A Fan makes a request to the NFL about the Lockout: Can you HEAR ME?

((ed note: This story is from: Kevin Gerke, friend of the OSG and long-time Atlanta based Sports Producer. Gerk has come up with a list of items that he and many other fans would like to see incorporated into the NFL Labor negotiations. We'll see if anyone's listening))


INTRODUCTION--I got a preview to what my life would be like without the NFL earlier this year...and it wasn't pretty.


I owe it all to something we all can relate to--the weather.


Not having power at my house for six hours, I had to spend time actually trying to talk to my wife, who by the way doesn't follow sports at all. (insert-small drumroll)



For example, she went to bed during the last two minutes of the Cardinals/Steelers Super Bowl after saying "I've seen all the commercials, I'm going to bed".

This has the makings of a long fall and/or winter. As a subscriber to the NFL Football package a player in multiple Fantasy Football leagues, my fall season of joy is in jeopardy. Because I am such a "Die-Hard" fan and am fully aware both the Owners and Players are still attempting to negotiate an agreement, I feel qualified to put forth what I would consider 5-simple proposals to add to any negotiated agreement.

Yes, I said Jeopardy--Trebek?:



I'm pretty sure none of these recommendations are currently on the table:

FIRST: Have an official bar (NFL Sponsored), in every city with a team. And, tie it in with a SmartPhone app. There are apps for everything, so why not this?


The twist here is to have a "Fan Cam" looking at the bar while games are in play and cut back-and-forth between them. What Giants fan wouldn't enjoy seeing the Jets players losing on the field to the Bills and watching Jets fans freaking out at their favorite watering hole. Bartender--another round of drinks!





SECOND: No more protracted TV Rights issues that keep games off TV or at least the satellite. We the fans say "Tell the suits, if you blackout the NFL Network, we come to your office...and you won't like...when we come to your office"  ((ed. note--They are all in N.Y.C, you may want to rethink that strategy)) The choices for this--Philadelphia Eagles fans or Oakland Raiders fans.


THIRD: This applies to the aforementioned NFL Network. Make your broadcasts--better. We think that will happen thanks to this years announce crew of Brad Nessler and Mike Mayock, but your track record isn't so good. Bryant Gumbel doing play-by-play? Joe Theismann? What's up with that?





FOURTH: Eliminate the "Eyewash" during the season. What's that you ask? That is a reference was a phrase I heard a Secret Service agent use for an event a politician went to just to be seen. 


This is a fairly normal Tuesday thing for NFL Players (school visits and the like), but I'm sorry, these guys are in a high-pressurized setting six days a week and need a break. ((ed note: We don't necessarily agree with this. Most of the guys like doing this and the school kids like it even more))


This rule would only apply during the season. Traditions such as the Green Bay Packers Bike Brigade should always be preserved.

FIFTH: This is minor and somewhat personal, but it is imperative. Talk Radio, TV News and Internet reporters need to call out P.R guys who try taking on the persona of a player. I grant you the job is difficult, but they need to realize they don't own the team, didn't make a pass, tackle, interception or touchdown.  ((ed. note--This happens frequently, though not with all teams))

Perhaps the P.R folks could learn this by spending a week studying with Georgia Sports Information Director and Senior Associate Athletic Director Claude Felton. He is in the College Football Hall of Fame for a reason.

IN SUMMARY: Again, I hope they settle the lockout soon, because if there is no season I will not have any excuse as to why I cannot go out for a run with my wife. Maybe I could spend all the unused NFL money on a portable generator. At least I still would have a shot at not having to talk to her for six straight hours.

((OSG Note--We are grateful to Kevin for the contribution and are happy to publish columns or stories from any and everyone. The opinions expressed here are his, though we did copy edit, added a couple of our own thoughts and add the video to the story. Fear not dude, it appears an agreement may be days away...though nothing is etched in stone))

((Final note--sorry for the font changes, blogger on the Mac doesn't particularly like copy and pasting))