This is the story of the suicide of the NFL.
Are you listening, Jim Murren and MGM? This is a case study for how to destroy a billion-dollar business by injecting your offensive leftist politics and alienating your own customer base.
President Trump has done it again. No, I don’t mean he’s offended millions of Americans. I mean he said exactly what was on the mind of tens of millions of middle-class Americans. Call us the Silent Majority. Because of Trump, our views now count.
Don’t look now but Trump just kicked the NFL’s ass. Ratings are plummeting. Revenues are plunging. The player’s spokesman deals are being canceled. Fans are booing. Fans are burning tickets and uniforms. Lifelong NFL zealots are vowing to never watch another game. And the #1 selling jersey in the USA is a Pittsburg Steeler backup—a former Army Ranger with the courage to stand for the national anthem.
The Silent Majority is speaking loudly and clearly.
When you offend 63 million Trump voters, your business suffers, your bottom line plunges. The NFL is going the way of dying dinosaur ESPN. And the Emmys—with the lowest ratings EVER. And Hollywood box office revenues—the worst in 25 years. And NBC’s Megyn Kelly—whose career is finished. And Arnold Schwarzenegger—who flopped as host of “Celebrity Apprentice.” And Actress Jennifer Lawrence—who latest movie bombed after disrespecting Trump. Don’t forget Madonna, who threatened to bomb the White House. Her latest album sold 3,000 copies last week. Guess who got bombed?
My grandfather put it best. He taught me there are only two rules to business:
#1) The customer is always right.
#2) If the customer is wrong, refer back to Rule #1.
All of these athletes, entertainers, CEOs, businesses, and leagues like the NFL have free speech. They can say whatever they want. But so can we—the customers. But we always get the last laugh.
Always assume your customers are 50/50 liberal vs conservative. Therefore, any political statement you make risks offending and alienating half your customers. But what if your specific customer base is 70% conservative or center right? Well, then you could ruin your entire brand forever. Enter the NFL.
Of course, the NFL’s audience includes lots of diverse groups. But let’s be honest. The typical NFL fan is a white, middle class, middle-aged, meat-eating, testosterone-driven Republican (or certainly center right).
The typical NFL fan is a flag waver. They always stand for the national anthem. They wear flag pins and chant “USA, USA, USA!” They love cops and military. In short, they are middle-class Trump voters. Not all of them. But a significant majority.
Doesn’t the NFL Commissioner know this? Don’t the executives at the NFL’s Park Ave. offices know this? What world do they live in?
So, this isn’t about free speech. This is about the survival of your business and destruction of your brand. Why would the NFL be at war with their own fans, viewers and ticket buyers?
Someday this will be a case study in how to destroy a brand in business schools. Just like ESPN. And just like Jim Murren and MGM, if they’re not careful about throwing around their ignorant leftist views. Because casino customers are the same middle class (and above) Trump voters as NFL fans.
Now it’s time to REALLY bring the NFL to its knees.
It’s time for a nationwide boycott. It’s time for 63 million Trump fans to stop watching. Turn off NFL games on your TV for the next month. Watch the owners cry. Watch them panic. Watch them beg. If you’re betting on the games here in Vegas, just watch them online, or on your I-phones. But make TV ratings collapse.
It’s time for 63 million Trump voters to stop buying NFL merchandise. Go cold turkey. Write every NFL sponsor and demand they cancel their NFL advertising campaigns, or we’ll stop buying from them. Call our Congressmen and demand the NFL’s anti-trust and tax-exempt status be withdrawn immediately. Ouch. This one’s gonna hurt!
It’s time to teach the NFL a lesson. The Silent Majority counts. What we believe in—God, country, Constitution, flag, national anthem, American exceptionalism—matters. Start worrying about offending us.
The NFL is about to learn a bitter lesson. Trump 35 — NFL 0.
