Last Updated on September 15, 2021 by
American Football is so popular because it has a unique pre-game ritual involvement that’s uncommon with other sports. The games in the NFL are quite more interesting, featuring a 17-week regular season where each team has 16 games once a week.
Each game comes with a pre-game ritual which is like a festivity, making the sport more exciting and enjoyable for the American fans and supporters. In this article, we’ll talk about the reason why American Football is so popular and a brief history of American Football’s beginnings.
A Brief History Of American Football Advents
Football in America didn’t start on a platter of gold as you know it now. It all begins with some setbacks and sociable scandals that confined its publicity about the residents of the United States. Fortunately, it arose from its shadow as a sport established from the gameplay of soccer and rugby.
Not quite long after, people started liking the game and it was accepted into mainstream sports in no time. However, the jobless citizens and mostly part-time workers were the first set of people who started playing this game. Football was known to be an adult-only game because it started as a very violent game, so kids and teenagers were not allowed to participate in it.
After a while, people started having an interest in the game and they placed bets on it. It was in 1869 that the first American Football game took place between the University of Princeton and Rutgers. The first Game Bowl was established by these two university teams, and it quickly got people’s attention which led to an incredible recognition of the game. In 1890, some people established the first American Football Association.
This association brought up certain rules and regulations into the game, and then real teams were formed to make the sport more of a competitive game and less of a gambling game. American Football saw bad moments in the first decade of 1900 as Theodore Roosevelt almost discontinued the game because of its violence.
In 1920, the AAFA which is the American Amateur Football Association was introduced to the sport. Then, the new rules gave form to the sport we all love in America today. Thereafter, the game became an enjoyable, safe, and popular sport to watch, especially during the Super Bowl time.
Why Is American Football So Popular?
American Football is still one of the most popular sports in the world today even though it’s not the most straightforward game out there. Normally, when a game is said to be popular, it should be overall easy to play and easy to follow.
But that’s not the case with American Football. It is a pretty complicated sport, mostly for beginners. For first-time viewers, the complexity of the gameplay can be a total headache during a match. Nevertheless, this game is still the most-watched sport in the United States of America and the world entirely, and many people don’t know why.
A lot of arguments and different opinions have to be stated among the Football lovers on why the sport is so popular. But today, we’ll show the main reasons why American Football is so popular. Below are the reasons! Let’s check it out!
Tailgating Party
Football games in America are a day-long event which sometimes can start at 2 pm and ends around 5 pm. You’ll normally find Football fans at the stadium some hours before the game starts. They are there to partake in the tailgate party. A tailgate party is a pre-game ritual where fans stay around their cars at the parking lot of the stadium to play games and music, drink alcohol, and grill food.
It is a social event that is quite important for all the fans attending the league games. Tailgating is a fun way to socialize with other fans of the same team and prepare for the main event. American Football is quite popular because no other sport has such important pre-game rituals where fans come together to have fun.
The Super Bowl
The Finals of the NBA, the World Series, and the Stanley Cup (NHL) are played as a best of seven series. That’s not how it is in the NFL. The final championship match is played in a single game. Just a mistake or a play of luck could decide the winner of the trophy and the loser. There’s no room for a next game where line-ups could be adjusted and changes could be made. The success of a whole season is decided within a 60-minute game. The Super Bowl XLV was recognized as the most-watched television program in the history of the United States.
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Football is one of the most widely played fantasy games on the internet today. Fans and lovers of American Football come together to start a new year of fantasy football every August. Watching the NFL becomes much more interesting, thanks to the participation in fantasy football which involves money and pride. This type of game involves you and your friends, about ten of them, to get together and hold a mock draft. You’ll choose your preferred NFL players to follow through the season.
These players are usually either a quarterback, wide receivers, running backs, kickers, or a team’s defense. Every week throughout the NFL season, you’ll be matched up with the friends in your league to play as if you run the real NFL team. Then, you’ll be awarded a certain amount of points based on the real-life performance of your preferred players. The player with the highest point in that week is the winner. This is one of the reasons why most people watch the NFL games so closely and it’s why the sport is so popular.
Game Prestige
The games in the NFL are quite more interesting, featuring a 17-week regular season where each team has 16 games once a week. As each team is striving to make the playoffs, every game becomes much more competitive and interesting. In the NBA, about 82 games are played in a regular season, and in the MLB, over 100 games are played.
These games are highly intense because a high-touted NFL team can mist the postseason altogether if they lose two or three close games. The game is more interesting since every single game counts. Another thing you should know is that there are no huge talent gaps between the NFL teams. Truthfully, there are some teams known to be powerhouses with more talented players and rosters, but the fact that any team can win at any week makes the game more intriguing to all NFL fans.
Closing Thoughts
Football is the most-watched sport in the United States and one of the most popular in the world today. The reason is because of the Super Bowl, Fantasy Football, Tailgating, and the game significance. We’ve come to the end of this informative article. We hope you were able to find good and reliable resources in your quest to know why American Football is so popular. If you have any questions or comments about the article topic, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks!
