NFL: Why It's the Greatest Game in America

There are many great sports in this country.  The "Big Three" have long been considered the NFL, the NBA and MLB.

However, there are many more.  Some of the most exciting sports events I've seen have been major Tennis matches, both men and women.

Many, well some will say the NHL, though personally I'd rather watch my grass die, which it does every year.

Then there is NASCAR.  They say it's the fastest growing sport in the country, I think.  OK, I'll buy that, but I don't get it.  I appreciate a car going 200 mph three inches behind another one, but I can't really watch it for three hours.

Golf sometimes gets the highest ratings, that was until Tiger Woods got caught banging every chick that stopped at a red light.

The World Cup brought a great deal of excitement to SOCCER, yes, soccer to the United States and it was exciting while it lasted.

However, there really can only be one King, and it is the NFL.

Let's explore why.

They Make Us Wait

Tick, Tick, Tick

How long is that week from Monday to Sunday when your team is playing well?  Even if you have a full life, good job, great kids and really interesting hobbies, other than your NFL team, the days just drag until that kick off time, right?

Sunday night and Monday night games are great, but in some ways they just pain you because you have to wait even longer, but then again, the next game comes a little sooner.

How about the bye week?  Talk about pain!  A perfect example would be this week for me as a Chief fan.  It may as well be like detention for a high school kid as I watch the clock tick, tick tick.

This has to be done because of the nature of the sport, but it's also by design, and a brilliant one at that.

There Only 16 Of These Blessed Events

MLB has 162 games, the NBA has 82, not including playoffs which brings it up to about 240 and the NHL has, well a lot I think.

The NFL pains us with only 16 not including the playoffs, which are not that many in themselves.  Personally, I hope they leave it at that and not go to 18.  However, I think they need to stop ripping people off on the Pre-Season tickets.

Think about that number compared to the other major sports.  It's almost unfair if it weren't for the fact that it adds to the uniqueness of the NFL.

It is a huge part of what makes us salivate for it.  And for season ticket holder, cut it in half.

Mercy.

Tension, Excitement, Thrills and Plenty to Scream About

Of course there are plenty of boring football games.  They happen every week whether they are good teams, bad teams or any combination thereof.

However, how many Sundays can you remember when there was not a game that was unexpected, had an incredible finish, defied logic or was filled with plays that athletes shouldn't be able to make?

I'm not suggesting other athletes in other sports don't do the same, they do.  I have seen NBA players do some of the most athletic moves and feats ever, but there are games, many every night.

When these take place, you know this is it for the week.  That could be the play that decides the game, the wild card, division, who knows because with only 16 games there is so little room for error each and every play is magnified versus most every other sport.

One and Done: The Playoffs

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SEATTLE - JANUARY 06: Quarterback Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys sits dejected after fumbling the field goal snap in the fourth quarter of the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game against the Seattle Seahawks on January 6, 2007 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washi

That's all you get, one chance.  No five or seven game series, no round robins, no "conciliation games".

You win, you get to go to the next round, or the next round of golf.  It is one of the things that makes the NCAA Basketball Tournament so successful.

The difference is, this is the NFL.  You've waited from anywhere from December to February until the following September for it to start all over again, a football fans equivalent of a lifetime and now you've got 60 minutes of playing time to see if it's your time to start that clock.

Maybe your team was the consensus to win, or maybe your riding a Cinderella story, but either way, you're going to be crushed, or overcome with joy, in the next few hours.

Good luck to you and your team.

NFL Success Story: Television

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KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 22: Cheerleaders of the Kansas City Chiefs perform during NFL action against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium on November 22, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs defeated the Steelers 27-24. (Photo by Wesley

I've been to plenty of NFL games, incredible tailgating and parking lot fun.  I've been to games inside stadiums that were beyond exciting.

However, in my opinion, the NFL was made for television, especially with the technology of televisions now.  Throw in a satellite dish for good measure and you're really set.

You can watch alone, with a few friends, with a whole gaggle of people or just a few other like minded nut jobs rooting for the same team.

You can spread out the food, stay warm, cool, get drunk and not worry about driving and watch all the games and change the channel if your team is getting spanked.

You get to see the replay, over and over and over.  Yes, you have to deal with commercials, but you also have to go to the bathroom and get more food and beer so it works out well. 

I can enjoy the game with my son and not have to worry about a bunch of obnoxious loud mouth vulgar morons.

I will always love the experience of the stadium, but week in and week out, I like my big screen, my fireplace and my living room.

The Holy Day: Super Bowl Sunday

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NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 09: A detail of the Banner which was unveiled honoring the 2009 SUper Bowl World Championship which was won by the New Orleans Saints prior to the Saints opening the season against the Minnesota Vikings at Louisiana Superdome on S

There is almost nothing to write about this, or a book that can, and many that have been written about it.

No other sport has anything close to this event which is as close to a holiday as a day can be without it actually being one.

Yes, it is commercialized, taken over by corporations and over done to a ridiculous magnitude.  However, none of that matters at kickoff, especially over the last ten years or more.

There was a period of time when the Super Bowl was somewhat of a joke because it was so lopsided by the NFC, but those days are gone. We have seen great games virtually year in and year out.

Yes, it has finally lived up to it's hype, and I love every minute of it, and so do you or you wouldn't be on this website, or reading this.

The NFL is special, for the reasons I named and many others.  I would love it to be 18, 25, 40 or 100 games, but then it wouldn't be the NFL.

It's just right, the greatest game in America.