The NFL as Poetry; A Window to America’s Soul

This is my second essay exploring why the NFL has dominated American culture for 60 years. Essay 1 examined the NFL as a brilliant business machine. Essay 2 is based on the premise that professional football succeeds in America because it IS America- with all its strengths and flaws. The NFL reflects our values and reveals our aspirations.  It his a societal selfie. We see our ideals and our reality every Sunday. How so? Well, the scoreboard doesn’t lie, meritocracy rules, hard work, intelligence and artistry are rewarded, individual specialisation creates collective excellence, great leadership determines outcomes, there is a relationship between risk and reward, there is transparency and accountability and the will to win is paramount. American culture in a nutshell- a winning formula! 

Football resonates with Americans because it delivers what we claim to want: objective measurement of excellence. The scoreboard doesn’t lie. As Bill Parcells said, “ You are what your record is.” You are 12-5 or 4-13 and no amount of explanation or rhetoric can change that reality.  There is no Russian judge and no subjective scoring. There is no panel deciding whether you scored a 9.2 or 9.4 on your dive or gymnastic routine. Winners and losers are unambiguously identified- the outcomes are binary, undeniable and beyond debate. This matters in a culture drowning in relativism and subjective interpretation. Who really knows who the best writer, musician, lawyer, doctor or artist is? But on NFL Sunday, clarity arrives and the team that executes better and scores the most points is the victor. The winner of the Super Bowl is the best team that year.  Football is a test of will, talent and preparation within defined rules and structure.  It is organised aggression, sometimes chaotic, but the results of the competition are measured objectively.  This represents the America we aspire to become- where excellence is visible, measurable and undeniable  

The meritocracy at play is graphically evident. The best players make the team. Your father’s wealth doesn’t matter and your family connections are irrelevant. Can you play?  Can we win with you? These are the relevant criteria.  Tom Brady, sixth round pick, becomes the greatest quarterback in history while “can’t miss” prospects wash out in 3 years.  Small school players outperform blue chip recruits. Undrafted free agents make Pro Bowls.  Why? Because the film doesn’t lie! This is how we want our society to function. Performance rules!  What could be more fair?  

Hard work is rewarded. Players can’t phone it in. Natural ability is not enough. Jerry Rice was not the fastest receiver - he ran a pedestrian 4.6 forty yard dash at the Combine. He became the greatest receiver in NFL history through his work ethic. He practiced catching balls until his hands were bloody and he ran pass routes with unmatched precision after thousands of repetitions at practice.  Hard work and raw power are then combined with intelligence, artistry and deception. The game planning is master level chess at 100 miles per hour.  The quarterback reads the defence pre-snap, checks into an audible, recognises the blitz, adjusts protections and then delivers the ball accurately. Brains beat brawn regularly. There is an art form in exceptional receivers running their route, accelerating out of the break, tracking the ball over this shoulder, stretching for the catch and dragging both toes before he falls out of bounds.  It is a ballet at full speed.  There is refined elegance on display. There is motion before the snap forcing the defence to reveal coverage, play action fakes freezing linebackers and perfectly timed blitzes by the defence. There is an ongoing chess match between the offensive and defensive coordinators and the deception, guile and misdirection create an intensely mental game. Americans love people who outwit and outthink their adversaries. 

Football also exemplifies an American economic principle- Specialisation produces excellence. The left tackle protects the quarterback’s blind side and does it brilliantly for 60 plays. The long snapper, the nickel cornerback, the placekicker, the third down running back all have defined individual roles.  The team succeeds when every specialist excels at their particular function and individual mastery of assigned tasks creates a collective achievement. The success of a team is also dependent on visionary and disciplined leadership.  The Head Coach in football is arguably the most important administrator in sports.  Inspired and innovative leaders build champions and they come in all shapes and sizes: Lombardi, Walsh, Landry, Shula, Belichick. The common denominator is creating and nourishing a winning culture and the best coaches just don’t manage talent- they create an environment where excellence is demanded and becomes inevitable. This mirrors the most successful American corporate, military and governmental enterprises. 

Football also celebrates calculated risk taking. The coach who goes for it on fourth and short instead of punting.  The quarterback who throws it deep rather than checking down.  The defensive coordinator who sends an all out blitz at a crucial moment. Football awards the aggressive risk taker who studies the odds, trusts his preparation and attacks when the moment demands it. This is the American entreprenurial spirit in action.  Possessing the courage to act when others hesitate. We love Vegas and we love dynamic football squads that pursue big rewards and victories by taking calculated and bold risks.  Frankly, a perfect symmetry with the culture. Football also embodies a particular American philosophical bent- winning isn’t every  thing, it is the only thing. Second place is no place. We can debate the wisdom of this approach to life but it makes football contests ultra exciting.  Watch a team down by two scores with four minutes left. They don’t quit- they go to the hurry up offence. The comeback victories, the goal line stands, the fourth quarter miracle drives all inspire Americans because we admire competitive fire.  There are no participation trophies in the NFL. You win the Super Bowl or you failed that year  These ruthless and unforgiving standards appeal to our hard-nosed view of human nature- win or go home!! 

There is incredible transparency and accountability in football. Everything is visible from 8 angles and every success and mistake is documented for all time. The film doesn’t lie and the players see their failures in high definition. There is no hiding or spinning- you either executed or you didn’t. This radical transparency creates a system of accountability.  The player who missed his assignment can’t deny it, the coach who filed a stupid challenge owns it and a quarterback who makes a bad throw will see it and read about it for the next seven days. The system is honest because dishonesty is impossible when everything is recorded and reviewed.  These are acknowledged principles for American society. We claim to value transparency and accountability in business, in government and in our personal relations.  I guarantee the mission statements at every American corporation proclaim their dedication to these values. Unfortunately, we often fall short. The beauty of NFL football is they deliver on the promise. 

Americans theoretically embrace equality before the law and the Declaration of Independence states that “All Men are Created Equal.” Our societal record here is rather uneven. The NFL does produce a somewhat perverse equality on game day.  On Sunday, the billionaires in the luxury box and the blue collar worker in the upper deck are both just fans.  They watch the same game, celebrate the same touchdowns and suffer the same defeats.  For three hours, wealth doesn’t control access to the experience. The ticket prices are different but everyone is experiencing the same game.  This temporary equality and shared experience is increasingly rare in American life.  We are stratified by income, segregated by class and divided by privilege.  Football is one place where shared passion temporarily overcome those barriers.  The game certainly doesn’t solve pronounced inequality but it is valuable because it offers a common ground where all silos in society can gather around the same fire. 

America is famous for fresh starts and the power of redemption. NFL football is a classic example of those values in action.  Every NFL season is a fresh start and a new beginning.  All 32 teams open training camp with optimism.  Last year’s disappointment becomes this year’s motivation.  The rosters have changed thru draft choices and free agency signings. There is a carryover from the prior year- you build on the cultural and personnel foundation but the slate is clean.  The 4-13 team from last year can become a playoff contender.  A dynasty can crumble.  Nothing is guaranteed and your place in the sun must be earned again.  This is deeply American. Past failures are not guarantees of future outcomes and redemption is possible if you work harder, prepare better and want it more. The sky is the limit!!

Finally, the NFL also personifies many uncomfortable truths about our society. Football mirrors America completely, including its contradictions.  The game celebrates a meritocracy while relying on 70% black players to enrich an overwhelmingly white ownership. There were 10 head coach openings this cycle and minority candidates, many highly successful players and coordinators, were zero for ten. The NFL denied the association between the brutal nature of the game and long term player health issues and covered up studies on CTE and player concussions. They fought generous pensions and disability plans. The NFL is a high profile example of American ideas working imperfectly in the real world.  Football embodies our flaws, foibles and prejudices without resolving them- what could be more American? 

Despite the hypocrisy and the reality that most of the owners are genuinely awful people, we return as enthusiastic and passionate fans every season. Football is a reflection of the American experiment which is why it is so damn popular. America at its best and worst- the real America and the one most of us aspire to.  It is fiercely competitive, meritocratic, brutal, violent, cerebral, artistic, redemptive and transparent. At heart, it is optimistic, dramatic and fun. GO BEARS!!!