I want the Vikings to leave Minnesota.

That's not what you'd expect a Vikings fan to say, Is it? A kid who grew up eating, sleeping, and dreaming about the NFL shouldn't want his team to leave, should he? But over the past few years, I've started to fall out of love with the NFL. There are a number of reasons that this has happened, and I'll try to hit all of them the next few weeks. After all, it's a long time until football season starts again.

Every American boy should grow up loving football. It's that simple. If they don't, they probably have two moms or two dads (not that there's anything wrong with that) or some other dysfunctional family. The game oozes what America should be about. Teamwork, hard work, discipline, and all that stuff. There was one other thing I was raised on: loyalty. You always stick up for your family and friends, no matter what. You don't do anything to hurt them. They'll be there for you, so you should be there for them. Unfortunately, as I get older I realize there's no loyalty in the NFL.

Actually, that's not true. Fans are loyal to the team through thick and thin. They show up to the stadium every weekend, pay insane prices for parking, tickets, beer, hot dogs, and programs. They're the only innocent party here. Owners and management are loyal only to the almighty dollar. If you're running the most popular sports league in the country do you want everyone to be able to watch? Of course not, which is why there is the blackout rule and the exclusivity deal with DirecTV. The only time these billionaires try to relate with the fans is when they're appealing to them to shake them down for a new stadium. If a player isn't performing as well as they think they can, they'll cut them. And the contract isn't guaranteed, you know. The coaches are loyal to themselves. Cheating, lying, and hiding injuries are all part of the job for these guys. And then there's the players. Like the owners, the only thing they care about is money. If a player thinks they're worth more than the contract they get, they'll hold out. The only people affected by this are the fans who enjoy watching the player and the team. There's rumors of another labor dispute on the horizon. Why? Because these millionaires and billionaires feel the need to fight over the fans' money.

Eventually, people will start to see that these people only care about the money and not them or the game. With the economy in rough shape, we may be getting closer to that time happening. Blind loyalty only goes so far when you've got an empty wallet.