How come europeans don't do american football?
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Topic: How come europeans don't do american football?
Posted By: Count Belisarius
Subject: How come europeans don't do american football?
Date Posted: 14-Dec-2008 at 22:45
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Why don't people in europe (and any other non USA country for that matter) play american football? play nicely now I'm not trying to start a fight or anything I'm just curious as to how come people in europe don't do football, and if you would like to see an amercan style pro or college football league come to be or not? ------------- 
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting) 
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Replies:
Posted By: Aster Thrax Eupator
Date Posted: 14-Dec-2008 at 22:51
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'cause we have Rugby that isn't as corny and posturing ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 14-Dec-2008 at 22:51
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Because football alludes to just that foot and ball. Thus football being what is here called soccer. Plus it is much more intense and personal. No time outs every fifteen seconds, two 45 minute halves, no pampering. ------------- |
Posted By: pikeshot1600
Date Posted: 14-Dec-2008 at 22:52
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I believe they do. There is a league in Germany, and there is interest in US football in Britain. I am not familiar with all of it, but I have read a few items about it.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 14-Dec-2008 at 23:07
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There is the NFL Europe league. Which has the worst talent pool and serious lack of interest. College football is of higher caliber. There is a huge interest in basketball however. ------------- |
Posted By: Count Belisarius
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 00:08
 You ever see a soccer player tackled?-------------
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting)
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Posted By: Count Belisarius
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 00:09
How exactly is football corny? -------------
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting)
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 00:34
Actually, the opposite is what people all over the world wonder:
Why the United States don't like British football (soccer)?
Now, with respect to the question, I believe people all over the world like RUGBY besides soccer. American football, though, requieres too much gear (hard-hat, shoulder protection, etc) to really be a popular sport. It looks not natural. It is just like seen a bunch of robots fighting.
Yeap, if the rest of the people on this planet has to choose a game similar to American football, I bet they will go for rugby. In any case, Soccer is the favorite because is fast and need skills other than brute force.
However, believe or not, there is a league of American football in Mexico!
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 00:36
Why should he be? ------------- |
Posted By: edgewaters
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 01:19
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I wouldn't say corny ... I think alot of Europeans perceive American football as homoerotic and want nothing to do with it. |
Posted By: red clay
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 01:56
Strange, your the first person I've heard say that.
 ------------- "Arguing with someone who hates you or your ideas, is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter what move you make, your opponent will walk all over the board and scramble the pieces". Unknown. |
Posted By: edgewaters
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 02:10
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I heard that criticism from three different Brits who didn't know each other ... it's definately anecdotal but on the other hand a bit much to be a coincidence. The protective gear also seemed to be a common theme - they seemed to think it was comical or absurd, which is odd, considering I've never heard anyone from overseas complain about the gear worn in hockey. |
Posted By: Count Belisarius
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 02:40
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Well if you must know most americans think the same about soccer -------------
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting)
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Posted By: Whiteice
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 02:46
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Personally, I would prefer to play Rugby over American football, mainly because you odn't have to lug so much gear on your backs and slow yourself down. Plus, rugby is an older sport and more action packed then football and much less slow. There aren't penalties every 5 seconds for hitting a kciker or a quarterback. That's just my opinion thouhg, and everyone has a right to their own opinion. ------------- "Speed is good, but accuracy is everything"-Xenophon |
Posted By: Omar al Hashim
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 02:53
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I've played Gridiron at school. With no pads but, wearing that much armour is considered just a tad* sissy. Gridiron doesn't have a hope of challenging the Rugby-AFL-Cricket dominance though.
A better question is why don't Americans play Cricket? Apparently the first ever international game was played between the US & Canada.
Because Ice Hockey looks (and I am sure is) really dangerous.
*As in a lot. ------------- |
Posted By: SearchAndDestroy
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 03:30
The equipment doesn't seem to hamper players at all. It only protects the players out there, and I think it's worth it since there are still alot of injuries taking players out of the game(They should make better gun safties too for the football players ).------------- "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." E.Abbey 
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Posted By: Count Belisarius
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 03:37
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Exactly in all the games I've seen the gear doesn't slow 'em down a bit -------------
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting)
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Posted By: Omar al Hashim
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 06:56
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But the people who are inclined to want to play a game like gridiron in pads are even more inclined to play a different, less physical, sport and the people who do want to play a physical sport don't want to play it in pads. How did america manage to breed enough tough guys that are afraid of getting hurt to make gridiron popular? ------------- |
Posted By: Frederick Roger
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 12:53
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Most people I've talked to regarding american sports seem too find American Football and Baseball to complicated and methodic to get any enjoyment out of it. They seem to believe there is a lot of tactic and force rather than inspiration and talent involved in it (which I'm sure is not entirely true).
Another explanation, besides lack of publicy for thee sports (other than Hollywood), and very likely, in my view, is the lack of equipment for younger children to practice. For football (soccer), rugby and basketball all you need is the ball itself, no other apparel (it should be noticed that I don't believe cricket is that popular ouside the U.K. as well, probably for the same reasons). Once you start playing as a kid, there's not much turning to other sports.
All the time. The hard part is takling the ball from the player without touching him.
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Posted By: Reginmund
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 13:27
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American Football is tedious to watch because of the frequent break-offs each time someone gets ganged up on, which is like every 2 seconds. ------------- |
Posted By: Aster Thrax Eupator
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 14:15
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Hey don't get too offended! I don't really follow any sport - I just find the protective gear and stereotype quite funny. I wasn't exactly making a serious criticism of your culture of anything! ------------- |
Posted By: Al Jassas
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 14:24
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Football is easy, a ball, 2 teams and goal posts and the team that scores the most wins. Only three basic rules you should follow and a toddler can understand them. However having watched both college and professional American football I really can't understand how people watch those games, rules are complicated, the fun is killed by the obscene number of timeouts, and a guy like Manning gets 10s of millions of dollars for just throwing the ball. Believe me if I was 10 cm taller I would have become a star in this game and quit studying all toether.
Al-Jassas
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Posted By: Count Belisarius
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 17:04
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No offense or anything but most americans think the same of soccer I mean you can't use your hands. So what if Manning is paid a million big deal
BTW Omar the players aren't afraid of getting hurt watch a game sometime
ABTW Whoever said protective gear is sissified should take a look at the battle of marathon
Another thing with football you get cheerleaders   -------------
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting)
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Posted By: Batu
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 17:13
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gorillas play american football,gentle people watch; gentle players play soccer,gorillas watch it.
------------- A wizard is never late,nor he is early he arrives exactly when he means to :) ( Gandalf the White in the Third Age of History Empire Of Istari ) |
Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 17:51
Because american football is crap. And its not football. 'soccer' is football, and always will be! The games keep breaking up every two seconds and the clubs are incomprehensible franchise monstrosities, with transfer systems more confusing than the American tax code. Good old simple English football, the Roy of the Rovers kind of stuff, is unparalleled in other sport I think. ------------- |
Posted By: xristar
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 17:53
You don't even need that. In elementary school we just used a pressed tin can or a plastic bottle for ball, and a couple of stones or carbage for goal posts.
It's different getting killed and getting bruised. ------------- 
Defeat allows no explanation Victory needs none. It insults the dead when you treat life carelessly. |
Posted By: Temujin
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 17:59
I do have some itnerest in American football and yes there's a small league here though it will never become as popular as "real" football becuase football here dominates all sports. i've tried to regularly watch the Superbowl at last but the last one i've seen in full and live was Oakland Raiders vs Tampa Bay Bucaneers, can't even remember how long ago. the Superbowl taking place in the middle of the night over here doesn't help either. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 18:09
Not being able to use your hands make it that more challenging and that more fun for most people. As far as cheerleaders they're there for adolescents with their first... you know what. I watch a sport for the uhh sport. ------------- |
Posted By: Majkes
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 18:18
or one fat Polish guy earns few millions dollars salary just because he comes out few times in a game to kick a ball. I'm better trained than him.
I agree with what other say: too much rules, too much breaks, too many football players that look like eating hamburger 5 times a day. Besides let's be honest: we have soccer.
But to finish positively I admit that NBA is great ( not as great as in Jordan times though )
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Posted By: Count Belisarius
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 18:24
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Who cares about the franchise?!!!!! I can tell you right very few americans do and so what about the rules? Who cares what the players look like? Shut up and enjoy the game
BTW Xristar you missed the point -------------
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting)
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Posted By: Al Jassas
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 18:49
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Hello count
I have nothing against american sports, I like basketball, enjoyed baseball despite the horrible long time the game took but when it comes to American football, well as I said there are too many things that makes the game lame.
Having seen both college and professional football, I can see why Manning and other quarterbacks get so much money, he is good no doubt about it but the game just doesn't have that much appeal, it doesn't force you to sit down and try seeing the game.
As for football, well there was a game that just ended in the Saudi league. The top team against the bottom, do you know how the game went? the underdog took the 1st half and managed to catch up despite a 2 goal deficit, of course they were murdered in the 2nd half (5 more goals found their way to their net) but none the less the excitement of an underdog winning is just exalting.
AL-Jassas
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 18:50
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..hello all...
..i can remember many years ago in England when a significant interest in American Football first emerged... there was a subsequent 'boom' period where lots of people got involved, spurred on by the TV media availability, but much like that other American import, citizen band radio, the initial interest soon bottomed out and the sport never really took off, there are still lots of teams that pursue American football in this country but it reaches nowhere near the heights attained by 'our' football, cricket and rugby...
.....American football when it came over here, was very much a 'fashion' thing, and while it fared well at first, like most things considered 'fashionable', the interest has waned and left only a few die hards still involved in the game.....i get the same impression with our football game in the United States (sorry, i just cannot bring myself to use the s*****r word!!!
 ).......i tried watching some American football and although i would not say it is a particularly poor sport, it just does nothing for me, i kind of get bored with the stops and starts, a feature in our football game that is annoying when a match has a rather over attentive referee!!....i must admit, as others have pointed out, i do find all the pads and protective gear a tad ridiculous, especially when you consider the unprotective nature of rugby....still, that is not a major reason to not 'get' the sport....
...i do think it has a lot to do with whether one has actually played the game....i grew up playing football, loved playing and my loyalty as a supporter is ingrained from as long as i can remember, however, i cannot push this argument too far as i also played cricket and rugby when i was younger and i cannot now stand cricket, watching or playing....rugby i can put up with......
....so, there you go...
..All the best..................AoO..... ------------- |
Posted By: edgewaters
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 19:01
That's why everyone else calls it FOOTball. |
Posted By: hugoestr
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 19:02
This is not a really fair statement. American football is brutal, and the protection gear probably makes it even more so since it gives people a false sense of personal security. The helmet has helped keep the faces of football players looking good and for them to keep their teeth. However, the helmet also encouraged the practice on ramming people with your head, which clash after clash it tends to cause similar brain injuries as those that boxers have. And this comes from a person who prefers soccer and rugby, in that order.  ------------- |
Posted By: Aster Thrax Eupator
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 19:10
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...How come you guys don't play football/soccer? Same difference - not inherent superiority between the games: just cultural diversity ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 19:25
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The interest is growing slowly ,but there are a lot of converts, even middle aged sports fans that are into it more and more. There is a problem with over saturation, but also the lack of coverage for football compared to other sports. ------------- |
Posted By: edgewaters
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 20:01
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I'm not as interested in the question of why people nowadays don't like American football or association football (as the case may be) as I am in how they came to have different sports traditions. That American football ever became popular in the US is something of a mystery to me - from what I understand, it was initially a game played by students at Yale and Princeton, not exactly a working-class sport, and you would think that therefore, its popularity seems unlikely in the US. But no! So I wonder. If, knowing nothing about how things actually turned out, I had to make a guess what would become the most popular sport in the US, I would have guessed that the history would have resulted in the most popular sport being some sort of cross between Hurling and Lacrosse (both of which are probably far rougher than either Am. football or assoc. football!) |
Posted By: ulrich von hutten
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 20:13
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There is a social historic component, as well.
Football, after being established, developed, in europe at least, to a sport of workers. Many club teams resulted from the federation of labours and their political interests.
Football, a sport of the men of the street.
The American style was and is a sport of students, like Basketball and Volleyball are.
Beside football there is no sport in Europe that is almost as popular.
Football, a sport with relative simple rules and not a big demand to the equipment.
Rugby, in England and France, might be Handball in some countries are the follow ups.
Football, that is tradition, religion and orison at the same moment. Football is like nothing else, mmhh,sex is also ok.
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http://imageshack.us"> 
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 20:25
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American Football became popular in the 70s, not that it wasn't before. With the rise of professional leagues football gained popularity. The Bears have a long history for example in Chicago professional sports. And I must say I am a Bears fan no matter how bad they do lately :). With the fusing of the leagues and the creation of the "Super Bowl" you get a really more hyped and mass marketed goal which definitely brought it into many more homes than before. But baseball is still considered the American past time. I do not personally hate it or any sort of thing and used to play it. I can get past the extra padding and all, just the numerous breaks and time outs are a bit much. Basketball has them, too, but the game progresses a bit faster due to the limited scope of the field. ------------- |
Posted By: xristar
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 20:36
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Defeat allows no explanation Victory needs none. It insults the dead when you treat life carelessly. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 20:42
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Basketball is the 2nd most popular sport in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, and Germany, too from what I have seen. Greece as well has been producing good players. I actually like watching some of the European leagues. I watch the Bosnian league from time to time, too.
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Posted By: xristar
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 20:50
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Former Yugoslavia has indeed spawned some of the best basketball national teamsin europe. In Greece basketball lost much of it status after the Fiba-Uleb thing -------------
Defeat allows no explanation Victory needs none. It insults the dead when you treat life carelessly. |
Posted By: SearchAndDestroy
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 21:13
------------- "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." E.Abbey
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Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 21:14
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Football was always the workingmans sport. Some of the original sides, such as Woolwich Arsenal (The predecessors of todays Arsenal FC) were formed from workers in the royal arsenal in London. Manchester United was originally formed from railway workers (The main manchester line runs through modern Old Trafford. Liverpool was the team of Irish immigrants and local working class boys and Celtic in Glasgow was founded by Irish catholic immigrants. Mass participation in sport was a hallmark of the late industrial revolution (Late 1880s onwards) and a product of the working classes. Sports like rugby were the middle upper class games, with the sport being named after a public school (British public schools are private) of the same name. In Ireland, the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) had its rule done up by a Protestant (Maurice Davan I think) but it became the sport of the catholic farmer. Also became a breeding ground for nationalism, republicanism, the IRB and later the IRA. Most of our flying columns came from whole GAA teams - and the captains invariably were the commanding officers in our formations. So, a little rant, but important I think to emphasis the class dynamics which have always been persistant in sport... (Even modern day basketball in America, who recruit from crummy black neighbourhoods, where the best talent invariably lies) ------------- |
Posted By: Temujin
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 21:17
not Germany, that would be handball i suppose. |
Posted By: edgewaters
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 21:17
Sure, but how did American football - originally the game of elite Yale and Princeton students - become a popular working-class sport in the US? That's what I can't wrap my head around. |
Posted By: Chookie
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 21:21
Cricket isn't at all popular in Scotland or Ireland either. Oh, there are teams and leagues but they mostly consist of English and other expatriates. What is called American Football looks really idiotic to most Europeans, as has been said, there's all that armour they wear, the very frequent breaks in the action (action??) and all the bloody prancing about when someone gets a "touchdown" (without actually grounding the ball). I grew up playing Shinty and Rugby, but we played fitba (demotic Scots for football) for fun. All that was needed was, as somebody said a ball, some bodies and some goalposts (usually piles of jackets). ------------- For money you did what guns could not do......... |
Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 21:38
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Ireland isn't in the UK... But yes, there is an Irish cricket team, and we beat Pakistan last year! Though, thats about all I actually know about them. ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 21:52
O yeah I forgot about handball, but its near up there. ------------- |
Posted By: Omar al Hashim
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 22:49
 The Cricket world cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Like, its TV audiences rival the Olympics, and the soccer world cup. The ICC (International Cricket Council) isn't even located in the UK. ------------- |
Posted By: Frederick Roger
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 23:16
I was refering to Europe only.
I'm pretty well aware of the cricket frenzy in Asia. |
Posted By: JanusRook
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 23:21
Considering myself a football guru allow me to address some of the major points brought up.
As i've stated in previous threads the game is called football because Rugby, Gridiron and Association (Soccer) football all were once the same game, sports evolution has appeared to have occurred. More intense and personal? I'm sure you're talking about the hooligan fans that set fire to their own stadiums. I can assure you that football has just as heated rivalries as soccer, just go to a Michigan/Ohio State game and you'll see what I mean. Also although there are stoppages to play, these are meant to keep the game interesting, because I'm sure you've seen a soccer match where one team goes up three-nil in the first half and then the entire second half is a boring game of keep away, this is the reason gridiron has a play clock so you have to attempt to move the ball forward.
NFL Europe is now disbanded. Although as I understand it there is a national league in Germany as well as a few Scandanavian/Baltic nations.
I believe it is because there are a few things soccer has that are an anathema to American psyche. Such as there is no show of strength, soccer is a game of finesse and skill, whereas American sports are about power and muscle. Also in soccer ties are commonplace, this goes against the American ideal of in every competition there is a clear winner and a clear loser, you're either right or wrong there is no middle way. Finally as i've stated before there is a lot of "dead time" in soccer, when your ahead you try to shut the game down. This doesn't happen in basketball, baseball or gridiron and it's why even hockey doesn't do as well in the US.
Actually Pinguin to most Americans Rugby is an even bigger mystery than soccer, mostly because nearly everyone played soccer when they were younger and hardly anyone played rugby. There's a reason the US has the MLS and no Pro rugby league.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE3KGyLrsLA&feature=related - YES!
You know in the beginnings of football they wore no pads as well, luckily for the health of football players now they realized that it was just idiotic to subject themselves to such horrific injuries. Because we all know how manly it is to be paralyzed from the waist down.* *Yes I know you were joking Omar, i'm just proving a point.
Exactly this is a major point why Soccer has seemingly monopolized the world. All the rules you'd ever need to know about soccer can fit into one paragraph, for Gridiron you need a dictionary sized book to explain all the procedures and what not. In fact not even the athletes themselves sometimes know all the rules, even in the pros.
This is also why many colleges in the US do not sponsor football, because it is too expensive.* *Also there are NCAA rules that state the number of men's sports cannot exceed the number of women's sports, and since there isn't that large a market for women's football that usually gets taken out of the sports programs.
As opposed to waiting 90 minutes for someone to score ONCE! 
Well then you'd be amazed to find out that a guy who does the same thing in baseball (CC Sabbathia) gets paid hundreds of millions of dollars to "just throw a ball".....and there's no height requirement on that.
Soccer Cheavenist..... 
The game was at the end of the 2002-2003 season. Man Temujin it has been a while.
Temujin, is there a German league team you support, or an NFL team that you support?
You're telling me you wouldn't enjoy seeing this at your team's soccer game? 
It's okay just say football and use gridiron to refer to the American sport.
Football's main popularity though began in the midwest, which is why outside of the Ivy League there isn't a strong college football prescense in New England. Also remember college football predates basketball, and baseball was never really a college game. So for a while football was the only sports outlet for inter-school rivalries to take place and this is really what propelled the sport. Plus college deans approved of the sport since it came from Academia so it had prestige that went along with it.
Well a lot of those breaks are arbitrary, as NFL and I believe the NCAA have "television timeouts" to allow networks to broadcast commercials for additional revenue. Realistically there shouldn't be as many stoppages, I'd recommend you go to a non-televised college game or a high school game to get a feel for how much stoppage there is supposed to be. ------------- Economic Communist, Political Progressive, Social Conservative. Unless otherwise noted source is wiki. |
Posted By: beorna
Date Posted: 15-Dec-2008 at 23:27
You ever saw a european football player who's thigh is riped up by an opponent's football shoes? When you can look inside the thigh up to the bone? so if you like brutallity, you can find it in football too.
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Posted By: Count Belisarius
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 00:03
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Yeah? well football the players don't just get their hips ripped open, they get things like their lungs torn out through their nose -------------
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting)
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 00:09
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And their eyes gouged out with with pitchforks ------------- |
Posted By: Kaysaar
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 00:10
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I think my biggest pet peeve about American Football is that you get certain bright individuals who feel macho wearing their pads and grabbing other men around the waist who then turn around and feel that they're http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2480830 - too macho to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle .
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Posted By: Count Belisarius
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 00:12
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What does that have to do with the game? -------------
Defenders of Ulthuan, Cult of Asuryan (57 Kills and counting)
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Posted By: edgewaters
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 00:25
I don't know if brutality is the best measure of a sport. If it is, there are many that surpass both American and European football. |
Posted By: Kaysaar
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 01:09
It shows a certain aspect of the mindset behind many football players - the misguided idea that that the invincibility and prowess on the field translates into the rest of their lives. It's something that I've seen in most of the football players I've ever known. As for the game, I find it tedious due to all the stopping. I also find it abhorrent that 150+kg men call themselves fit athletes, when you can see their stomach fat hanging out beneath their pads. I also find it obnoxious that many of the same people who condemn steroid use in baseball seem to overlook it the NFL. Every once in a while there's a very fast paced and entertaining game - but most of the time I just can't stand it. ------------- |
Posted By: JanusRook
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 01:26
I don't think football is the only sport that has that idea.
The stops are there to make sure the game isn't tedious. I mean in soccer a good strategy when you have the lead is to kick the ball sideways and backwards. You don't see too many lateral passes going on in American football when a team has the lead, in American football you are always advancing forward.
Ever heard of Sumo Wrestlers, and of how they are some of the healthiest people on the planet? The fat is there because the muscles are so large that the fat has nowhere else to go. Have you ever seen those MetRx Strongest Man competitions, I don't recall many of them being particularly svelte.
Actually it's not overlooked, the NFL has the oldest and most strict drug abuse policy in professional sports. In fact a new rule was passed where a playing caught using a banned substance cannot get elected to the pro bowl. So trust me the NFL does not condone steroid use in any way. ------------- Economic Communist, Political Progressive, Social Conservative. Unless otherwise noted source is wiki. |
Posted By: Bernard Woolley
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 03:41
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I think at least part of the reason for American football's popularity (and part of the reason I dislike it) has to be that it's one of the most militaristic sports around. Although there's an element of playing war to all sports, American football takes this to an extreme and I can see why it might have appeal in one of the few western countries where military values still garner great respect. The frequent stoppages that we all hate (speaking for the gridiron sceptics) keep the play from getting at all wild or unruly, making the game a contest of discipline and competent repetition rather than invention. It's also a rigidly hierarchical game, where everyone has to do exactly as told by the quarterback or coach and avoid taking individual initiative. I consider the game a boring, creativity-crushing exercise that's more fun for coaches than for players, and which fails to teach the kids who play it any decision-making or improvisational skills. That said, if I was a different type of person than I am (I have trouble taking direction, for one thing), I'm sure there's plenty there to appreciate. |
Posted By: Kaysaar
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 04:06
I will grant you that, but just from my life experience, it always seemed most pronounced in football players.
I find the stops tedious because I prefer sports that are more fluid, rather than sports that are essentially turn based. For example, I play Ultimate Frisbee . In Ultimate, like in soccer, there are times when you indeed pass backwards to be able to attack. It's like in Basketball when one player drives to the basket, then they kick it out to three point line. It's a step back to be able to reset the offense and attack again. The attacking team may go backwards, but they are always in motion, and fluidly moving and adapting. I feel this is the most subjective aspect of sports, and that neither of us will acquiesce... 
Aside from the diabetes, joint and bone damage for being morbidly obese of course...
I'm well aware of the fact that the NFL as an official entity does not condone steroid use - they'd be daft if they did. I find not being able to be elected to the pro-bowl to be a slap on the wrist. So they can't be elected to the pro-bowl... that's not all that big of a deal when you consider that only a fraction of the NFL's players will actually have the opportunity. Here's some food for thought that can sum up my sentiments: http://openmike.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/06/499136.aspx - http://openmike.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/06/499136.aspx . The media machine seems to overlook the same offenses that it condemns in Baseball. ------------- |
Posted By: Styrbiorn
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 09:37
I for sure wouldn't. When I go to see a football game, I go to see the game. Would I ever want to go watch girls jumping around in ridiculous outfits I would go somewhere else.
Yes, there is one here at least. I can't name a single team in it though. |
Posted By: edgewaters
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 16:47
Maybe the game itself, but I'd have to say that association football as a cultural phenomena seems far more like tribal warfare, especially the behaviour of the fans. American football fans, of course, have rivalries between each other which sometimes even become violent, but it just doesn't approach the primitive, tribalistic frenzy that seems to surround association football. There've been cases of mobs murdering team members who didn't live up to expectations (I think it was in Colombia?) and of course, a huge amount of fan violence surrounds the game. |
Posted By: hugoestr
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 17:06
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Professional gridiron became popular because of TV. Early TV sets were, may we say, crappy. It was hard to see the screen. I was hard to follow a baseball game over TV (Hockey is almost impossible to follow on TV, or it was before HDTV. Maybe it is better now.)
No so with gridiron. Gridiron showed well on TV. And my suspicions is that the frequent stops have a lot more to do with TV asking for spots where to play commercials. Once again, I don't really like the game, but I do want to defend several aspects of it. It is fun to play if you don't attempt to play it the way the pros do, meaning, that you run the ball rather than pass it (I had to read a book to discover this). It is one of the most interesting team games from a tactical point of view. And it is a lot of fun, especially when playing coed.
I also want to ad that the rule of dropping the game where the ball was last played is very organic with its rubgy tradition/origin. When I was teaching my daughter a boiled down version of rugby, she came up with the rule of continuing the game from where the ball was last played. Now, I really wouldn't mind having the cowboy cheerleaders in a soccer game to make things merry before and during half time
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Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 17:43
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Respectfully, cheerleaders are a ridiculous phenonomom, an indication of the dumbing down of American society and which has no place in modern sport. If I wanted to see semi naked women dance like that I'd go on to redtube.
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Posted By: Majkes
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 18:53
Basketball is maybe even more popular than football in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In Poland volleyball is close second to football.
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Posted By: Temujin
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 19:42
i would say Oakland Raiders. the local American football scene is pretty obscure, the only team i know is Frankfurt Galaxy which constantly wins every year, at leats back when i last checked. |
Posted By: hugoestr
Date Posted: 16-Dec-2008 at 21:59
Why not have the best of both worlds ------------- |
Posted By: Justinian
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 02:54
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This has become a pretty interesting thread. I see the equipment issue being raised a lot, just a comment on that; speaking from experience, the fun of playing with equipment is you don't have to keep holding back, compared to a pickup game with friends or peers. In the latter case, when playing tackle, you have to moderate yourself, not hit full speed etc. Unlike rugby where you, in essence, play football without pads or rules for that matter, now that is a sport one gets injured in. To be fair, I enjoyed that sport as well, its basically a huge brawl. (as is evident we usually didn't play regulation rules) With the pads you can let go, you can let out all the frustration on the opposing team and not give much or any concern to hurting anyone. That is the joy of it, its a release from day to day life; respecting others, not fighting, you get to ignore all the annoying societal restraints imposed on you the rest of the time. I agree with whoever mentioned it being militaristic, there are parallels. Also the clear winner and loser; Janus is absolutely correct in that fitting the american mindset. I recall the movie Patton, where he's giving the speech on americans loving a winner and such. Then whoever mentioned soccer being played here when one is a kid, and growing up and going into other sports. Also completely true, actually I was one of those kids. I use to play soccer in elementary school on the playground, (besides other sports) I then switched to football when I got older. For me personally, there are too many restraints in soccer, only being able to use your legs etc., and its too simplistic, not enough rules. (amusing as that sounds) I think its because the view here is soccer is a little kids game, easy to learn and involving little skill to play (the irony of this statement, and how often its being used does not escape) etc. Whereas as you grow you're ready for more intricate sports; baseball, football, hockey etc. ------------- "War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace."--Thomas Mann 
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Posted By: Bernard Woolley
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 03:04
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Yes, association football is tribalistic, like all team sports, but what I meant was that American football is uniquely militaristic - it's unusual in that each player's role is extremely specific, it's unusual in that one player on each team is charged with telling the other players what to do, and it's unusual in that the rules force each play to be a controlled scenario. The only explanation I have for why anyone would enjoy either playing or watching this game is that they are fascinated by military drill. |
Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 03:55
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oh come on, soccer involves 10,000 times more skill than American Football. American football is about learning attack and defence 'routines', football is about the heart and soul.
Here is the final two games of Manchester Uniteds Champions league campaign in their famous 'treble' season, 1998/1999.
Man UTD. 3 Juventus 2
Man Utd came from 2-0 down and surely been knocked out of the Champions League at the Semi Final stage. One man prevented United from going out at this crucial stage and to lead the side to their first champions league final since 1968 - Roy Keane.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbRUc2c3nJM - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbRUc2c3nJM
Man Utd. 2 Bayern Munich 1
Man Utd. in their first champions league final since 1968. The first English side to reach the final since Liverpool in the 80s (I think) Bayern lead one nil for most of the game only for a lanky Teddy and a baby faced assassin to steal the match and the trophy at the death.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRVAnB4CbMo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRVAnB4CbMo
And just to show the longevity of football as a sport and institution, where simplicity of the beautiful game exists independent of stupid set rules and militaristic formations, here's a game from 1901:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhjTX39xKB4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhjTX39xKB4
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 04:12
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Don't mention that Champoions Leauge finale between Bayern Munich and Man United. :(. It was so close. I was sitting there cheering thinking yes! we are about to win... then that idiot goes for a corner kick instead of kicking out to center field and then 2 1. :(. Sad day for a Bayern fan. ------------- |
Posted By: ulrich von hutten
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 17:25
But a lucky day for a Dortmund fan. -------------
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 19:02
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Posted By: Temujin
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 20:21
a good day for everyone who dislikes Bayern!  |
Posted By: Parnell
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 20:25
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I was a young man utd. fan in those days (My first memory of football is Eric Cantona scoring the winner in a FA cup final, back in 1995 or 1995.) nowadays I've been much more cynical about 'supporting' a club. I always find it hard to believe that an Irishman can support an English club, when the vast majority of us have never even attended a premiership game. A lot of my love in football is wrapped up in a sort of fuzzy headed, roy of the rovers, david v goliath fluffy romanticism. Like Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch (A very good book!) I don't think that someone who doesn't follow 'his' side in the terraces can ever be much of a fan...
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Posted By: King Kang of Mu
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 20:31
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Sorry, es_bih, it looks like you are outnumbered here. I wouldn't go as far as I hate Bayern, I can name handful of German teams I like or support before I get to Bayern, starting with Bremen, Dortmund, Sttutgart even Leverkusen and Hamburg. Nothing againt you though, es_bih. ------------- http://www.allempires.net/forum/forums.html |
Posted By: xristar
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 20:54
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es_bih, if it makes you feel any better, I also felt the same way with you. I have never been a Bayern fan, but man i was annoyed back then. I hated (and still despise) Manchester United.
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Defeat allows no explanation Victory needs none. It insults the dead when you treat life carelessly. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 21:18
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LOL It's ok the good are always disliked lol ------------- |
Posted By: Roberts
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 21:31
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For some reasons I was fan of every German teem whenever one played in Champion League.
Bayern, Bayer, Bremen etc. |
Posted By: Frederick Roger
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 21:32
89 minutes of brilliant football, among the best I had ever seen - then they go and blow it in 3 minutes. I swear when Manure scored that second goal I fell on my knees in tears.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 21:36
It does ------------- |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 21:37
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I actually grew up (through elementary school) minutes from their training camp, and half an hour away from Olympia Stadium. Never liked 1860 Munich though.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 17-Dec-2008 at 21:40
Back then when Mehmet Scholl was selling the most Jersey's in Germany 
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Posted By: Goblin Monkey
Date Posted: 18-Dec-2008 at 03:02
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Canada has the CFL ------------- Is it just me or did your mom just wink at me? |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 18-Dec-2008 at 03:19
And Canada wasn't geographically located in Europe last time I checked either.  ------------- |
Posted By: Temujin
Date Posted: 18-Dec-2008 at 17:01
but that's the REAL Munich and actually most people from Munich do support them, not Bayern München. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 18-Dec-2008 at 18:28
Most of the people I know support Bayern :). ------------- |
Posted By: Temujin
Date Posted: 18-Dec-2008 at 20:06
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Bayern is one of only few Clubs which draws from a German-wide fanbase, other notables include Schalke and Dortmund, Bremen maybe too, probably Hoffenheim in future. nevertheless in Munich itself, 1860 is the club of choice. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 18-Dec-2008 at 20:28
Like I said. Not in the ensamble of people from Munich I know. However, yes I agree a majority do support 1860. ------------- |
Posted By: Goblin Monkey
Date Posted: 19-Dec-2008 at 00:31
Well I know THAT!But it is a diffrent country with american football. ------------- Is it just me or did your mom just wink at me? |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 19-Dec-2008 at 01:09
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Yes bordering the US and not in Europe.
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Posted By: Bulldog
Date Posted: 20-Feb-2009 at 04:00
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Because football is the beautiful game fast, flowing and so very passionate, plus its not a game just for a certain social class ie its hard for less well off people to get into tennis, polo etc because they need special expensive equipments and areas in which to play. However, for football all you need is a ball and a flat bit of land, we still make goals from t-shirts or coats in the park if the goals are occupied
------------- “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” Albert Pine |
Posted By: Leonidas
Date Posted: 20-Feb-2009 at 11:53
Base ball is good to play but i wouldn't watch it and American football is for sissy's any way. Watch a good rugby match with the South Africans involved and see what rough is like. Before they lightened up Rugby league over here, back in the day, ive heard of players continuing the game with broken bones. No helmets, constant breaks, shoulder pads or tights. just from Rugby league (played in two states in Aus) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJdqTh5yqrs&eurl=video.google.com.au/videosearch?hl=en&lr=lang_en%7Clang_el&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozi - http://www.youtube.com
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Posted By: Dacian
Date Posted: 30-Mar-2009 at 00:40
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for starts I'm from Europe and have had the opportunity to see a NFL game live it was in New Orleans last year, Vikings vs Saints there is that much show and introduction that looks more important then the game itself TV commercials have more priority than the game itself game is too fragmentated and even though the line changes are done fast still there is a wait of 2-3 mins for TV commercials to finish what I see really important in a game (any game) is that it has to be fluid, to flow (look at european football when there is a fragmetned game it sucks, when it is flowing fast from one side to the other everybody is happy) than again shorten the damn commercials time and increase the price for the adds, you get the same revenue and it will help the game alot to reach a more fluid state I mean it is really frustrating to stay for 4-5 hrs in a stadium(since the first second of the game) and only see 1hr of effective game that is what definately killed my interest game has potential but its being strangled by this fragmentation common sense says that the game should have higher priority over the commercial...well this rule is way out on the window and it's not good at all I'd say thats about the summary from first hand experience |
Posted By: Jallaludin Akbar
Date Posted: 11-Apr-2009 at 05:19
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How come the Europeans don't do American Football? . But it's true, Football (amer.) isn't as popular in Europe as Rugby is in America. In my opinion, American Football is a great sport. But you really have to understand and 'feel' it to enjoy it. Unless there's a team you're rooting for, watching a game can really become a drag. To the people that say rugby is tougher, i have to agree with you..rugby is more centered around stamina, endurance, and big hits. Football has more to do with plays, strategy, and formations, which gives it a more structured (or sometimes a fragmented) type of gameplay. But on a different note..Go Patriots! ------------- "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -Mahatma Gandhi 
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Posted By: dadan
Date Posted: 09-Nov-2009 at 18:49
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maybe becaue we have rugby. Because football alludes to just that foot and ball. Thus football being what is here called soccer. Plus it is much more intense and personal. No time outs every fifteen seconds, two 45 minute halves, no pampering . < id="gwProxy" ="">< ="jsCall;" id="jsProxy" =""> ------------- |
Posted By: Marlin47
Date Posted: 04-Jul-2013 at 17:47
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Not for nothing is soccer known as the Beautiful Game. It is fluid, free flowing and largely unstructured. It gives great opportunities for individual and highly advanced skills, as well as, at the same time, being founded on great teamwork. Players may head the ball and perform such stunts of footballing as to take the breath away. Rugby, on the other hand, offers much the same, but with acceptable limits of muscular brutality and sheer physical strength. Only Roman gladiators have ever come so close. On the other hand, American football seems contrived and regimented to within an Ace of being so pre planned to the extent that only occasionally, and more by dint of luck or chance, does it achieve anything admirable and worthy of respect......and even then that is largely because of bone crunching playing more worthy of the wrestlers ring than a truly great sport. Not only that, and please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't American football sub divided into playing sections that accord with the sponsors need to cram as much advertising into the length of the game as possible ? If so, then just how true to itself is that ? It ain't. It's organisers have sold it down the river for the sake of selling more dog food, women's sanitary products and mouthwash !
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Posted By: Toltec
Date Posted: 05-Jul-2013 at 16:57
I believe the term is, TV commercials with sporting breaks. ------------- Stupidity got us into this mess, why can't it get us out? http://historyplanet.wordpress.com - History Planet Website <br / |