Talk about your "No Fun League"

Yesterday, the National Football League announced it was laying off about 150 employees, allegedly in response to the recession.

(For my ranting pleasure, the remainder of this post is largely encumbered by facts)

My first reaction to this news is, "Whoa, if the NFL is feeling it, we must really be in some tough economic times.

But my second reaction, close on the heels of the first, is, "Uh, wait a minute. Isn't this a multi-billion-dollar entity?" We're told all the time that the game is more popular than ever before. Tickets sell out at stadiums everywhere, at least at those in which the occupants win every now and then. TV ratings are strong, and the league gets tons of guaranteed money for the next several years from its network partners. NFL Properties is strong, with merchandise sales raking in more cash.

Hey, do you know how many millions and millions of dollars the NFL will make this year?

A LOT.

(Hey, I said this would be unencumbered by facts.)

The NFL is doing fine. It may eventually be caught up in the spiral that threatens to overtake this economy, but right now it appears to be part of the problem, presumptively slashing jobs simply because its pile of billions of bucks might be short a few mil next year. No wonder people get panicky at economic news. Long-term planning is essential for any business, but this looks like a short-term reactionary excuse.

If you read the stories of this news closely, you'll see even the league is framing this as positioning itself for the future. Yet everyone reporting this is saying the NFL is cutting jobs because of the recession, implying that the organization is hurting. Not at all true. No, it's just a classless, nonessential move by a big corporation, axing a good chunk of its workforce not just during the football season, but during the holiday season.

I know everybody loves football and we're all waiting for Sunday night and ready for some football, etc., but I hope this isn't yet another case of the NFL getting a pass because the public (and much of the media) is willing to swallow whatever it puts out there. This weekend, as you sit in front of the tube and watch a pro football game, think of those 150 or so people that got canned because the NFL thinks things might get dicey next year.