Boycotting the NFL, Part 4

By Pascal Dennis

More excellent comments on the ‘Boycotting the NFL’ (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) blog series.

One reader emphasized the difference between, say, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez, both New York Yankee stars, following very different pathways.

Derek Jeter lives by a clear set of standards. (Baseball people might say he 'plays the right way'.)

If we asked, I imagine Jeter could rhyme off his personal standards. He is revered as a result. We, the fans, know living to a code is hard, but that it makes society a little bit better.

Living to a code (set of standards) is an important element of Justice. Justice does not exist in nature, say the philosophers.

Justice only exists, on occasion, in human society. That’s why we value it so.

By contrast, A-Rod seems to be driven solely by self-interest. Does he have any standards -- other than 'what's in it for me?'.

One might say A-Rod lives by the ‘law of the jungle’. He is despised because people know that's easy to do, and ultimately degrades society.

People, rightly, expect more from their role models ('heroes'), which, like it or not, is what professional athletes are.

Some people have trouble at this suggestion, I know. But to deny it is to let the NFL off the hook.

To whom much is given, much is expected. Society has made the NFL, and the A-Rods of the world, fabulously wealthy and powerful.

Is there no obligation in return?

If not, head for the hills!

Best regards,

Pascal

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Time to Boycott the NFL (Part 3)?

By Pascal Dennis

Standards in Golf and the NFL


Our NFL blogs seem to have struck a chord. Thanks, all, for your thoughtful feedback.

I was especially struck by my friend Fletcher Groves’ insights into the difference between golf and NFL football.

Golf, Fletch pointed out, teaches the difference between right & wrong, self-control and respect for others.

We sent Matthew, our nine-year old to golf camp this summer. “What did you learn?” I asked.

“I learned about etiquette, Dad” he replied, with charming pronunciation. He went on to explain what the word meant & why it was important.

It’s striking that professional golfers are expected to police themselves, and take pride in the fact.

The overwhelmingly negative response to Tiger Woods’ dodgy ball drop at the 2013 Masters is a case in point. ‘Should Woods have been disqualified?’ continues to be a hotly debated question.

Woods himself acknowledged that perhaps he got the rule wrong, and seemed genuinely contrite. Let me also add that he took a costly two-stroke penalty.

The point is that professional golfers accept and even revere the rules.

Golf standards for amateurs, like Yours Truly, are not as stringent of course. Truth be told, I have been known to use the ‘toe wedge’ to get my ball out of comical lies.

And my frequent forays into the club parking lot or adjacent highway do not always trigger proportionate penalties.

“Let’s see now, you were lying seven when you went into BBQ pit. You hit out onto the roof of the maintenance shed, down the drain pipe, and into the drainage ditch along the highway. Then you sliced the ball onto a freight train headed for Alberta…”

But then again, I don’t record my scores (so as to avoid embarrassment) or play for money.

Golf has detractors and challenges of its own, which I know the PGA is working on.

But integrity isn’t one of them.

Best regards,

Pascal

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Time to Boycott the NFL (Part 2)?

By Pascal Dennis

My last post generated excellent feedback – thanks, all.

As I reflect, I fear the NFL is beyond redemption. In fact, a number of readers suggested I was easy on them.

I made no mention, our readers reminded me, of the NFL’s extortionary behavior toward communities hosting the Superbowl, or its blackmail with respect to publics funds for NFL stadiums(?!), or its tax-free status (?!?!).

(Did you know that the NFL is a ‘not-for-profit’ entity?)

Every statement, every action by the NFL exudes hubris – overbearing arrogance and pride. Euripides, Sophocles and Shakespeare teach us this cannot end well.

To regain people's respect and a measure of integrity, the NFL needs to:

• Dismiss the entire leadership team,
• Publicly accept responsibility for its failures, and
• Accept the consequences.

The latter would entail a period of grief and contrition. For example:

"We acknowledge that we've tried to bury the overwhelming evidence of brain and physical trauma in our players. We're deeply distressed that our game has crippled Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett and so many others. We’re ashamed that we denied this for so long, and tried to avoid just compensation for the damage we have caused. We accept responsibility and will take concrete steps to improve our game and our behavior."

How likely is this to happen? (Snowballs in hell come to mind)

Don’t want to be misunderstood. We humans are tricky, lazy and dishonest (I am anyway).

That’s why the Cardinal Virtues are so important. Like all standards, they make problems visible, so we can try to be a little better.

Our excesses are blunted thereby, and the world becomes a somewhat better place, and that matters a great deal.

Should we not hold the world’s richest and most powerful sports league to these standards?

The NFL’s fall may take a decade. (We’re addicted to the product, are we not?)

But I’m not watching NFL football this weekend or next weekend, or the weekend after that.

I'm playing golf with my little boy.

Best regards,

Pascal

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Time to Boycott the NFL?

By Pascal Dennis

As a long-time Green Bay Packer fan, I never thought I’d pose such a question.

As you know, my preferred tone is light and funny. But I’m afraid that’s impossible with today’s topic: the Ray Rice spousal abuse scandal.

The images and reality behind them are deeply disturbing. And it’s just the latest in a long series of NFL scandals. [Worst Scandals in NFL History & Shocking NFL Scandals]

Indeed, covering up appears to be the NFL’s standard response to crisis. Terrible crimes by our star players? Cover them up.

Medical evidence of crippling brain trauma? Cover it up (for decades). Pay doctors to lie in Congress. Deny traumatized ex-players just compensation, until forced to by the courts.

And yet, addicted to the product, we keep watching. The game is beautiful, and not all teams behave as disgracefully as the NFL head office.

(Some teams, like my beloved Packers, exude integrity. Packer president, Mark Murphy, and his management team seem genuinely committed to doing the right thing.)

Owners, athletes, media organizations and others associated with the NFL have become fabulously wealthy and powerful.

But standards matter. Ethical standards, like manufacturing standards, make problems visible, so we can fix them. (You can’t fix what you can’t see.)

Has the NFL, mesmerized by fabulous wealth and power, lost sight of right and wrong?

If so, how long before corporate sponsors begin pulling their advertising dollars? How long before Mothers groups boycott the league, and pull their sons out of high school football?

It won’t happen overnight – our addiction runs deep. But if a cheese-head like me is posing the above question, the NFL should be worried.

Best,

Pascal

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Time to Boycott the NFL?

By Pascal Dennis

I'm struck by the number of football fans asking this question.

A quick Google search will yield pages of websites wherein fans vent their frustration.

Fans are increasingly cynical about the NFL's behaviour during the replacement referee fiasco, and its tardy response to the overwhelming evidence of brain injury.

Some people argue that it doesn't matter.

"Demand for the NFL is inelastic," commented former Forty-Niners great Steve Young.

That's MBA talk for, 'You can charge what you want & they'll still come...'

But older fans will tell you that once upon a time, Major League Baseball was as big as the NFL.

Indeed, this was true for most of the last century.

MLB could not imagine it would squander the good will of its fans - but it did.

Is NFL doing the same?

(He who the gods wish to destroy, they first award big ESPN deals...)

Any lessons here for Lean thinkers?

Here are a few:

Our customer defines value - connect with them, and check in regularly.

Problems are gold - treasure & make them visible.

Seek root cause, and run experiments to confirm root cause.

Check with the customer to confirm countermeasures are working as intended.

Best,

Pascal