Rozner: Let's not pretend NFL cares what you think

Surprisingly, there seems a bit of confusion out there regarding the very wealthy men who own sports teams in this country.

Some fans think a portion of the owners across the sporting landscape don't care as much about the fans who buy their product as some owners who appear to care a great deal.

So let's clear this up right now.

Most owners don't care at all. Yes, some are better at pretending than others. Some are smarter about how they express their views. Some stroll about their venues and shake more hands.

But the overwhelming majority would just as soon spit on fans as speak to them. Fans are there to pay for tickets, buy jerseys, eat hot dogs and drive up ratings.

Frankly, if there were a way to make stacks of money and do it without involving fans at all, owners would be overjoyed at the thought of never again having to pretend they care about the customer.

Allow me to pause, parenthetically, and give credit to the Blackhawk's Rocky Wirtz, perhaps the lone exception as an owner genuinely interested in fan happiness. But his perspective is that of someone who saw his father use the fan base as a toilet for 40 years and knows what an empty building looks like.

So while we wait for owners in Minnesota, San Francisco, Carolina and Baltimore to jump out front and explain to the fans just exactly what they're thinking about Adrian Peterson, Ray McDonald, Greg Hardy and Ray Rice, don't hold your breath.

They push unsympathetic coaches and GMs out front and don't even blink when those men are embarrassed and unable to answer questions. Those are football people paid to win football games and that's all they know.

But the notion that the owners think they owe us something - especially an explanation or some sense of morality - is laughable.

As they see it, the owners owe us nothing and they fear no retribution. What are you going to do, stop watching football? Ready to give up your season tickets? Prepared to stop betting on the games? Will you quit your three fantasy leagues?

The NFL fears nothing, save perhaps the loss of sponsorship, but nationally the worst thing that's happened so far is a carefully worded and pathetically soft statement of displeasure from Anheuser-Busch, which made no mention of giving up its position as the official beer of the NFL.

"We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season," Anheuser-Busch said in a butt-covering statement Tuesday. "We are not yet satisfied with the league's handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league."

Well, that's got to have the NFL quivering.

Let's face it, Anheuser-Busch knows there will be 10 companies lined up to spend their money if Busch vacates, and unless there's a sudden and demonstrable change in sponsor support - likely because of customer backlash and boycotts - the NFL will sit atop its hill and look down without compassion or concern.

Meanwhile, NFL owners line up in support of Roger Goodell, knowing the downside risk is negligible. If Goodell stays, they can remind him they backed him. If he goes, they back the next guy. In the meantime, maybe a few angry words are written and perhaps a protest disrupts their morning limousine ride.

They know Goodell has presided over a round of monster TV contracts, record profits and the doubling of franchise values, so most NFL owners have no intention of getting on the wrong side of the commissioner unless they see a major wind shift and a belief he won't survive this spate of scandals.

So don't waste your emotion hoping that your local NFL ownership cares at all what you think about anything, be it domestic violence, child abuse or the Alibaba IPO.

Just like every other NFL owner, they don't need your wallet, always knowing there's someone lined up behind you ready to take your place.

As we speak, Goodell and friends fortify the bunker and wait for the shrapnel to stop flying, believing the NFL is too big to fail.

We're certain only that it's too big to feel.

brozner@dailyherald.com

• Hear Barry Rozner on WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.