GameDay: Would You Throw Away Your Tickets? My Fan Solution
CBS 5 Sports Director Dennis O'Donnell hosts "Gameday" every Sunday night at 11:30pm and offers his unique sports analysis here.
San Francisco (CBS 5) - Would you? Could you? Throw away your tickets? My Fan Solution
In the ugly aftermath of the Battle of the Bay, the Monday morning quarterbacks were less concerned with Alex Smith's performance than they were with the behavior of the fans. It was an ugly spectacle to be sure. Even in the broadcast booth we were aware of the violence taking place in the stands, in the bathroom, and in the parking lot. Perhaps, however, the best MMQB was John Madden on KCBS radio.
Madden was clearly more frustrated with the owners than the fans. He wondered, when have the owners ever done anything for the fans? In his words, the owners pretend to be occupied with the fan experience when, in his opinion, they are interested only in their wallets. Who pays for luxury suites? Fans. Highly-priced concessions? Fans. $50 parking? Fans. Full price for glorified scrimmages? Fans. So if the fans are footing the bill for everything, where was the security? But I have a different question. Why do people pay for this at all?
The NFL pre-season is a fraud. It's not even a scrimmage because teams, particularly the 2011 San Francisco 49ers, refuse to show ANYTHING to opposing teams. Less than scrimmages, they are practices. But the fans continue to foot the bill. Why? Because the NFL holds them hostage with their season tickets hanging in the balance. But you know that already, don't you? You despise the pre-season like the plague and will do anything NOT to go. So you give the tickets away to a friend. The friend gives the tickets to a friend. And before you know it the crowd is a collection of MMA wannabes.
Alas, I have a solution. Fans, take control of your wallet. Take control of YOUR league. I don't know about you, but I help pay the bills in my household. As a result, I have some say-so as to where that money goes. Do you? Fans should be the most powerful union in the world. THEY foot the bill! They pay for EVERYTHING. If social media can help bring down Hosni Mubarak and lead to the revolution and eventual downfall of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, why is it so difficult for fans to say "enough?"
My suggestion? Ban together. Don't give your tickets away. THROW them away. Boycott ONE game and you'll be amazed how quickly Roger Goodell calls your house with recorded message. Tonight, I joined a union. PROSPORTSFANUNION.COM. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be up to date. Who to blame? The fans. The webpage describes the site as a voice to the fans. Lazy ones, apparently.
John Madden couldn't have drawn it up any better. Go out five yards, take a hard right and just keep going.
See you on TV.
