| Major changes are occurring within the multi-billion dollar football industry, and with those changes have come areas of growth and conflict. The purpose of the study is to explore how the future of existing as well as new teams both in the United States and abroad can be balanced to meet the needs and expectations of society and the football community. A three-round classical Delphi study examines areas of change and conflict identified in a pilot study of football professionals from across the country. Experts identified trends regarding labor and management, safety and rules, officials and officiating, media and merchandising, expansion, and management. Twelve respondents from National Football League teams, former professional football players, and media authors and analysts participated, and in doing so, considered the effects of the trends on the impacted entities in and around football: fans, managers, players, advertisers, officials, and the game itself.;The study is based on the theories of conflict and functionalism, and shows how they interact to produce a form of functional conflict. It employs a two-winged Kantian approach that combines a priori assumptions with empirical data: football reflects significant social stress points that characterize American society cross-culturally; and that it is necessary to balance the profit-driven motive with the sport motive. Rounds consisted of personal interviews followed by a 36-item scaled questionnaire. In the second and third rounds, consensus is obtained on 31 events forecast to the year 2015. Data is analyzed in raw figures; in charting aggregate figures which combine time frames; in percentage grids for each of the six major areas examined; and in written analysis of the largely qualitative material. |
