Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, tosses a football during Penn State Pro Day in State College, Pa., Tuesday, March 20, 2018. Barkley did not participate in the drills. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Here we are in the middle of the NHL and NBA playoffs, with Major League Baseball, despite bad weather in many parts of the country, beginning in earnest, and yet football still dominates many of the headlines and talk radio shows.

Forget the narratives driven by the far left media that football is ‘dangerous,’ leading to CTE, memory loss and other long-term health issues, as well as players kneeling for the national anthem driving fans away.

The health risks, while not to be minimized, have always been there. And for that matter, athletes speaking out on social issues is nothing new either.

Did you know that soccer and basketball players are statistically at a higher risk of suffering a concussion than their football counterparts? That’s according to a recent study done by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

The fact of the matter is that, while interest and ratings in the other major sports in this country are very healthy, football is still king by a wide margin.

And while 37 of the 50 most watched sporting events in 2017 were NFL games, it’s far more than just the games themselves that football grasps far better than its counterparts.

They know how to dominate the offseason.

Every other sport in this country is seasonal. Football is not.

Right now we are in April, and all the focus is on the NFL Draft, which has become a national phenomenon. Any water cooler talk around the office these days is more likely to be centered around the 2018 quarterback class than it is LeBron James’ Cavs losing Game 1 to the Pacers.

And it’s not just the NFL, either.

College football is center stage in April as well. Between spring practice, recruiting news and high-profile transfers, fans are talking about it.

The same simply can’t be said for other sports.

Sure, baseball has its hot stove season, and the NBA and NHL drafts and free agency can pique interest for a short time, but for the most part, when the other three major sports are in the offseason, there’s not a lot of discussion.

So when pondering the question why does football continue dominating its competitors and maintain its status as most popular sport in America, consider the fact that they do a better job of selling themselves and their important offseason events.

And it’s not even close.