2014 NFL Season Anti-Thread

[The_Admiral]

Here's an SI piece on the NFL's clean zones. I like that their perfunctory argument in favor clean zones is that they do, in fact, restrict commerce in a manner amenable to the NFL. Yeah, no crap. That's like arguing that the death penalty is good because the criminal winds up dead. Well, yes, but I don't think that's really the matter at hand here.

Clean zones also empower the NFL to control the intensity and appropriateness of commercial activities. The league does not want Super Bowl goers to experience a bombardment of visuals and words

YEAH WE WOULDN'T WANT THAT

Fourth, clean zones raise questions of entanglement, particularly in terms of how clean zones arise and their implementation and enforcement. If the NFL selects a city to host a Super Bowl, that city must pass a clean zone or it will be obligated to pay the NFL a substantial fee. While there is nothing illegal about the NFL yielding its power or a local government determining that landing a Super Bowl is worth meeting the NFL's demands, the idea that a professional sports league can effectively "force" a government body into passing a law is disquieting.

Then there are issues of implementation and enforcement. In last year's Super Bowl XLV, the league and local Arlington authorities coordinated on implementation of a clean zone ordinance. The league also hired private security officers to enforce the ordinance. These officers assigned tickets to violators, who, though only fined, had technically committed a misdemeanor criminal offense. Should the NFL's private police have "jurisdiction" over anyone, especially those outside of football stadiums?

No. No. No, no, no, no, no.

With the help of Dallas attorneys Jonathan Winocour and Corinna Chandler, Williams is in the midst of a litigation against the NFL, the City of Arlington and other parties connected to Super Bowl XLV over the constitutionality of the clean zone ordinance and the so-called "pervasive entwinement" of its implementation and enforcement. Williams, who is African-American, also maintains his civil rights were violated. Most of the persons charged as ambush marketers were either African-American or Hispanic, all were persons rather than businesses (Best Buy interestingly was not ticketed) and Williams insists that his bus was targeted for expulsion because of its images of African-Americans.

So basically this is just like when Olympic cities play rousing games of Hide The Undesirables. We can't let our "NFL dignitaries" see the ethnics! I guess they don't call it a "clean zone" for nothing.

[rams80]

Can we call them Green Zones instead?

[Cosmic]

I've long held on to my pipe dream that Buffalo could host a Super Bowl with a shiny new downtown stadium, but I don't wanna deal with the NFL's power trip. I would love to see how a private security officer can hand out tickets to people.

[BBTV]

I've long held on to my pipe dream that Buffalo could host a Super Bowl with a shiny new downtown stadium, but I don't wanna deal with the NFL's power trip. I would love to see how a private security officer can hand out tickets to people.

After the Jacksonville fiasco, I can't see the NFL even considering a smaller-market SB again. There are too many requirements from lodging, entertainment, convention space, etc. that cities like Buffalo probably can't meet.

This link has info on Minnesota's and Dallas' bid, including some of the requirements. A city must guarantee at least 19,000 "high quality, full service" hotel rooms within 60 mins of the stadium, including one with at least 900 rooms to serve as "headquarters".

That's really not a lot of rooms, but for smaller cities that aren't tourist destinations, it may not be feasible, which would make a bid a non-starter. I couldn't find any reliable statistics that show the number of rooms in each NFL city (and the number changes daily as many cities are experiencing development surges), but I would just guess that Buffalo would be closer to the bottom than to the top.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/blog/sports-business/2014/04/super-bowl-bid-includes-a-long-list-of-hotel.html?page=all

[WSU151]

Here's an SI piece on the NFL's clean zones. I like that their perfunctory argument in favor clean zones is that they do, in fact, restrict commerce in a manner amenable to the NFL. Yeah, no crap. That's like arguing that the death penalty is good because the criminal winds up dead. Well, yes, but I don't think that's really the matter at hand here.

Clean zones also empower the NFL to control the intensity and appropriateness of commercial activities. The league does not want Super Bowl goers to experience a bombardment of visuals and words

YEAH WE WOULDN'T WANT THAT

Fourth, clean zones raise questions of entanglement, particularly in terms of how clean zones arise and their implementation and enforcement. If the NFL selects a city to host a Super Bowl, that city must pass a clean zone or it will be obligated to pay the NFL a substantial fee. While there is nothing illegal about the NFL yielding its power or a local government determining that landing a Super Bowl is worth meeting the NFL's demands, the idea that a professional sports league can effectively "force" a government body into passing a law is disquieting.

Then there are issues of implementation and enforcement. In last year's Super Bowl XLV, the league and local Arlington authorities coordinated on implementation of a clean zone ordinance. The league also hired private security officers to enforce the ordinance. These officers assigned tickets to violators, who, though only fined, had technically committed a misdemeanor criminal offense. Should the NFL's private police have "jurisdiction" over anyone, especially those outside of football stadiums?

No. No. No, no, no, no, no.

With the help of Dallas attorneys Jonathan Winocour and Corinna Chandler, Williams is in the midst of a litigation against the NFL, the City of Arlington and other parties connected to Super Bowl XLV over the constitutionality of the clean zone ordinance and the so-called "pervasive entwinement" of its implementation and enforcement. Williams, who is African-American, also maintains his civil rights were violated. Most of the persons charged as ambush marketers were either African-American or Hispanic, all were persons rather than businesses (Best Buy interestingly was not ticketed) and Williams insists that his bus was targeted for expulsion because of its images of African-Americans.

So basically this is just like when Olympic cities play rousing games of Hide The Undesirables. We can't let our "NFL dignitaries" see the ethnics! I guess they don't call it a "clean zone" for nothing.

I'm guessing ambush marketers = sellers of unofficial merchandise. If so, I don't think it's incredibly surprising that most of these people are minorities. That's just how it is.

[Cosmic]

I've long held on to my pipe dream that Buffalo could host a Super Bowl with a shiny new downtown stadium, but I don't wanna deal with the NFL's power trip. I would love to see how a private security officer can hand out tickets to people.

After the Jacksonville fiasco, I can't see the NFL even considering a smaller-market SB again. There are too many requirements from lodging, entertainment, convention space, etc. that cities like Buffalo probably can't meet.

This link has info on Minnesota's and Dallas' bid, including some of the requirements. A city must guarantee at least 19,000 "high quality, full service" hotel rooms within 60 mins of the stadium, including one with at least 900 rooms to serve as "headquarters".

That's really not a lot of rooms, but for smaller cities that aren't tourist destinations, it may not be feasible, which would make a bid a non-starter. I couldn't find any reliable statistics that show the number of rooms in each NFL city (and the number changes daily as many cities are experiencing development surges), but I would just guess that Buffalo would be closer to the bottom than to the top.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/blog/sports-business/2014/04/super-bowl-bid-includes-a-long-list-of-hotel.html?page=all

It was always a long, long shot. There have been a number of hotels going up in recent years, but you'd probably have to include Rochester and Niagara Falls, ON to get to the right numbers. Rochester is right around the 60 minute limit and I doubt the NFL would want to deal with a binational situation.

We could throw a fun party, though. We have skiing. And beer. It would be fun.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Ambush marketers are the guys that hand out the escort ads in Vegas, right?

[The_Admiral]

Alternatively, consumers might trust that a particular food vendor has been approved by the NFL, when in fact no such approval occurred.

I only eat burritos with the express written consent of the National Football League. Seriously, is this a concern real human beings have?

[rams80]

Alternatively, consumers might trust that a particular food vendor has been approved by the NFL, when in fact no such approval occurred.

I only eat burritos with the express written consent of the National Football League. Seriously, is this a concern real human beings have?

The NFL is going to drag us into war with China, aren't they.

[The_Admiral]

We asked China if they were Up For Whatever. They weren't. We killed them.

[The_Admiral]

Man, it would be soooooo nice if somebody, ANYBODY, were to step up and tell the NFL to go kick rocks.

[FiddySicks]

Man, it would be soooooo nice if somebody, ANYBODY, were to step up and tell the NFL to go kick rocks.

Pebbles, maybe. Rocks? Not sure I'd go that far.

[STL FANATIC]

Is the downfall finally starting?

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/12496480/san-francisco-49ers-linebacker-chris-borland-retires-head-injury-concerns

The answer is maybe, but if so, we're still extremely early.

So the more relevant question is: will the NFL and the sport of football finally admit they have a problem that requires DRASTIC changes to the sport, and not just a few extra rules with a few more flags and a few more fines?

I think this is huge. Borland is only 24. He's played one season in the NFL. He's good. He's healthy, has only been diagnosed with two concussions in his entire football career, and none since his sophomore year of high school.

[CS85]

Is the downfall finally starting?

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/12496480/san-francisco-49ers-linebacker-chris-borland-retires-head-injury-concerns

The answer is maybe, but if so, we're still extremely early.

So the more relevant question is: will the NFL and the sport of football finally admit they have a problem that requires DRASTIC changes to the sport, and not just a few extra rules with a few more flags and a few more fines?

I think this is huge. Borland is only 24. He's played one season in the NFL. He's good. He's healthy, has only been diagnosed with two concussions in his entire football career, and none since his sophomore year of high school.

Downfall, no. But this is far more devastating long-term to the NFL than Ray Rice's elevator video. This is exactly what they don't want to happen. They want their players to be eternally silent in exchange for the fame and fortune. With younger players being more informed than ever about the long-term risk of concussions, more and more will start to walk away. This will certainly not be the last.

[DarkJourney]

To be honest I'm caring less and less about sports by the day. I'm glad he's retiring. His health is way more important than lining the pockets of billionaires.

[JayMac]

To be honest I'm caring less and less about sports by the day. I'm glad he's retiring. His health is way more important than lining the pockets of billionaires.

I'll always love sports but I can relate to you. The older I get, the more I realize these leagues are just big businesses. Definitely less exciting these days.

[Lights Out]

So let me get this straight... Borland clearly lies his ass off during the draft interview process (convincing the Niners to use a draft pick on him in the process), he pockets a cool million, and then suddenly decides a week into free agency that he doesn't feel like playing anymore because of head injuries he got in middle school, and he's being applauded for this? If he really thought that playing in the NFL was too much of a health risk, he should have done the honest thing and entered the workforce instead of the draft. And really, he probably shouldn't have played FBS football either. I get that head injuries are an issue, but it's not fair to the Niners that they wasted a third-round pick on this guy under the impression that he was willing to play for longer than a year and he basically stole money from them.

[rams80]

So let me get this straight... Borland clearly lies his ass off during the draft interview process (convincing the Niners to use a draft pick on him in the process), he pockets a cool million, and then suddenly decides a week into free agency that he doesn't feel like playing anymore because of head injuries he got in middle school, and he's being applauded for this? If he really thought that playing in the NFL was too much of a health risk, he should have done the honest thing and entered the workforce instead of the draft. And really, he probably shouldn't have played FBS football either. I get that head injuries are an issue, but it's not fair to the Niners that they wasted a third-round pick on this guy under the impression that he was willing to play for longer than a year and he basically stole money from them.

I don't think the Yorks mentioned that they were clearly planning on flipping the team in the next few years and were about to tear the team down in order to prep for the sale, so it's probably a wash.

[FiddySicks]

So let me get this straight... Borland clearly lies his ass off during the draft interview process (convincing the Niners to use a draft pick on him in the process), he pockets a cool million, and then suddenly decides a week into free agency that he doesn't feel like playing anymore because of head injuries he got in middle school, and he's being applauded for this? If he really thought that playing in the NFL was too much of a health risk, he should have done the honest thing and entered the workforce instead of the draft. And really, he probably shouldn't have played FBS football either. I get that head injuries are an issue, but it's not fair to the Niners that they wasted a third-round pick on this guy under the impression that he was willing to play for longer than a year and he basically stole money from them.

I don't think the Yorks mentioned that they were clearly planning on flipping the team in the next few years and were about to tear the team down in order to prep for the sale, so it's probably a wash.

Yeah, I'm sure most of this stems from the fact that the guy really does want to be able to remember his name at the age of 40, but there has to be at least some part of this that has to do with the fact that guys are doing all they can to abandon this dumpster fire of a team, even if it means sacrificing career time. Patrick Willis having an "epiphany", retiring Barry Sandars style and risking a shot at the Hall of Fame makes me think this whole thing is somehow WAY worse than it even appears. I mean, really, who would even want to play in San Francisco right now? It's gonna be a very rough time upcoming at the House of Jeans.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Jesus. Who looks at anything the 49ers are doing and sympathizes with the Yorks?