ONE of the most important jobs of the Super Bowl is already well underway.
While Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and other star players will take center-stage in front of millions in New Orleans – and reap the glory or the pain – work is already underway to make the game happen.
One huge bit of preparation is underway nearly 1,000 miles from the Superdrome in Ada, Ohio.
Wilson have been making the Super Bowl balls since 1955 and supply every team in the NFL – plus dozens of college and high school programs – with their balls.
Wilson Football Factory plant manager Kasey Patton said: “We watch the AFC and NFC Championship games and once they are over we spring into action.
“I think being part of the story, being on the largest stage in the world… it’s just a buzz.
“It’s the pride that these people have, the craftsmanship that goes on out there.”
Usually, balls make about three days each to make but the first batch needs to be made and delivered within 18 hours of the end of the games to give the teams time to get used to them.
Workers are up through the night preparing and making the first set.
Both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will receive a shipment of 108 balls each.
A dozen more will be used for the kickers to practice with.
Some of the balls will be used for general practice and the best ones will be set aside by the quarterbacks.
About 50 will be locked away for the big kick off on Sunday, February 9.
They will be stamped with the Super Bowl logo and the team names.
Professional balls differ from those sold in shops as they don’t have the large stripe around the ends.
They also have chips embedded inside so stats guys can track the ball’s position on the field, how far it has traveled and the trajectory on throws.
Patton added: “It’s a 20-step process – cutting leather, sewing liners on the leather, sewing the balls together through lock stitch and then lacing them up.
“None of this would be possible without the individuals on the production floor, it’s all about the craftsmen and women in their.
“Hand crafted in Ada, Ohio.”
Throughout the process, the balls are weighed, measured and inspected for flaws.
The Super Bowl work goes to the factory’s most experienced and skilled workers.
Once finished they are checked again before being shipped.
“Certain parts of the process require a handmade feel,” Kevin Murphy, general manager of Wilson Team Sports added.
“It’s like making a beautiful, sculpted pair of shoes.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The tiny Ohio factory which makes Super Bowl balls – the most important hidden job for the Chiefs-Eagles game )
Also on site :
- Pro-EU candidate wins Romanian presidential election rerun
- Popular British TV Star, 47, Debuts Unrecognizable New Look at Cannes Premiere
- WNBA investigating racial slurs by fans made at Angel Reese during Indiana game, AP Source says