Ford: The NFL is now all about marketing, gambling and the Swift factor

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American football has finally and definitely “jumped the shark”.

All it took to destroy the “sport” of the NFL was a combination of online gambling, the staggering worldwide popularity of Taylor Swift, and the casino heaven of Las Vegas. Some pundits and purists say this weekend's Super Bowl 58 (politely described as LVIII in Roman numerals) is the “real” football and the real sport.

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It is not. It's a celebration of American exceptionalism and jingoism, a giant flag of the stars and stripes and hands held over hearts as the anthem plays. The only “combat” aspect of such jingoism is the presence of the military, and the only aggression other than shouting and cheering when your team scores is on the pitch. It's a party, it's a phenomenon, it's a global attraction, but it's not serious football. It was the Dodo bird's luck when gambling got most of the sports publicity and a good portion of the publicity.

For all the Swifties, snackers and punters out there, let's pretend the game really matters. Because if you only watch or listen to the media, the game itself is second or third, behind the expensive TV commercials, attention and opportunities for high-fat, calorie-dense foods to watch the game. — that's mol — bet on the outcome. None of this is a mortal sin, but ask yourself who among your friends is talking about the technicalities of the game, the amazing athleticism of 300-pound men, or the power of touch. No, we're talking about the complexity of cheese-filled fries as opposed to four-patty burgers with as much cruelty as onion rings between bun halves.

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I blame Swift — and the fact that he's dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who faces the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday — for the game's eventual demise. Concerns about whether Swift could return from Tokyo and her current tour in time for the game have been voiced more than the actual competition. (I'm not going to bother looking, but I'm sure there are conspiracy theories that the outcome of the conference final was designed to maximize the marketing potential of one of the most famous companies in the world so that the executives are confident in the position. Famous people come to support her “boyfriend”. Of course, just a guess .)

To Swift's credit, she convinced any young woman that she should be a soccer fan. Unfortunately, the game has become a kind of kabuki theater without the elaborate kumadori make-up.

No one on the planet could escape Taylor Swift's influence: especially after Time magazine named her “Person of the Year.” This was after his conquest of the world. It is everywhere, but it can be a tautology, a convention of saying the same thing twice.

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His image is everywhere, his influence is worldwide. Terry O'Reilly called her “a source of light” and a “force of nature.” The host of Under The Influence was impressed by the 34-year-old's marketing skills and power.

The notion that football was the most important sport on the planet died quickly when rumors started that she was dating an NFL player and she started attending games.

For me, the attraction to the Swift came on the highway in the middle of a two-hour drive into the wilds of southern Ontario with a six-month-old in the car. Some clarification is necessary: ​​I recognized his name and image, and I'm sure I've heard at least one or more of his songs, but I never put his name or face to them.

Then the car arrived: the boy expressed his displeasure in the only way he could – fussing and crying. Taylor Swift's soothing voice filled the car as her mother pushed the button. After a while, the boy fell asleep. I was surprised. Not surprisingly, the Daily Mail called Swift a “baby whisperer.”

If babies and us adults fall for its charms, it may be the answer to world peace. It didn't hurt.

Plus, until it takes the world by storm, and even I think the NFL is more about sports than marketing – I'll be watching on Sundays with my football-loving husband.

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