Then again, isn’t there plenty of beer and violence at a boxing match, a mixed-martial arts event, a pro wrestling exhibition or a demolition derby? Yes, but what none of those events have is the implicit permission given to grown men to dress up in costume.

Now, if I normally were to, say, look down to the dining area of the Embassy Suites in Irving, Texas, to see what appeared to be a group of men dressed as Leif Ericsson’s crew enjoying the hotel’s Thanksgiving dinner, I would normally demand a room at a another inn. But because the Minnesota Vikings are in town to play the Dallas Cowboys, I don’t bat an eye. I’m even impressed at the fans’ dedication to travel thousands of miles to play Hagar the Horrible.

That is the NFL’s real power. For all that violence and beer supply as a fan’s release, the freedom to dress however you want is the ultimate sign that this is a sport different than others. Sure, people do this at college football games, but not anyone over the age of 22.

The adults and alumni in the college crowd tend to be more genteel, especially the ones that sent a $20,000 check to the booster club to get their seats. Plus, it looks creepy when grown men dress up for the benefit of what are, technically, students.

But look in about any NFL stadium, and there are numerous men who have taken the opportunity to shuck their everyday clothes to dye their hair and/or full body in team colors and put on the most ridiculous-looking costumes they can find to show love to their team, and show the other fans how much they should love their team.

It doesn’t take many of these humble men turned Sunday superheroes to send the message to the rest of the crowd that something special is going on here. Dress like that in your backyard? You’d probably get arrested. Dress like that at an NFL game? You are superfan, firing up the crowd!

NFL games to watch Must-see TV Cowboys-Packers, Pats-Steelers just a few ’07 schedule highlights Getty Images

Violence, beer, the ability of grown men to get away with dressing up in costume — as long as the NFL provides all three, it will continue to be the most popular sport in America, filling stadiums even when the best seat of the house is at home, on television. Those corporate stooges in their tax-deductible luxury boxes and club seats might take away the best seats, and drive up the price of games, but even they wouldn’t even dream of taking away our violence, our beer, our costumes. Would they?

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