Americans and Football

I am just interested to know what you yanks actually think about the game of Football. By that, I mean the real game which you call Soccer (how stupid it is of us to call a game football when we actually use our foot to move the ball !!!!!!).

Is the sport getting bigger over there since you got the World Cup in '94? Do you understand how big the sport is on a global scale? This question goes out to all our old colonial friends (Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc) seeing as it never really caught on in any big way.

Thanks for your answers (assuming I get any!)

Nick

[Shooter]

Nick:

Football (European) has indeed achieved a foothold in the US. During the last twenty-five years, football (European) has actually overtaken baseball (at least in some regions) as the youth sport-of-choice. If you could see the number of mini-vans and station wagons driven by "soccer moms" on the roads each weekend you would know what I mean.

Professional levels of football (European) have yet to really catch on, but the success of the US ladies team in the last World Cup is a direct result of interest in the sport from the 1970's. It would seem that football (American) has caught on better in the UK than football (European) has caught on in the US, at least on a pro level.

Personally, I am a baseball fan, regardless of what Ginger says. I love a game where time stands still.

Shooter sends

[Baron_von_Tecumseh]

The Masses of America have love
for NFL,and College Football and
Professional Wrestling,WWF

[stephen]

And auto racing, which trumps everything except the NFL.

Soccer is certainly the trendy, fashionable sport for the youth of America, though there is little professional interest and the TV ratings are awful.

[Bushrod]

It's Sunday and 10 years ago I would've planned the day around watching football-today I'm going to clean the bathroom and check out my favorite forums online. I played in h.s., college, and in the service, and I have coached our jr. high team for 20 years, BUT the commercials have killed pro football for me. Even with 2 games on you switch into a commercial. SI timed a 49er/Giant Monday night game several years ago(Montana-Simms era)-about 7-8 minutes of actual football in over 2 hours. I know little about soccer, but it does keep moving right? Kind of hard to get those ads in. Maybe thats why TV has never pushed pro soccer. If you like football go to a good high school game or Div. lll-it's real.

[mike_baram]

A few years ago I learned to play soccer (was studying Phys Ed in Israel).
I couldn't figure out where the hell they came up with a rule forbidding the use of your hands, for one thing. And for another thing, anyone who's used to GOODOLUSAFOOTBALL knows that you get the guy, and that stops the forward movement of the ball. That attitude got two guys into a headbutting situation which knocked them both out cold. Since I had the misfortune to be one of those poor individuals, I immediately decided that there were better ways for me to prove my competitive spirit.
And as much as I think that Brandi Chastain and Mia Hamm are awesome ladies, I can't get fired up about a game that will let you play for an hour and then the whole thing is decided by one free kick.....all that running and nothing to show for it.
But it was great speed work. That was when I broke 3 hours for the marathon.

And as much as I think that Brandi Chastain and Mia Hamm are awesome ladies, I can't get fired up about a game that will let you play for an hour and then the whole thing is decided by one free kick.....all that running and nothing to show for it.

You know a game is boring when good looking women are playing and you still can't watch it for 10 minutes without falling asleep!

Give me baseball any day. *;D

[leo]

I have been teaching and coaching American Football since 1957. When I started teaching, Soccer was played only by Ethnic clubs in a few cities in the US and was primarily a Spring Sport. Several years ago, it became a Fall sport, its interest has become much wider, and gradually we have been losing some of our better athletes to it. This past year our Soccer team had eight to ten kids who could have played either first team offense or defense for us. I like the game, but for me it will neve supplant American Football. Tonight, the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens. Despite the damned commecials, I will be rooting for the black and gold. Here we go Steelers! Here we go!

[Denny]

Nick: I think you have a pretty good snapshot of the state of soccer in the U.S. Oh, speaking of football, how bout dem Iggles.
DD

[Baron_von_Tecumseh]

They tryed to get us to play,Soccer in gym in High School
there would be a goal keeper at each end of the field
and 30 guys around the ball in a big mob,kicking at the ball
at usually turned into a cheap shot contest,as cliping
is legal