by Mike Moran ’13

​Derived from the English game of rugby, American football was started in 1879 with rules instituted by Walter Camp, player and coach at Yale University. The game has grown significantly in the United States since, beginning at the collegiate level and now on the professional stage. The question is, how has the game become so popular?

The answer is that nothing brings us together like the NFL. New York Post’s Kyle Smith reports that last year the National Football League provided America with eight of the top highest-rated telecasts and the highest-rated TV program of all time (Super Bowl XLV). He also reported that “about a year and a half ago a football program was the week’s highest-rated show in 29 different markets. Even in Indianapolis, where yet another loss by the then 0-13 Indianapolis Colts drew 50% of the viewing audience.” He goes on to say that three times as many Americans watched the Super Bowl in 2012 as watched the last Academy Awards broadcast. He added that though the Oscars are often described as “the Super Bowl for women,” the Super Bowl is actually the Super Bowl for women. More female Americans (51 million) watched the 2012 Super Bowl than total Americans watched the 2012 Oscars (37.6 million).

The action-packed nature of the NFL seems to intrigue all viewers. Eric Yarrows, a Williston senior and sports fanatic, certainly feels this way. “In football, the plays only lasts 5-10 seconds, but something exciting always happens. I love seeing players get hit really hard, pounded if you may,” Yarrows responded when asked about his love for the game.

​Although violence has done a lot to increase the popularity of the sport, this aggressive style of play has also increased the danger of it. The high frequency of injuries, ranging anywhere from a bruise to a broken neck, is result of violent play.

​A specific type of injury seems to be more of an issue compared to most though-a concussion. This head-related injury can cause significant short-term and long-term damage. The difficulty with diagnosing concussions makes these injuries much more dangerous, considering they can progress without being noticed.

​Dr. Thomas J. Moran, who worked on the sidelines of high school games during the 1984 and ’85 seasons, acknowledged the difficulty of diagnosing concussions: “I am sure a few mild concussions were probably not diagnosed. If a player were knocked unconscious then the diagnosis was obvious, but if not, concussions were quite difficult to recognize.”

The excitement of the game seems to outweigh the danger of it in terms of popularity. Considering that even though injuries happen in each and every game, ratings continue to rise. The question then is, is football America’s primary sport?

​Baseball used to be widely considered America’s pastime, but the slow-paced, tedious game has resulted in decreased popularity. Football appears to be taking over.

​CNBC’s Darren Rovell attempts to settle the debate by comparing two games. 2010’s Monday Night Football game, which featured the Jacksonville Jaguars versus the Tennessee Titans, and the 2010 American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers. The NFL game was widely known as one of the worst match ups of the year, while the MLB game was a hyped-up playoff game between two decorated organizations. Rovell reports that the football game, with a 7.2 television rating, beat out the baseball game, with a 6.5 television rating.

​Eric Yarrows, when asked about his reason for disliking the game of baseball, responded with a reason that supports Rovell’s comparison: “It’s too slow of a sport.” Yarrows went on to compare football and baseball: “I think what makes football better than baseball is that it is a faster paced game. Every play has the chance of being amazing where in baseball hitting a solo homerun is not very exciting.” David Fay, another senior at Williston and sports fanatic, shares a similar view to Yarrow’s: “I think baseball is boring and it takes too long for something to happen.”

​The popularity of certain sports has changed with accordance to the interests of the people. The increasing desire for hard hits and explosive moves has benefitted the game of football, while damaging the popularity of the game of baseball. Football is currently America’s sport, but who knows how long that will last.