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Football For Nerds

2013-02-01 · explainer · Hank · 3:59 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Sports · mode: Explainer · tags: timely hook

In a pre-recorded 'Nerd's Guide to Football' for Super Bowl season, Hank uses statistics to argue that American football succeeds because it is a game of anticipation with close results, and that its many breaks make it an advertising and money powerhouse.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Hank is flying to England; video filmed weeks earlier for Super Bowl season; the UK cares little for 'hand egg'; welcome to a Nerd's Guide to Football

  • ★★ Hank says he is on a plane to England right now; three weeks earlier he decided to film this video, knowing America would be in a Super Bowl frenzy. — 00:00:00 · England, United States
  • ★★ Hank says one in three people in America will spend time watching football this year (2013). — 00:00:00 · United States

00:00:29 — Why is football so successful? Viewing hours vs Wikipedia; a three-hour broadcast holds 11 minutes of play

  • ★★ Hank says Americans will collectively spend 300 million man-hours watching the Super Bowl this year (2013), which he calls the time it took to create Wikipedia. — 00:00:29 · Wikipedia
  • ★★★ Citing a recent study, Hank says a 2h54 televised football broadcast holds an hour of ads, 75 minutes of milling around, replays, 15 minutes of other things and only 11 minutes of play. — 00:00:29

00:01:30 — A game of anticipation; most games close; attention plus breaks make it an advertising powerhouse; Americans watch 500+ hours of ads a year

  • ★★★ Hank says outsiders may be puzzled by a sport where apparently nothing happens, but the numbers explain it: football is a game of anticipation, short bursts of action after build-up, each play a small victory. — 00:01:30
  • ★★★ Hank says football games are very often close: over half are decided by single digits, over 40% by one scoring opportunity, and the most common spread is three points. — 00:01:30
  • ★★★ Hank says football's ability to hold attention, and its many breaks for advertising ('America's second favorite pastime, being advertised to'), have made it an economic powerhouse. (playful) — 00:01:59 · United States
  • ★★ Hank says the average American spends over 500 hours a year watching TV advertisements, 12 full-time work weeks per adult. — 00:01:59 · United States
  • ★ Hank says that when people ask how he has time to do so many things, he tells them he doesn't watch TV. (playful) — 00:01:59

00:02:27 — Ratings (MASH finale, Monday Night Football) and money: Cowboys' value and profit, cost of attending, salaries, Dwight Freeney

  • ★★ Hank says the top US broadcast ever was the MASH series finale (over 60% of households), but last year (2012) Monday Night Football was the top-rated series, ending American Idol's eight-year streak. — 00:02:27 · United States
  • ★★ Hank says the most expensive US football team is the Dallas Cowboys, projected worth over $2.1 billion, with $226 million profit in 2011, more than the Raiders' revenue. — 00:02:27
  • ★★ Hank says it costs an average American family of four over $500, including food, drinks and merchandise, to attend a football game. — 00:02:57 · United States
  • ★★ Hank says the NFL minimum salary is $300,000 a year, and 2011's top salary, $19 million, went to linebacker Dwight Freeney. — 00:02:57
  • ★ Hank says Freeney's financial advisor was just arrested for embezzling two million dollars from him. — 00:02:57

00:03:33 — Players broke after retirement; how the game works in one sentence; sign-off

  • ★★ Hank says high paychecks do not bring financial stability: 78% of football players are broke two years after retirement. — 00:03:33
    • a number in question (doubtful): "78%" — check against the recording

Humor (significant)

  • Hank says that in the UK, where he's headed, people care little about American football. — 00:00:00

    “they care about as much about hand egg as they do about spices other than salt.”

  • Football's many breaks in play make room for advertising. — 00:01:59

    “allow opportunities for America's second favorite pastime, being advertised to.”

  • Hank compares himself with the top-paid player, Dwight Freeney: same birth year, same height. — 00:02:57

    “and weighs exactly 100 pounds more than I do.”

  • After all the statistics, Hank finally explains how the actual game works. — 00:03:33

    “it's all very physically impressive and seems quite dangerous.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: American football

Also: People: Dwight Freeney

Works: American Idol · Goodbye, Farewell and Amen · Monday Night Football

Organizations: Dallas Cowboys · Las Vegas Raiders · National Football League · Wikipedia

Concepts: advertising

Places: England · United Kingdom · United States

Events: Super Bowl

Only in the description or credits: Dave Loos · Missoula, Montana · The Wall Street Journal

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