sport can bring global recognition as they go onto pro T&F competition, euro and asian BB teams, Olympic sports, etc. Football is uniquely American with virtually no exposure elsewhere. It's to the US what "Australian Rules" (type of rugby) is to Australians, but nobody in the rest the world knows anything about the game or the players.

The only Olympic football is soccer, and fans worldwide know everything about the outstanding players. Same is true of skiing, T&F, BB, cycling, etc. American football, especially college, is a mystery to 85% of the people in the world. Now that college teams are semi-pro, it will become even more diminished.