Basketball and football were both invented in the United States, so it’s not surprising that Americans love the sports. There is, however, a question regarding which sport Americans love more. It’s actually a complicated question that doesn’t have an easy answer. Depending on how you interpret the facts, either sport could come out on top.
Americans Say They Love Football More Than Basketball
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According to a 2014 Harris Poll survey, Americans overwhelmingly prefer football to baseball and every other sport. When asked which sport was their favorite professional sport, 35 percent said football. Basketball only got 3 percent of the votes.
The preference for football stretches back for decades. Americans have voted it their favorite sport since Harris Poll started conducting the survey in 1985. That’s a 30-year run that puts every other sport to shame.
Surveys from Gallup support Harris Poll results. When asked to name their favorite sport to watch, 41 percent of polled Americans mentioned football. Only 9 percent mentioned basketball.
Gallup has been tracking preferences since the late 1930s. In 1938, 23 percent of Americans said that football was their favorite sport to watch. That number grew rapidly between the 50s and 80s. The 1990s and 2000s, however, show sharp dips in interest. Still, it’s hard to argue with 41 percent.
The Money Shows That Americans Prefer Basketball
People may say that they prefer football, but money says something very different. The average salary for an NBA player is more than double the average salary for an NFL player. In 2013, NBA players made an average $4.5 million. NFL players averaged $2.0 million. A possible reason for NBA franchise owners to pay players so much more money is that Americans spend more money on basketball than football.
Athlete endorsements also show that companies believe that Americans care more about basketball than football. LeBron James, the highest paid NBA player of 2014, earned $53 million in endorsements. His salary was $19.3 million. Matt Ryan, the highest paid football player of 2014, only earned $1.8 million from endorsements. His salary was $42 million.
A closer look shows that this is a prevalent trend. Of the 30 highest-paid athletes in 2014, eight played for the NBA. Only three played for the NFL.
Why the Discrepancy?
This discrepancy between poll results and cold, hard cash probably means that Americans enjoy both sports. They may prefer one over the other, but it’s nearly impossible to form an objective opinion.
It’s possible to question the validity of the polls and athlete payments. Sure, people consistently say that they prefer football, but it’s possible that they say that because they’re consistently polled during football season while they’re dedicating entire Sundays to the sport.
It’s also possible that basketball players make more money because they have done better jobs at negotiating contracts. After all, NHL players get paid an average $2.4 million per year, nearly half a million more than NFL players, but no one argues that Americans prefer hockey over football.
Either Way, Americans Love Sports
This debate could go on forever with people setting up camps on both sides. Chances are that they’d switch sides, though, depending on the time of year. What’s most clear is that Americans love sports. They love them so much that they bet about $3.2 billion in sports bets in Nevada casinos during 2011.
Fans who bet on sports need to make sure that they have good information about players. Looking at DocSports.com Football Picks, for instance, could help betters decide which teams that they think will win important games. When it comes to putting your money on the line, you may have a favorite player or sport, but what you really want is information that helps you win money instead of losing it.
Do you think it makes more sense to gauge a sport’s popularity by survey results or how much money gets spent? Honestly, if you had to choose between your favorite basketball team and your favorite football team, which would you prefer? A lot of people would probably just shrug and enjoy whatever game that they can find on TV.