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Players preferred playing on the road
Player lunches
Every week of his first season as an owner, Mitch Rales sat down to lunch with 10 to 12 players. Each person introduced himself with where he grew up, his family history, his college career, and what he hoped for, and then Rales asked what the team should be doing differently.
The home crowd
One of the team's best players raised his hand and explained that at home games there were more fans rooting for the other team, and a lot of negativity in the stands left over from the former owner. Rales committed to selling out every home game. The first game of the season, against the Arizona Cardinals, drew a sellout crowd in burgundy and gold, and Arizona fans do not travel much, so the players ran out of the tunnel to a home crowd. The team won one of the few games it took that year.
The shampoo
Another player asked whether the team could do better than the shampoo he was using. Rales knew a little something about shampoo, so he arranged for a different brand to be stocked in the locker rooms at the practice facility and the stadium. The players soon wanted it for their wives, and the brand became a sponsor of the team.
Why do home teams win more often?
NFL home teams have historically won about 57 percent of games, according to results compiled over several decades. Researchers point to crowd noise, travel fatigue, and referee decisions as causes. A 2002 study by Alan Nevill, Nigel Balmer, and Mark Williams found that referees who watched tapes of fouls with crowd noise were more likely to favor the home side than referees who watched in silence.
How do rival fans fill a home stadium?
Secondary ticket markets let anyone buy a seat, and games against popular teams or stars draw fans willing to travel or buy online. Resale platforms made it easy for out-of-town supporters to buy seats in bulk. Some teams respond by limiting resale or by pricing to draw local demand. StubHub, one of the first large resale sites, was founded in 2000.
How do locker-room products become team sponsors?
Teams sell sponsorships by category, such as official beverage, official car, or official hair care, and grant a brand exclusive rights within it. A product used daily by players gives the brand a believable link to the team. Sponsorship deals typically bundle signage, advertising, and appearances along with use of the team's name and marks. The league handles trademark licensing through NFL Properties, which was formed in 1963.
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