March Madness Championship is just days away, having us all intrigued on who will win! Whether you play the game, devotedly follow, or just show up for the food, watching basketball is as American as cheeseburgers and hot dogs on Independence Day. But little do we realize just how much agriculture plays a huge part in our beloved game!
Whether you follow NBA, NCAA, or both, the very roots and origin of basketball are all about agriculture. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, was a farm kid himself. The game was even inspired by one of his favorite childhood games. The very first basket used was a peach basket, which he eventually cut the bottom out of to help quicken the game. Later, it was farmer Arthur Ehrat who created the “breakaway basket rim.” Any idea which spring he used for the prototype when car springs weren’t strong enough? Yep: a spring from a John Deere cultivator. This simple invention changed the sport forever, allowing players to dunk the ball without constantly breaking the rim.
Can you guess what the actual basketball is made out of? Cowhide! One cowhide can make 12 basketballs. Just NBA itself goes through 1 ball per game, 1230 per season. Each team is given 72 balls at the start of the season. Each ball has been bounced 50 times prior to “wake up the leather.” That’s $209,100 worth of basketballs and 102.5 cows! Horween Leather Company is the exclusive source of each basketball for the NBA. They receive 3,000 cowhides every week. That’s 36,000 basketballs!
Do you just show up for the food? No judgment
here! Nothing in life is quite complete without our favorite dishes! Popular dishes for March Madness are barbeque sliders, chicken bacon ranch quesadillas, and of course, deep dish pizza. An average of each person will consume a total of $66.60 in alcohol. From the barly for the beer to the meat for the sliders, Agriculture provides all the food!
What about the actual court itself? Insulation is a by-product of cattle. After the cow is processed for meat, the remains are processed into different materials such as collagen, crayons, shoe glue, and so much more, creating a “byproduct.” If there’s wallpaper anywhere inside the building, you can thank a cow. Even the court itself, made of wood from trees and plywood, a byproduct of cattle.
All the cheerleaders use either animal or plant based products to beautify themselves. Both cheerleaders and the athletes also eat important diets vital to their performance, all given to you by farmers. And, our favorite one to mention in every article: our beloved toilet paper. Another wonderful byproduct of cattle.
Agriculture is truly the backbone of our country. Between food and primary products to the thousands of byproducts plants and animals give us, our American farmers and ranchers truly make the world go round. Follow us for more, and remember to thank a farmer today!