On their social media channels, Amazon revealed a new football that is being “engineered exclusively for Thursday Night Football.”
In collaboration with the NFL and Wilson, “The Prime Football” is elongated and is meant to be “faster,” “more aerodynamic,” and have “better grip” than the regular football.
Amazon is playing a game of “Schrödinger’s football” where we don’t fully know if this is legitimately going to be used on Thursday night Amazon games or if this is some sort of publicity stunt or product that will be sold exclusively on Amazon.
For many reasons, this football very likely isn’t going to be used in NFL games. For one thing, a league that issues fines to players who wear their socks too low having a different football for specific games sounds even more insane than it already is but it’s also a safety issue. Because as this clip from Russell Wilson shows, an NFL quarterback using The Prime Football might literally go through the body of a wide receiver. Okay maybe not, but it’ll definitely result in more broken fingers.
Heat coming from this new Prime ball on Thursday nights 🔥 … New team. New ball. New season. Let’s Ride! #TNFonPrime @NFLonPrime @WilsonFootball pic.twitter.com/q6v9RvY8Zk
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) August 30, 2022
Anyway, reactions to The Prime Football have run the gamut on social media. From those who are openly making fun of the ball.
https://twitter.com/lukeknox/status/1564622882323533839?s=20&t=cZVvfxyW3X8ru5_GwJ2lIw
I'm sure this is already tagged as "Amazon's Choice" when you search for "football". https://t.co/69McMssDSK
— Keith (@rel904) August 30, 2022
They designed this ball for kenny pickett https://t.co/HXB8g7M2qR
— C (@cb008135) August 30, 2022
To those already assuming it’s a joke or at the very least asking if this is a joke.
PLEASE SAY SIKE pic.twitter.com/QiKQguAY71
— JAKE ELLENBOGEN (@JKBOGEN) August 30, 2022
This is a joke, right? A different ball for Thursday night games? How was this even approved by the @NFL? #NFL #NFLTwitter #Amazon #NFLonPrime https://t.co/4ip90nSLux
— Mikaela Mattes (@mikaelamattes) August 30, 2022
This is a joke right?? https://t.co/TJXvBQWrqp
— YoungSimba (@BossBejar) August 30, 2022
This can't be real https://t.co/SlZrNK4LnM
— Nick Proto (@NickWRDW) August 30, 2022
To those who are downright rejecting it or may or may not actually believe this is true.
Nah bruh https://t.co/hhlCPJY0VJ
— Gabe McDonald (@GabeMcDonald_) August 30, 2022
This is terrible. Why do you need to make #TNF a gimmick? Going to be hard to take these games serious. Any one handed catch on #TNFonPrime means nothing with these little baby balls #NFL https://t.co/to1iK1PWTn
— Chris Phillips (@phillipschris12) August 30, 2022
So if a player sets any throwing, receiving or scoring records in a Thursday Night Game, would there be an asterisk? https://t.co/qDJOKAeZ0M
— Mun Bagri, MA (@MunBagri) August 30, 2022
This is already the worst thing that has happened to the NFL. Don’t make it worse https://t.co/MHVEskZKHQ
— Ryan (@chubbycham21) August 30, 2022
Terrible idea https://t.co/KbZzoBoxrt
— CRI$FROMDEEP (@Playboycris_) August 30, 2022
This is the stupidest thing ever. How is there a special football for Thursday games??? Completely different then a normal football… https://t.co/CyMgCNQUtU
— DJ Heer (@DJHeerMusic) August 30, 2022
At least we know every Week 1 game will have the regular looking football. For Week 2, when Amazon makes their regular season debut with the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, we’ll wait and see if The Prime Football makes its debut as well.
[Photo: NFL on Prime]
