These NFL Excited Fans All Year Round

The National Football League is a beast of popularity and social focus. It is far and away the most popular sport in the country. One of the most fascinating elements of this fact is that the NFL maintains its popularity even during the off season. No matter what time of year that it is, the NFL finds a way to stay in the headlines and to stay in the hearts and minds of its fans.

While all of the professional sports have player drafts, the NFL draft is the only of them which draws a significant television audience. The NFL draft is the object of speculation for months before it begins each April. There are guesses made about which players will be drafted by which team, which of the NFL franchises will come away from the draft the strongest team, what coups and disappointments will happen and so on.

As soon as the Super Bowl ends, the NFL gears up for the draft, it never misses a beat. The free agency season all kicks off, which means players are changing teams and the NFL can stay in the headlines. The draft also means more speculation, rumors and trades. All of this action helps the interest in the NFL stay warm even when there are no games being played.

Even as the NBA and NHL are about to enter their playoffs, sports fans are more focused on the NFL draft. Even the opening of the baseball season is smaller news than the draft. Among American sports, only the NFL can manage to remain the center of attention without even having any games on the schedule.

Once summer arrives, the training camps open and fans excitedly discuss how the teams are shaping up for the year and how the players seem to feel about their teams. This is also a time of year when fans argue over which players will be the starters for their teams.

Even the preseason games get broadcast on national television. Preseason games with second and third string players getting time actually get high ratings. Can you imagine a primetime spot for any other preseason game? A preseason hockey scrimmage? An NBA Developmental League game? Anything else? Only the NFL could pull it off, and it’s a testament to its immense popularity.

And once the season really gets underway, excitement mounts each week as the playoffs approach and every week’s games are looked forward to with increasing anticipation. The NFL is even thinking of extending its schedule beyond the current 16 weeks – more games and more time for the excitement to build.

NFL fans are a dedicated group; all year round, they’re keeping a close eye on the sport. Casual viewers who catch only a handful of games per season are often largely unaware of the latest developments or indeed, all of the players on their favorite team. During the off season from the draft to training, the NFL is a sport which keeps the attention of fans; the only sport which is this popular all year.