America the Beautiful Day 13: NFL Football

I asked my wife what I should write about today.  My wife is an avid pro football fan.  Between plays, and games on TV, she looked at me and said , “Football!”

I think she was on to something.  If there is any sport that is uniquely American, it has to be NFL Football.  Look at the marketing that has grown up around the sport.  Currently, the NFL generates more revenue than any other professional sports.  The 2011 Super Bowl was estimated to generate $200 Million in ticket sales alone.  Merchandising and ad revenue would have been on top of that.

On top of the money, there’s the almost cult-like following that goes along with major league football.  I once spoke with a manager at a waste water treatment facility.  He told me that during the Super Bowl, operators at the waste water facility could tell when the commercials started due to the spike in water usage at the time.

Personally, I am a hockey fan.  I follow college football.  I have known a number of baseball fans, and have filled out a few march madness brackets in my life.  However, none of those sports generate the same type of excitement as the Superbowl.  Americans love big things.  There is no bigger sporting event than NFL Football and the Super Bowl.