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Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger
There are lots of valid reasons why the NFL is so big compared to the CFL and "hype" is most certainly one of them.
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But this is a chicken/egg argument. It's not like the NFL started pumping out hype and people were so hypnotized by it that they stuck around. Those Orbitz drinks were hyped a bunch when they came out in the 90s. That doesn't change the fact that they sucked, and consequently they got pulled.
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Also, it is important to distinguish between the Super Bowl and the NFL as a whole. I'm not denying the talent difference or discrediting it. I'm sure lots of hardcore NFL fans love it for the talent.
The Super Bowl doesn't get 163m viewers because of the talent. To suggest otherwise would be insane. The Super Bowl gets the viewership it does precisely because of two things: hype and gambling.
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Again, this isn't much difference than people who never watch CFL games that get together for Grey Cup parties.
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I like both leagues so I'm not going to suggest that hype is the only reason the NFL is the biggest sport in NA, but it sure as hell helps.
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Again though, you can only have hype when a product lives up to it. Look at how big Major League Baseball was for the majority of the 20th century. MLB had an incredible hype-machine, but fans slowly gravitated away from it because the product didn't match it. Hell, even the NBA in the 80s and 90s had huge hype surrounding it that has since dwindled. Hype might get someone in the door, but it's not what keeps them interested.