Recently in class, we’ve discussed power laws and how they apply to popularity effects, most notably the “rich-get-richer” phenomenon. Essentially, this phenomenon manifests itself when the probability that a person experiences an increase in popularity (or an increase in wealth, social status, etc.) is directly proportional to the person’s current popularity. This makes intuitive sense, since individuals are more likely to find out about a person (and thus provide an increase in their popularity) if the person is already somewhat well-known. My friend is more likely to hear about Brad Pitt in an everyday setting than he or she is to hear about my second cousin twice-removed. This effect is present in many facets of our lives, and it is not surprising that it also manifests itself in more novel settings such as the NFL Pro Bowl.

One can view the football league as a network structure. Each team consists of nodes (players) who are strongly linked to one another, and the teams in turn are clustered in terms of division or conference. With regards to college football, the most talented players choose their own teams with little outside influence. Obviously, these players wish to play for the most successful teams and, thus, will select their teams based on each one’s current strength, level of talent, and/or coach’s prominence. These are usually pretty good indicators of how well a certain team will do in the league. In this way, the better teams (at least in the eyes of the people) will continually get more and more skilled recruits, effectively maintaining and possibly increasing their elite status. This is one way the “rich-get-richer” phenomenon shows itself in the realm of football.

Another interesting manifestation of this effect is in Pro Bowl appearances. Power laws are very good approximations of talent distribution in the NFL, with the highly skilled players making the most Pro Bowl appearances (but skill is not all that has to do with this). It would seem that being chosen for the Pro Bowl is also due to a player’s connectivity within the league. The more popular a player is, the more likely he will receive votes from fellow players and coaches. Also, the skill level of a player’s team, how much publicity the player and the team receive, and how the player performed in previous seasons all influence his selection to participate in the Pro Bowl. In other words, even if a player is not the most skilled athlete in the league, certain factors such as popularity can continually place him in the spotlight and, as a result, continually place him in the Pro Bowl. Again, the “rich-get-richer” effect is at work.

This type of analysis of the NFL is interesting for a number of reasons. One, it shows the hierarchical nature of the organization. It also shows how a second-tier team may have to struggle for a period of time before it truly makes it into the spotlight. Its unpopularity works against it, even though it may consist of highly skilled players. These players first have to achieve a slight degree of renown, and soon this renown will build on itself and propel the team into elite status. At this point, the team can afford to lose a certain degree of talent and still keep its high level of popularity just based on the sole fact that it is already popular. In this way, the “popular-get-more popular.” From business tycoons to celebrities or pop singers, the well-known usually become more well-known, regardless of whether they deserve to have an increase in popularity. The NFL is no different.

Source: http://www.advancednflstats.com/2009/04/earthquakes-kevin-bacon-financial.html