FOOTBALL IS IN OUR VEINS

Football has taken over. This isn't new or breaking news but it is for a simple thought...how? How did America's past time, baseball, succumb to the gritty, gridiron and gangster like gladiator style sport where broken bones, head banging and beating your opponent into the ground has become our number one choice? How did the ballet and explosiveness of the NBA yield to the juggernaut that is the ever growing multi-billion dollar revenue stream enterprise made up of 32 owners? What other sport gets our adrenaline flowing on a Thursday night or actually helps us face the alleged, worst day of the week Monday, with Monday Night Football?

I don't know how it happened or when; I don't know if it was magical or long range marketing but what I do know is football is now America's sport. It's what we talk about year round more than other sports in their off seasons. It's the game and the tailgating; the clothing and merchandise; it's even the affiliation with Mom in the stands, and the commercials and promotions that have helped to seal the deal. To think players with helmets whom you may not recognize without them have gained even more popularity is impressive. Foundations, camps and events bearing their name are commonplace. Mix in social media and you have 50+ players per team in the social media space versus 20-30+ players in basketball and baseball.

Even players capitalized on marketing opportunities as well
The Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Secondary aka The Swat Team featured David Fulcher, Solomon Wilcots, Eric Thomas and Lewis Billups.

Whatever the answer is, football is here to stay and dominate like the legend of Steel Curtain or the Bill Walsh 49ers . We hang on each and every word, game and pregame show. We celebrated yet another time slot called Sunday Night Football and we'd probably start watch parties at clubs if they did Saturday nights games too. Club suites and private boxes seem to be more of a party and event than other sports suites due in part to the nature of the game. Other than Spike Lee very few fans are animated court side during basketball games and field seating at baseball games seem to be status symbols and client treats where you wonder is some of them even has a pulse.

New state of the art stadium designs typically have more aesthetic possibilities than other sports venues but who says they have to?

What other sports have a winner take all championship game like the Super Bowl 50? And as number 50 gets here everyone is wondering what the NFL will do for halftime. Even artists are wondering what can they do to get on stage. They know being exposed to a mega millions base of fans in a fixed, if sober, position means increased sales, social media followers and concert demands. Even with a less than adequate Pro Bowl aka All-Star game the NFL has the most coveted sports franchise in America. They have now updated it's passport to not only head to Europe but like any explorer search for new ground. We know the world calls soccer football but before too long they made have to revert to actually saying soccer.

I don't know if and when the NFL Express will slow down, but at some point it has to; but I do know the NBA and MLB should be working harder than ever to be realistic about the opportunity when it presents itself and it might be now. With concussions and brain damage being directly attributed to playing football; with the donation of brains and tissue to the medical community and the encephalopathy revelation, even with the forthcoming Will Smith movie, the time might be at hand to at least start talking about your sports unique advantage. Good luck; Football is Ace, King and Queen and with women's fashion now exploding with dresses, shoes and nail design you other sports have a lot of work ahead you even though you may have even lead this fashion enterprise. If you don't act soon it will soon be third and long. I hope you have a play for that and see, I unintentionally used a football reference to make my point. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.