Why is football not an Olympic sport?

Here in the United States of America, football is king. It dominates TV ratings, pop culture, and in general revenue. Since it’s so popular here, why is it not an Olympic sport?

American Football was first played in 1869, four years after the end of the Civil War. It’s one of America’s oldest sports, and its mass popularity in the continental U.S. reflects this. We eat, sleep and breathe football, especially in areas like the southeast, the Steel Belt, and Texas.

Despite the mass popularity in America, American Football is not an Olympic sport. Why? It’s simple: it’s not popular anywhere else. It’s been growing in popularity in Europe and Asia, but it’s nowhere near one of the top sports.

In order for a sport to be viable to the IOC, there needs to be a level of competition and interest. International football would gain lots of viewers in the U.S., but in other countries it would have much less interest. Besides the issue of viewers, the U.S. would stomp everyone else. No one wants to watch a competition where the winner is already decided. Instead of a sport like hockey where there are four or five countries at the top, it’s America, a proverbial Atlantic Ocean in the talent gap, then everyone else.

This is exacerbated by the Olympics leaning towards professional athletes as opposed to amateurs. It’s the difference between a part time and a full time job. Both receive money, but only one can truly call it a career. American football won’t be viable in the Olympics for a very long time.

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