Gregg Easterbook Analysis

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Every Sunday afternoon, NFL fans pack stadiums all across the United States to watch their favorite teams play. In NFL stadiums everywhere, fans will buy/bring items to games that include jerseys, beer, sodas, hot dogs, popcorn, and homemade signs to enjoy the experience and cheer on their teams. The coaches draw up plays on their playbooks, while calling plays on their headsets trying to confuse the other team. The head coach motivates the team by giving a pep talk before the most important drive that could determine who wins and loses. The players perform on the football field by wearing uniforms, helmets, pads, and cleats, while playing either on offense, defense, or special teams. Sometimes players can make plays that impact both the team and game, like a long touchdown run by a running back, a defensive back causing a fumble, and a big kickoff return by a wide receiver. But sometimes players can make plays that negatively impact both the team and game, like an interception thrown by a quarterback, a cornerback allowing a deep pass to the tight end, and a kicker missing a field goal at the most critical moment of the game. While everyone in the NFL appear to have a good mutual relationship with each other on gameday, the fans, owners, and NFL itself rarely agree with each other. Far too often, these sides collide over every issue about their teams, especially about finances. The NFL, owners, and fans regularly debate the financial problems these three sides have with each other, and Gregg Easterbook explores these problems in the article, “How the NFL Fleeces Taxpayers”, in The Atlantic. …show more content…
In this article, Easterbook gives many examples of how the owners and the NFL get away with anything. Easterbook, also provides a solution to end the taxpayer fleecing by the NFL. There are three main points that Easterbook acknowledges in the article, “How the NFL Fleeces Taxpayers”. Easterbook demonstrates that taxpayers fund the stadiums, explains how the league enjoys their non-profit organization, and insists that the antitrust laws do not apply to broadcast deals. First of all, Easterbook demonstrates that taxpayers fund the stadiums. Easterbook demonstrates that taxpayers provide most or all of the funds to build NFL stadiums by giving examples of NFL teams that have done this like the Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints. According to Easterbook, “Pro Football Owners Routinely Binge on Giveaways and Handouts”. The essence of Easterbook’s demonstration is that while NFL owners stay rich, the burden of paying for something, such as a stadium, falls directly onto the taxpayers’ shoulders. Taxpayers paying for a stadium is only one …show more content…
The livelihood of the NFL is at stake because without the fans, owners, and the NFL itself, this billion dollar empire will collide. The future of the NFL could be really bright with changes to the non-profit organization classification and antitrust laws that only favor the NFL and owners. The future of the NFL could also be bleak if nothing happens and the owners and NFL only continue to get away with anything, while everyone else suffers. I think everyone involved should work together to resolve these three problems and find a common ground where all sides will

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