NFL Fans United and Ready to “Strike”

Jan. 25 Opinion 15 comments ---Bill

That headline may seem crazy, but please, hear us out.  We are a meager blog set up primarily for fans of the Miami Dolphins.   The Dolphins have been out of the playoff picture for some time, so we’ve had some time to think about 2011.  We’re pleading with all fans of the NFL.  YOU have the power to help avoid a shortened or lost NFL season.  Yes, we’re talking to you, fans of the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles….Fans of EVERY NFL Team.

Background

As fans of the NFL, we have been hearing about the labor negotiations and impending lockout for months.  The billionaire owners  opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that was set to expire after the 2012 season.  It’s now set to expire in the next month or so.  The thought league-wide is that there will be a Lockout of the NFL players and there is a chance there won’t be NFL football in 2011.  For some background, the NFL generated roughly $8.8 BILLION in revenue in 2009.  Even during the recession, average team profits rose 3.5%.  During that same time, players average salaries increased 3.4%.  So if everyone is making money, why can’t both sides just come to an agreement?  It’s truly a case of millionaires (the players) vs. billionaires (owners).  The players would like to keep the status quo, while the owners want to decrease the percentage the players receive.

The league is doing better than it ever has.  Ratings are way up.  In fact, last year’s ‘Big Game’ had the most viewers of all time, just over 104 million.  The NFL is signing agreements with networks, apparel companies, advertisers and anyone that will pay for the privilege of sponsoring an NFL event.  For a list of details on the success of the NFL, please check the NFLPA site here.

What can YOU do?

A lot of you reading this are asking what you could possibly do to effect a ‘non-profit’ that generates $8.8 Billion.  Yes, the NFL is actually a tax exempt, non-profit organization.  The owners make a profit, but the league, technically does not.  We’re here to tell you that there is something that you can do.  The key is that we need to spread the word, and spread it quickly.

Many fan sites, blogs, etc. have suggested boycotting season tickets for next season.  A good idea, only it won’t work.  Why?  Because in places like Pittsburgh, New York, and Philadelphia there are waiting lists for season tickets.  Here’s an example.  Joe has been an Eagles season ticket holder for 20 years.  Joe has been to every Eagles game for the last 20 years and loves his Eagles football Sundays.  Chris is a die hard Eagles fan and is currently on the season ticket holder waiting list of 40,000+ fans.  If Joe decides to protest and not renew his season tickets for 2011, Chris, who’s been dying to get his hands on tickets, will purchase them.  This is a good idea, but it’s just not feasible.

Our Solution

The NFL and it’s owners are billionaires and will still get paid by the networks if there is no season in 2011.  But effecting their revenue is how we, as fans, can get their attention.  So if boycotting season ticket renewals isn’t the answer, what is?  Our suggestion is that fans of all NFL teams go on ‘strike’. Yes, a unified protest of the NFL and their licensed partners.  After the Big Game on February 6th, we suggest that ALL NFL fans immediately boycott all NFL licensed products.  That means no jersey sales, no hat sales, no bumper sticker sales, NOTHING.  The NFL gets a royalty from all sales of their licensed products.  If you don’t think that this would have a big impact, check this out. Nike recently outbid Reebok to become the official apparel maker of the NFL.  Last year, $350 mil of Reebok’s $565 mil in apparel sales came directly from it’s NFL contracts.   So even if the NFL doesn’t care, their business partners will.  We, as fans CAN make a difference.  So please help us get the word out.  If we can do this, on February 7th, NFL licensed items will see a HUGE drop in sales.  And this ‘strike’ will continue until the NFLPA and the Owners can work out a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.  If you would like, we even created an online petition to sign.  On February 7th, we will send the list of names, however many it may be, to the NFL Commissioner to show him that the fans have a voice to.  We want a full NFL offseason and a full NFL season in 2011.

For updates on the Fans Strike and the CBA, please follow us on Twitter @NFL_FanStrike

  • Ripp

    Why stop at boycotting merchandise? We should boycott the upcoming NFL draft. The Draft’s television ratings have been increasing every year. Imagine the loss of television revenue, it would be a huge blow to the league.

  • alaskanboy

    I’m tired of whiney rich people! Look, here we are, (the regular folk), trying to just make it during these extremely difficult times and still we pay everyone in the NFLs’ salaries. Why? Because we are true FANS! I’m absolutely furious that the league and it’s players have disrespected me and ALL their fans!! I have been a Phins fan for 36 years. Now, you can keep it. To the national football league, piss off and kiss our asses. In my regular folk speak, I ain’t payin’ you no more!!!

  • Art Egan

    Solid concept but it needs some perameters / structure. Analysist have said that the players can afford about 4 games / weeks of salary before they encounter losses that can not be made up. Likewise the owners can not recover more than 8 games / weeks of revenue. We can leverage the system by scheduling the fan strike to last as many weeks / games as the players are out. (ie if the first 3 games of this season are lost / not played than the fan strike will be for 6 games into the season)
    the fallout value is that this may encourage the two sides to move now. I know that the TV revenue is guranteed but I believe that in addition to the merchandise boycot we should not watch any nfl event / games during the fan strike as the networks can / will put a lil presure on the league and players to work something out. we need some press on this so encourage your non nfl local networks for coverage. God Bless America . . . Art Egan

  • Michael T.Lemen

    The more you read about the NFL player / owners discussions or lack thereof the more you realize there is NO concideration for the Fans, which should unite us in BOYCOTTING the Greedy NFL Players, owners , scouts, coaches etc.rtc. rtc. Let them all go find real jobs where they’re not babied, cuddled and vastly over paid. They don’t seem it’s really the fans who pay them all directly or indirectly F… them all. Period

  • http://www.nflfansunited.com Tom Baumberger

    Great work here everyone. As fans we’re all in this together. Team affiliations need to be momentarily set aside to work together and end this ludicrous greedy behavior. The players and owners alike are holding our passion for the game and our team loyalty as a hostage in their greed negotiations. We the fans are the backbone of the NFL and we are the one’s who until now have no voice. Join us. Thanks.

    Sorry for the multiple posts. I’d delete the others if I could.

    <a href="http://www.nflfansunited.com

  • Kirk Wetzel

    I have sent this page to every football fan on my e-mail list. It is time the fans spoke up and said enough is enough. We need to get the word out to as many people as possible.

  • http://www.dolphintickets.net Dolphins Tickets

    They must do really great next time.

  • Randy

    I am a true NFL Football fan but so tired of the lockout, I feel that the 2011 season would be a waist of time at this point because no free agency to help team get better so I think as a fan it would be better for the NFL to cancel the 2011 season now and save us fans from watching them fight over billions, I hope they cancel the season now and they can go to court and fight over nothing in 2011 because if they cancel now then nothing to fight over and I also hope that all NFL fans out there will stop buying season tickets and cancel them also stop all purchase that has anything to do with NFL & players and send the NFL, Union, & players a message from the fans that without us they wouldn’t be fighting over billions in court but until the fans send a true hard core message to all them nothing will ever change but if we the fans decide to cancel our NFL football season and keep our word in 2011 well then they will realize how much damage they have done and we fans won’t have to deal with this in the future, thank you

  • http://www.nflfansunited.com Christopher Funk

    Hi Phin Nation admins and readers. I am currently working to unite fan clubs across the country to rally together as a whole. Pro Football Fans United has the overall goal of changing the NFL as we know it when it comes to how fans are represented. Protests are good and strikes are great too when it comes to hitting owners where it hurts them most; but, we must do something to change how future collective bargaining agreements are reached. Pro Football Fans United wants to inevitably have a fan representative sitting in on all future CBA talks. The fan rep will not depict how the NFL owners and players should split money; but rather, the fan rep will monitor CBA talks to ensure “REAL” transparency. IF the owners and players want to make CBA talks a public argument showing adults bickering back and forth with each other about 9 billion dollars then it would not hurt to have a Fan Rep sitting in the negotiating room to ensure CBA talks are actually being carried out as they have told us. Pro Football Fans United needs Phin Nation as well as every fan club members to unite together and become part of our organization. Phin Nation cannot do this alone. Together we can change the NFL for the better! Please contact me at christopherfunk@nflfansunited.com and visit our sites http://www.nflfansunited.com and http://www.nflfansforum.info. I am also a co-host on a radio show in Tampa called Sports With Rick and The Ball Coaches. A Website will be up for the radio show within the next month or so. I look forward to hearing from you regarding my proposal of fan unity. IF you wish to contact myself personally please call me at 480-621-0959 or call our radio show on Thursdays from 8:20-8:55 pm. We want to hear from you. Thanks.

  • beau

    unite and concour! thats what you can do but you wont because you are a nfl slave!

  • beau

    i hate the nfl especially what the turned the super bowl into. i use to want to watch the superbowl now it a stupid ass concert that i never watch.

  • David Salmeron

    Why stop there? Even if the strike ends, let us fans do the walking. Give up the tickets and let the OWNERS AND PLAYERS know that without the fans, there is no support. I don’t want to hear the apologies from the owners. I stopped watching the NHL and MLB since their strike and I do not watch the Avalance or the Rockies any longer, nor do I buy the products. If the NBA goes on strike, I will no longer watch the Nuggets. Teams around the country build new stadiums only to have the naming rights sold to big corporate companies, ie..Invesco Field, Gillette, Quaulcomm, and the list goes on and on. I have no plans to support the Broncos any longer. I have better things to do.

  • http://profans.org Jerry Lowery

    Check out my new website profan.org . Just started up today. I need help with it. We need to unite all 32 clubs into one fans force. Sign in and leave a message.

  • http://profans.org Jerry Lowery

    That url is profans.org

  • dexter

    Hey everybody, I’v been a fan for many years, and that’s what I am… A FAN. This is an insult to every fan period. If it weren’t for fans they wouldn’t have any thing to discuss. So, let’s break this bad habit and not buy anything or watch any games… AT ALL!! Maybe then the will understand where their “MONEY” comes from.