The legend of the waiting list for Packers season tickets in Green Bay has grown over the years. Newborns get put on the list, with parents hoping some day their offspring hits the top of the list.Green Bay has perhaps the best fans in the NFL ... which is why the league should be very worried that the Packers and two other teams are still struggling to sell out their playoff games.Green Bay, as of Wednesday morning, was about 8,500 tickets short of a sellout, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein. If the Packers don't sell out by 3:40 p.m. Thursday, the game will be blacked out on local TV from Green Bay to Milwaukee. That's almost inconceivable. The Press-Gazette said the Packers have sold out every regular-season game since 1959 (a playoff game in January of 1983, at the end of the strike-shortened season, did not). And yet they are having troubles selling out a playoff game a week after Aaron Rodgers returned from injury to beat the Bears for the NFC North title.The Bengals produced a video with some players urging fans to buy playoff tickets, which you wouldn't think should be necessary for a NFL playoff game. Former Bengals receiver Chad Johnson said he would buy the unsold tickets, of which there are about 8,000 according to reports, but it's unclear if he was serious. As of Wednesday afternoon the Colts needed to sell 5,500 tickets for their game against the Chiefs before Thursday afternoon to become a sellout and avoid a local television blackout.It would be a tremendous embarrassment to the league to have three of four playoff games blacked out locally, and likely, the tickets will get sold somehow to avoid that scenario. But there's a bigger issue here. Is this the most stark example that NFL fans aren't too excited to go to games anymore?A quick glance at Ticketmaster on Wednesday afternoon showed the face-value prices for the Packers playoff game ranged from $313 and $102, not counting Ticketmaster fees. If you've attended a NFL game, you know that the cost doesn't end with tickets. Parking is outrageously and insultingly high at most NFL games. Concessions aren't cheap either. NFL teams have gouged and gouged and gouged, and maybe there's a breaking point.It is supposed to be a high of four degrees in Green Bay on Sunday, when the Packers play the 49ers, with a low of minus-15 degrees. Would you rather spend a few hundred dollars to sit in miserable conditions or stay at home and watch on TV, where the high-definition view is a heck of a lot better than it is better than any vantage point in the stadium? It seems that more fans are asking themselves that question, especially as the in-home experience for watching games has improved with great televisions and easy access to discuss the game with friends online.The NFL has a serious issue on its hands when three cities are struggling to sell out a playoff game, including the Packers. All three games might sell out and the local television blackout scare will be forgotten. But the NFL better not ignore what's happening this week. It's not a good sign for the future. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/nfl-alarmed-three-four-playoff-games-including-green-213137570--nfl.html
there is a growing perception with myself (and thus I imagine many more see the same thing) that it really doesnt matter how hard you play, how well you game plan, or even if you have the better players - the way the game is officiated makes winning a lottery ticket, a roll of the dice, and a complete toss up. I find myself caring very little about the outcomes any more. I dont get too upset at losses and dont get too happy at victories. Simply amazing what they have done to this game to ruin it. The face mask extends several inches out from the face...how can someone tackle without touching the helmet unless they are being chased or grabbed at some sort of off angle. You cant tackle from behind grabbing the collar, you cant tackle where your helmet touches a QB, or WR's helmet...and youre not allowed to tackle if the player is in a vunerable position. Not to mention they have grown men wearing pink....to honor breast cancer awareness...gimme a break. G A Y.I trace this officiating nonsense back to the Bert Emanuel rule - where Bert clearly made the catch. Everyone on the field KNEW it was a catch, and that type of catch had been a catch for hundreds of years...but after reviewing it the official deemed it wasnt a catch...I had to laugh at that one.
1. Knock it off with the horrendous rules to protect players in a contact sport. I certainly don't expect to see a "no hitting too hard" rule in UFC. Fans don't want to see a friendly competition with high grade professional atheletes flopping for ghost calls. If I wanted that, I'd pull out old tapes of Shaq in a Magic uniform drawing fouls and missing free throws.2. Lax the blackout rules, the losing teams can't watch their teams play. They stop watching the sport all together. They either find a way or move on to, the NBA or MLB. I think the NFL is doing a wonderful job of alienating their own market.3. The referees. Fine or otherwise penalize them when they get it wrong. Because we all know you wouldn't hesitate to fine the athletes who actually make your sport money when they do.4. Fire that clown of a commissioner.
4. Fire that clown of a commissioner.
Only the owners can do that and they just extended him. No way he leaves until he's ready to retire. People forget this is a business and profitability is #1. You'd be stupid to fire someone who grows your company and increases revenue. I'm sorry Bill Gates or Steve Jobs you're fired because people don't like you. :P
1. Knock it off with the horrendous rules to protect players in a contact sport. I certainly don't expect to see a "no hitting too hard" rule in UFC. Fans don't want to see a friendly competition with high grade professional atheletes flopping for ghost calls. If I wanted that, I'd pull out old tapes of Shaq in a Magic uniform drawing fouls and missing free throws.2. Lax the blackout rules, the losing teams can't watch their teams play. They stop watching the sport all together. They either find a way or move on to, the NBA or MLB. I think the NFL is doing a wonderful job of alienating their own market.3. The referees. Fine or otherwise penalize them when they get it wrong. Because we all know you wouldn't hesitate to fine the athletes who actually make your sport money when they do.4. Fire that clown of a commissioner.
+ 1,000,000Great post.
instead of news speaking about football protection rules going too far they are talking about what to do to make the UFC safer.... GSP in pink headgear anyone?....lolyea now that these idiots have ruined the NFL their setting theyre sites on the UFC....guess there are too many Christians in these sports.
Again, a very small world view of the game of football. Evidence of concussion and multiple head trauma causing lifelong brain injury is not going away, in fact it's growing. CTE is now being identified in athletes who played football in highschool only, no college or professional sports. This sport will die if rules aren't changed. The players will never stop playing, but parents will stop letting their kids get involved at an early age with will eventually start to dwindle the number of kids playing. All of you guys who think it's a "man's" sport and all that other bullshit are so short sighted it hurts. I don't like what the league is becoming but if you can't realize that it's adapting to survive you're missing the big picture. CTE will not be stopped by stopping Dashon Goldson as the head to head hits that lineman take every practice and every play will not stop, but perception of the game will be better as we don't see guys lay unconscious and stiff armed on the field. That scares parents that are on the fence about letting their kids play.
seriously...then choose a different career path.
they already have pads helmets and doctors on the sideline...as safe as a violent sport can be
I think I've changed my mind on this subject, I see the light now.I hope we keep Roger Goodell, I have a vision of a perfectly safe sport that is enjoyable for all. Every stadium will be a dome, so you don't have to worry about weathering effects like Snow and Rain and what not. All players will wear a securely fastened belt around their waists, which if pulled symbolizes that the player has either been tackled or blocked. Touchdowns will now be worth 3 points and Field Goals will be worth 7, there will also not be a play for an extra point unless the team wants to go for 2, in which case they kick a short field goal. Meanwhile, off on the field, Little Johnny is going to bump into Baby Eric, this will prompt Ron Winters, now by this point is about 174 years old because like a roach, he just wont go away, throws a 15 yard penalty at Little Johnny for bumping into Eric. Ron of course, dressed in the standard attire for referees, a neatly woven pink dress with a cute frilly hat and ugg boots, informs the audience that Johnny is suspended from the game for his flagrant misconduct and Johnny subsequently apologies to Eric and thanks the officials for keeping the sport safe for everyone to watch. You hear a faint echo of someone walking toward you with mystical prizes. You hear, "Get your", but you can't quite make out what that concession person is trying to sell. It then becomes clear, get your Granola bars! Fresh granola bars! Ah yes, eating healthy, I'm so glad they did away with those greasy hot dogs, soft drinks and other unhealthy snacks. Life has been so peaceful since Commissioner Goodell, now President of the United States of Michigan quelled the uprising started by that evil scum, John Lynch. John is now on Death Row and will be executed for violent hits against humanity. I don't understand why the rest of the country split apart, what's so interesting about baseball? It's so violent, ever since they changed the rules and gave every player a bat... I mean, it's not that fun to watch the first baseman fend off someone trying to get on base. And they don't even have umpires anymore, what savagery is this!
Hopefully the NFL will realize they can't continue charging anything they want. That includes selling tickets to places like Ticketmaster who will inflate the prices as well.
1. Knock it off with the horrendous rules to protect players in a contact sport. I certainly don't expect to see a "no hitting too hard" rule in UFC. Fans don't want to see a friendly competition with high grade professional atheletes flopping for ghost calls. If I wanted that, I'd pull out old tapes of Shaq in a Magic uniform drawing fouls and missing free throws.2. Lax the blackout rules, the losing teams can't watch their teams play. They stop watching the sport all together. They either find a way or move on to, the NBA or MLB. I think the NFL is doing a wonderful job of alienating their own market.3. The referees. Fine or otherwise penalize them when they get it wrong. Because we all know you wouldn't hesitate to fine the athletes who actually make your sport money when they do.4. Fire that clown of a commissioner.
