2014 Thowball Wild Card- Saints @ Evils

Yes, that’s spelled right.

Once again an easy pick as to who to hate more for me.  You see, the Evils play in my Division against my favorite team, the Giants.  They’d have to be playing the ‘Boys or some even more execrable team to get me to root for them.

The Saints on the other hand are remembered fondly despite being no better or worse than most and a legendary record of failure because of their performance after Katrina.  There is speculation they might suffer because of the weather, but it’s not snowing now and it’s not as cold as it was (which was very).

I will give the Evils this however, their fans are loyal and turn out.  Of the 4 Wild Card games this was the only one not in danger of a TV Blackout.

In his Divisional Playoffs 2014 Trash Talk bmaz at emptywheel bemoans this phenomena (and he’s no John McCain) and the various excuses offered but by far the best commentary is from Peterr of Firedog Lake in a private email that bmaz shares-

Reading some of the news stories about this over breakfast, various folks point to the cost of tickets and the prevalence of 55 inch flat screens at home as reasons for people not going.

This strikes me as yet another symptom of the two-tier economic world we’re in these days. For all the 1%ers who have enjoyed the rise in the stock market and have plenty of money to throw around, there are still a lot of lunchpail fans for whom $100+ for the cheapest ticket is still too much, and a lot of other fans who used to carry lunchbuckets whom no job means no tickets either. The NFL is increasingly becoming a rich fan’s sport – PSLs, high ticket prices, higher parking/amenities fees, more games leaving broadcast TV for ESPN on basic cable or the pricier NFL Red Zone cable channel, over-the-top merchandise prices, etc.

Even if all three of these games do get sold out at the last minute, it’s a sign of real problems in the economy generally and the NFL specifically when selling out playoff games goes down to the last minute.