In the February edition of The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Jason Kephart’s article titled ’10 Things The National Football League Won’t Tell You’ illuminates multiple agregious practices that America’s number one sport would like to keep swept under the carpet. A number of these issues directly affect sports fans slimming the bulge in their wallets and limiting their ability to enjoy being a fan altogether.

Thing 1: “Our reign may be in danger.”

SFC  board member Dave Zirin and SportsFansCoalition.org managing editor Jeremiah Tittle brought this issue to light in their article published in The Nation warning of the pending lockout in 2011.  The owners and players are at war right now, and the owners aren’t willing to budge.  Their out?  Maybe the Supreme Court Justices will have something to say about this come June when they are expected to rule on American Needle v. the NFL. This is getting ugly, and when players and owners fight, fans lose.  Big time.

Thing 4: “You’re not getting your money’s worth from our new stadiums.”

You know that $1 billion stadium Jerry Jones built in Texas?  Tax payers paid for almost third of it ($325 million). This truly benefits sports fans because they now can drink in a bar with smoke machines on overdrive and TV cameras rolling as the Cowboys walk through the action heading towards the field. Then again, maybe not.  Maybe all this public funding is not worth it afterall.  Maybe subsidizing billionaires is not the best use of our tax money.  Well, the NFL doesn’t care (Thing 10). The NFL is pressuring every team to build anew, and if the market won’t play ball, it’s time to take Arnold Schwarzenegger up on his offer to spend OPM (other people’s money) on a new stadium in Los Angeles.

Thing 7: “If you don’t come to the games, we won’t show them on TV.”

This issue is so close to the heart of this organization.  The SFC has fought and will continue to fight any form of blackout until we are blue in the face.  There is something so fundamentally wrong with keeping certain fans out. The reasoning is backwards. In the midst of a recession, the use of blackouts to penalize rather than motivate fans to come to the ballpark is rediculous.  Shame on the NFL.  Shame on any company that witholds sports from their fans in their local market.  Unforgivable.  The SFC will work tirelessly to change this practice.

Thing 8: “You won’t believe what we charge for season tickets.”

SFC members believe.  We’re not shocked.  Appalled maybe, but not shocked.  The price is hefty, but the added tactics to bilk fans are beyond rediculous.  Personal seat licenses, parking fees, and forcing fans to also purchase tickets to preseason games are just some of the abuses that come to mind.

These issues are not lost on Sports Fans Coalition members as we continue to beat the collective drum. The fact of the matter is that the SFC has not only been blaring out this information over the loud speakers, but also has taken these issues to your representatives putting the pressure on.

Join us, sign our petition to the FCC, and spread the word to your fellow sports fans.  The SFC is here to stand up to tirany. We’re not going to take it from the NFL.

One more thing.

Thing 10: “It’s just a business to us.”

Well, then you better show some respect to your customers.  Enough said.