And that's the issue. Football has been around. I think basketball may be closing the gap among younger people but it will be a while before those young people become the old people.
Football reaches women better too. Women go to bars for MNF. Women participate in fantasy football and office football pools. Basketball doesn't have anything equivalent.
CTE is the NFL's only threat.
Ya the league been around a lot longer but the main reason why its ingrained in American society is because for the longest time it used to reinforce the idea that white people are to lead (QBs being white) while the rest are to follow. It's an extension of American society.
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there are more people in the world watching rugby than nfl.