To: Andrew Demetriou, CEO of the Australian Football League

Mr. Demetriou, et al:
As a longtime fan - 15 years a player in Australia before coming to the US, 25 years ago - may I urge you to reverse your trend towards the Americanization of Aussie Rules, which is evident in the franchising of teams that have no club base, like Brisbane; in the increased use of the national anthem, as if footy and jingoism belong together; and particularly in your efforts to have finals games played at clubs' own fields. This is a dire mistake: You end up with inordinate favoritism of teams that happen to be (just) at the top. You kill crowd buzz. American-style, you hand the game over from players and fans to commercial interests. The fan base, by the way, includes countless people who are not ever going to find night football a pleasant, or even possible, outing. AFL officials know this, and are whoring the game to money, which can only end in the depleting crassness that is a hallmark of American professional sport - and of anything Kerry Packer ever got his grubby hands on.

Sincerely,