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An Observer of Life in Bad Poetry

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ESPN

Plucking The Last Feathers

The work week was over. What was left of your paycheck was deposited after taxes

You’d put in your time, nose to the grindstone, been humiliated by a co-worker, and during the drive home been given the bird by an angry woman in glasses

But the big game was tomorrow and the six pack was cooling under ten pounds of ice

The same ice used on the bag of shrimp you’d found at a very good price

And just when it seemed like the weekend might end on a high note, you scrolled through the messages on your phone

The one that caught your eye was from your TV provider stating the conglomerate owning the sports channels was dropping your provider for reasons unknown

It seems the boys in the boardroom all decided that money alone wasn’t enough, overshadowed by their unquenchable thirst for power

The sports network wanted it all. They’d already taken the gutless conferences hostage with staggered start times now completing the monopoly not caring who they devour

Raise the price charged to the competing provider who were stealing customers by offering better technology and viewing results

And have their own networks talking heads promote their ever spirialing greed while the bill paying customers have to swallow the insults

You’ve been loyal to your own provider and watched as it raised it rates every year

Justified by adding four DIY channels and three more dedicated to alternative lifestyles and the queer

No, you didn’t want the ability to watch NE Montana Technical Institute play women’s volleyball

And you didn’t want to be caught in the middle of the three piece suit boardroom brawl

Life was simple when the game was on one of three channels and was broadcast for free

Now for the price of a monthly utility bill you get a watch a three-hour commercial fest diluted by reviews and one idiot referee

One look at the list of commercials from the wealthiest corporations on the planet

And one might figure the TV providers could broadcast for free, charge these lucrative corporations for the airtime and could still make out like a bandit

But suddenly you are rapidly scrolling for alternative provider plans just to see the game

All you wanted was to kickback for a while but here you sit like a plucked chicken waiting for the flame

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College Football Sold Its Soul

The fans had gathered in the pre-dawn hours for the sausage and biscuit tailgate fare

Over strong hot coffee they discuss their teams chances against the opposition with the seventeen-year-old quarterback millionaire

The kickoff was at noon. The early time was scheduled by the true drivers of the sport, the television network

Their game was significant with playoff ramifications but was scheduled at the early time slot to compete against Des, Nick, Coach and Kirk

Big Money is only concerned with ratings and ESPN rules the roost

So the game will be played at noon to hopefully give the other network a boost

Sure, the fans squawked their protests like sheep bleeting in the runway to the slaughterhouse

But eventually they’ll break out the bourbon and quietly fill the stadium without realizing they are being controlled by Micky Mouse

The sleepy-eyed band is trying to work up some school spirit with the school’s fight song

But there wasn’t much of a spark generated as the fans have realized that college football in its greed has done them wrong

The boosters have been taken for granted for so long the sport feels invincible

They’ve quietly watched as football has turned into a giant money grab. Now to be considered for the privilege of buying tickets one has to make a payment to the athletic department but parking and tailgate fees are additional

The game itself has turned into one long butt numbing commercial fest

A 60-minute game has been stretched into a four-hour contest

The commercial breaks now take up 2-1/2 hours of the broadcast. Sportsbooks rule the airwaves with drug and beer commercials close behind As fans in the stands sit on their hands hiding from the weather while waiting for another three minutes of action as designed

Oh, Wait! The referees are huddled around a camera to see if the call they are paid to make was correct so we take another five-minute commercial break

“We’ll delay the action, kill the momentum, and a potential winning drive to see if our incompetent asses made a mistake”

“Let’s add a two-minute warning timeout in addition to the other three because Lord knows we haven’t had enough TV adds”

Toss in a thirty-minute half-time show so five talking heads can delve into the minds of the nineteen- year-old lads

Maybe just maybe this kid wasn’t giving his all because with three losses this team wasn’t making the playoffs anyway

With the Transfer Portal looming large, he’ll be gone at the season’s end to a bigger and better payday

He’ll go to a team that schedules more cupcake games where he can flash his athletic brilliance and not as likely to risk injury before going to the tier one pros

It’s all about the money, follow the dollar sign. No school loyalty, no team spirit and it’s no skin off his nose

If only the NCAA had woken to the fact they had the perfect playoff system already in hand

With the number of bowl games and a 64 team round robin tournament, think of the money TV, the universities, and players could command

Just drop the regular season games to ten and then begin the road to the championship

Suddenly the Bluebonnet Bowl wouldn’t be looked upon as a consolation trip

Much like March Madness this style tournament would give most a shot and advance the “cream” to the top

And all the fans hollering about shoulda’s coulda’s and woulda’s would slow to a stop

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