The New England Patriots have secured their place as a football dynasty.  For the third time in four years, they took home Vince Lombardi Trophy after an exciting victory in the Superbowl.  The Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 24 to 21 (all three of the Patriots’ Superbowl victories have been by just a margin of three points).

           

The game wasn’t particularly pretty.  The two teams were tied at the end of each of the first three quarters.  Finally, the Patriots seemed to heat up and took a ten point lead with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth.  The Philadelphia Eagles managed to chip into that lead by a touchdown, but they failed to rally a final drive and tie the game.

           

But who was paying attention to the game on the field?  There were plenty of other attractions to keep viewers entertained—celebrities in the stands, cheerleaders on the sidelines, Paul McCartney at halftime, and so on.  And of course there were the commercials.  The Superbowl has gained a reputation for being a showcase of great commercials.  This year there was everything from monkeys with suits to Dennis Rodman in a hot tub.

           

The real question is this:  Why would a company spend millions of dollars for a 30-second add in the Superbowl?  The answer is simple—people are watching.  Professional sports are big business in America, and the Superbowl is king of them all.  There were 130 million viewers in the United States alone, and an estimated 1 billion people watched the game worldwide.

           

This obsession with professional sporting events is nothing new.  It’s been building for over eighty years, and only continues to gain momentum.  Let’s get the “historical perspective.” 

 

The first major impact of professional sports came in the 1920s.  This happened for two reasons.  First, the economy was going great (the decade was known as the “Roaring Twenties”)  and people had more leisure time.  As a result, more people played sports and more people took time to watch them.  The second major occurrence that took place at the time was the spread of mass media.  All of the sudden, the average person could follow his or her favorite sports team by picking up the newspaper or turning on the radio.

           

Once the public had a chance to witness the fierce competitiveness and remarkable talent of professional athletes, there was no turning back.  Even during the Great Depression, when the last thing on most people’s minds was sports, athletes like Babe Ruth were able to inspire and excite people.  It wasn’t until after World War II that professional sports became as influential and widespread as it is today.  This was in large part due to athletes like Mickey Mantle (baseball), Wilt Chamberlain (basketball), and even coaches like Vince Lombardi (football). 

           

Today, professional sports make up a multi-billion dollar industry.  Its growth has led to an increased popularity of sports in general, and certain athletes have become both superstars and role models.  The critics of professional sports cite that they overshadow amateur athletics and encourage young athletes to play for the wrong reason (for money rather than pure enjoyment).   Others note that the current obsession with professional sports is an indicator of mixed-up priorities in society.  In other words, there are more important things to worry about.

           

Whether it’s good or bad, professional athletics seem to be here to say.  In fact, the sports industry continues to increase in size.