Dear Commissioner Goodell,
I know that you (and your administrative assistant, bless her/his soul)
have been inundated with phone calls and emails today not just in
reference to last night's Packers/Seahawks game, but also in regards to
the replacement referee "scandal" in general. As countless others have
told you, your greed and inability to reach a satisfactory conclusion
with the referees' union has made you the most hated man in the NFL.
Fans are calling for your resignation, and players are taking to social
media to risk their paychecks and their careers to call you out. There
are talks of walk-outs on national television, more chants like Ravens
fans did on Sunday night, and a boycott of purchasing concessions and
NFL merchandise until the lock-out is resolved. From a business
standpoint, you have shot yourself in the foot. The union now has the
upper hand in negotiations. The professional referees know that you are
in a serious bind; they have the leverage to demand perhaps even more
than what they had originally asked.
I am not a businesswoman. I am not qualified in the slightest to tell
you how to do your job. What I am, however, is a die-hard fan of the
Baltimore Ravens specifically and of the NFL in general. I follow
multiple players on Twitter and Facebook. I own two jerseys and
countless tee-shirts, bobble-heads, and Ravens paraphernalia. I belong
to a group of other die-hard Ravens fans who gather every week in our
favorite bar in Denver to watch the game. Every single one of us shows
up in jerseys, and every single one of us also owns a wealth of Ravens
gear. Despite this great love, I am actually considering boycotting the
game this Thursday. For anyone who knows me, this is inconceivable. I
have planned my wedding around the Ravens' schedule. I have planned
theatre rehearsals and work times around my team's schedule. While you
may think that one person skipping a game won't change anything, I hope
you know that I am not alone. There are hundreds, thousands more like me
who are going to stop tuning into games, who are going to walk-out on
national television, who will make their voices heard until you step up
and act like the responsible businessman you claim to be.
You have angered one of the most loyal and vocal fan bases in
professional sports. I hope you finally recognize this fact, end the
lock-out, and return integrity to the National Football League.
Sincerely,
Nikki C.
Baltimore Ravens fan
Rock. On.
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