Photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash
Did you know that NFL teams are franchises? Perhaps you already knew they were called franchises. But did you understand that they were actually franchises? They are.
Bill Bradley explains:
“…with the extreme popularity of Fantasy Football, many of us act as fantasy ‘franchise owners.’ In other words, we draft our own players. We fill our fantasy football rosters. Also, we have roster limits and position limits. Additionally, we have a set of rules we must follow. That’s just like a real NFL franchise.
“Technically, the NFL is an unincorporated association. It has a federal nonprofit designation, comprising its 32 NFL teams. Nevertheless, the NFL has a prototype business model. Moreover, every franchise must adhere to that business model.
“For example, franchise owners like Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys or Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots have very similar roles to that of a franchise owner of an AAMCO Transmission or Little Caesars pizza franchise or even 7-Eleven.
“In short, NFL football players are akin to employees at your local food franchise. The general manager at Saladworks or Meineke car care centers is not unlike the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs.
“NFL general managers hire head coaches to run their football team while McDonald’s hires a manager to operate the franchise business. The players and the employees are evaluated, and if they’e not performing they are fired or waived, if you will, to be replaced by another player or employee.”
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What Is a Franchise Anyway?
Simply put, franchising is a marketing concept whereby the owner of a successful business licenses their business model to franchisees, including their brand, their technical know-how, and the rights to sell their products.
NFL teams even apply “franchise tags” to players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. This allows for a longer bargaining period for an NFL team that believes a certain player will be a valuable asset for them.
Is Playing with an NFL Team in Your Future?
But what if you actually want to play football with an NFL team, not just virtually but in real life? Well, in that case, you’re going to have to work at it. You’re going to have to train and train and train some more. You’re going to have to learn to accept the bumps and bruises to your body and your ego that playing real football will give you.
What’s more, you’re going to need the best football gears you can afford. You’re going to need shoulder pads, helmets, cleats, and other protective gear.
And then what? With lots of practice, a heaping dose of talent, and plenty of luck, you’ll enter the market of NFL teams franchising. You’ll become a player, possibly even a star.
We wish you all the best of luck with making your dream come true. Someday, we may all be cheering for you as you play with the NFL team you love best.