Nowadays, professional sports are equally focused on what is occurring off the field as the action that happens on the field.
Despite athletes earning their money on the field, great focus away from the field has much to do with the fan excitement (or boredom) that builds up during the many months before the season, when their favorite team isn’t on the field, court or pitch.
The obsession with following an athlete’s every move puts more pressure on the front office, which now not only the changes the moves the team makes on the field, but also the moves off the field are highly scrutinized.
I’m sure that 40 years ago, a casual fan couldn’t name one franchise’s General Manager in their town, but now those names are as well-known as the coaches and the owners of major professional sports teams.
As we have seen in recent history, the leashes on GMs are becoming extremely short from ownership and the fans that support the team. This NFL offseason more GMs were fired than the coaches that make the in-game decisions, as we saw on “Black Monday,” which is the day after the final weekend of the regular season. This weekend, five GMs were fired during one afternoon.
The added pressure can be attributed to the ever-increasing awareness and news focused on these personnel changes.
Without ESPN, NFL Network, MLB Network and even social media, could you ever see events such as the NFL Draft being televised nationally? The draft has become such a significant event because of the media that, for months leading up to the draft, have become other ways of speculating players, such as during the NFL Draft Combine.
The rise of these offseason events has also created more jobs, as Mel Kiper Jr. and Mike Mayock are paid to scout NFL prospects for the public.
These analysts are no more correct than the Weather Man, but people like me listen to them religiously, hanging on every word that leaves their mouths in attempt of learning what new young star my favorite team might be selecting during each year’s draft. Go Bears.
So can we blame the ever-growing offseason craze on the media? Yes, but also on the popularity of professional sports that has grown over the years, leaving fans begging for more news and entertainment after each season ends.
These fans find this excitement in the drama of the offseason, with hope that their favorite team could be one free-agent or draft pick away from transforming their beloved franchise for years to come.
GM’s get your resumes ready, as added pressure from the fans have put you almost constantly on the hot seat.
Just ask former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, who was fired after finishing second in the league behind Manchester United, just one season after winning the prestigious Barclay’s Premier League.
ak840511@ohiou.edu
@KovarAndrew
