I've been surrounded by football all weekend. This weekend's draft seemed to get 24/7 coverage. It's all the "Heller Men" talked at lunch on Saturday. I even attended a lecture about Chunky Soup's understanding of NFL fans, the characteristics they share, and how to best market products to them.
I've often wondered why the American male seems to love football. I got into it in college (Penn State - Go Lions), but others seem to be born with a love of the game. The violence must be a factor, creating a spectacle of modern-day gladiators. The huge media blitz is unavoidable no matter where you are. Who doesn't know what Superbowl Sunday means?
But this article in The Economist explores the NFL's success a triumph of marketing and socialist business practices. Think about other pro sports:
- Baseball has the Yankees' outrageous payroll, which makes it hard for smaller clubs to get the players needed to wine.
- Hockey lost a whole year because the players and owners couldn't agree on a contract; it will take them years to get back the fans they lost.
- The NBA has also had it's share of rough times due to poor management, not to mention Kobe's rape case and players jumping into the stands to beat up fans.
Football never had to suffer those pains. Americans may love football the most because it's run so efficiently, making it just plain easy to love. All that is hidden from view, leaving the viewers with a good, clean taste that comes to them every Sunday, year after year, without any other concerns other than the game. It's the athletic escapism at its easiest. The violence and spectacle of it all is just icing on the cake.
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