Tim Brown: Apple's Appeal

Are you ready for some football?

It's only Thursday, but that doesn't mean you can't get a taste of some NFL action. In the past, the way fans got their Thursday fill of the pro pigskin was to wait until Thanksgiving, when they could watch the Lions in the early game and Cowboys in the afternoon. But in recent years, the NFL expanded its schedule to include Thursday-night games, scheduled this season during the first week and weeks 10 to 16. Tonight, which kicks off week 10, pits the Denver Broncos against the Browns in Cleveland.

This isn't the NFL's first expansion from Sunday-only games. Decades ago, in response to fans clamoring for more than just their local Sunday game, the NFL launched Monday Night Football, which allowed it to promote the best teams on an even bigger stage. From there, it expanded to Sunday Night Football and late-season Saturday games.

These various expansions have been a way for an already tremendously successful league and sport to branch out even more, bringing more of its games to a national audience and expanding its dominance. The NFL has taken a sport many thought was already so successful it was nearing a ceiling, and it has blown the roof off. ...