4th down, tie game, twenty seconds left. The potential game winning field goal. The final play of the Super Bowl. No matter what's happening in the game, the pressures of professional football is intense. When the game is on the line, everyone is counting on you to come through. One mistake, and you could cost millions of dollars around the world. Let alone possibly losing your job. Whether it’s television, merchandise, or just pure love for the game, the popularity and revenue generated from professional football is monumental.

All these feelings are appropriate for Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh right now. Walsh missed a 22 yard chip shot field goal, which would have sent the Vikings on to the next round in the playoffs. Instead, he has been criticized heavily by Vikings fans, and been make a joke of by many people on the internet. Football fans have relentlessly criticized Walsh, when after all, he scored all his team’s points in the game and was one of the best kickers in the NFL all season. Things like this have become more evident in today’s world, as the NFL and other sports have become humongously popular. For example, the Super Bowl has become the biggest event in American television now, and was watched by nearly 115 million people last year, and is still growing. This year’s game, Super Bowl 50, will likely eclipse that mark. It’s not all about football, as a 30 second ad in this year’s Super Bowl costs about 5 million dollars. Furthermore, the NFL also makes 1 billion dollars a year from a television deal with DirecTV. In relation to other sports, the NFL is still a money giant. The NFL makes nearly 9 billion dollars a year, and is planning to grow on that number in the next few years. Professional football is the most popular sport in America, more than 20% percent more popular than the next sport (MLB).

Aside from television, the NFL makes a large amount of its money from merchandise. Whether it’s jerseys, hats, memorabilia, or even dishes, the possibilities for merchandise are endless. Nearly every tangible item the NFL can put a logo on, they will. Also, the price will likely go up, even if it is the same exact product.

There have been many attempts by organizations to stop the NFL, but people just love the sport too much to let it go away. For example, lawsuits have been filed against the NFL about concussions and the damage tackle football does to one’s brain. Also, a movie came out recently titled “Concussion”. The movie generated a decent amount of revenue, but gained little traction in terms of fighting against the NFL. The NFL won’t do anything about this problem until something really bad happens. This is a sad reality, as nowadays it seems like nothing can slow the NFL down. Myself and millions of others love football; but I do not like the NFL.

In conclusion, the money made from television, ticket sales, and sports merchandise (specifically football) is insanely high. The NFL makes nearly 9 billions dollars a year, and that amount will keep growing until people stop watching football. Lastly, next week’s Super Bowl, Super Bowl 50, is expected to be watched by 115 million people.