The Fine Line Between Sports and Life

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Perspective:

We care more than the players do.

I think a lot of the NFL's problems today stem from the implementation of free agency. I understand how and why it came about, and it offers some significant advantages, but at the same time I think it accelerated the decline of the sport into a business.

Before the money was huge and before players could switch teams at will, you had rivalries that were fearsome. The teams were tribes and there was pure and sincere loathing in some of the matchups.

Free agency came along, and players started moving around on teams, and the money kept getting bigger, and now you fast-forward to today and there'll be a game between "bitter rivals" and at the end players from the two teams are laughing and hugging and patting each other. The money is so big that it attracts uber-athletes who don't really like the sport, and the players move around so much that they're all friendly since they're likely past or future teammates.

Free agency is fun from a short-term fan perspective, but it sure dilutes that players' passion for the game.