Americans are busy. Look at your life, your hectic schedule. Class and work, errands and odd jobs, practices and a few minutes for meals and rest; there just isn’t enough time in the day to finish all that needs to be done.
This, America, is why football has become our favorite sport.
Gridiron greats and frightfully devoted fans will argue without hesitation that it is the hard-nosed atmosphere, the bone-crushing hits and the macho-man personas that have driven this country’s athletic focus to football. They pass off baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer as secondary sports (a.k.a. what to watch when nothing else is on T.V.).
The truth, however, is time. There just isn’t enough of it. Football as a whole, whether it realizes it or not, has capitalized on America’s crunched schedules.
To understand where I’m coming from, let’s look at Major League Baseball. My favorite team, the Cincinnati Reds, has played six games in the past week. I am a college student and have watched bits and pieces of I believe two games. That is a lot more than I can say for most of my peers. Why? It isn’t because I don’t enjoy watching their games. The fact is that I do not have time to set two and a half hours out from my daily schedule to cheer on the Redlegs. And those six games are only a minute chunk of the 162 in an entire MLB season; I would consider fans dedicated if they watch an entire 30 of those.
This is where football comes into play. One game a week. In primetime. Friday night lights? Appealing to the small town high school crowd looking for local weekend entertainment. Saturday college football? Works great for those who follow, giving a reason to relax on the couch on a weekend afternoon. And Sunday? The first day of the new week has now become the time allotted for watching athletics. People tired from the long week, many whom have dedicated their only other off day, Saturday, to hauling their own kids to games, doing yard work, or finishing odd ends, can finally sit down and watch sports.
And, more importantly, these weekends only come roughly 20 twenty times the entire year.
You see, every football game is important because they are so few and far between. There are 16 regular season game in the NFL. Therefore, practically every situation is a must-win, and each can build anticipation over the course of a few days. This makes every event have that extra edge, the hype that draws in sports fans able to give a mere three hours from their entire week to see their team play. By watching the game they can be updated on their team’s record and players for at least six more days while they go about their business.
MLB and NBA: Lose a heartbreaker? It’s okay. You’ll be back to play the same team tomorrow.
No wonder the Super Bowl is always one of the most highly rated television programs every year. One day, packed with food and sports, with a champion decided by midnight. Divide that by seven, as most other sports decide their crowns, and there simply isn’t enough time for viewers.
