If you’re a real football enthusiast and maybe even like to play the game yourself, you’ve probably noticed that the Super Bowl ball is much darker than the ones you buy at the shop. Do you ever wonder “Why is the Super Bowl football so dark?”?
Well, I guess you might consider this your response. The New York Giants and the other NFL clubs follow a certain protocol that results in a significantly less bright game for the Super Bowl.
The fresh ball is “vigorously” brushed with a dark brush for 45 minutes directly after arrival. The brushing is done to get rid of the wax and darken the look of the ball. The ball is then soaked all over with a moist towel after this process is complete. Here you will find out why is the super bowl ball so dark.
Contents
How to Make the Super Bowl Football So Dark?
Here are the eight procedures you need to follow to achieve the same dark color as the Super Bowl football.
First Step
The first step in making a store-bought football look like a Super Bowl ball is to give it a good, thorough brushing. Following this formula will provide the optimum outcome. It should first be brushed in a clockwise motion, then counterclockwise, then upward, and finally downward.
There are numerous retailers that offer the leather chemical. One can be purchased from any number of vendors. The leather compound is more effectively distributed across the ball’s surface as you brush it. Brushing the football helps improve grip.
Second Step
Two items, the tack spray and the conditioner, are needed for this phase. “tack” refers to the stitching that secures the leather of the ball. Both items are utilized at a predetermined proportion.
It is recommended to combine the tack spray’s one part with the conditioner’s two parts. In order to ensure that the condition stays put after being sprayed to the leather, a tack spray is used. To facilitate the conditioner’s absorption into the leather, step two entails deflating the ball to a pressure of roughly 8 psi.
Third StepÂ
It’s time to dry it to perfection now that you’ve finished the first three steps of cleansing and applied the conditioner. To do this, use a heat gun or a blow dryer, whatever is more convenient.
Leave as least 5 inches of space between the ball and your equipment before attempting to dry the conditioner. Although the conditioner is being absorbed into the leather, the term “drying out” may be a bit of a misnomer.
Fourth Step
Blow-drying the ball adds some stickiness and is a necessary step. Another coat should be applied when the conditioner has dried. It can be applied with the help of a towel. If you’ve ever pondered why the Super Bowl is played at night, this is your answer.
Soon, you will be shocked at how easily you were able to do that on your own. A second application of conditioner causes the leather to darken to the shade of a Super Bowl football. The darkening of the leather shows that it can now absorb more water.
Fifth Step
Just about now is when you’d like to use some football mud. There is a wide variety of football mud available for purchase online. To use, simply produce a slurry out of the “Rubbing Mud” and water. The ideal thickness would be somewhere in the middle. Spread this concoction in a thin layer over the entire football.
Sixth Step
The final action is to give the ball one last brushing. To prevent the mud from falling off the ball, brush it into it instead. The Super Bowl ball is really dark, but your replica is dull in comparison.
A little layer of conditioner and a pressure of 13 pounds per square inch (psi) are all that’s needed to get this ball rolling. In fact, you’ll notice there’s no longer any discernible distinction.
Conclusion
The wax and the light color of the leather are both removed and darkened by vigorously rubbing the new ball for 45 minutes with a dark brush. The ball is then soaked all the way through by scrubbing it with a damp towel.
According to Ed Skiba, “you’re not done” until the ball is so saturated with water that drops of water will not roll off of it. In a close game, the Giants came out on top, 21-17. On February 5, 2012, the first ever Super Bowl was played in Indiana, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
