The Importance of Sports
Sports are important as part of social culture in the United States too. Professional American football is by far the most popular spectator sport in the country, followed by basketball, baseball, ice skating and soccer, making up the “5 main sports”. Professional American sportswear such as football helmets, baseballs, hockey sticks, and other equipment is also a significant part of sporting culture in America. The popularity of professional sportswear has made it possible for any fan to become part of the teams and even managing them. Some sports fans are so mad about their sports that they have even turned into pseudo-celebrities and have achieved considerable fame and fortune.
Sports have always been a symbol of American Exceptionalism. Every president since Woodrow Wilson has supported the National Football League, or NFL, and encouraged its growth. Wilson was not the first sports figure to believe in the importance of sports to a healthy society. The eminent French author, Pierre Menard, wrote a number of essays on the subject and had gone on to write several biographies on notable sports personalities. American sportswear has also gained in popularity among college football and basketball players, especially after the turn of the century when the sport was first commercialized. The Chicago Bears became famous thanks to their manufacturer, the Wrigley Company.
Even in today’s recession the NFL still makes enormous revenue and is widely regarded as one of the best professional sports organisations in America. It is estimated that the NFL will earn approximately $48 billion dollars in 2021, and this figure is bound to increase significantly over the coming years thanks largely to the large amount of television coverage that the sport gets every year. Sports fanatics have been known to go to great lengths to be closely associated with their sports team. For example, some will buy memorabilia from their favourite athlete and create a profile of that person, putting photographs on their websites and anything else they can think of to associate themselves with their team.