Viewpoint


My name is Patrick M McCormick and I have created this blog as a platform for my political views as well as those of select contributors.

I believe that American Politicians have lost sight of their goal: To uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of the people of the United States. They argue and bicker on the floor of their respective houses, positioning themselves for the next election, while they accomplish very little business for the citizens of this country.

Meanwhile our economy is sliding downward. Millions of our precious jobs have have been exported overseas. Our social safety net and other public services are being cut. Our middle class is rapidly disappearing and the numbers of citizens existing below the poverty line is increasing dramatically.

I plan to examine the causes of these terrible changes to our American way of life. Your comments will help us all arrive at some important conclusions.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Another Blacked Out Sunday in a Football Town

Written by
Patrick McCormick DMV76C6BE4T4
10/24/2010

Article first published as Another Blacked Out Sunday in a Football Town on Technorati.

Tampa, Florida, Sunday and the Bucs are playing at home. It’s a sad day, nobody will be watching the game from their couches or local bars this afternoon. Not enough tickets sold; the NFL has imposed another blackout.

NFL marketing experts say, “If we punish the fans and take away their football, they will be forced to purchase tickets and fill up the stadiums”. It is happening in a handful of cities around the country. It’s the fourth consecutive week here and those marketing guys have gotten it wrong again.

The Buccaneers are playing to a partially filled house, but it’s not for lack of fan support. Look around town; all you see is Buccaneer license plates, decals and flags flying from pickup trucks. Every kid has a jersey, their fathers wear Buccaneer hats, Tampa is a football town.

The Tampa Bay area has been hit hard by the current recession. Home sales are at an all time low. Home building has nearly stopped. The developers, contractors and tradesmen have been in and out of work for the better part of two years. Most of the businesses are making a lot less; many have closed. Local folks simply do not have much money to spend these days.

It’s so bad that buying a six pack and some chips for a family get together on game-day would be a strain on the grocery budget. Going down to the local bar to watch the game is an extra treat that many locals cannot afford. The cost of game-day tickets are out of the question for many of the unemployed residents here.

But the NFL, in their infinite wisdom, chooses to punish these old fans for running out of money. Do those marketing guys really believe that it is possible squeeze their unemployed fans hard enough to force them to buy tickets. I guess they showed us who's boss.

Well, as you might guess, I’m not watching football today. I think I will get a beer, go out, and scrape the Buccaneer decal off my car. Loyalty is a two way street.



    

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