every Fan.
We buy the tickets. We buy the jerseys. The endorsed shoes. The NFL Package. There is no one else to blame but ourselves.
I stopped going to baseball after the 3rd strike of my lifetime. The NBA is nothing but a bunch of showboaters playing on-on-one. Hockey is unwatchable as a TV Sport. Commercialization has murdered the NFL. I now watch only international Rugby, one of the few pure sports left.
Why do we do it? I love the pictures of the fans at the ballpark holding up the 'ASTERISK' signs for Barry Bonds. They know he's cheating. More than likely half the guys on the field are cheating. But yet the fans still pony up the money to drive to the game, pay the parking, sit in the stands, fight the crowd, drive home. All this while wearing a Giants jersey and hat that cost about $150 total. If you can't spot the fool at the table in the first minute, it's you. All you have to do is turn on an American sporting event (and yes, this includes the left-turn only NASCAR circuit) and you can spot all of the fools.
Want to clean up the game? Stay home. Don't buy a ticket. Don't by a jersey. Don't buy the hat. Boycott and choke the life out of the leagues until they clean themselves up, bring the salaries back down to a manageable level. THE OWNERSHIP AND THE NETWORKS ARE LAUGHING AT ALL OF YOU because they know with all of your b*tching and moaning, you are STILL FILLING THEIR POCKETS!!!
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the only blame goes to us, the AMERICAN SPORTS FAN. DEAL WITH IT.
Jarah Mariano
Melanie Fitzpatrick
Sled Hockey
Heisman Moments: Closest Finishes
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I dunno...I blame President Bush. That's who everyone seems to blame for everything.
Steelercooz
St. Paul, MN
Total Comments (3566)
All Bush has been doing is cleaning up the foreign policy mess 'Slick Williy' Clinton left us. Let us not overlook the first trade center attack in '93, the bombing of the embassies in '98 and the USS Cole in 2000 that Clinton did NOTHING about. He let the world know we could be attacked without retribution and we are still cleaning up that mess. The liberal media has had no problem fueling the fire (ie. CNN, owned by Mr. "Hanoi Jane" Ted Turner.)
karlns51
Queen Creek, AZ
Total Comments (4)
I'm not touching the politics. But this is a great blog post. People need to start making their voices heard by voting with their wallets and staying home if they don't like what they see and hear. I personally view sports as entertainment and am not going to spend a lot of time bemoaning what I think is wrong with them, but I like your POV on this.
rbm921*
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Total Comments (554)
Very nicely done.
Coletrain
Total Comments (10830)
I LOVE IT! Very nice. Now if only the masses would listen. So long, Bonds, Ocho Whatever, and all the other self-loving so and so's. I will say one thing, I don't think international soccer is there yet, but it is slowly on it's way.
seachickenhawk
Sacramento, CA
Total Comments (159)
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