With the impending NFL lockout next season, many fans are wondering what they will do to pass the time now that their favourite pastime is going to be absent from the television next year. Another group of people wondering how they will pass the time are the NFL players themselves. Even though these guys are multi-millionaires, they need something to fill the gap left in their daily routine, and also need to stay in shape because who knows how long the league will shut down for. For this reason, many NFL players are setting their sights on several different sports.
Star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco is going to be trying out for the Kansas City Sporting soccer team of the MLS. Superstars Lofa Tatupu and Steve Johnson are thinking of playing in the Arena Football League next season. Dallas Cowboys QB and ex-bf of Jessica Simpson, Tony Romo, is going to be trying out for Strikeforce mixed martial arts. Running back Reggie Bush is trying out for a AA baseball team in Syracuse. The influx of NFL players into all these different leagues will only help market the leagues better. Fans of these athletes will tune in to follow their idol’s foray into a new domain, while fans of the league will tune into see how well the athleticism of professional football players translates to their favourite sport. Casual fans will be attracted to the league just to see the spectacle of an athlete trying his hand at another sport(think Michael Jordan’s baseball stint). The biggest negative out of this situation is that it will hurt the NFL’s image with fans. Players are taking shots at the league, with running back Kevin Barnett calling the commissioner a “blatant liar” while superstar Adrian Peterson compared the NFL to ”modern-day slavery”. While other leagues rejoice at the marketing coup this may represent, the NFL will have to work hard to reverse the image of amateurism and childish selfishness its players and owners are exhibiting.