This weekend marks the start of the NFL season, the annual culmination of months of anticipation by fans who are obsessed by the sport.
But that hasn’t stopped a growing number of sports fans from calling for a boycott of NFL games after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the national anthem. Kaepernick was not disciplined by the team or league; in fact, his stance was applauded by other players and many in the media.
It seems these days, if you have an anti-American stance, the NFL won’t take issue with you.
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This year, the NFL is expected to bring in about $13 billion in revenue, while prices for spectators will keep skyrocketing. Commissioner Roger Goodell has set a $25 billion revenue goal for the league by 2027, which now seems attainable if things stay on the same track.
Ironically, the taxpayers are what’s making it possible for football stadiums to stay in operation, but while they are shelling out the money to help fund the NFL, they are finding their wallets stretched thin after each game they attend.
The Atlantic reported on the rising prices:
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In 2014, the average NFL ticket cost $85, twice the inflation-adjusted cost of a generation ago. Parking at $25, beer at $12, and soft drinks at $9 are common, with nearly all concession revenue kept by NFL owners. Team Marketing Report, a Chicago consultancy, calculated that in 2014 a family of four spent $635 to attend a Dallas Cowboys home game sitting in regular seats, not in a suite or on a premium concourse; $625 for the same family to attend a Patriots home game; $600 for a Washington home game. That typical people are taxed to fund NFL facilities, yet only the expense-account set can afford to enter, ought to be a source of populist uproar.
The general consensus is sporting venues will bring more economic growth to an area via jobs at the stadium, new restaurants, bars and increased tourism. But a 20-year study of this theory revealed that belief couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Most economists agree that subsidies to professional sports should be eliminated.
Maria Jeffrey of Conservative Review offered one solution to solve this problem: Taxpayers should use the power of the purse, say no to public funding for stadiums, and push for NFL teams to get private investments.
For people fed up with the lack of patriotism that seems to be plaguing the NFL, this might be a route that could lead to change. Already the hashtag #BoycottNFL has seen major popularity throughout social media.
Tom Kilgannon of Freedom Alliance summed up his organization’s frustration:
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To allow [protesting players] to continue is to treat the men and women of our military as punching bags. Active duty military personnel routinely appear at NFL games for pregame and halftime ceremonies. While these young men and women are in uniform, they are not permitted to engage in political commentary or social protest. They are asked by NFL teams to enhance the game day experience, but then subjected to premeditated demonstrations the league otherwise prohibits.
By contrast, the NFL does not allow antagonism toward any of its own. Excessive demonstrations are not permitted. ‘Insulting language or gestures at opponents, game officials, or representatives of the League,’ are not tolerated according to NFL rules.
Actor James Woods pointed out the NFL’s hypocrisy and disrespect in a Twitter post.
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 28, 2016
“If the NFL won’t do the right thing by reining-in these ungrateful children, consumers should not reward them with billions of dollars,” wrote columnist Greg Campbell.
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