Blown Calls, Super Bowls and Branding
The love/hate relationship many fans have with the NFL
To say that the NFL has taken a few bad hits these past few years would be an understatement. The most recent episode revolves around a blown call at the NFC Championship game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams. The call in question occurred at the end of the game, and pretty much kept the Saints from returning to the Super Bowl. It would be easy to say that blown calls are part of the game, but if you happened to see this play, which I am pretty sure everyone has by now, it would be hard to argue how ridiculously bad this call was. It was so bad in fact, that few flinched when words like conspiracy were thrown into play.
Unfortunately, the NFL didn’t help themselves by refusing to address the issue. It’s not that an apology would have
The long-term effects of this remain to be seen, but the NFL is left with more than a few issues to deal with as they head into the week of the Super Bowl. The Saints brand on the other hand seems to be as strong as ever with a loyal following of fans that want nothing more than to stand behind their team.
So how do Saints fans protest against the NFL while still supporting their beloved Saints? Sure, they can boycott the Super Bowl, but in the end, there is no escaping the fact that the Saints are partners with the same organization that their Fans now vilify. That same loyalty to their team will also bring them back next year as they continue to buy tickets and merchandise.
As a Saints fan myself, I am torn with the issue of wanting to turn my back on the NFL in disgust, while at the same time, understanding that you can’t have one without the other.
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