What won't it charge for?
Bill Kline
The Morning Call
NFL teams extort exorbitant personal seat license fees from fans just for the "privilege" of buying a season ticket.
The NFL routinely schedules games that last until nearly midnight on school nights.
The NFL at the last minute moves day games to night games, inconveniencing thousands of ticket holders.
And the NFL would sell the leftover air it pumps into its footballs if it could.
Of course charging for media-day admission is a money grab.
Let's just hope at next year's Super Bowl in New Orleans, the NFL does not angle for a cut of the Hurricane Katrina relief fund.
Hey fans: Get a life
Baltimore Sun
The NFL is money hungry — we already knew that. But what about the people who paid to watch Super Bowl media day or will pay to watch the combine? What does that say about them? It takes "get a life" to a new level.
No one will accuse the NFL of being fan friendly. Just take a look at the price of game tickets (if you can find any), parking, the PSLs you have to buy to get season tickets and charging full price for exhibition games.
Fan friendly? The Ravens moved training camp to their practice facility, where fans have no access.
It's a billion-dollar business and the NFL wants to keep it that way. It doesn't mean you have to pay — especially to watch media day. Get a life.
Of course — it's a business
Sam Farmer
Los Angeles Times
This reminds me of that scene in "The Jerk" when Steve Martin, working as a carnival weight-guesser, feels like he has failed at his job because he has given away too many combs and pencils. Then, it's explained to him that he's bringing in much more money than he's giving out. "Ah, " he says, "it's a PROFIT deal."
Of course the NFL is looking to make money any way it can. It's a business. Does it really compromise the integrity of an event that had very little integrity in the first place?
The spectators Tuesday were the least of the distractions. If they want to pay $25 to see Super Bowl participants from a distance, more power to them. It's a profit deal.
Baltimore Ravens Insider
Yes, it's a win-win
Dan Pompei
Chicago Tribune
Selling tickets for media day is a win-win, so much so that it's surprising it has taken the NFL 46 Super Bowls to figure it out.
The fans win because they are allowed to witness a spectacle and get close to players and media celebrities. Many fans are looking for NFL-related activities during the week, and media day helps fill the void. The league even helped fans enjoy the event by allowing them to listen to interviews through an earpiece.
Really, media day is a better event for fans than it is for legitimate media. It's a dog-and-pony show, not a news conference. As for the NFL, it added a revenue stream while engendering a little goodwill. Look for more fans and higher ticket prices at next year's Super Bowl.