The S.F. CHRONICLE went with the header, "After 49ers’ meaningless win over Saints, the NFL simply should eliminate preseason games." The 49ers ultimately won this "fugazi game" against the Saints by a 16-10 score, but "we know who the real losers were: the 71,124 paying customers, thousands of whom actually attended the Niners’ lone preseason home game, got the worst of this exchange." In the NFL, season ticket-holders are "essentially held hostage" by the teams they support, "forced to pay full price for these silly exhibitions as a non-negotiable part of the deal." Yes, "theoretically there is value in evaluating younger players, especially those on the fringes of making the 53-man roster, by watching them compete" in preseason games. But what's worth "questioning is the necessity of ripping off fans in the process."
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