The Archway

Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Sports

Former Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison once said that he would rather play in an empty stadium, and now his wish could become a reality. (MCT Campus)

The NFL has a serious problem. The sport, which garners America's most attention, draws the highest TV ratings and is as lucrative and profitable as almost any industry, is facing a difficult dilemma. People love the NFL, as shown by the TV ratings this year, which have experienced a jump higher than any other year in the last two decades, and dwarf all other sports. However, this is exactly where the problem lies.

The problem with football is that it is in fact a great television sport. You can actually see more of the game through instant replays and close up action than you could get sitting in the stadium. Now with HD television, at-home viewing is even more attractive; combined with the cost and process to actually attend a game.

Attending an NFL game is an all-day event. The game is 3 hours long but most get to the stadium two to three hours early to avoid the worst traffic and to tailgate. If you live an hour from the stadium you probably need to budget a 2-3 hour trip to get there because of the traffic anyway. So you end up needing to leave your house about 5 hours before game time. Then there is the three hour game, and another 2-3 hours home in traffic. That comes to a ten to twelve hour day for three hours of action. Then you add in the costs of tickets (hundreds of dollars apiece), concessions (the average fan will spend almost twenty dollars), and parking (another fifty dollars). Then consider you are sitting hundreds of feet away from the field on a hard plastic seat in the bitter cold, maybe sitting next to some drunken jerk yelling R-rated profanities while you try to cover your young son's ears.

Or you could take that money and buy a beautiful HD television and watch every game "in glorious HD" (not to mention all the other television you watch all year long). You can still barbeque on the grill, have plenty of snacks, not to mention sit in a heated environment with your feet up in a comfy chair. You don't have to commit your entire day to watching one game and can do other things during the day to enjoy your weekend (or do what I do and watch 2 hours of pregame, 6 hours of games, followed by an hour of postgame, followed by another three hour game, and an hour postgame). You can enjoy the games with family and friends, and have just as much fun high-fiving with them and screaming at the television as you would at the game itself.

When you consider these factors, as well as the flailing economy, it is no wonder television ratings are so high, while ticket sales continue to drop. The problem for fans is that if stadiums don't sellout, then blackouts are to come. No longer can you watch your home town team. The NFL feels obligated to resort to blackouts or else they know ticket sales will continue to dwindle.

However, the league brings in revenue mostly through television contracts, and if it continues to blackout games in the long run, I would have to think advertisers will begin to voice their opposition. Money talks, and the NFL can't continue to keep fans from watching their teams.

Marvin Harrison, known for his shyness and reserved demeanor, once said he would prefer to play games in an empty stadium. Although Marvin is no longer in the league, it appears that this could become a reality.

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