Super Bowl XLII was a bit anticlimactic on the Strip. Betting at the Nevada books failed to reach nine figures as projected, coming in at $92.1 million. But don’t think for a second that means the NFL is losing its touch. According to a Harris Interactive poll taken last month, pro football is still the No. 1 choice of the American sports fan.

Not only that, pro football has gained in stature over the past 20 years, becoming twice as popular as the fading sport of baseball. College football, auto racing and hockey were next on the list.

What about basketball? Bad news for fans of the hardcourt: According to the poll, the NBA has slipped dramatically from the Michael Jordan years, when the league was more popular than college football. Now it ranks equally with golf, as does college hoops. Try taking that poll in March instead of January and see what happens.