Supply vs. Demand: Equilibrium not always best
             Some economists look at things as black and white. Supply and Demand are very straight forward concepts, and businesses almost "always want to produce at the most economical quantity-price combination. Graphically, the intersection of the supply curve and the demand curve for the product will indicate the equilibrium point - where there is neither a shortage nor a surplus" (TheShortRun.com). This tends to be where a company will do business most efficiently. The NFL is a business like any other. The NFL is in the entertainment industry and it must meet the demands of its fans.
             The Super Bowl is the most widely watched sports event in the U.S. and carries with it a high regard. Those who can attend the Super Bowl in person are considered lucky and by the idea of supply and demand the lucky few should be paying a great deal for that privilege. This is not the case; Why? The answer is that the NFL realizes that it is not watched by only the rich and being in the entertainment industry, image is everything. In order not to lose its fan base, the NFL owners and commissioner allow tickets to be available at relatively low prices through a lottery.
             Image being important for long term profit, the NFL, a business, cannot simply follow the laws of supply and demand. "The law of demand [states] that there is an inverse negative relationship between the price of the commodity and quantity demanded," (http://vlad1mir.tripod.com/market_interaction.htm) and being that the demand for Super Bowl a ticket is so high, the ticket price should rise dramatically. At equilibrium the NFL's profit would be greater than what it is at present, however, such high prices would lower the appeal of the league. Fans would notice that the owners are catering only to those elite few that can afford the prices. This has the potential to lower the preference of the people tow...