The New York Giants may be the Super Bowl Champions, they may be leading their division and they may have a superstar quarterback, but that simply isn't enough for the fans of Cincinnati. Due to the Bengals inability to sell out Sunday's home game against the Giants, the NFL has announced that the game will be blacked out in that area.

Getty Images
Getty Images
loading...

In all seriousness, I don't blame the Bengals fans for this at all. I blame their greedy ownership and I blame the league. Mike Brown refused, after last season, to reduce non-premium ticket prices to $85, banking on the fact that his club would build off of their 2011 playoff season. Like always, they have not. Yet somehow, because the fans of Cincy refuse to pay unreasonable prices for a below average product, they are being punished across the board. That die-hard Bengals fan whose working two jobs to feed this family, he can't watch the his team this Sunday because a bunch of rich guys are pissed he didn't shell out  a hundred bucks to see it live. And that's not including parking.

No league takes advantage of their fans more than the NFL. From PSLs to their blackout policy, the league constantly attempts to squeeze their fans for more and more money, threatening them if they don't comply. The Bengals have sucked miserably for the better part of 20+ years. The only reason that franchise is lucrative is because they have a loyal fan base that is willing to come back year in and year out to support their organization. Mike Brown has done nothing to deserve that loyalty; he has never invested enough in his team to consistently field a competitive product. Yet what does he (and the league) do to thank the fans that unrelenting support? They blackout the game the first time patrons can't afford to come out in masses and blindly cheer a 3-5 club. It's sickening. The NFL is a monopoly and they continuously and deliberately take advantage of that fact.

This Sunday, I'll be fine: the Giants will be televised in New York. But next time Roger Goodell pops on your TV screen and tells you he cares about you or "the fan experience," keep in mind what his actions have been, as they speak much louder than words.

More From 104.5 THE TEAM