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Textual or Investigative

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Professional American football, in the past sixty years, has become a staple of American popular culture and greatly impacts the lives of Americans. Much of this growth is due to the impact of television on Americans. This research aims to explore the avenues American football began to change American popular culture. Primary research has been conducted, covering a number of topics. Laws concerning television deals were of great concern to this research, which reference the legal issues that were at hand. To cover cultural events and the social perception of certain aspects, icons and significant historical moments being two main examples, historic accounts were investigated. Two icons of great importance to the topic are Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath, as they exemplified two very different kind of personas that were on display via the television. Specific momentous occasions to be looked at include the National Football League Championship of 1958 and Super Bowls III and V. This research seeks to enrich the understanding of American culture by analyzing sports history, which has become a growing facet of history. By understanding the history of professional football, one would gain an understanding of half a century of American popular culture. This research aims to spur further notice and study of professional American football and sports as a whole, as it is an ever-growing component of American society.

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Apr 22nd, 11:30 AM Apr 22nd, 12:00 PM

A Pass From the Field to the Couch: The Story of How Television Spurred the Embedding of Professional Football in American Popular Culture

Textual or Investigative

Professional American football, in the past sixty years, has become a staple of American popular culture and greatly impacts the lives of Americans. Much of this growth is due to the impact of television on Americans. This research aims to explore the avenues American football began to change American popular culture. Primary research has been conducted, covering a number of topics. Laws concerning television deals were of great concern to this research, which reference the legal issues that were at hand. To cover cultural events and the social perception of certain aspects, icons and significant historical moments being two main examples, historic accounts were investigated. Two icons of great importance to the topic are Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath, as they exemplified two very different kind of personas that were on display via the television. Specific momentous occasions to be looked at include the National Football League Championship of 1958 and Super Bowls III and V. This research seeks to enrich the understanding of American culture by analyzing sports history, which has become a growing facet of history. By understanding the history of professional football, one would gain an understanding of half a century of American popular culture. This research aims to spur further notice and study of professional American football and sports as a whole, as it is an ever-growing component of American society.

 

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