This was one of my first columns in the Wave. Tonight I noticed a similar column by one of my heroes, Woody Paige from the Denver Post. Here's the link to his: http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_22201740/woody-paige-denver-super-bowl-2018-would-be?source=rss&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter ...then you can read mine.
The Super Bowl/Pre-season comparison can be debated later, but hey...let's start small, okay?
In A Nutshell
BY
KENNY BRISTOW
Wave
Sports Writer
Hello, Commissioner? I’ve got this idea…
Before I get started, I’d like to say that I’m in this for
the little guy. I’m in this sports
column thing for us. For Wasatch
County. And, I’d like to say I’m
only going to write about our little neck of the woods and what we’re up to
sports-wise in our tiny speck of the Utah landscape… but I can’t. The
NFL pre-season has begun!
That’s right folks, the biggest money making sports
juggernaut on the planet has opened training camp and pre-season contests
between the millionaires and the billionaires are upon us. I’m so excited, I’ve stopped Tivo’ing
the Olympics and have turned my attention to the NFL Network. You’re with me right?
Okay… so maybe I’m a little overzealous. After all, they are only practice
games. Even the most hardcore fan
has to realize that these games are merely played – as they have been since the
early days of the league – so coaches could evaluate talent and prepare their
rosters for the regular season. I
mean, these games are filled with guys who barely made their college
teams. The quarterbacks are not
first round draft choices, and if they were, they’d only be getting to play a
series or two. In
merchandise-world, 1st and 2nd round draft choices garner
5 year, 30 million dollar contracts for goodness sakes! What if they came up with a bad case of
preseason turf-toe? Hmmm…do they
even have that injury anymore? So
if a game is void of its stars, what good are they to us fans?
Last summer, when the NFL and the players union were at an
impasse and the owners locked-out the players causing a delay on the season,
one of the issues during the negotiations was the amount of preseason
games. The owners wanted to
increase the regular season schedule from 16 games to 18 games and get rid of a
preseason game or two. This is
greed at it’s finest. Milking
every dollar from season ticket holders and concessions as possible. The players were against this
unanimously and it was one of the issues holding up an agreement. I’m not sure I get this. I suppose I can understand the players
on this one – if they’re even
playing. If they’re not, I’m
pretty sure they’re still getting paid.
Most of the established veterans and rookie college stars are only
getting limited playing time anyway, so why the fuss? My point is -- these games shouldn’t
even be on the list of topics to discuss at the annual NFL meetings. But, they are, and because so, I have a
simple solution… one that bodes well for us little guys.
Bring a game to Wasatch! Told you I was in this for us! Can you imagine?
The New England Patriots against the Green Bay Packers in Coach Tree
Stadium? Why not? These games are for the coaching staff
and players trying to make the team… why not make them relevant for the fans as
well and play them in neutral sites where there IS no NFL? Heber… you thought the Cowboy
Poetry Festival brought’em in.
Okay, okay… maybe it’s a stretch to ask professional
football teams to gather in high school stadiums. I’ll admit that.
It was only part of my promise to speak for us little guys. But what about Rice Eccles Stadium? What about LaVelle Edwards Stadium? What about that beautiful pro soccer
stadium we all built? Now… we’re
talking. Now… we may have a pitch.
Somebody… get the Commissioner
on the phone!
The “League” has been consumed with global expansion for
years… creating developmental leagues over seas like the now defunct World
Football League. I personally find
nothing wrong with this – after all, they have tons of money to spend and why
not teach a 5’ 8” Indonesian how to down-block. What I am curious about is… there are many, many areas right
here in the US of A, that pay the NFL’s electric bills, that are void of
professional football presence, that would relish a game between a couple of
regional pros meeting at their local college stadium. The 49’ers vs.
the Broncos right here in Salt Lake. The Cowboys vs. the Chargers on the blue turf in Boise,
Idaho. The Seattle Seahawks vs.
the Kansas City Chiefs in Cheyenne.
Wyoming. Why not? Surely, there is a couple of pals in South
Dakota who religiously don their jerseys every Sunday to root for their favorite
team right? I mean, the NFL
promotes its fan’s devotion to their teams almost to a sickening level… why
leave out these portions of the United States in favor of foreign lands?
(And don’t say because they’ve already got their money
anyway, or I’ll stop writing!)
Please don’t misunderstand… I am all for global
expansion. I just think it would
be worth considering for the league to play games in areas where the NFL has no
definitive presence right here in North America. Portland, Oregon… Lincoln, Nebraska… Little Rock,
Arkansas…Lexington, Kentucky… Salt Lake City, Utah! Places that will never have a team of
their own, but have strong pro football fan bases. We have two substantial college football programs, and a
couple of smaller ones, right here in our state that regularly promote it’s
players into the NFL. Often times
when one of those players is drafted into the pros, their fans follow their
careers. We love football in
Utah. Why not give us one of your
measly preseason games , NFL?
If it’s cashola you’re worried about, usually once a year
events like this would do pretty well.
If the ticket prices and concession prices met the standard of the games
– which is basically a hundred lower round draft choices and free agents playing
for their NFL futures… then why not a crazy idea like this? Put the NFL on a preseason tour of the
United States and promote it as such. Grass roots politicking. I know you don’t need it, but why not show us you care?
You guys with me?
Where’s my phone? Hello,
Commissioner? I’ve got this idea…
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