A Call For Fans To Lockout The NFL And NBA

This has got to be one of the most frustrating summers in sports.

With the NBA and NFL reaching heights never seen in their history, both are now going into the next season…

Wait, there is no next season.

Say what?

Repeat that again please, because after seeing two underdogs emerge to be victorious in both of their championship games, all fans want is an encore. Yet, football or basketball have yet to figure out when that will kick or tip-off because both of the league’s owners and players can’t find a common ground as to what is fair for both sides.

What fair really means, though, is that each party is trying to gain a bigger portion of the massive money pot the leagues bring in.

The solution to this issue is simple and doesn’t require assistance from either side: fans should ultimately lockout the leagues

A fan lockout would allow both sports’ biggest producers to take a stand that these actions are not acceptable. The last thing fans want to hear is how big of a crisis both leagues are currently in when the issues of the world are reaching nearly unprecedented heights. It’s hard enough to worry whether or not a person’s job will ever be lost or if they will be able to put food on their table to feed their families.

These leagues are supposed to be the saviors during these problematic times, not adding more sadness.

Fans not only have every right to boycott both leagues for these actions, but should deploy this option at this very moment. The NFL and NBA have no understanding that they are destroying the purity of the game and the reason that professional sports exist; they are here to inspire those that admire and fantasize about being their heroes in the sport.

This illustrates how significant the NFL and NBA are in American life, but they are not essential for living. If either league never existed, it wouldn’t destroy society or affect any average Joe in the most serious of ways. Sports are watched as a means of enjoyment, spawn hope, and escape from the treacheries of regular life.

While everyday people are dealing with a horrendous economy, taking out bigger loans to combat growing college tuition fees, searching tirelessly for jobs to feed their budding families, and hope they can obtain a three to four figure income; both leagues sit back and fight over millions and billions of dollars that come out of the fans’ pocket.
Why both sports would bicker over money is obvious, because the all mighty dollar is essential for living. If administrators realize their businesses are losing money, they downsize their company by shrinking their payroll or reducing wages. Occasionally, this causes employees to clash with their bosses if they feel they are treated unfairly or are getting underpaid, usually leading to a strike.

Yet, this is an everyday occurrence and is needed in order to survive.

The owners and players continue to protest that they want what is best for the league and to return back to work for their adoring fans. That discussion is hard to believe when money is more the focus of the discussions. Yet, that same issue they fight over is obviously a more vital issue for those who attend the sporting events than those who participate in it.

Multi-millionaires in the league are only a small percentage of the players and all of the lower end players don’t make nearly as much as their superstar cohorts. Yet, any person who doesn’t play professional sports would gladly trade their crummy, 9-to-5 job just to sit on a bench or just be a practice dummy.

Being a professional athlete was always thought of as a privilege and a great honor, not a job or an occupation. Of course, the NFL and NBA are businesses, but it’s an industry that is viewed as an enjoyment or a luxury for fans, not a necessity. Other sectors in commerce produce goods or services that are required for existence.

What’s more important in life? Seeing LeBron James dunk a basketball and seeing Adrian Peterson breaking six tackles, or, being able to see a doctor if you are sick or getting help by the police in a time of need?

The owners of both leagues complain about money and that they are deserving of a bigger cut of the pot. This concept would be logical if everyday people had the kind of cash to invest into a company that could net them millions of dollars. Most of these owners have various other businesses that can generate revenue or come from a wealthy family, which is why a stoppage of the league doesn’t dent their bank accounts. All these are benefits that each member of the public could only dream of having while they struggle just to make it through each day of their life.

Money was never meant to drive sports, and yet it has stepped behind the wheel and maneuvered its way to the peak of the mountain as the reasoning why people want to play it.

The hope will be that both situations will pan out and the leagues can come to an agreement of what is “fair” to both sides. In reality though, what should truly be reasonable is that the feelings of the fans should be at the forefront of this issue and how both sides can provide the best product for its followers. Sadly, the definition of sport will forever be changed from a recreational activity to a greedy business that generates billions of dollars from its fans.

In order to demonstrate our disgust with the new characterization of sports, fans should lockout the NFL and NBA and take a stand that their current status is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.