They’re all full of it to varying degrees, but none more than Roger Goodell’s NFL and his dutiful adjutants, the league’s compliant TV networks.
What’s ladled out — make that shoveled — as social altruism has formed Mount Manure, built on public relations cons and high-definition, high-in-additives baloney.
The annual presentation of NFL games played on Thanksgiving — up to three since 2006, instead of two, to maximize TV rights and get-out-there-and-shop commercial revenues — comes wrapped in home-and-hearth values with good wishes from “our family to yours.” And it’s self-evident nonsense.
If the NFL and its TV pals held a genuine conviction that Thanksgiving is such a strong traditional family holiday crowned by a family dinner, it wouldn’t detach tens of thousands of folks from their families — parking lot attendants, to replay-booth assistants, to long-snappers, to beer vendors, to ball-inflators — to service NFL games and profits on Thanksgiving.
Yeah, let’s keep the thanks in Thanksgiving — the NFL’s thanks that it’s a great day to make money while needlessly separating legions from their families in three large cities.
The hollow message is relayed endlessly throughout the games: Thanksgiving is a day to cherish the company of family — except the NFL called in how many thousands of electrical workers, season’s ticket-holders, ushers, security personnel, vendors, pregame production assistants, tape operators, ambulance teams, sideline ball-handlers and peddlers of team jerseys and caps (all five color schemes).
The NFL wants to show football all day? Fine. Just don’t hit us with these “Football Is Family” image spots — not with three games on Thanksgiving.
But everything NFL arrives with spray-top industrial vats marked “Sincerity” and “Sensitivity.”
Concussion concerns come too late, still not nearly enough and as matter of court rulings. Designed-greed PSLs so outrageously priced (and in many cases, dishonestly sold) they eliminated tens of thousands of longtime, devoted customers.
Then there are hope-it-goes-away responses to growing domestic assaults that minimize police reports and even convictions — unless some video or photos are leaked.
Absurd “It’s not gambling” insistences after throwing millions into gambling operations encouraging fans to lose their money — as much and as often as possible — gambling on NFL players.
Spending far more on pink football gear and accessories as an annual, feckless public relations stunt on behalf of breast cancer “awareness” than actually devoting to its cure and prevention.
And then there were the NFL’s soulful, patriotic salutes to our brave men and women in the armed forces — millions of dollars in flamboyant ceremonies that were sold by the NFL to the Department of Defense.
And now an extra game that could’ve and should’ve been played on a Sunday afternoon were allocated to the NFL’s networks to be played on Thanksgiving, the day the NFL and its networks nevertheless underscore as an extra important day to be with family.
Next up: the NBA. It now plays five, made-for-TV games on Christmas, the other none-more-important day to be with family. Tens of thousands more pulled from their homes and families, now including FanDuel bet-takers and pool-rakers. Promo code: Bethlehem.
It’s sick and growing sicker. On Westwood One Radio, Thanksgiving afternoon, the Eagles scored. Play-by-player Kevin Kugler made a neat call, describing tight end Brent Celek’s entry into the end zone while avoiding a tackler “as if he were jumping into the shallow end of the pool.”
From there, Kugler was compelled to serve the NFL’s newest VIPs — sucker-bettors. He gave the Draft-Kings-sponsored update on how many gambling points specific players and payers had accumulated to that point. What game? Follow your money!
And from the NFL family to yours, happy Thanksgiving — bet early and often!
Would you like Cam dance if kid did it?
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg last week claimed he has no problem with Cam Newton’s lengthy, excessive TD “celebrations” that include gyrations and “I’m Superman!” demonstrations.
But I don’t believe Greenberg. He doesn’t seem the type to approve classlessness.
I would prefer to believe Greenberg finds Newton’s rank, rehearsed, all-about-me conduct to be pathetic, especially within a conspicuously team-reliant game.
And I prefer to think that if a kid in Greenberg’s life did that, Greenberg would not be pleased. But lots of media folks say things they don’t actually believe. It’s called pandering.
That Newton eventually hands the ball to a kid in the stands excuses nothing. It’s more evidence that he knows kids are watching — and may choose to play like Cam!
Though Gonzaga and the University of Washington are both in Washington, a four-hour ride between them, the schools’ basketball teams made an 8,000-mile round trip to play each other on Thanksgiving eve at the Atlantis resort and casino in The Bahamas.
But not all the student-athletes were unable to be home for Thanksgiving. Given that six were recruited from outside the U.S., including Poland and Senega, it is unlikely those at their homes celebrate our Thanksgiving.
By the way, given that St. John’s roster includes two recruits from Italy and one each from Guinea, Mali, France and Spain, forget classes; it’s a wonder Chris Mullin can conduct practice in English.
Replay of the day
NBC provided a tremendous third-look replay Friday, one showing Bruin Brad Marchand’s skate lifting the blade of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist’s stick as Patrice Bergeron scored the game’s first goal. “Best seat in the house” promise fulfilled!
Thursday night, after the Packers scored a touchdown, a lengthy replay review sent the game to commercials. After the commercials, we were told the play stands. The Packers next kicked the PAT. The game then again was unplugged for commercials. Imagine sitting in the rain in Green Bay for that!
All hands on deck! Muster stations! Daryl “Moose” Johnston to call Sunday’s Giants-Redskins on FOX! Women and children, eventually! This is not a drill!
Why Ask Why Stat of the Week: In Monmouth’s 70-68 shocker over Notre Dame, Monmouth was 18-of-22 on free throws, Notre Dame was an almost impossible 8-of-17.
Anyone else love that college football stadium Dr Pepper vendor in those TV ads? Still, I’ve never seen Dr Pepper vended at any game.
Say, Comcast subscribers, how ya making out on those credits and/or rebates for the loss of YES since Comcast dumped it — with only your best interests in mind, of course. Who ya suppose is pocketing the savings?
Mike Francesa’s latest Lost Tapes Lock of the Week was Dallas at home over “overrated” Carolina on Thursday. Cowboys 14, Overrated 33.
Imagine Johnny Manziel, sitting there, taking classes for three years at Texas A&M. Yeah, neither can I.