In NFL Lockout, Fans are the Losers

0

March 15, 2011
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider

In NFL Lockout, Fans are the Ones who Lose

Well, it’s finally happened.  As of 12 a.m. Saturday morning, the NFL as we know (and love) it is on hiatus with no definite starting point in sight.  The players union was de-certified on Friday, opting out of the collective bargaining discussion, and effectively letting the lockout begin.  For players, the lockout means they cannot step foot on team property or contact team personnel, including doctors.  It also means there will be no off-season workouts, training camps or pre-season games.  The NFL draft, slated for April 28-30 in New York, is independent of the agreement and scheduled to go on as planned–but the players have something else in mind. According to reports, several players are doing their best to make sure the draft doesn’t happen, having said to have contacted the top 17 picks and asking them not to attend.  According to ESPN.com, the players have filed a request for an injunction that would keep the NFL and the teams from engaging in a lockout.  A court hearing is set for April 6, which leaves a few weeks of uncertainty and the possibility of an out of court agreement–which is doubtful at best.

Reports are surfacing that the owners have saved enough to “get them through” a lost 2011 if the football season were not to take place.  We’re talking about millionaires — if not billionaires — who need not make another dollar the rest of their lives and still have more money than they know what to do with.  The real tragedy in this isn’t about the owners, or even the players (who I think are getting shortchanged); it’s about the fans.  It’s about the fans who contribute to the NFL.  Some of them save up for weeks or months just to take their family to one game in a season.  Some purchase the special NFL network packages, so they can invite their friends over to watch a game.  The NFL is a bigger institution than a group of individuals or a dollar amount.   I can only hope the players and owners realize what the NFL is really about and see that the effects of a lockout are felt far beyond locker rooms and board meetings.

Caps

With an 8-game winning streak, the Caps have risen to the No. 1 spot in the Southeast Division, five points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Caps, who trailed the Lightning most of the season, have been riding a late-season hot streak, knocking down their opponents like dominoes. With 12 games left in the regular season, the Caps are in a perfect position to skate into the playoffs with ease. The 40-20-10 Caps previously struggled this season, with two multi-game slumps before hitting winning strides in the new year.

Wizards

The Wizards have dropped four straight, their latest loss coming at the hands of the L.A. Clippers, 122-101.  The Clippers were led by college star and NBA rookie Blake Griffin, who scored 26 points in the first half. The Wizards gave up a good fight, turning a 19-point deficit to only three in the last quarter of the game, only to stall and score only two points to the Clippers’ 15.  Griffin was the No. 1 draft pick in 2009, but is playing as a rookie this year due to sitting out the majority of last season with injuries. Jon Wall, the No. 1 draft pick for 2010, made a showing of his own with 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to nab his team their 17th win of the season. Washington plays the Oklahoma City Thunder (42-23) tonight at home, as they vie for their first win since March 5.

March Madness

With the division tournaments over, March Madness basketball brackets are being formed everywhere.  While American and Maryland’s tourney hopes were dashed early with division tournament losses, George Mason and Georgetown both made it to the dance and are representing our area with pride. The tournament starts tomorrow with Georgetown and George Mason’s first games both on Friday. Mason is up against perennial tournament contender Villanova, while Georgetown will match up against a yet to be determined opponent.

Share.

About Author

avatar

DC Spotlight Sports Writer

Comments are closed.

Social Widgets powered by AB-WebLog.com.