How Much Money Does NFL Need?

I'm sorry, did I miss something?  Where have I been the past decade?  Let me tell you what I've been seeing the past few years.  I've seen the NFL grow each and every year.  It has eclipsed every other sport in our fine country.  So much so that the off-season generates more interest than other sports that are in full swing right now.  Now of course the owners and their organizations will tell you that it's not that big a growth and that they constantly need new revenue.  Most NFL teams can practically print money in their stadiums.  Everywhere you turn there is advertising around you.  Did I mention that teams can also negotiate with state lotteries putting their logos on scratch games to be paid for us to lose money?  One of the safest places to go was to watch practice at any team's training camp.  You could see the purity of the game without the distraction of colorful corporate logos.

Now on top of over-priced single game tickets, season ticket packages, personal seat licenses (groaaaan), and concessions that make your wallets tap out in submission, the fans have to face the possibility of their teams becoming walking billboards?  How would you like to see a linebacker wearing a Coca-Cola advert tackle a running back adorned in a Pepsi advert?  Trust me, that's what you'll remember, not the players involved.  I'm sure all those "official" product sponsors will mean nothing once they start allowing in-game advertising on players. 

Watching a game is getting more and more painful as some company presents everything about the game from the stats to the many, many plays of the game.  I know, let's advertise on the analysts and commentators too.  Their suits should be corporate sponsored.  Perhaps we should make them wear logos in face paint of whoever is sponsoring them that week.  How about Joe Buck being sponsored by Massengil?  At least that would be funny, and true....

My point is that right now, the fans are being completely robbed of enjoying the NFL product.  During every game we are assaulted by so many product placements that it's hard for me to remember who did what?  I know that corporate advertising is needed to keep certain things going and profitable.  But when does necessity cross the line to greed?  On top of the high prices to watch the games, and corporate stadium naming rights, and TV deals that pay them in the billions, they want to turn the NFL into NASCAR on turf.  When will enough be enough for the owners? 

Patches on the practice jerseys is just the tip of the iceberg.  Billionaire owners are probably aspiring to become richer and richer.  And they are doing it at our expense.  First taking from our pockets, now they are taking from our enjoyment.  With all this money making happening, you'd think they'd at least let us watch players celebrate touchdowns, put some fun back in the league.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if some company wants to pay me to wear their logo on my shirt....Oh wait, I pay them for that privilege.