If you were like most of America on Super Bowl Sunday, you were probably glued to your TV into what seemingly should be a national holiday for football fanatics (or at least we think so). Super Bowl LVIII, hosted in Las Vegas, did not disappoint in what was a neck-and-neck battle between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs up until the very last seconds. The game ended with the Chiefs accomplishing the near-impossible task of winning “back-to-back” world titles, making them the first team to do so since the New England Patriots in 2003 – 2004.
For us at Riddell, and for many in the football community, Super Bowl week is viewed as the perfect finale of what we would call an incredible, action-packed season! The week leading up to the big game provided us the opportunity to celebrate not only an epic matchup of two dominant teams, but also the chance to interact with the next generation of football athletes.
On Friday, February 9, local middle schoolers were invited to participate in the 2024 NFL Experience, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Riddell joined in on the fun by organizing a workshop for the kids to design their very own Riddell mini helmet. Our event ran concurrently with a beginner-friendly tackle and flag clinic session on the Play Football field, led by our NFL partners.
The fun continued to Saturday, February 10, at the Play Football Family Festival hosted at the local Desert Oasis High School. This free, open-to-the-public event celebrated youth and high school football participants, coaches, programs, and partners. Given this was a festival after all, we were able to showcase a variety of On-Field NFL SpeedFlex and Axiom helmets for all in attendance to snap some photos repping their favorite team.
During the Play Football Family Festival, we also displayed our “I love football because…” wall, where friends and family could add a helmet sticker and share their testament on why they love the game. The collected responses only added further validation that football is bigger than just a game; seeing the impact that football has made both on and off the field for communities, much like the one in Las Vegas, brings a great sense of pride to our team as we continue to look to grow the game.
And that’s a wrap on the 2023 – 2024 NFL season…thank you to all for an unforgettable year! Although this core football season has come and gone, we look forward to the continued pursuit of blazing trails for protecting athletes next season and beyond.
Next up, Riddell’s support of the spring football playing community including the UFL and WNFC.