You've probably heard enough about standing or not standing for the national anthem before pro football games, so we will not delve into that today.
Instead we will talk about pro football without the politics, causes, or controversy. Or at the very least, we are going to try to steer around those things.
In the past, the game has been appreciated by millions of Americans just like you and just like me. As a kid growing up in the 1970s, I enjoyed every game to the max.
Pro football was not perfect in those days, and the players were certainly not as pure as the wind-driven snow. But on the other hand, it didn't have the high salaries, the show-biz glitter and glitz, or the severe individualism that fractures a team.
The National Football League of the 1960s and 1970s, and the American Football League of the 1960s represented a time in which pro football came of age.
Fond memories from that era include: the Fearsome Foursome, Doomsday, the Perfect Season, the Monday Night Football sensation, the Steel Curtain, the Immaculate Reception, and the Hail Mary.
Pro football in the present, however, has a different feel for a number of reasons.
One of those reasons (the one we don't want to get into here) is that recently many Americans haven't been able to turn on the television and just watch the game.
Instead, they've tuned in to see protests get more attention than the game itself. And since that's not why they watch football in the first place, many are giving up Sunday afternoon viewing.
If you are one of those individuals, here are some thoughts to consider.
More time with family on pretty fall afternoons can be a real blessing. If you've given up pro football, you might find something much more enriching to do.
Furthermore, watching the college games on Saturdays can be quite fulfilling. It's still football and it has tons of excitement.
In addition, networks that have rights to Canadian Football League competition could capitalize on viewership if they could be more accessible. At this time, CFL games are on TSN and ESPN3. You may or may not find those outlets available, depending upon how you get your channels.
I'm no expert in these matters, but if I televised CFL games and saw that the NFL was losing fans, I would make sure they had the option of seeing football from Canada.
Pro football in the future is anybody's guess.
Again, I'm not the expert. But it would seem that wealthy movers and shakers would venture a look at the market and ask if it is ripe for another pro league.
New football leagues have been tried before, usually without success. But in a time in which fans are disgruntled with the NFL, it makes one wonder what might happen if a football organization free of controversy started up this winter.
Games could be played from January through April--mostly in cities with a mild climate--and the entire undertaking might get some major attention.
The United States Football League played in the spring from 1983-1985 and met with modest success.
In 1960 the AFL started with eight teams and within a decade it became so prominent that it forced a merger with the older, more established NFL.
Could a new eight-team league gain anything near that kind of following? The time might be right to find out. There are literally millions of football fans who would at least consider watching a new brand of pro football during their leisure hours.
And as always, there are cities that would be open to having a professional sports franchise.
Such an enterprising effort could be called the United Football League, and could include teams such as the Albuquerque Apaches, Birmingham Americans, Memphis Liberties, New York Stars, Oakland Invaders, San Antonio Talons, San Diego Destroyers, and St. Louis Showboats.
Forgive me if some of the mascot names are borrowed from now defunct leagues, but you have to give me points for creativity in at least some respects, such as having a team called the Liberties playing in a city with the Liberty Bowl, or the home of the Destroyers being adjacent to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet that includes several U.S. Navy destroyers.
And incidentally, I know it isn't in vogue to have a team called the Albuquerque Apaches, but if the mascot name bothers you, then we could just say we are naming it after the U.S. Army's Apache helicopter.
Consider the entire UFL enterprise to be far-fetched if you want. But if anything like a new league materializes, remember you heard it here first.
-- David Wilson, EdD, of Springdale, is a writer, consultant and presenter, who grew up in Arkansas but worked 27 years in education in Missouri. You may e-mail him at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 10/11/2017