No Fun League

Anyone who knows me on a personal level knows that I have strong feelings about the NFL. In short, I love it. However, there are some nuances about the league that constantly irk me, particularly those that involve the interference of the front office. Today I read a very interesting story by Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports about Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek. Celek celebrated a touchdown reception this past Sunday by posing with a teammate in the corner of the endzone. So what? Well, it garnered significant attention from the league office because the celebration involved the ubiquitous Captain Morgan pose. This pose was premeditated as part of an effort by Captain Morgan to raise brand awareness through a gorilla marketing strategy involving the participation of NFL players. While the NFL along with the other major American sports leagues vehemently oppose this as crass, underhanded marketing, I view it from a much different angle. Captain Morgan made a bold move by asking for a select group of NFL players to participate in this campaign. What gets lost in the uproar is the contributions made by Captain Morgan towards the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fun, an initiative created to raise awareness and funds for retired NFL players. Putting all the business semantics and bureaucracy aside, I thought both Captain Morgan and Celek were not in the wrong here. I think its time that a league known for its tight control and reluctance to think outside the box needs to reevaluate the way it does business. It's time for the NFL to stop being the No Fun League.