The parade down Broad Street is complete; the merchandise is purchased; the accolades continue; and Eagles fans will be boasting for at least another ten months or more (for some, the rest of their lives). From a local perspective, I guess the NFL season could not have ended any better (except for the many Steelers and Vikings fans in our area).
Without question, NFL football is still the most watched weekly sporting event in all of television. Adding to that interest, there are, according to estimates, over 32 million fantasy football players, and billions of dollars are added to the economy every year.
But, if you dig a little deeper, the NFL has some serious problems it needs to address. None is bigger than the concussion issue. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) was found in 110 of the 111 brain studies of former NFL players by Boston University. I ran into a former Eagle linebacker (I’m not sure he would want me to use his name) at a high school game this year and he told me he was already having problems in certain cognitive areas and he had been out of the game for only a couple of years. Fourteen hundred players who brought a suit against the NFL were awarded settlements in 2013, but only about 10% have seen any money.
The future of any sport is often in the numbers that actually play the game. One could correctly surmise that as the concussion issue continues to dominate the sport, fewer parents will allow their children to play. It is already being suggested that youth football should ban tackling. New helmet technology is being developed, but the cost might be prohibitive for youth and high schools to implement.
The protest by NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem certainly did not help the game’s popularity. Too many (including our President) totally misunderstood what the players were protesting, but the message spread far and wide that they were un-American. Many fans claimed they were done watching NFL football and, there is no question, the ratings this season went down. It was estimated that 1.6 million fewer people watched the NFL this year. However, the product is still the most watched.
Constant replay reviews have done little to promote interest. There are many stoppages; officials are not as accountable; and the games are lasting longer than ever. None of this enhances the game for the viewer; it diminishes the enjoyment. And it certainly doesn’t help to have rules (for example, what is a “catch”?) that no one seems to understand.
NFL football and football at all levels has some serious problems to solve. With all the money involved, I certainly expect American ingenuity to eventually solve those problems. There is too much money involved not to.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME SUPER BOWL MUSINGS)
- Even before the NFL draft, Nike has signed Whitehall and Penn State running back Saquon Barkley to an endorsement contract. The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year the past two seasons is expected to be drafted #1, #2, or #3 in the NFL draft. He is an instant millionaire.
- Remember Heisman winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M and the Cleveland Browns? He has been diagnosed as bipolar and, after being tossed from the NFL after two seasons, wants another chance to play football. He has stopped drinking and is taking medication for his disorder. Now, he has to get people to like him.
- Eagles’ offensive tackle Lane Johnson finally said what many of us believed to be true. There is not much fun when you play for the Patriots. From everyone being fearful for their job to the arrogant and uncommunicative way they deal with the press, Johnson implies he would not want to play there. He said he would “much rather have fun and win a Super Bowl than be miserable and win five Super Bowls.”
- As I write this, the Philadelphia ‘76ers have won 10 straight games. Much of that success can be traced to the play of Joel Embiid (23.7 points; 11.1 rebounds). Philadelphia’s Eagles’ passion can now be directed toward the Sixers and the Flyers, who, by the way, are in third place in their division.
- The EPC girls’ and boy’s championship were outstanding with Bethlehem Catholic beating Central Catholic in both games by 3 points. Who will win the District XI AAAAAA basketball championship? With injuries and top teams moving to the other classifications, it’s anybody’s guess. Watch RCN-TV as the answer unfolds. All the action begins February 22.
