|
Back to the future
By PAUL TAGLIABUE
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 26, 2001
Paul Tagliabue
has been NFL commissioner
since 1989.
|
George Young, the NFL's senior vice president of football operations and former New York Giants general manager, is a history buff. He recently handed me a newspaper story forecasting the future of sports in the new century.
The story talked about the decline of baseball, the rise of auto racing, and the growing popularity and business success of football.
On the game of football, the experts noted that fans enjoy a wide-open style of play. They said the people in charge of the game, in response to increasing sports marketplace competition, would have to continue to change and re-invent the game to keep it exciting and attractive to fans.
The catch is that this story appeared in the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper 100 years ago on December 30, 1900.
There's an old saying: the more things change, the more they stay the same. As the Brooklyn Eagle story attests, 20 years before the NFL was born football's appeal to sports fans already was apparent. And so was the challenge to the game's caretakers.
The NFL and the game of football developed into a major part of American culture in the 20th century. As we look into the 21st century, the landscape is both drastically different and yet much the same. The public's love affair with football remains intense and the stewards of the game must continue to adapt to a changing environment.
Football and the NFL will flourish in the next 100 years because the game is an unmatched spectacle and beautifully suited to new technology. Upon their retirements from the game, Walter Payton, Joe Montana, John Elway, Steve Young, and so many others talked about football being the greatest game of all. It is uniquely challenging and captivating to play. And as a result the fan experience of football is extraordinary in its own way.
Apart from the strength of the game, the NFL will thrive and grow in the 21st century because of the league's partnership structure. Extensive revenue sharing among the clubs, the salary cap/free agency system with the Players Association, and the college player draft ensure that every team has an equal opportunity to compete.
As it has done throughout its history, however, the NFL will evolve in step with the times.
Players will become even bigger, stronger and faster at every position. Quarterbacks who are 6 feet 5, 250 pounds and run 4.5, for example, will be the norm, not the exception. As a result, rules will be modified to ensure balance between offense and defense and to enhance player safety.
The strategies of the game will grow even more sophisticated and interesting. Football is characterized by being a constantly evolving game. New offensive ideas lead to new defensive ideas. A supremely talented player produces new tactics, as Joe Gibbs' Washington Redskins developed the H back and the double-tight end offense to deal with the Giants' Lawrence Taylor. This will continue.
Changing technology also will impact the game. Helmets and other equipment will be lighter and more protective. Advances in medical care will lead to better prevention and treatment of injuries. Communication between the sidelines and the players on the field will improve. Instant replay will be a routine part of officiating and the speed of the system will increase.
In the century ahead, technology will impact the fan experience of the NFL in dramatic fashion and create an even deeper bond between teams, fans, and their communities. Much of this change will be driven by the evolution of the Internet.
Broadband technology will lead to the convergence of the television with the computer to create a richer, more interactive viewing experience for fans watching games on TV. Satellite and digital cable delivery systems will improve and offer the promise of increased viewer choice. High-definition television will bring amazing color and clarity to game telecasts, giving viewers the sensation of a nearly three-dimensional viewing experience.
No one knows what the future holds for the television industry, but one realistic scenario would be the NFL and other leagues producing and distributing their own games on television.
Fans attending games in stadiums will benefit from high-tech amenities such as high-definition video scoreboards and wireless communication devices linked to information and other services that will significantly enhance the NFL game day experience.
Through the NFL Internet Network and other media, fans, teams and players will engage in an ongoing dialogue. The role of teams in their communities will grow stronger. Communities will count on their teams and its players to support worthwhile causes to a greater degree. Fans more than ever will experience the feeling that their teams represent them.
Before the end of the century, football will grow significantly as a participatory sport for women and as an international sport with thriving leagues on multiple continents. There will be a strong female professional football league and the sport also will become part of the Olympics for men and women. I also believe there will be NFL expansion internationally with Germany, Spain, Mexico, Japan and England among the candidate countries.
The extraordinarily rich attributes of football, both from a player and fan perspective, promise to keep the game at the center of the American experience. And the principles that guided the NFL to prominence among sports leagues in its first century will inspire the league's next generation of leaders.
One final prediction: 100 years from this week, Super Bowl CXXXV on NFLTV will be a Sunday doubleheader featuring the championship games of the women's league and the men's league. And a team from Germany will be a favorite in one of those games.
- Paul Tagliabue has been the NFL commissioner since 1989.
Today's Odyssey
|
