Why is the NFL so successful

[Scarves]

It's been interesting reading some of these posts.

Many have written to simplify the success of American Football by making simple statements such as;

- Massive population or,
- Massive cities for each team

I even read from one particular poster that his reasoning for NFL's success is the old line... "All Americans are idiots"... well no sense in not using a forum to find out how to find the real you.

I just reckon that the NFL has got everything right from the foundations of the game, flowing to the structures and game ownership all the way to the car park attendant at the gate. I also admire how they always promote local rivalries and promise fans home and away fixtures against all their regular divisional rivals.

If you ever get a chance, go to a Dallas game at Cowboys Stadium. There's an area of the stadium where, well if you've been to the Opera Bar in Sydney on a summer afternoon, checking out Sydney Harbour, then imagine the harbour is this magical football field where the Cowboys are smashing heads with the Giants, spectator beer in hand, atmosphere bananas. These American's well if they're stupid, how are we travelling?

We should look at these blokes, take a close look and see what can be done to improve our great game.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

I don't think football/soccer and the NFL is really a fair comparison to make from either side. There's so many more football teams, the countries the sport is most popular in are generally geographically smaller than the USA and fans are generally pretty loyal to their teams no matter what league they are playing in or how successful they get. I understand the Lions were still selling out games when they went 0-16 but if they were in a 2nd or 3rd division would they still sell out that stadium? Plus you have to add in the fact that there's so many more games in football than the NFL, in most leagues anyway.

So more games + more teams + smaller population vs 32 teams + 16 regular season games + bigger population... the pool is diluted in football. That's not a knock on the NFL but it's a pretty strange comparison to make really.

in all honesty, we should never compare sports.

some people insist, and we draw comparisons for their "benefit", but the above still stands.

In some cases doctors admit prescribed drugs may be the best course of action

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

It's been interesting reading some of these posts.

Many have written to simplify the success of American Football by making simple statements such as;

- Massive population or,
- Massive cities for each team

I even read from one particular poster that his reasoning for NFL's success is the old line... "All Americans are idiots"... well no sense in not using a forum to find out how to find the real you.

I just reckon that the NFL has got everything right from the foundations of the game, flowing to the structures and game ownership all the way to the car park attendant at the gate. I also admire how they always promote local rivalries and promise fans home and away fixtures against all their regular divisional rivals.

If you ever get a chance, go to a Dallas game at Cowboys Stadium. There's an area of the stadium where, well if you've been to the Opera Bar in Sydney on a summer afternoon, checking out Sydney Harbour, then imagine the harbour is this magical football field where the Cowboys are smashing heads with the Giants, spectator beer in hand, atmosphere bananas. These American's well if they're stupid, how are we travelling?

We should look at these blokes, take a close look and see what can be done to improve our great game.

Yes. Thankyou!

I admire the attention to detail and the order of the NFL. Have people read the wiki page? It has some great detail.

The NRL needs some polish and attention to detail, and catering for fans....firm but fair and beneficial. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League

But the number one reason why the NFL is so successful. The reason without which, it would be nowhere near as big: unrestrained rise and tapping of resources.


It has been allowed to grow as big as it can. Much like AFL once their commission was installed (though they are currently experiencing their natural dead-end)....they have been largely unhindered in their growth. Like a weed in full sun with watering, it just GROWS - and fast.

We too must support rugby league's growth - we must feed the machine. Not rape it. We must take everything to the next level, and where levels don't exist, we must generate them.

Like in business, if a market doesn't exist, you can often create one or fuel one.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

this is why i love the NFL - games like this, just amazing, and still watch the game now and then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NjrhxxSfE

 

[ElectricEelMan]

I see that Rugbyhighlights is still polluting this thread with his/her xenophobic views. He sort of reminds of this dude. One of the greatest scenes from of the great movies ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTDhgR3p12w

You gotta love Peter Fonda's comment
'It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth'

But anyway I have 'turned my back' on Rugbyhighlights ... never would I have thought putting someone on the ignorelist be totally justified.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

this is why i love the NFL - games like this, just amazing, and still watch the game now and then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NjrhxxSfE

Or ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2I4_UP8_2M

Sorry Ron Jeremy

I was living near Buffalo at the time AND to this day I could swear to you that lateral went forward. I have seen replays shown otherwise BUT to my eye at the time that ball went forward.

 

[Teddyboy]

I don't think football/soccer and the NFL is really a fair comparison to make from either side. There's so many more football teams, the countries the sport is most popular in are generally geographically smaller than the USA and fans are generally pretty loyal to their teams no matter what league they are playing in or how successful they get. I understand the Lions were still selling out games when they went 0-16 but if they were in a 2nd or 3rd division would they still sell out that stadium? Plus you have to add in the fact that there's so many more games in football than the NFL, in most leagues anyway.

So more games + more teams + smaller population vs 32 teams + 16 regular season games + bigger population... the pool is diluted in football. That's not a knock on the NFL but it's a pretty strange comparison to make really.

Yeah from the EPL down to the semi-pro teams Soccer is much much bigger in England compared to NFL and the size of the country.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

Yeah from the EPL down to the semi-pro teams Soccer is much much bigger in England compared to NFL and the size of the country.

To be fair you would also have to include college football in America. I know A LOT of people who only watch the college game. The biggest stadiums in America are for college teams. In fact, 5 of the largest 9 stadiums in the world are college football stadiums (or 10 of the largest 18)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stadiums_by_capacity

All up there are over 130 college teams in Division I and there are many divisions ...

 

[bobmar28]

Unfortunately that's a lie:lol: The number of Australians with a passport is remarkebly low when compared to English people. You're more comparable to Americans in that you think your country is the best and don't travel much, when you do it's to noather state:roll:

And over 80% of people in the UK have been abroad by the time they're 30.

The fact you feel the need to lie shows that you're embarassed by your nations xenophobia and global ignorance.

What is your problem?

 

[ElectricEelMan]

Also, a massive reason for the popularity of the NFL is college ball - fans follow college ball in the US devoutly. Maybe even more so than the NFL itself. You have several colleges in the US, all of which will supply players to the NFL and along with them you will have their fanatical fans following those players' progress in the NFL. No other sporting league in the world can boast this - who can honestly tell me that other leagues can boast a fanatical following to an essentially amateur league? None.

I actually attended a major American university for 4 years and everything you said is spot on. I don't support a team in the NFL (though I have a soft spot for the Bills since I lived near there for a few years) BUT i find myself gravitating towards NFL teams who have players I know from their college years.

And college sports in America has a way to instill pride and devotion towards the university you attend, which in turn is used to increase the university's endowments. Many universities are f*cking rich as ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_the_United_States_by_endowment

Harvard has a $36 billion endowment :shock:

 

[ElectricEelMan]

What is your problem?

It is obvious
The guy is a xenophobe.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Or ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2I4_UP8_2M

Sorry Ron Jeremy

I was living near Buffalo at the time AND to this day I could swear to you that lateral went forward. I have seen replays shown otherwise BUT to my eye at the time that ball went forward.

that game really hurts, what made it evenworse was that apart from flutie/johnson drama that year - our defense was the best in the league, and i still think we win that game we go and win the superbowl - not be biased i just had so much confidence in that side that year.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

even blokes like deion sanders, chris berman - blokes who analyse the game are amazing - who do we have? vossy? lol

 

[typicalfan]

Unfortunately that's a lie:lol: The number of Australians with a passport is remarkebly low when compared to English people. You're more comparable to Americans in that you think your country is the best and don't travel much, when you do it's to noather state:roll:

And over 80% of people in the UK have been abroad by the time they're 30.

The fact you feel the need to lie shows that you're embarassed by your nations xenophobia and global ignorance.

You have no concept of what you are talking about. Spoken like a true xenophobe.

The distance for us to travel by car from Sydney to Perth would be equivalent to you visiting Eastern Europe. Living in a shell?

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

even blokes like deion sanders, chris berman - blokes who analyse the game are amazing - who do we have? vossy? lol

hahah

primetime rules.

 

[Eelementary]

I actually attended a major American university for 4 years and everything you said is spot on. I don't support a team in the NFL (though I have a soft spot for the Bills since I lived near there for a few years) BUT i find myself gravitating towards NFL teams who have players I know from their college years.

And college sports in America has a way to instill pride and devotion towards the university you attend, which in turn is used to increase the university's endowments. Many universities are f*cking rich as ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_the_United_States_by_endowment

Harvard has a $36 billion endowment :shock:

Absolutely, mate. I watched a college game on ESPN a few months ago (it was a repeat)...85,000 fans in attendance, plus a huge cheerleading core and eve half-time entertainment. It was epic. And it was a freaking college game.

Just...Blew my mind. Imagine the NYC or any other 'lower' tier competition bringing in as many fans or more as a top tier competition.

 

[Eelementary]

even blokes like deion sanders, chris berman - blokes who analyse the game are amazing - who do we have? vossy? lol

I love Chris Berman.

But you're absolutely right.

However, league does boast Peter Sterling as an analyst, and, Eels bias aside, I think he's one of the game's greatest minds, alongside Gus.

 

[BLKOUT!]

To be fair you would also have to include college football in America. I know A LOT of people who only watch the college game. The biggest stadiums in America are for college teams. In fact, 5 of the largest 9 stadiums in the world are college football stadiums (or 10 of the largest 18)

All up there are over 130 college teams in Division I and there are many divisions ...

The difference though is they don't really dilute the fan pool. Like you can be a fan of a college team and also a fan of an NFL team because they represent different things and aren't competing. One is a school the other represents an area. Like a Birmingham City fan isn't also going to be a fan of Leicester City because they are still considered rivals, even though they are in different divisions and will only ever play each other if they are drawn in one of the cups.... you could make the argument that the number of college teams dilutes the college fan numbers but I doubt it'd have any impact on the NFL itself. Same goes for high school teams, I know they have a pretty huge following as well.

 

[Tom Shines]

They don't put sponsors on jerseys (other than merch providers) because it's a tradition not to, but because they receive such a significant amount of revenue from tv rights, stadium branding, stadium advertising, season tix and general ticketing, merch, etc.

There is advertising every single imaginable place else in American sports, except the shirt.
After seeing gridiron, basketball, and baseball live, the ads are interrupted by the game, not the game being interrupted by ads.

 

[thuggdogg]

I remember seeing a doco once that said Cricket despite it being a fairly boring all day, sometimes 5 day sport, made a heap on tele in advertising because you could shove a single add in during stoppaged (ie between overs). Therefor all you had to do was actually get the audience to watch the game then in an hour worth of television you could get in something like 10 extra adds without, loosing the audiences attention.

The same pricipal works for NFL, adds during time-outs, 2 minute warning, after touch downs you get a heap more adds than normal but becuase they are only one or two at a time, you don't walk away or get distracted you keep on watching.

Plus, I think it's just a great game. The lack of games only serves to create a greater hunger among the fans. Plus obviously there's like two teams in a massive city like New York, compared to our 9 NRL teams in Sydney and 8 AFL in Melbourne.

This post, whilst innocent in nature, tilted me hard.

I'll never understand why so many people cant spell 'lose' or 'loser'.

To me its an easy word to spell.

Lose- my team will lose today.

loose- tap dat ho because she real loose coz she sleep around.

Add- short for advertisement. Why tha double DD? titties on tha brain?
if i say 'put tha letter in tha mail i dont say 'maill' short for mailbox.


Sorry to single a brother out. Just made me hectic tilt.