NFL's push for growth is inexorable at expense of fans and amid an 'existential threat'

The picture the NFL wants you to have of America's most popular sport is that this is a steamroller crushing it at every turn, with revenues, ratings, salaries, and, of course, entertainment and drama breaking through one ceiling after another in a seemingly endless streak of success.

And much of that is indeed an accurate portrait.

But there's another snapshot the average fan is increasingly seeing and that's of an NFL that is taking more out of your wallet than ever, whether you're headed to games or watching at home.