Why like the NFL? Because men can play dress up

There are three reasons the NFL packs in fans: violence, beer and the ability of grown men to get away with dressing up in stupid costumes.

Without those three items, all intertwined, the only people who would go to NFL games would be the corporate stooges in their tax-deductible luxury boxes and club seats, the ones not cheering because it interrupts their networking.

Otherwise, why pay the outrageous ticket price (average seat — $67) for the privilege of paying hefty sums for parking, drinks and food and then sit in the parking lot afterward, waiting for traffic to crawl out? Why kill so many minutes viewing the down time for those TV commercial breaks?

It would be a lot easier to watch the game at home, and if you wanted a crowd, invite family and friends over, then charge them semi-outrageous prices for parking, drinks and food. They’ll thank you for giving them such a break. And they don’t have to deal with parking.

That is the NFL’s real power. For all that violence and beer supply as a fan’s release, the freedom to dress however you want is the ultimate sign that this is a sport different than others. Sure, people do this at college football games, but not anyone over the age of 22.

People sometimes wonder why soccer hadn't caught on here in America. They have violence, alcohol, and people dressing up in the stands. Ah well, as long as there is a Pop Warner game around, there will be a training ground for NFL fans.