Wednesday, September 1, 2010

TV Ads Portray Worst of NFL Fans

I haven't written anything in a long while because there hasn't been much on my sports radar that has grabbed my attention or raised my ire. Finally something has.

These NFL Direct TV ads bother me. Now before you jump to conclusions, it's not because I work for a cable company. In fact, it has nothing to do with what Direct TV is providing.

What has agitated me so much is the content of the ads. I'm sure you've seen them. It's the commercials where a neighbor or a waitress or a cab driver is complaining about how someone is rooting for an NFL squad other than the hometown team. Consequently said neighbor, waitress or cab driver does something mean-spirited in retaliation.

Sure at first you chuckle, but the truth is this kind of behavior goes on at NFL stadiums. Don't believe me, then why has HBO's "Real Sports" done more than one expose on the topic? What I want to know is when did it become criminal to root for your team of choice no matter what city you're living in? I know there are hundreds upon hundreds of stories where fans who are just at a game to root for their team, only to be accosted by the hometown fans because he or she is supposedly wearing the wrong jersey. In most instances, alcohol is a big reason for the bad behavior. It's something the NFL has tried to crack down on with its rude fan policy where folks can text security about unruly acts.

The sad truth is these NFL commercials from Direct TV only reflect our society; and while they may seem innocent enough, in some way it really only encourages bad behavior. The commercials may depict throwing snow on someone's walkway for wringing rag water into somebody's tea, but imagine the lengths someone could take it to after watching one of those ads. Hey, it's OK to have a healthy rivalry, but if I were the NFL I'd find a better way to depict it.

Jason Brown

1 comment:

Unknown said...

An advertisement can make or break a certain product. That's why companies must choose carefully on what's the best advertiser for them. And I know that there are a lot of infomercial marketing companies and advertising companies in town that are great and trusted in making the best commercials for their clients. Maybe the sports world should look for better advertiser next time for their ads to look more appealing to the audience.