Victor Cruz, whose 1,536 receiving yards set a single season franchise record for the New York Giants, has had an impactful year in the NFL. As a result, he will be provided with a significant opportunity to obtain a higher paid contract with various teams and endorsement deals from various fortune 500 companies. However, as he goes on throughout his career I think he can learn from the sport of boxing that New York is the place for him. With Puerto Rican boxing stars such as Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad becoming enormous attractions in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, due to the high population of Puerto Ricans in New York, Victor Cruz can accomplish the same feat in New York. Cruz has become an enormous attraction in his own right due to his performance on the field, Puerto Rican background and Salsa touchdown dance. As a result, Cruz has tapped into the Latino market that is not as massive in football in comparison to baseball and boxing.
Monetarily, boxing in New York City’s Madison Square Garden has shown evidence that a Puerto Rican athlete can be highly successful in the New York market. People of Puerto Rican decent form a connection with the athlete and show significant support, especially when there are few in a sport such as football. Therefore, if Cruz can continue to perform well throughout his career, specifically in New York, the opportunities are present for him to make a significant impact monetarily on the NFL. The NFL and sponsoring companies will clearly be keeping a close eye on Cruz as he can be their gateway into the Latino market which will result in even greater ticket and television revenue for an already great sport. It would be smart for Cruz to take a page out of Cotto and Trinidad’s book and continue to cater towards the Latino community as he can make a significant impact on football.
Culturally, for the Latino community, baseball is the predominant sport and will continue to be for a long time. However, the appearance of Cruz and future Latino football players in the NFL can attract some of America’s youth to the sport of Football. The connection by Cruz to Latino adults will translate to a greater population of Latino children gaining an interest in football, which will increase the pool of Latino talent playing football both in college and professionally. As a result, it seems that the success of Cruz is a victory for all parties involved; however, the path Cruz takes his career next has significant implications for various aspects of the sport and people of Latino descent.
To conclude, Victor Cruz made a significant impact on football this year and can be a gateway between the Latino community and the NFL. The sport of boxing, specifically in New York City, has shown that a Puerto Rican athlete can be very successful in the New York market due to the high population of Puerto Ricans residing in the area. NFL teams can follow this marketing strategy, which could increase the number of Latino football players playing on the collegiate and professional levels. Credit must be given to Cruz for making his Latino background visible to the league and fans around the world with just a simple Salsa touch down dance. Yes, some may argue that it is just a touchdown dance, but when is the last time you saw a super bowl shirt displaying salsa steps on the back of the shirt. It has become evident that Cruz has brought something special to football and the Latino communities as people around the world are introduced to a successful Latino NFL player.
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