Get Primed on the Pigskin

XX GET PRIMED ON THE PIGSKIN The NFL is America's most popular sport, but without the ball there wouldn't be a game. NFL footballs are actually made from cowhide, not pigskin. THANKS FOR SAVING OUR BACON! NFL The NFL and WILSON first hooked up in 1941 and have been going steady ever since. Wilson All Wilson's footballs are handmade in a factory in ADA, OHIO The factory, or more accu- rately, its 130 workers, busts out 700,000 0FFICIAL FOOTBALLS A YEAR for the NFL, NCAA, American Youth Football, and other associations. ..can make 10 footballs. The hide of each Bellowin' Betsy... THE AVERAGE WORKER AT THE FACTORY IN ADA HAS BEEN THERE FOR 20 YEARS. NEBRASKA IOWA The cows used to make Wilson footballs grew up chewing their KANSAS cud on feedlots in three of America's $90 corniest states. So much for "THE DUKE* hide-ing out. Wilson's F1100 "The Duke" is the official NFL game ball. It's named after Wellington "Duke" Each INDOOR game Mara. Who's he? Duke was the gets 36 BALLS owner of the NY Giants before he died in 2005 and is a member of Each OUTDOOR game the Pro Football Hall of Fame. gets 48 BALLS "The Duke" retails for around $90. It has four panels sewed For the SUPER BOWL alone, Wilson supplies together and finished off with one single lace tying its way through 16 lace holes. 120 BALLS 12,800 game balls at $90 a pop equals $1,152,000. Wilson supplies the NFL with 12,800 BALL $90?! I'd hate to foot the ball on that one! THAT'S 1,280 *talk about a wardrobe COWS A YEAR! malfunction for all the cows missing their hides. January 2012, O brassMEDIA Research & Writing Jens Odegaard Design & Layout: Jessica Hodgson Sources: freakonomics.com wilson.com, usatoday.com moneysideoflife.com PER YEAR. -----