ESPN550.com
Even the gold standard of American professional sports is not recession-proof.
Evidence of that grim reality is the likelihood of more than a few NFL teams having to implement local television blackouts for some games the coming season.
Detroit is predictable. A 0-16 record coupled with a collapse in the automobile industry predictably has made it harder and less appealing for folks in Motown to buy tickets.
California also has been hard-hit by the recession, while the Oakland Raiders have been in the tank for the past five years.
But there are other franchises that could find it hard to sell enough seats every week to assure that all home games will be televised to their home markets.
In Jacksonville, one of the NFL's smallest markets, the Jaguars' season-ticket base has plunged from 42,000 to 25,000 this season.
The Cleveland Browns nearly had their first blackout since 1995 for a pre-season game last month.
The San Diego Chargers had an exhibition game blacked out for the first time since 2006 and anticipate having some regular-season blackouts, as well, although the team is regarded among the league's elite this year.
There may be other teams with similar stories. In the current economic climate, simply opening the gates no longer assures a sellout in the NFL.
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