Today in my Communications Law class I realized that people complain too much. People complain about offensive language, signs, clothes and even bumper stickers.

“He without sin cast the first stone,” Jesus Christ said to a mob of people who were about to stone Mary Magdalene, known in her town for being overly promiscuous.

I too am guilty of complaining. I complain if the people at the fast food restaurants put onions on my food after I specifically told them not to.

Just the other night I was complaining at my intramural basketball game. I felt the referees weren’t calling a fair game, so I let them know I thought they were. .. umm … not good.

In fact if you read on, you’ll realize this column is one big complaint about why they should keep the critically acclaimed ESPN cable show “Playmakers.”

Okay, so people in general are soft, I’m soft, but the National Football League; They’re not soft, are they?

Well on Wednesday, ESPN.com reported that the network’s hit cable show ‘”Playmakers” had been sacked.’

It goes on to say that “After much speculation about its future, ESPN’s originally scripted series about a fictional professional football team will not return, a company official said Wednesday.”

The key word in that last graph is the word FICTIONAL! I repeat, FICTIONAL!

According to ESPN.com, when news reached the Pro Bowl, some of the NFL players applauded.

I wonder why.

Could it be because some of our beloved NFL superstars are drug addicts, wife beaters or homophobes?

Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis told ESPN.com, in perfect English mind you, they should have canceled it.

“That show don’t mean nothing, that show is nothing about us,” Lewis said.

New York Jets center Kevin Mawae told ESPN.com that ‘”Playmakers” took every worst-case scenario, put them all on the same team and unfortunately a lot of people that don’t really know football think that’s what we’re all about.”

I think it’s safe to assume that of the 1.6 million people who tuned in to “Playmakers” for each of the 11 episodes, most, if not all, of those people knew football. I figure, if you don’t know about football, why would you watch a football show?

I know the reason I watched the show was because I saw the promotional during the commercials of a Sunday night football game.

ESPN warned its audience before every episode that “Playmakers” would touch on some adult subject matter. Right then and there, responsible parents should have put in the Pokemon video, or whatever it is these kids are watching these days. This assuming the NFL was worried about the image they were portraying to America’s youth.

Warnings apparently weren’t good enough for the NFL.

According to ESPN.com, earlier in the 2003 season, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue admitted to calling Disney CEO Michael Eisner to express his displerasure with what he thought were the show’s “one-dimensional” plots.

The fact of the matter is ESPN broadcasts NFL games on Sunday night, and ABC — which, like ESPN, is owned by the Walt Disney Co. — televises “Monday Night Football.” The rights deal for both broadcasts runs through the 2005 season.

Although “Playmakers” was entertainment at its best, when I think Disney I think Mickey Mouse and little kids. “Playmakers” did not really portray what Disney is all about.

The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that all the criticism from the NFL was the deciding factor on whether or not to pull the plug on the fictional Cougars.

I’d like to think that the NFL’s next ployZ to make “Playmakers” disappear from ESPN was to threaten not to renew their contract at the end of the 2005 season.

The bottom line is “Playmakers” will not be seen next year on ESPN.

However, HBO has come up with hit show after hit show, maybe they will purchase the rights of “Playmakers” and add it to the likes of “The Sopranos,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “Sex in the City.”

If for some reason “Playmakers” doesn’t make it back onto television in some way shape or form, I will be heart broken. Whether or not “Playmakers” is real or fake is not the issue. It’s good entertainment and 1.6 million people agree. The people have spoken and it was like nobody listened.

I’m sure this is just a phase I’m going through. I’ll probably forget about “Playmakers” in a week or so, but in that week, I will wish to see “Playmakers” elsewhere next season.