Blinded by the Dark

By Arlen Blakeman

A city of 1.3 million, Jacksonville, Florida is well suited to support an NFL team. However, the terrible economic situation in this city has had a devastating toll on ticket sales of their only major professional sports team, The Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville is one of the most industrial towns in the South. The backbone of its economy is the automotive parts industry. For the first eight years of its existence, the team was very successful.  They made it to the AFC Championship game in only their second year of existence and made the playoffs four times in their first eight years.  Not only was the team doing well, but also the economy was flourishing.  This led to ticket sales that were through the roof.  However, with GM going down and Toyota’s stock failing, thousands are out of work in this city. These struggling families obviously need to spend their 100 dollars on more important things than a ticket to see the Jaguars live. However, this is the only option they have to see their favorite team play on Sundays. The Jaguars, because of low ticket sales, did not televise seven out of eight of the their home games last season.

The NFL’s “Blackout Policy” has been enforced since 1973.  The policy states that if a home game of a team is not sold out within 72 hours of kickoff, the game will not be shown on local television.  The Jacksonville Jaguars organization, to help this problem, have closed off sections for advertising and even given fair package deals to fans wanting to see the team.  The team is not to blame for this problem.  It is the NFL’s ridiculous blackout policy that has cut ties between the team and its city.  Former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, who brought the Jaguars to Jacksonville in 1995, stated that the city does rally around the team, but that in the current economy no one can afford to go.  So why should they be punished?

Watching sports used to be an activity any person, no matter race, wealth, or gender, could participate in.  But now the greediness of the NFL has put a limit to this freedom.  Plus, if you think about it, there are many who are too old to sit in the hot sun of Florida for three hours.  Also, there are people with disabilities who sometimes cannot make it to the game but still love to watch the sport and forget about the hardships of life for a few hours.  It’s not always about money Roger Goodell and I urge you to lift this ban and give America’s game back to the people of Jacksonville.

Sports fans should take a look at a recent article in The Onion. The satirical magazine announces that the New York Yankees have trademarked the phrase, “Yankees Suck.” It would be even funnier if the most recent move by the NFL were not true, and equally ridiculous.

This week, the National Football League sent cease and desist orders to New Orleans vendors selling merchandise emblazoned with the famed Saints rally cry, “Who Dat.” The NFL claims ownership of this phrase due to its association with the Saints franchise.

US Senator David Vitter (R-LA) responded to Roger Goodell with a cease and desist letter of his own. Declaring that the phrase “Who Dat” belongs to the people of New Orleans. Sen Vitter requested that the NFL sue him for printing shirts with the phrase “Who Dat say we can’t print Who Dat!”

This morning, the league backed off its original threat of litigation, however, the NFL feels that the question of ownership remains unresolved.

Friday’s Times Picayune article included a reprint of an advertisement for an 1898 E.E. Rice play. This ad displayed the song title “Who Dat Say Chicken In Dis Crowd.” Are we, as fans, to believe that a governing body in professional sports can own turns of phrase ingrained in a local culture since before the turn of the century?

Today’s Fifth Down blog entry on the New York Times website describes the reaction from vendors and regular fans alike. “One crafty Twitter user created a shirt mocking the NFL on the Web site customink.com. In yellow lettering, the front of the black shirt reads: ‘Who exactly is it that states they are going to defeat the football team from New Orleans?’ The back taunts: ‘Cease and desist this.’”

At the heart of this fracas is the exclusive right to monetize words. Roger Goodell believes that two words first spoken by minstrels in the French Quarter more than 100 years ago are league property. What about Twitter users that post #whodat? What about blogs like WhoDatDish? One would think once they turn a profit, the NFL will go after them as well.

Saints fans deserve the right to display pride for their team without fear of repercussion by a league so greedy, they are willing to bite the hands of the fans that feed them.