Americans and Football

[Droops]

I am from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where college basketball is the state religion. Go Big Blue!!

The first soccer game that I ever saw was in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was the Sao Paulo state championship, and it was a hell of a game. The final score was 3-2, and there were a LOT of close goals, terrific play, and the crowd was fantastic.

I went to see another game a month later, and it was boring as hell. Small crowd, score was 1-0, nothing worth remembering except the drizzle on the field.

I've tried watching soccer on television, and it can hold my interest maybe for 20 minutes. That's all though, its just too boring otherwise.

A lot of kids play soccer, and even up to high school and into college. However, past that there's little professional interest, and I think most of the teams that we have in this country can count hispanics as their primary fan base (or others from other nationalities where soccer is important).

To be very honest, I cannot understand for the life of me what Europeans find so interesting about the sport. I would have expected better. Yes I'm aware of the popularity in the rest of the world, and again cannot for the life of me understand why.

I'm still boycotting professional baseball, from the last strike, until both the players and owners take pay cuts. Since hell will freeze over first, I suspect that I'll not be watching anymore baseball in my lifetime. American football is still interesting to me, but the commercials are overwhelming now and its tough to get into the game with all of those interruptions.

You asked. 8)

John

[mike_baram]

"American football is still interesting to me, but the commercials are overwhelming now and its tough to get into the game with all of those interruptions."

Ahh, but that's what makes the Superbowl so much fun.
(I miss Louie, the Chameleon, come to think of it.)

[leo]

I wonder if some of our Forumites are aware that the American football is filled with air and not stuffed with hay.

[cam]

>change a word here and there and you just gave a perfect
>explanation of the appeal of cricket.

Baseball and Cricket follow similar strategies and really only differ in minor ways IMO. A baseball junkie at work had no problems picking up on the tactical and strategic nature of cricket. He had trouble with the bowling with a straight arm though. When I need baseball stuff explained to me I ask him, he now knows of Bradman and other pieces of cricketing history. The analogies between the two sports arent hard to find. I wouldnt doubt that an immigrant from a cricketing nation would become a baseball fan quickly and an immigrant from a baseball nation would become a cricket fan quickly. I recall Ian Chappell, the former captain of Australia, playing baseball in the off-season to keep his eye in.

The sport of choice in North America, and Europe for that matter is Ice Hockey. It is a great sport, NFL is slow, over-officiated and over-weight, basketball is for 9ft freaks that are touchie-phobic. Ice Hockey still has the median 190 pound 6 footer. Since coming here I have learnt to ice skate and now play twice a week. Great sport.

Even better my twice weekly games are played with Americans, Canadians, Russians, Czechs and Brits ( plus a lone Aussie ). It has a social culture not unlike Rugby Union. Way cool and fun to be a part of.



cam

[Lufbery]

Baseball is really a very complex game, but it does not offer the adrenalin junkie his fix as does other sports.

There are moments, though. Sweet, tense, achingly action-packed moments.

The best feature about baseball is the fact that the players never are fighting the clock. Except in Japan, one cannot run out of time in the game of baseball. That is why we say that it is the only game where time stands still.

There are times when I wish it wouldn't. We have a minor league team in town here, the Harrisburg Senators. They're a farm team for the Expos (though God knows for how long). Anyway, their games tend to go a bit faster and at times are more dramatic than major league play.

The other nice thing is that $8 gets me box seats (with backs and built in cup holders) ten feet from the third base line -- and they bring the beer to me! Five dollars gets me peanut gallery seats in the bleachers, but we're still pretty close to the action.

Regards,

[JohnTB]

Hi All,
It seems obvious to state that nearly all Americans like NFL, Baseball, Basketball and Hockey and that Europeans like Football, Cricket, Rugby Union/League and so on. I sometimes watch US football on t.v. but turn off very soon if the game isn't a real gripper but happily watch a boring Premier/Bundesliga game of footie. It seems to me that there's a lot more going on when we watch sport than just watching the game. I'm thirty-seven and have been a die-hard Arsenal fan since I was seven (1971! our double year!) So when I watch football, not just the Arsenal but any football game, it's another thread in the fabric that is my life. Some of my earliest memories as a kid are being allowed to stay up on Sturday nights to watch, Match of the Day on my Grandparents old black and white t.v. Athletico Madrid v. Celtic in a European Cup tie circa 1970 and one of the dirtiest games I can remember. England v. Poland in a World Cup qualifier in 1973 (Tomaczewski anyone?). England again in the 1970 World Cup against Germany going 2-0 up but finally losing 2-3. Maradona scoring with his hand, Gazza crying in Italy (remember Lineker's gesture to the bench?). Manchester United's absolutely astonishing victory over Bayern in the '99 European Cup final, and so on and so on... That's why I watch football and that's why you chaps in the US will never feel the same way about our game.
Regards, JohnTB.

[JohnTB]

p.s. I should have added, 45 minutes with precisely 0 minutes of commercials!
JTB

[Shooter]

Lufbury:

I know what you mean. We have Granger Stadium about an hour up the road from us. There is an "A" level team in Kinston (a Cleveland farm team) that plays there. Four clams gets you into the picnic area and right along first base line. You can talk to the guys in the opposing bull pen, too.

"A" ball is baseball in the raw...warts and all. And the players act like they enjoy playing the game. I always wonder where that love goes when they make it up to the Big Show.

Shooter sends

[Baron_von_Tecumseh]

Shooter,when you get to the Big Show
it no longer is a game its business.
Goes from being a hobby to your job

[leo]

I have been interested in finding out about Cricket in terminology that I can understand. Any references?