There were an awful lot of empty seats — and a TV blackout — yesterday in Tampa for a playoff hunting team facing a weak division rival. Really surprising.
Then again 14 of the 32 NFL teams have losing records, 10 of which have winning percentages of 33 percent or less. The illegal hitting-not-hitting debate has not been resolved with any real logic or consistency (shades of NASCAR there.) And owners and players seem ready to rumble on labor issues.
Parity has long been the Lig’s path to riches and fan loyalty. But now we seem to be headed to an era of haves and have-nots. Billion-dollar stadiums and not billion-dollar stadiums — which explains the Big Cat, who fears getting stuck in the have-not cage.
The one thing that was on display in Tampa was the end of Double Trouble. DeAngelo Williams and/or Jonathan Stewart will not be here next year, not with Mike Goodson functioning OK at RB. And certainly not with prospect of having to spend Top 3 pick money on a QB.
