FOOTBALL IN CULTURE MR. FLYNN

FOOTBALL BECOMES AMERICAN TRADITION

RATINGS AND MONEY The New Orleans Saints' victory over Indianapolis in the Super Bowl was watched by more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of "M-A-S-H" to become the most-watched program in U.S. television history Game 4 of the 2009 World Series soared to an audience of 22.8 million viewers A Super Bowl commercial costs 1 million dollars for a 30 second ad

PRO FOOTBALL BEGINS In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was formed. The first game was played in Dayton, Ohio on October 3, 1920 with the host Triangles defeating the Columbus Panhandles 14–0. The league changed its name to the National Football League (NFL) two years later, and eventually became the major league of American football. Initially a sport of Midwestern industrial towns in the United States, professional football eventually became a national phenomenon.

FOOTBALL CULTURE Football lends itself to bonding through the game experience as a fan as well. College football is an integral part of large university life, and that atmosphere extends to professional football as well, particularly in the Northeast. Fans go to game early and "tailgate," which is essentially a big cookout.cocktail party before games. Thus football has become for many a social event as well as an athletic one. Lastly, football is an excellent avenue to channel the competitive American spirit, as soccer does in other countries. Many fans live and die by their teams performance. Professional sports gambling has has exploded as well over the last few decades, and football lends itself well to sports gambling. Gambling on the Super Bowl is approaching a billion dollar enterprise.

FANTASY FOOTBALL In the last several years, this competitive aspect has grown exponentially as the game of "Fantasy Football" has exploded in America. Fantasy football is played now by over 30 million Americans, and the numbers are increasing. This game is played by a group of fans (usually 10) getting together and drafting real NFL players on their make-believe "team." Teams play each other weekly, and earn points based on the individual successes of their players (scoring touchdowns, for example).

COLLEGE BOWL SYSTEM Unlike most other sports—collegiate or professional—the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A college football, does not employ a playoff system to determine a champion. Instead, it has a series of "bowl games." The annual national champion is determined by a vote of sports writers and other non-players. This system has been challenged but little headway has been made given the entrenched vested economic interests in the various bowls.