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From SB Nation:
Who watched the Pro Bowl? Apparently a lot of people: it drew an 8.6 rating - better than some BCS games, and not far from World Series.
Two things.
1) Baseball is truly pathetic when the friggin Pro Bowl can nearly generate equal ratings to the World Series. No reason for that to happen unless the sport itself is competitively bankrupt. FYI: The New York Yankees payroll is $206,738,389. The top ten teams in league payroll are include six of the last seven World Series Champions. If you're team doesn't have a payroll over $96 million, your team has no chance. All the teams with payrolls above $96 mill reside in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Fransisco, and Philadelphia.
Ugh!
Sorry, didn't mean to get off on a baseball rant. I truly hate that league and all it stands for.
2) WHY THE HELL WERE SO MANY PEOPLE WATCHING THE DAMN PRO BOWL?
I mean, come on! I love football. I LOVE NFL FOOTBALL! But an 8.6 for a Pro Bowl that was a blowout? Heck, Peyton Manning barely played.
How can the owners lock out the players when the sport is this popular? When people tune in to watch a meaningless, dull exhibition game.
Oh, and the payroll for the Colts in 2009 was $103,360,985. For a small market team like Indy to pay that much is truly impressive. One of the reasons they were able to pay so much: Revenue sharing and a strong salary cap.
Whatever the new CBA is, if it doesn't have those elements, football as we know it is dead.