America and the National Football League
The National Football League has embarked on another long and competitive season which will conclude with the crowning of a Super Bowl champion on February 9, 2025. It is indisputable that professional football is the most predominant sport in a sports crazy country. Data confirms that professional football surpassed baseball as America’s favourite sport in 1972 and the advantage has grown steadily over the past five decades. The NFL is objectively RICH- a capitalist moneymaking engine with franchise values in the billions of dollars. 30 of the most financially valuable 50 sports franchises globally are NFL teams. It remains a national phenomena but it is flirting with an international model. The 32 teams are based in all regions of the country and over all time zones. Mega stadiums anchor major urban areas. The sport generates huge profits and commits significant funds to charities and philanthropy. It is a genuine American institution and if you wish to probe the heartbeat of America you must acknowledge its cultural significance. It is a unifying force in a highly polarised country. You may not be able to discuss politics or religion with family, friends or colleagues, but intense discussions on the merits of NFL teams and weekly performances is a guaranteed safe space for dialogue and personal connections. NFL fans come in all shapes and sizes- liberals, conservatives, right wingers, socialists, evangelicals and hard core lefties all are part of the fandom mosaic of the NFL. The incredible universality of its popularity is reflected in TV ratings and advertising dollars expended on media broadcasts. The Super Bowl is consistently the program with the largest viewership annually and 82 of the top 100 programs in 2023 were NFL games. It is a BIG DEAL!
What is the source of professional football’s overarching appeal? Well, it is very violent and Americans are a rather violent group. Americans prefer "shoot em up" TV and movies and our rates of gun ownership and violent street crime shock the rest of the civilised world. However, it is unfair to conclude that brutality is the nexus of the sport’s popularity. The games are hard nosed, gritty, flashy, exciting and entertaining. The athletic prowess of the players is off the charts- with speed, power, strength, balance and explosiveness all over the field. Close games decided in the final minutes are common. Different coaching philosophies, diverse offensive and defensive systems, clock management, and the importance of field position provide a strategic element to the game. There is a “thinking man’s” component to the entire exercise. The leagues’ economic structure (actually rather socialist for the good old USA) with enforceable salary caps, rational draft and free agent systems create parity or a reasonable facsimile thereof in the competitive realm. Each franchise enters a new season with “hope” that a spot in the playoffs is a realistic possibility. The limited number of regular season games (17), particularly when compared with the marathon schedules in baseball, basketball and hockey make each week’s game a “can’t miss” event. The basic rules of supply and demand in action. People build their calendars around the games of their favourite team. Fans never give up season tickets- they are passed down generation to generation and there is a deep emotional connection between a team and its hard core loyal fans. The special sauce is that NFL contests are perfect for TV. Three hours of tight programming, superb production values, create a made for TV vibe and people spends lots of time in front of their tv’s. Slow motion replays, hundred of camera angles, highlighted first down markers, sideline interviews, surround sound, big name announcers and analysts and polished pre-game shows contribute to the ultimate TV viewing experience. NFL stars are the hottest commodities for product promotion. Fantasy Football is a billion dollar business with thousands of leagues around the country. Fantasy teams encourage participants to watch ALL the games- not just hometown favourites. The scope of media offerings has expanded radically- approaching over saturation. There are Sunday day, afternoon and night games, Monday night and Thursday night. Global games from London, Canada, Frankfurt, Mexico and Brazil. Print and media attention on league developments is a 12 month operation. The gambling dollars involved with wagers on football is mind boggling. They have a winning formula and other major sports leagues are envious.
Obviously, the picture is not perfect. The marketing is almost too smooth. Serious injuries to the players with both long term and short term consequences are a continuing issue, particularly as the players continue to get bigger and faster and the collisions become more violent. Concussions and long tail brain injuries require serious study. Knee injuries make most fifty year old NFL players move like they are 70. A devil’s bargain for the athlete- big salaries and fame in a short career followed by a lifetime of aches and pains. The greatest irony is that our most famous “action” sport actually has very little action. A three hour game features around 120 plays and 12 minutes of actual movement and contact. The balance is huddles, timeouts, halftime, commercials and frequently boring chatter from the announcers. Overall, the entire concept works and clearly continues to captivate America. Go Bears- praying Caleb Williams is the real deal!
