Are there any doubts that football is America's Favorite Pastime?

[Squall]

Are there any doubts that football is America's Favorite Pastime? I think it has been, since around 1970. After baseball lost its throne to football, football has surged forward and never looked back... is there any chance that any of the other major sports could one day challenge the might of football's popularity?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...gs.ap/?cnn=yes

When I read this CNN/Sports Illustrated article, I just died laughing! LOL... So, what do you think? :anime:

[Classic Speedy]

March Madness, nuff said. And I think people are getting slightly sick of the Super Bowl, honestly. (NOTE: I'm NOT referring to Janet Jackson) In recent years it's gotten so bizarre and outlandish that it isn't even about football anymore; it's about the commercials and loony half time shows. I think Lewis Black summed it up best: "They had three minutes of football, four minutes of commercials, we came back, I forgot who was playing."

[Hey_yu]

I like basketball better than football, but the reason everyone tuned into the NFL Draft was so they could boo Eli Manning, haha!

[Crew Man]

Football has nothing on NASCAR.

[Carolina Red]

Well I would definitely agree that football is the #1 spectator sport in the country. Well, if the Super Bowl is usually the #1 ranked show in the country every year, and the Draft gets such great rating then it suggests that.

But think about it - the NFL sells more licensed materials than any other league, it has the most popular subscription package in the country, and the TV contracts are about $2 billion a year I believe. Also, when you consider that every game practically counts in the NFL - with only 16 games per team anything can happen - and it can be anyone's game (even for the Chicago Bears), it makes sense that people are so excited about the NFL.

Don't forget, baseball has never fully recovered from the 1994-95 strike, and with steroid talks and greedy players it looks like it'll never beat out the NFL any time soon.

[Classic Speedy]

Football has nothing on NASCAR.

Eh, I never got into NASCAR, but I DO like the Grand Prix.

[Squall]

March Madness, nuff said. And I think people are getting slightly sick of the Super Bowl, honestly. (NOTE: I'm NOT referring to Janet Jackson) In recent years it's gotten so bizarre and outlandish that it isn't even about football anymore; it's about the commercials and loony half time shows. I think Lewis Black summed it up best: "They had three minutes of football, four minutes of commercials, we came back, I forgot who was playing."

Hmmm... Well, maybe I'm one of those purists who likes the Super Bowl for the football. The commercials are a sideshow to me, and I don't even watch the halftime show...

For example, here's a short Microsoft Word document (cut & pasted here) that I've been updating after every Super Bowl for over 10 years now... (Yes, even in football, I'm a geek! LOL)

NFL Super Bowl Standings
(as of 2 February 2004)

TeamWL

1. Dallas Cowboys 5 3

2. San Francisco 49ers 5 0

3. Pittsburgh Steelers 4 1

4. Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders 3 2

5. Washington Redskins 3 2

6. Green Bay Packers 3 1

7. Denver Broncos 2 4

8. Miami Dolphins 2 3

9. New England Patriots 2 2

10. New York Giants 2 1

11. St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams 1 2

12. Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts 1 1

13. Kansas City Chiefs 1 1

14. Baltimore Ravens 1 0

15. Chicago Bears 1 0

16. New York Jets 1 0

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 0



18. Buffalo Bills 0 4

19. Minnesota Vikings 0 4

20. Cincinnati Bengals 0 2

21. Atlanta Falcons 0 1

22. Carolina Panthers 0 1

23. Philadelphia Eagles 0 1

24. San Diego Chargers 0 1

25. Tennessee Titans 0 1



26. Arizona Cardinals 0 0

27. Cleveland Browns 0 0

28. Detroit Lions 0 0

29. Houston Texans 0 0

30. Jacksonville Jaguars 0 0

31. New Orleans Saints 0 0

32. Seattle Seahawks 0 0



Legend: W = Super Bowl wins; L = Super Bowl losses

[stwasm]

I think when you have the NFL Draft outdrawing many TV shows, that's PROOF that "Lord Football is King!" The freakin' Draft! Ironically, back in 1979, when ESPN told then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who pushed for national television exposure of football, that it was going to broadcast the entire draft, he thought the station was nuts. A couple of day changes and 25 years later, the NFL Draft is one of the most-watched programs on television. I don't recalling any hype over the baseball draft!

[Tapout]

A couple of day changes and 25 years later, the NFL Draft is one of the most-watched programs on television. I don't recalling any hype over the baseball draft!

While you're definately right, it's not because MLB and/or it's draft isn't interesting, it's because nobody gives a damn about college baseball. The NBA draft gets a lot of coverage too, if not as much as the NFL does.

[chevy citation]

I'd say maybe in the 90's basketball was the most popular sport because of Micheal Jordan, but I used to live up near Chicago so I may be biased.

I still like basketball and all, but now football gets all the attention. Did the NFL draft really get higher ratings than the NBA playoff game that was on at the same time?

[okendri]

While you're definately right, it's not because MLB and/or it's draft isn't interesting, it's because nobody gives a damn about college baseball. The NBA draft gets a lot of coverage too, if not as much as the NFL does.

That is not entirely true. The hockey draft is televised and hardly anyone knows most of the players that will be drafted. The main reason is that the transition period from college/high school baseball is at least three years for most of the drafted players. It is hard for most people to get excited over a player who you want see for awhile.

[Chris Wood]

And I think people are getting slightly sick of the Super Bowl, honestly. (NOTE: I'm NOT referring to Janet Jackson) In recent years it's gotten so bizarre and outlandish that it isn't even about football anymore; it's about the commercials and loony half time shows.

???? I don't know what game you were watching this year, but Super Bowl XXXVIII featured some awesome football. The Panthers tied the game with less than 2 minutes to play and the Patriots won it on a last second field goal. No commercial can compete with that kind of drama.

[Alex Toon]

{ATTENTION:GEORGE CARLIN-LIKE JOKE AHEAD SOON. I AM NOT SCREAMING.}

In my opinion, football isn't a sport. It's a game. It's a game because it's a way to beat the crap out of someone. When bar fights and bullying are in the Olympics, football will be a sport.

[Chris Wood]

{ When bar fights and bullying are in the Olympics, football will be a sport.

?????? Well, judo, boxing, ice hockey and wrestling are all Olympic Sports already.

[David Lucas]

{ATTENTION:GEORGE CARLIN-LIKE JOKE AHEAD SOON. I AM NOT SCREAMING.}

In my opinion, football isn't a sport. It's a game. It's a game because it's a way to beat the crap out of someone. When bar fights and bullying are in the Olympics, football will be a sport.

That's not like George Carlin at all, he knocks baseball at every turn compared to football. Although he does consider baseball, basketball and football to be the only REAL sports.

"The point of football is for a general to command his army upward into enemy territory. His army clashing on a field of battle with the opponent, on the way he can use shotgun formation, bullet passes all to gain entry into thier base. Bloody faces, sweat dripping off of everyone, covered in dirt and mud, legs being broke, people losing eyes.

The point of baseball is to go home.

Go home and be safe."

[Alex Toon]

That's not like George Carlin at all, he knocks baseball at every turn compared to football. Although he does consider baseball, basketball and football to be the only REAL sports.

No, the joke I made was sort of like his explanation of what is a sport and what isn't. It was on "Napalm and Silly Putty". He says boxing isn't a sport because it's a way to beat the ---- out of someone.