Super Bowl… Why all the hullabaloo…? Television news segments… Interviews… Analysis from every angle… Commercials… Puppies…

It’s ridiculous. The amount of time dedicated to the Super Bowl is insane. It’s not just game day but the preview programing and attention that is all over the place is all kinds of blown up. With that out in the open, here are some questions:

  • When did you last play football?
  • When did you last touch a football?
  • Did you even play football in high school…?
  • Or college…?
  • Have any element of the game of football altered your daily life?

Facts are that few people really play this game. A handful of kids from league play go on to play in high school. A small percentage of them play at a college level. Even fewer go on to the NFL… Beyond that, the safety advances in helmets and gear benefit only the players on the field and do nothing for the “fans” of this game. Unless you are lucky enough to be so geeky in statistics that you actually manage to make a buck on a sport bet there is little actual benefit to the game of football. The general public gets nothing but beer fueled conversation after the last second of play…

How does the innovation in this football helmet help you…?

Now… Compare to motor sports. The Daytona 500 is one week after the Super Bowl. Have you seen any major news preview discussion, interviews or any mention of significance? The Super Bowl has been discussed for weeks… With that, here are some questions:

  • Do you own a car?
  • Do you drive it?
  • When did you last drive?
  • When were you even a passenger in a car?

The Daytona 500, like all car racing, is a testing ground for automotive technology. Fuel economy, braking efficiency, hybrid technology, passenger safety, aerodynamics and suspension… It all has been advanced through motor sport. The tech that is in your car has been directly impacted by the tech that is innovated for racing.

So… The bigger question… Why is there so much attention on football while racing gets barely a side glance of a nod? The attention on motor sport should be much higher when the benefits to the general public are obvious. Cleaner and safer cars… For everybody.

What does football really do for you when your driving your kids to practice?

Ryan Newman (6) crashing with Corey LaJoie (32) – Daytona 500, Feb. 17, 2020

Ryan Newman and Corey Lajoie survived the crash pictured above. The advances of safety in design for racing play major roles on the track and on the street. Can football do that…? Get it now?