If you've missed it somehow, you need to go read Tom Friend's long profile on Chauncey Billups on ESPN.com. (Thanks to David V. for the heads-up.) You might want to hold off for a couple hours, though, because I cannot wait to watch this team play again tonight.
It's no joke. It seems like the more devoted of a fan you are, the less the league cares about your continued patronage. The best example is the league's blackout policy, a wonderful gift from the league to its teams granting them added market pressure to charge whatever ridiculous amount they want for tickets. If a game doesn't sell out, the home market doesn't get to watch it on TV. (Basically, a 75-mile radius around the stadium doesn't get to see the game on TV if all the tickets aren’t bought first.) The NFL, like a needy girlfriend, says, "Hey, fans, you like us? Prove it." Then the league asks us to prove it again and again, week after week, year after year. I live within 75 miles of what should be John Elway Stadium, but Broncos fans are pretty much shielded from this stuff, right? Not all of them. One of my friends is as supportive a fan as the NFL can have: he's a Broncos season ticket holder and an NFL Sunday Ticket subscriber. That mean...
Comments
That was the most fantastic article I've read in a long, long time. Chauncey is definitely my favoritest player in the world wide.
The article literally moved me to tears at times . . . the way he learned from his dad . . . and his teammates with the T-wolves . . . the progress . . . the work . . . the learning . . . No. 7 for his Denver re-debut! Awesome! Thanks for posting this. It was awesome. I want these guys to go all the way, now. He's got Melo sprinting off the court . . . freakin' brilliant.
GO NUGGETS!
DG