Winding down is the 2016 football season. While you read this, please keep in mind that
I am not a team owner, nor do
I receive any financial gain from any team, winning or losing.
This year, like most, began with “my team” winning the first
couple of games of the season. It looked
promising for me to perhaps watch the Super Bowl.
I have been a minor fan of this particular team since I was
a small child. Television was
rudimentary at that time, and most of the game action for me was obtained via
the radio.
On Sunday afternoons, I would tote around a General Electric
transistor radio I got as a First Communion gift. I listened intently as the announcers went
through their color commentary, painting a comprehensive picture of players
interacting with the ball and one another.
They would add details about visibility due to snow, rain,
or sunshine, as well as particulars concerning the comely cheerleaders.
And each year, I expected Santa might bring me an official
jersey from my favorite football team.
He never did.
You see, way back when, there were a total of twelve
teams. Today there are thirty-two.
In actuality, genuine football team jerseys were not
available for sale to the public. Every
so often, a player would donate his jersey to a charity for a raffle or
auction; otherwise, they were only available by theft.
As the number of teams grew, so did fan pride. Eventually, the National Football League
realized it could make even more money if they sold “licensed” paraphernalia to
the masses. It worked.
Because every entity needed to get their fair share of this
marketing bonanza, the prices became increasingly expensive. Today, a genuine NFL jersey easily sells for
over $120. If you have your name
included on the reverse, that number approaches $300!
As yet, I do not own a team jersey to support “my team,” or
any other. I actually have plenty other
uses for those stacks of extra hundred-dollar bills in my sock drawer than
giving it to the NFL.
That being said, I abandoned “my team” back in October when
they lost a game they should have won.
It happens nearly every year.
This season they did so-so but needed to win a Sunday
night game to make the playoffs as a wildcard team. They
didn’t. They didn’t because they are not
very good and deserve to lose.
Now the excuses can begin.
Too many players were on the injury list, too many missed field goals,
not exceptional in the red-zone, my dog ate my homework, etc.
In actuality, they fumbled too often, threw too many
interceptions, had awful pass protection, and play poorly as a team.
In essence, they would be better off if they sold all the
uniforms and bought tickets for a cruise.
That would prevent another season of mediocre performance on the field,
and disappointments for its other fans.
That being said, it is a good thing I never got my New York
Giants jersey because I am not embarrassed to wear it, although they have no
more season left this year – as in most seasons.
Santa is smarter than you think.
