2023-02-16
53 分钟Adam Smith famously argued that specialization is the key to prosperity. In the N.F.L., the long snapper is proof of that argument. Here’s everything there is to know about a job that didn’t used to exist.
Hey there, it's Stephen Dubner.
If you watched this past Sunday Super bowl in which the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles by kicking a field goal with just a few seconds left, you may have noticed a few things.
You may have noticed that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is just an absurdly good and clutch performer, even when he's hurt.
You may have noticed the controversial holding penalty on the Eagles defense that gave the Chiefs a chance to run out the clock before Harrison Butker kicked that winning field goal.
One thing you almost certainly didn't notice was the man who snapped the ball on that winning kick.
His name, by the way, is James Winchester.
He is the Chief's long snapper, and you're not supposed to notice him because we only notice the long snapper when something goes wrong, as it did in last year's Super bowl.
Yay.
No Packer picks the ball.
A bad snap.
Last year, just before that Super bowl, we published an episode about the profession of the long snapper.
Now, we've gone back and updated that episode, and it includes an interview with the allegedly guilty long snapper to set the record straight.
So you're about to hear an updated version of our episode called why does the most monotonous job in the world pay $1 million?
Hope you enjoy.
This is Freakonomics radio, the podcast that explores the hidden side of everything, with your host, Stephen Dubner.
Our story today is about specialization in the labor market.
Exciting, right?
It is about one nearly invisible job inside a highly visible profession.
Lets start by asking, what is specialization exactly?
Specialization is one of the things that makes us rich.