Marquess 1

How Has the NFL Impacted the World?

The National Football League has become the most popular sport in the United States. It has become a sort of religion to many fans. The NFLs impact has not only been in the United States. The NFL has spread around the world and has impacted it greatly.

The NFL has become the most popular sport in the United States now, but it wasnt always. The American Professional Football Conference formed in 1920. It was composed of 14 teams including the Buffalo All-Americans and the Chicago Cardinals. In 1922 it would change its name to the National Football League. Pro Football began to win wide support in 1925. (World Book Inc., p. 367) In 1940 a rival league, the American Football League, was formed. During the 1950s pro football began to gain great popularity throughout the United States. (World Book Inc., p. 367) Finally, in 1966, the AFL and NFL would merge to form the present day National Football League. On January 15, 1967, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs at Memorial Stadium in Los Angeles, the first game between an AFL and NFL team, Super Bowl I.

The NFL/AFL merger was a slow process. From 1967 to 1969, the NFL Champion played the AFL Champion in the Super Bowl. The official merger of teams would not take place until the 1970 season. From then on the teams of the two leagues would come together and play regular season games against each other. Major changes in the conduct of professional football take form slowly, like the development of a championship team. (Felser, p. 1) Super Bowl IV between the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs would be the first completely merged Super Bowl.

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The Super Bowl has become the biggest event in the NFL and pro football. Every Super Bowl has had a special halftime performance. Most of them have also had celebrities flip the coin. The commercials that air during the Super Bowls telecast are also a big part of the Super Bowl. In 2009, NBC charged a great amount for commercials during Super Bowl XLIII between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers even though the United States is experiencing a recession. NBC is collecting as much as $3 million per 30 seconds for commercial spots during the Super Bowl. (Snyder, 2009) The location of the game changes every year. During the week of the game, the press gets their chance to interview all players at Press Day, where all the teams do is talk to press from all over the world. Parties are also a main part of Super Bowl week. The Super Bowl has become more than just a game, it has become a weeklong event.

Before the Super Bowl, thousands of hats, shirts, etc. are printed of both teams as Super Bowl Champions. The merchandise of the winning team is sold in stores and given to the winning team immediately after the game. The losing teams merchandise is not just thrown away though. Through a partnership between the NFL and World Vision, millions of dollars worth of the incorrectly titled, losing teams licensed Reebok apparel will bring joy to families in extreme poverty. (Duffy, Kartes, & Graff) In 2007, after Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears, Chicago Bears Super Bowl winning merchandise was given to poverty stricken citizens in nine different countries, including Romania and El Salvador.

The television broadcast of the Super Bowl is huge. In 1972, CBSs telecast of Super Bowl VI between the Dallas Cowboys and the undefeated Miami Dolphins reached an estimated 27,450,000 homes, the top rated one day telecast in United States history. In 2004, Super Bowl XXXVIII between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers reached an estimated 144.4

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million viewers, making it the most watched television program in United States history. In 2008, Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and New England Patriots was broadcast around the world in 30 different languages and 198 countries. The United States and Canada both broadcasted it on their military television channels around the world. The Super Bowl affects people all over the world.

Money is very important to the NFL. Ticket sales, merchandise, etc. have brought in great amounts of money for the participating cities and their teams. I follow my hometown team, the Detroit Lions, which have had a great impact on the city of Detroits economic growth. (Ifkovits, 2009) The average NFL team is worth one billion dollars. Each of the top 10 most valuable teams play in a modern stadium, or will by 2010. (Badenhausen, Ozanian, & Settimi, 2008) The most valuable NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys, is worth 1.6 billion dollars. In 2009 they are moving to a new stadium, which will bring in at least 100 million dollars more than they currently do. Even horribly managed teams with piles of debt can be worth a lot if they own their stadium. (Badenhausen, Ozanian, & Settimi, 2008) Stadiums help the NFL and their teams make money, which impact the growth and wealth of cities.

Not only has the NFL had an impact on the economy, the economy has had an impact on the NFL. The National Football League is the strongest sport in the world. (Badenhausen, Ozanian, & Settimi, 2008) The recent economic decline has greatly impacted the league though. Rodger Goodell, the current NFL Commissioner, announced in early December, 2008 that the NFL would be laying of 10 percent (150 people) of its staff members. This includes staff in New York, NFL Films in New Jersey, and television and internet production facilities in Los Angeles.

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The NFL pays its players billions of dollars a year and fans pack its stadiums every week, but even the deep-pocketed league is shedding jobs. (The Associated Press, 2008)

The NFLs success has not just been in the United States. Many other countries have been impacted by it too. It makes other countries want to have a highly popular sport, like Canada and hockey, Brazil and soccer, and Australia and rugby. (Ifkovits, 2009) In the past two years, Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom have hosted NFL games. In 1940, the Canadian Football League was formed and it still exists today. In 1991, NFL Europe (formerly the World League of American Football) was formed. It would be the kick-starter for many future NFL players such as Kurt Warner and Jake Delhomme before it disbanded in 2007.

The NFL has also made an impact on colleges. More and more children dream of being in the NFL every year. The NFL had their first official collegiate draft in 1936. This means that more children want to go to college. Colleges such as Ohio State, USC, Texas, and many others receive students who are there just for football. Most of these students will not make it to the NFL and will have to rely on their education, not their football career, for the rest of their lives. Students come for the football, but they stay for the education.

The NFL has influenced the creation of many other pro and youth leagues. NFL Flag, the NFLs Official Flag Football League, has been greatly influenced by the NFL. Thousands of fullcontact youth football leagues have been created in the United States. The Arena Football League, which began in 1987, is not associated with the NFL but has clearly been influenced by it. The NFL has indirectly given many people the opportunity to play organized football.

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Fans have definitely been impacted by the NFL. The NFL is a great influence for anyone who watches it. When I went to my first NFL game I was ecstatic. It was at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The Colts were playing the Patriots. The Dome relayed all the cheers from the fans making it loud and exciting. (Ifkovits, 2009) The feeling is unlike any other. It makes you feel so good when your team wins their big game. (Ifkovits, 2009) The NFL is a great thing to experience.

The NFL is a great organization and football is a great sport. Life would be very different for many people if the NFL did not exist. The NFL has positively impacted the world both economically and socially.

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Bibliography Badenhausen, K., Ozanian, M., & Settimi, C. (2008, September 11). The Richest Game. Forbes Magazine . Duffy, A., Kartes, K., & Graff, C. (n.d.). Super Bowl Apparel Goes Global: Game Loss is Win for Children and Families in Need. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from World Vision Official Website: http://www.worldvision.org/ Felser, L. (2008). The Birth of the New NFL: How the 1966 NFL/AFL Merger Transformed Pro Football. Guilford, Connecticut: Lyons Press. Ifkovits, E. (2009, March 9). How has the NFL Impacted Your Life? (J. Marquess, Interviewer) International Herald Tribune. (n.d.). List of Super Bowl Telecasts Worldwide. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from International Herald Tribune Website: http://www.iht.com/ National Football League. (n.d.). NFL History: 1869-1910. Retrieved February 5, 2009, from Official Website of the National Football League: http://www.nfl.com/history/ Snyder, M. (2009, January 27). What Recession? Super Bowl Ads Cost $3 Million For 30 Seconds. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from Fanouse Website: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/ The Associated Press. (2008, December 9). NFL Lays Off 10 Per Cent of Staff. Retrieved March 11, 2009, from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Official Website: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/ World Book Inc. (2005). Football. In W. B. Inc., World Book-F (pp. 364-367).