5 ways Roger Goodell can improve the NFL

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Eliminate the Blackout Rule

Jan 5, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; General view of Paul Brown Stadium and downtown Cincinnati skyline during the opening kickoff the 2013 AFC wild card playoff football game between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

This rule is dumb. It’s beyond dumb. It’s made for teams to try to engage their local fan base by requiring the games to be sold out or sold to a certain percentage in order for the game to be locally televised. Dumb. The worst part about this rule is the fact that it only alienates fan bases for struggling teams. If the team is playing poorly and the tickets don’t sell, the local fans don’t even get to watch the game on TV to keep supporting them. Other than the NFL Red Zone channel that will still offer highlights of the game occasionally, it’s keeping local fans from investing their time and energy into their team. If the team needs to build their local fan base, they’re going to need that local exposure. It’s silly to keep up this blackout rule in this day and age.

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