Superbowl Sunday…. Really…? So what…?
It seems America shuts down for the Superbowl. Why…? The previews and predictions and the dissection of the minutia of the teams’ seasons leading up to this thing are mind-numbing. It is not just the sports programs going on and on about it, both before and after the game, but everybody on the TV seems to have some segment dedicated to the game. Regular news channels go on and on about the teams, the halftime show, the commercials… Really?
Why…?
What do we get out of this game? As a fan, seriously…, what do you get from it? How is your day-to-day life affected by the game of football? You may get some blather around the water cooler about “the game” yesterday… You might even win a few bucks if you play the points… But what do you really get from it? What do any of us get from it?
The game itself has seen many improvements over time in gear and safety but those changes and improvements only really help other football players. How many people actually play this game? A handful of kids out of the millions on sandlots across the country. Even fewer progress to high school teams. An even smaller percentage to college. And whittle that away to those who actually make it to the NFL. It is a miniscule percentage of the population that actually has some field time with this game.
Take, for instance, auto racing. The Daytona 500 is coming up. Yes, there will be some talk leading in around the TV dial and some next day reflection but it comes nowhere close to what the Superbowl generates. Will anybody be looking back on the “Top 10” commercials of the Daytona 500…? Not likely. How about the Indy 500…? It will likely be a programming note on the weekend mentions.
However, the attention on football vs. racing is completely out of balance when you take into account what we get out of both sports. Can you name one thing the game of football has given us that has changed our lives in any measurable way? Call a “time out” if necessary…
Auto racing, however, has given us much. And we see it every day and we live it every day. In your garage or driveway is an automobile. We use it every day. That car exists as it is today because of racing innovation. From the ground up your car has been designed incorporating changes and improvements that came directly from the racetrack.
Tires have improved for wear and grip. Brakes have improved for distance, heat resistance and reliability. Engines have improved for power, efficiency and cleanliness. Seat belts have been impacted directly by safety innovations from racing. Suspension systems, frame design, aerodynamics, computer monitoring, windshield glass, cooling systems… Need I go on…?
Even hybrid technology and energy storage systems have been tested and improved through auto racing. Diesel and gasoline technology has made great strides in mileage and cleaner burning through R&D in the race car.
People will trip over themselves to chatter on about “the game” then turn their noses up at auto racing. Yet every one of us has benefited from the sport of racing.
What has football given us? A conversation about a beer commercial…? What has racing given us? Everything you look for when you buy a new car. Everything that makes you and your family safer when you drive it. Everything that makes that car cleaner, or more powerful, or durable…
Racing has “given back” many times over. Remember that next time you drive to watch “the game”.