Is there going to be NFL Football this year?

Usually, every year around this time, football fans (that includes the good-looking guy who writes this blog) are getting pumped. Hope springs eternal, and every fan usually is jacked up about the prospect of their team being better with new acquisitions. The NFL Draft makes fans salivate about the possible future of their team. Free agent signings adds experience and potential immediate impact to a team. Of course, the real truth comes to light when the pads start cracking, but this excitement is what makes the NFL world go 'round. This is what puts tukhuses in the seats in the fall. It's what sells jerseys. "Oh, Billy Jack Millionaire just signed a contract to play for my team this year!!! I'm buying his jersey right now! Not only that, I want to buy my ticket to the games this year because he's the missing piece of the puzzle, and they will go to the Super Bowl!" The business that is generated from the off-season activity is equally as important as the business from the in-season activity.

But, not this year. The NFL is involved in a work stoppage. The NFL Owners and NFL Players Association are involved in a heated negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement. The Owners claim the Players are jerking them around by showing up to meetings with "models" rather than proposals for a new deal. The Players are accusing the commissioner of being a liar. The union has proclaimed itself as a trade organization, and has brought a lawsuit against the NFL on the grounds that the lockout has rendered it impossible to earn bonuses in contracts. It's a mess.

Fans don't care about any of this. I would venture to say that nobody really has a horse in this race. It's just business. Fans care about one thing:

Will there be a season?

It comes down to that. Will we be buying your shit in the fall? Will I have to buy a Hartford Colonials hat? This is what it comes down to.

If the NHL and MLB has taught us anything, strikes are bad for the sports business. The NFL needs to figure this out, or fans will jump ship.