Welcome to Super Bowl XLVII. It is a game and event that has grown from a half empty stadium with ticket prices from $8 to $12 in 1967, to an American tradition that brings out big advertising dollars and serious consideration in congress to make the day after Super Sunday a national holiday.
They just as soon might give workers Monday off given the lack of productivity generated on that day. There are more parties today than any other day on the calendar and with the game starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone, those events don’t allow attendees to get home in many cases until after midnight.
Those who attend a Super Bowl in recent years can find the game somewhat anticlimactic to all the hoopla that precedes the teams taking the field. The league provides activities for both the young and old all week and press row is filled with athletes making the rounds while representing some advertisers' pitch.
How big is the Super Bowl?
What if I was to tell you that there is more money wagered on a Major League Baseball preseason game than the Super Bowl. Pretty ridiculous statement for those in the know. But to consider more money is wagered on a preseason NFL game than baseball’s World Series, which is true, gives a solid reason why the NFL is now in bed with the gambling world.
Years of hypocrisy while the league preached the evils of gambling has been replaced by advertising agreements with top sports book outlets. Some athletes are actually looking to add gaming profits the league generates into their player contracts.