Unfortunately, Right Now, The NFL Has To Be a "Pansy" League

Regardless of what your political parties claims, regardless of the statistics on your TV say, the country is in a recession, and at this moment, on the brink of depression.

For the first time in a long time, maybe even ever, fans have to focus on basic survival, and forget entertainment and other expenses.

Believe it or not, football is likely going to be hit the hardest by the recession.

Of the three major sports in America, football is the least flashy and has the smallest market.

The NFL contains many small market teams. Teams playing in cities that are not huge at all and some even in the middle of nowhere. Despite loyal fans, these teams will never bring in the type of money a major city sports team will.

This includes the likes of the Buffallo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars and so on.

Think about it, the NFL is the only major league not sporting a team in Los Angeles.

The NFL is a league which has a consistent revenue, and in the past has not had to worry about location. However, in the midst of a recession, any and every league can and will be affected by the economy.

When you watch baseball or basketball, how often do you see them show celebrities in the stands?

Often, especially in big market places. Places like L.A., New York, New Jersey or Chicago.

This is not a key to the NFL market.

Football is a sport that is dependent on truly obsessed fans. In cities like Chicago, Green Bay, Denver, New York, Seattle and others, not many people attend these games other then crazy fans like you and me.

What am I talking about?

These are stadiums which winter affects greatly. When it is freezing outside, not all people attend.

These are the stadiums that have open roofs, and as previously stated, not all people are crazy enough to attend.

For the NFL to profit, they depend on these crazy fans. They also depend heavily on families.

Which brings me to my next point: Families. I love seeing parents take their children to games, I love seeing husbands take their wives to games.

This is where the "image" factor comes into play.

While Roger Goodell maintains a clean image, more families and women are brought to the game, resulting in the NFL benefiting.

Auguste Archer of Bleacher Report wrote an article just this week on how the NFL constantly fining guys for hits that do not justify fines causes games to be higher scoring; this again benefits the NFL.

I, and most other football breathing fans, would rather see a physical game with two grueling defenses going all out and finish with the score of 3-0 than 45-35.

However, high powered offenses and high scoring affairs will fill a stadium.

Selling tickets seems to be the major concern of the NFL right now.                                                     

A pure image, and entertaining games, is something that will cause fans to want to go to games.

When you think football, you think of tough physical guys like Bednarik, Nitschke, Lott, Ryan White or Dick Butkus and many more. You can even think of modern tough guys like Ray Lewis, Casey Hampton, James Farrior and so on. Even if you think offense, the common fan probably thinks of tough guys like Brett Favre or John Elway.

The more casual fan might think flashy, but still cocky guys like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson.

These images do not appeal to a great group of people.

Sure every sport will not allure to everyone. But the NFL is a different sport. Most if not all sports are contact sports.

Football is a collision sport.

To certain types of people, of course a game this physical will not be pleasing. More so then most sports.

The NFL transforming into a "pansy" league is very strategical play by the NFL.

Will people like me and you who eat, sleep and breathe football stop watching games or stop attending regardless of what it changes into?

No, the NFL has some of the most loyal fans in the business, who will watch football no matter what.

This is where the image and entertainment factor come in. By bringing in a greater variety of fans.

The last thing I want to see is a team fall so low that they are not making a profit at all. I am not sure what would even happen in that instance.

Most hope this trend ends soon. But those are all just hopes. It has come to this, and Roger Goodell is not all to blame. Without regard to whether we should blame banks or individuals for the recession, we are where we are.

The NFL is a buisness, and all buisnesses have to avoid the worst right now.

This is just how the NFL has to avoid theirs.