“The Duke” is the name of the ball NFL. Wilson has been producing it since 1941 and it is the longest collaboration in the history of American sports. More than 700,000 units are made by hand every year. This Sunday will be the weapon of Patrick Mahomes AND Brock Purdy inside Super Bowl LVIII From Las Vegas.
The ball is hand-made at Wilson’s factory in Ada, Ohio, at a rate of up to 2,500 units per day. His name, “The Duke”, honors one of the most iconic figures in NFL history and former owner of the New York Giants, Wellington Mara. The manager was nicknamed “The Duke” because he bore the name Wellington, like the famous Duke, according to the company.
The American brand, based in Chicago, started construction of a new ultra-modern factory in Ada last year for the production of ‘The Duke’. Retail prices for the balls range between $45 and $249 for a special edition made for the grand final in Las Vegas.
The official footballs are handmade with a five-step process that involves much more winds workers.
Patrick Mahomes, one of those who treat the Duke best. Photo: AFP.The American brand’s specialists cut the leather into four parts and sew the pieces together before turning them inside out with the help of a steam machine to soften the material. Then the inner tube is inserted and the ball is closed with white laces. Finally, the ovoid is inflated and shaped into the ideal shape.
The company produces up to 2,500 balloons a day and more than 700,000 a yearaccording to data published by the Chicago company.
To meet the large demand, in 2023 the company has started work to build a new factory in Ada which will occupy an area of 80,000 square feet (7.4 square kilometers) and which is expected to be ready in May this year , the brand reports.
Brock Purdy, San Francisco quarterback. Photo: EFE/EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO.At the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium, Wilson made some special editions of the ball which include the logo of the Las Vegas final and the names of the two teams.
Fans can choose from three versions: one for the Chiefs, one for the 49ers and one with the names of both franchises.
The price? $249.95, excluding tax.
It is a collector’s item which, however, will not be the authentic one used on Sunday in Las Vegas. The company emphasizes that it is “the closest thing to the official ball that a fan can receive”.
The numbers of the Super Bowl in Las Vegas
The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will face each other on Sunday in the 58th edition of the Super Bowl, organized at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with a capacity of 65,000 spectators.
Although ticket prices have dropped as much as 15% over the past week, the cheapest ticket to Allegiant Stadium sold last Wednesday for more than $6,500 on the online sales platform TicketSmarter.
In Vivid seatsanother online sales app, ticket prices ranged from $5,700 to $29,000 for a second-row seat.
Messi will be in a Super Bowl commercial. Photo: Michelob Ultra via AP.The thirty-second commercials during the game are the most expensive in history, with the price estimated by the “CBS” network at seven million dollars.
Among the protagonists this year there will be the Argentine Lionel Messi, David and Victoria Beckham, as well as Tom Brady and Anthony Hopkins.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.