scoutpilot
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2010
- Messages
- 4,479
I dunno. I think the loyalty is to the franchise more than the players. I grew up, and still live, in the DC metro region. I work in downtown DC. Damn near the only thing the Washington Post cares about are the Skins (maybe the Caps too, since they have had some success). They write about it because that's what readers have an interest in. I love them, but the Redskins haven't been relevant in years. Doesn't matter here. The stadium still sells out. There is quite a bit of regional pride, even if it is just a shared sense of misery or nostalgia for the glory days. I also like that the NFL game is faster and more hard-hitting than the college game. The players are the best in the sport.
I think "mercenary" is a bit of a harsh term. They are professionals who are paid for their talents. One could certainly conclude that they are overpaid, but the market seems to support it. The days of players having any loyalty to a city are certainly long gone because of the money, but in that regard it isn't different from most businesses. If I left one law firm to work at another that paid me more, am I a mercenary? It certainly is for the money, so I guess I could be. I think it would make me like most people. As such, I can't fault the players. The NFL is a business, but so are big D1 college programs. The coaches are also millionaires there, and many follow the bucks (not everyone is Joe Paterno).
I think your perspective as a native Ohioan might be different than mine as someone from the DC area. In my area, college sports tend to take a backseat to the pros. We have several colleges with "name" programs (Navy, UMD, Georgetown in basketball, possibly UVA and VT can be counted as near DC), but the supporters tend to have some connection with the schools. I know a couple of guys with Terps season tickets, but they are alums. There is some college coverage in the newspapers, but right now that focuses on trashing Randy Edsall. It is somewhat entertaining, even though I could care less about UMD's football team.
In Big 10 and SEC country, college sports are king. That probably forms at least some part of our different outlook on the matter.
Well, to be fair, I've seen both sides. I was born in Fairfax County and spent my first 10 years in Alexandria. So I have a soft spot for the skins.
As for the loyalty to the franchise...talk to a Browns fan about that. Or a Houston Oilers fan. Or, if you can find one, a Washington Senators fan. Or a Baltimore Colts fan. Or an Expos fan. Or a Charlotte Hornets fan. Or a Hartford Whalers fan. Or a Minnesota North Stars fan. Or a Seattle Supersonics fan. Or a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. The list goes on and on.
The only fans who I think have a real reason to feel loyalty to a franchise are Packers fans.
As for the rest, loyalty to a franchise is loyalty to someone else's profit machine. But what can I say, Art Modell made me a cynic. George Steinbrenner sealed the deal.