If not, all of the Titans fans will miss out and that is the last thing they need under the current economic climate.

Right now, fans all over the nation are dealing with several issues that have nothing to do with the NFL – high gas prices, lack of jobs and no money coming in, most fans look to the NFL as an escape from the world’s problems each Sunday.

Also, there was a long lockout during the off-season that could have affected the 2011 season. However, both the players and owners were able to reach an agreement before they lost any games.

However, the Titans, and probably many other NFL teams, have run into the problem of selling their home game tickets. Simply, most fans do not want to deal with things like high-ticket prices, bad performances on the field or drunken fans that act like idiots at the game. Instead most of them would rather sit at home and watch it in the comfort of their big screen television.

The only problem is the NFL has a rule in which all home games must be completely sold out within 72 hours of that week’s game, or it will be determined as a “blackout.”

Since the Titans have never dealt with this problem since moving into LP Field in 1999, here is a simple version of the blackout rules which most likely affect Titans fans this season if the home games are not sold out.

If a game is blacked out, that means the network carrying the game; in this case the Titans will not be allowed to televise the game within the 75-mile radius of the team’s stadium. This of course will affect all of Rutherford County.

For those to have the Direct TV NFL “Sunday Ticket” package, which shows all of the games, unfortunately the Titans home game that week will also have to be blacked out if not sold out.

Finally, for those that like to go to a sports bar to watch the game. They also have to follow the blackout rules. If not, they could get in some serious trouble with the NFL. Last year, after a Tampa Bay home game was blacked out, several bars in the city showed the game anyway. However, the NFL asked them to stop or they would fine them $150,000, according to a story in the Tampa Tribune last season.

My view is I understand the NFL wants full stadiums for the television broadcast, however I do not think they realize how bad it is right now around the nation. Some of the Titans fans that do have tickets are trying to get rid of them, but they cannot find any takers. The NFL and the Titans need to do a better job of trying to get the fans back in the stadium, especially after the lockout.

That includes more than having players going to season tickets holders and personally delivering their tickets. Nice idea and I give them “A” for effort. However, the NFL needs to be a better job of getting families back in the stadium. It cost way too high for a family to attend a game. It’s time to get the next generation of fans exposed to the sport, or you will lose them to something else.

The NFL needs to make changes to some of their policies or all of that money they were fighting over this summer will be gone.