The National Football League simply can’t get out of its own way, tripping over its two left cleats every chance it gets. The league continues to prove with overwhelming splendor that it is one of the most self-serving, poorly managed and ultimately doomed to collapse sports leagues in America. It’s a modern miracle that it continues to thrive in spite of its own misgivings. One might say it’s a testament to our own lack or morality that we continue to watch.
Just when we thought we had put the Terrell Owens Hall of Fame induction drama behind us, the back-and-forth continues.
In case you missed it, a little over a month ago, Owens publicly decided he would not attend this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, issuing a polite and proper statement that he was instead going to spend it with family and friends at his college alma mater.
His decision to attend the festivities elsewhere raised eyebrows but once he announced why he was doing what he was doing, the move made sense. It was a very Terrell Owens thing to do but it wasn’t malevolent or malicious. Most of us chalked it to T.O. being T.O.
After all, there’s no rule that says one must attend one’s own induction. Is it an honor? Of course. Is it an obligation? Hell no. Owens doesn’t owe the NFL anything. He paid his dues and put in his time. But now that he’s decided to celebrate his Pro Football Hall of Fame nomination at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and not on the “hallowed grounds” of Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame has fired back, saying when they host their ceremonial yellow jacket party, they’re not going to mention his name.
Well nanny nanny boo boo to you!
That is perhaps the pettiest thing I’ve ever heard and reason number eight million why we should no longer watch the NFL, if only if weren’t so damn entertaining… and I use that term loosely considering I’m a Buccaneers fan.
This is a league that STILL hasn’t figured out how to handle the national anthem issue. Let me assure you, we have not heard the last of these forms of protest. There’s more bullshit to come in ways we can’t even expect.
If it weren’t for how absolutely glorious the sport is to gamble on in its many facets, i.e., sportsbook, fantasy, eliminator pools, etc., the fact that the bulk of the games take place on a day of the week which nobody works, if it weren’t for the sheer violence and grace of the sport that we crave, people wouldn’t watch at all. I can’t say I wouldn’t blame them.
The NFL has long been criticized for turning its back on its veterans, hence all the former stars that are offing themselves #CTE at an alarming rate for playing a sport that involved them bashing their heads against each other for our enjoyment and far more importantly for league profit. The NFL is only now pretending it has its players’ best interests at heart.
Don’t get me wrong. The NFL has me right where it wants me. I play fantasy football. I gamble on the sport for more than just entertainment purposes. There’s not a Sunday during the season where I’m not planted on my sofa watching, attending a game in person or on a barstool at a local pub downing chicken wings and draft beer at an unhealthy rate. I won’t boycott a Sunday a) because I’m a man of very low principle and b) I still enjoy watching the games but damn if I’m at least not considering taking it as seriously.
The league feels T.O. thumbed his nose at them so instead of taking the high ground, acknowledging his accomplishments and saying something like “We are disappointed that Terrell Owens won’t be attending his Hall of Fame induction but respect his decision to spend it elsewhere,” they’ve opted to shun him altogether. Hall of Fame executive director Joe Horrigan went full scorned ex-girlfriend and said “The focus is on the guys who are here. There’s no reason to bring him up as an individual. He’s not here.”
Suddenly Owens decision not to attend makes perfect sense as does the ire of the long list of players who the NFL has turned its back on.
Who in the absolute fuck is making league decisions? This Owens backlash is so like the anthem issue it’s frightening. Baseball fucked over its fans long ago. The NFL better be careful not to do the same. The league is so backwards-thinking, I’m beginning to believe league officials are more concussed than the players.
For the record, you know who else refused to attend his Hall of Fame induction? The winningest basketball player ever. In 1975, when asked to attend the ceremony at the National Basketball Hall of Fame, all-time all-star center and NBA legend Bill Russell declined. “For my own personal reasons, which I don’t want to discuss, I don’t want to be a part of it. I’m not going. They know that. I’ve felt this way for many years.”
I’m sure that made a stink back in the day but Russell had his reasons and so does Terrell Owens. The NBA now has a trophy named after Russell. Owens likely won’t have any NFL awards named after him but I’m pretty sure he’s okay with that.
He’ll have a bust with his name on it in Canton.
If you decide to host a party in my honor one day and I do not show up, feel free not to mention my name.
1) Bill Russell didn’t want anything to do with the NBA because of the way he got treated by Boston fans…notorious for their racial tolerance. The league sat on their hands about this shit all across the league.
2) I keep hearing how baseball “fucked over it’s fans,” yet as the biggest baseball fan you know, I keep waiting for a specific example on that claim. Granted, baseball and football have become quite regional in their appeal, but the reports of baseball’s demise are greatly premature.
3) Don’t take this personally, but you’re the problem. You can’t expect the NFL to change any of the things which piss you off if you keep consuming it’s product. You call the NFL “entertaining,” yet most of a three-an-a-half hour NFL game is referees watching television under a hood and 300-pounders breathing heavy with their hands on their hips.
Before every World Cup game began, viewers watched the national anthems being played. Viewers never saw someone kneeling down during the national anthem. The NFL is the only league in the world that contains athletes who want to make themselves look stupid. It’s an “about-to-collapse” league because not everyone can bear to stand during a song for a measly thirty seconds
Sheer lunacy . Then again it’s the NFL and in recent years , PR nightmares are a thing of their own making . John Schnatter formerly the CEO & founder of Papa John should be slated to speak on behalf Terrell Owens. LOL,LOL !!!! 🙂 🙂
TM…
Like you wouldn’t show up to a party.
You might fall asleep during it #ClubBoca, but you’d most definitely be there.
Dubs…
I don’t disagree with any of what you said and therein lies the rub.
The NFL won’t do anything until it hits their pocketbook. That being said, them thumbing their nose at T.O. was a bit childish. Or is it too much to expect them to take the high road.
And re: baseball, while World Series television ratings were up last year from the previous few (Thank you, Houston), they are still down considerably from the 70s and 80s.
Greg…
Thirty seconds? Clearly you haven’t heard Mariah Carey’s version.
Al…
As Dubs pointed out, we’re going to watch. It’s football.
But I’d also like to see some common sense enter this debate… which, I might add, has yet to happen.
I happen to agree with much of what you said SportsChump particularly about the NFL being childish in it’s response to T.O.’s position. You’re right, T.O. owes the NFL absolutely nothing, and if he chooses to celebrate his accomplishments in a space and place with folks that are of value to him, then God bless him for his advocacy. I wonder if Joe Horrigan ever decided not to attend a meeting he didn’t want to and made up an excuse whereby he was excused without retribution. Perhaps a mild mention of something like, we’re sorry Joe couldn’t be here with us today, he had some important business to attend to.
For Greg,
If you think it stupid to be an activist in a passive way, (kneeling versus standing for the National Anthem), 30 seconds or 60 seconds, then you completely miss the point of the action. I hope it continues until you get it.
Judging the popularity of baseball by television ratings is like predicting the outcome of election by using media-driven polls. Of course, ratings would be down now as compared to the 70’s and 80’s. There’s one word which explains why.
Availability.
Think about it. When we were kids in those aforementioned days, if you wanted to watch baseball that wasn’t your hometown team on local TV or the Cubs//Braves on their cable “super-stations,” you were stuck with NBC’s Game of the Week or ABC’s Monday Night Baseball. That was it, which meant we baseball fans huddled around those meager offerings like famine victims around a UN relief truck.
You would be hard-pressed to find a bigger baseball fan than me, but I almost never watch it on “traditional” television…because I have so many more options.
As far as the World Series is concerned, there’s a ton of guys like me who have day jobs and aren’t making it to a ninth inning starting after 11pm ET. But that’s why God made DVRs, so I can watch things like this over my morning coffee and Cheerios.
Then for the regular season, I get my baseball fix from my MLB.tv subscription. Neither of those things show up in television ratings.
On a completely different topic, you mentioned wanting “common sense” in a debate. That ain’t happening anytime soon in this country on (insert topic here) because nobody wants to talk about root causes. Everything is about labeling people and pointing fingers. The worst part is we’ve spent at least 20 years getting to where we are now, and it ain’t changing overnight…until the J-Dub/SportsChump presidential ticket happens…
I agree strongly with GMONEY about the protest concerning unarmed black men being shot and killed by the police. I’m not sure why people don’t understand that the players are not disrespecting the anthem, the country, or the military. That is political propaganda and it is a false narrative. As for T.O., in the words of Sly Stone ” different strokes for different folks”.
TO has always marched to the beat of his own drum.
It’s just that sometimes, that drum has dyslexia.
Though kneeling is peaceful protest, it sends the entirely wrong message with regards to showing respect for the United States. In light of the fact that everyone is always asked to stand for ANY national anthem, let alone that of your own country, taking a knee is blatant disrespect as Colin Kaepernick stated was exactly the point when he started the movement, so sell that false narrative BS elsewhere. They are employees and must adhere to the rules of the employer when on the clock or find another job.
Never heard that one Bleed, but then again I don’t watch fake news.
Mony…
I imagine Horrigan will be keeping a low profile for the time being.
Although I will say this. Now I really want to watch both ceremonies, T.O.’s and the HOF’s just to see what happens next.
Riveting.
Dubs…
Not too sure America’s ready for that ticket. Or perhaps they are.
Let’s see if you’ll agree to this. Sure, there are more sports being played now than in the 70s and 80s but would you at least agree that baseball takes up considerably less of the average sports fans’ concern than it did back in the day?
All I’m saying is that as a poll of one (not a stripper pole, the other one), I’m watching far less baseball than I did in another lifetime.
Pretty sure I’m not the only one either.
Deac…
It’s ALL about the propaganda and the redirection.
The fact that people still don’t see why this is going, or that they continue to use the term “disrespect,” is part of the damn problem.
Bleed…
We’ll see how this ends up, if players are fined, if these rules are enforced by the teams and the league and for how long it continues.
Here’s hoping for a peaceful and constructive resolution.
Although I’m not too sure the odds favor it.
Deac…
If you wanna see some real (disturbing) news, check out Sasha Baron Cohen’s new show on Showtime.
His new project is making quite the splash.
Heres sone fake news straight from the horses mouth….
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Good intentions, bad methodology IMO.
Bleed…
When this all first went down, I said the most important thing that Kaepernick’s gesture could do was generate healthy conversation.
It’s most definitely done that.
It generated conversation all right.
In this particular forum, your readers and commenters are the exception to that rule for the most part. Try looking at the comments on Yahoo, Fox or YouTube regarding the kneeling matter and see how “healthy” that conversation is.
Unfortunately I think this issue (with a major assist from the media) has contributed to the highest division this country has seen since the Civil War. The networks and news outlets on both sides of the political isle are bringing Nikita Kruschev’s prediction to fruition daily.
Sadly, divide and conquer is happening before our very eyes. The sooner we can all get back to being Americans first and foremost, the sooner the melting pot can get back to looking more like what the founders intended.
I have to admit to a personal bias. I have four grandchildren. A lovely young lady, two grandsons that are of African- American heritage, and my little buddy who is special needs child. This is the reason I agree strongly with Bleed that we need to be united as Americans to fight the forces of prejudice and injustice. Peaceful protest is a hard fought for right for every American. Let us please come together and give peace a chance.
It is as divisive an issue as I can remember, Bleed, even more so than the burning of the flag.
That issue only involved freedom of speech. Race never figured into the equation.
It sure as heckfire does now.
Deac….
Al, who is black, and I, who am not but still a minority, have had this discussion on the site for years.
I’d routinely tell him that race relations in this country are getting better.
He’d routinely correct me.
More often that not, he’d be right.