"NFL"..."Broke"...in the Same Sentence?!?

Here is a PSA for those who don't know: We're in a recession! Yes, even presidential candidate McCain shook his denial a few months ago and conceded that we are indeed in a recession. Funny part is I, like many others, thought the hardest hit would primarily be working-class or the middle-sized organizations. Lo and behold, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has proven my naive thoughts to be wrong.


According to the State of the NFL address given by the commish last week, the NFL is not "immune from what's going on out in the economy". So you mean to tell me that this country's favorite and most revered sport that is indeed a multi-million dollar machine is feeling the pain like us little guys do? I did some additional research and received names of teams feeling the pinch (sorry Browns, Redskins, and Patriots fans) and the vow of 75% of the league's teams to keep their ticket prices intact. Click here for the article. I guess I'm not the only one juggling lint in my pockets right about now, huh?


I don't know about you, but I still find it hard to believe. Players making millions, owners making even more millions, and cities earning revenue by "renting" out the stadiums. I mean, we're talking about guys making millions hand over fist, teams shelling out high-priced licensed merchandise, and the advertising (oh yes, the advertising) that is placed all around this machine just has to be helping to close the gap, don't you think?


So if you were anything like me or most of the audience tonight, you caught these Super Bowl ads (for some, the main reason they watch this thing anyway - LOL). I caught some eye-catching ones, some funny ones - not a bad mix at all. Caught a good laugh on the CareerBuilder.com ad where the poor koala kept getting punched.



Out of curiousity, I did some quick homework (Thanks, Google!) and discovered how much these ads were costing to put up. The price is - drumroll please..........$3 million!!! $3 million for every 30 seconds of fame that these companies want during one of the most watched events of the year.


My question is simply this: if the NFL is hurting anywhere near what they say they are, does the revenue from the ads that surrounds their crown jewel game ease any of the pain? I'd like to think that $3 million dollars for 30-seconds of attention would equate to some kind of profit. Perhaps there is a lot that I don't know or understand, or maybe I just don't (and won't) have a clue about, but recession or no recession, $3 million dollars is a lot of cake. Let's be honest: what the NFL considers as tough times is nothing near as serious as what most people and smaller organizations have to deal with on a daily basis. Just my opinion.


-W.A. Gordon