08 Jan 04
An exhibition game lacks the intensity of a regular season game. They are loud and pretty exciting. Watching on T.V. it is easier to follow the game, however with all the T.V. coverage American football has become quite a production. A spectale if you will. Other sports just don't get the coverage they deserve. Money has alot to do with that, unfortunely!!
09 Jan 04
1 edit
Originally posted by ianpickeringFunny thing about your football (we call soccer...) is almost everyone here in the US plays it in school... and has fun. But the people here in the US just don't want it as a national sport...
I watched a game of American Football live once when two teams came over to England to play an exhibition game in London many years ago. as a spectacle I didn't rate it at all. You couldn't even see the ball during the running plays ...[text shortened]... m did so well in the 2002 world cup in Japan it wasn't reported?
I myself consider it Hockey on land in a big field... You move slower than if you were on skates... but have twice as far to go. We're just not enjoying the stratagies it takes to move the ball in such a big field.
Yes, a live NFL game is hard to pick up on, especially if you don't know what to look for... Play action fakes, screen passes... or just pounding the center. Hail Maries... Quarterback sneaks... etc.
My Pats vs. Titans game will be interesting. Titans stop the Run... Pats don't really run much. Titan's McNab, their QB is known to rush also... so if he gets open he could rush a good 80 yards and it might mean 12 extra points if not more.
I'd like to compare a half hour show of Soccer highlights vs. NFL highlights...
In the NFL about every 50 seconds there are 22 people spread all over the field trying to move a ball 4 yards....
In Soccer they just Boot the ball all over... and hope no one trips them when they go to get it... Next the Goaly grabs it and kicks it far away...
No wait... the goaly missed it! Goal! Goal!!!! Big Win in overtime 1 to nothing!!!!!!
P-
09 Jan 04
Originally posted by ianpickeringIt was interesting seeing a documentary regarding the 1994 World Cup held in the USA and the fact even during the competition, over 75% of Americans didnt even know they were hosting the event. If Americans couldnt get excited or interested about its own country, hosting the event, nothing ever will.
I watched a game of American Football live once when two teams came over to England to play an exhibition game in London many years ago. as a spectacle I didn't rate it at all. You couldn't even see the ball during the running plays and the game lasted so long that I was bored to tears. I watch over here on TV and thoroughly enjoy it as it is much eas ...[text shortened]... why was it that when your team did so well in the 2002 world cup in Japan it wasn't reported?
Classic interview shown during the documentary, had a reporter outside the Giants stadium in New York and he said to a passerby "did you know the Soccer world cup is being hosted in this country and right now Italy are playing Ireland behind us in the Giant stadium?", passerby responds "Whats Soccer? Sadly says it all really.
Football/Soccer or even Association football (to give it its correct terminology) has worldwide appeal except America it seems, although Britain's C5 occasionally shows highlights of "major league soccer" at 4 in the morning during the working week!!!
No offense, but American Football appear to me to be one of the most pointless sports even invented. Helmets, shoulder pads, hut, hut hut, what is that all about? You are more likely to get injured playing Rugby Union, and I dont see them wearing motorbike crash helmets and massive shoulder pads.
Whilst im at it, maybe someone could explain, how baseball has a "world series" when Americans are the only ones to play it?
09 Jan 04
1 edit
I'll tell you what, Rugby is crazy! I read an article about a guy who had a cut that just wouldn't heal right. He went to the doctors and they removed a tooth from his leg or arm...
Yup, they don't need all the pads to play a real sport like Rugby.. but if I were out there I'd want a helmet playing either!
Baseball World Series... sorry about the name... it is dumb. But it's a good sport. Looking forward to my new Sox kicking Yankee but! Japan has some very good teams... so we should be playing them in the World Series and rename ours the North American Series. Canada has a team or 2... Expos is one I think.
Then it could go to "The world series from there"..
I'd like to see baseball do that.. cut back to about 100 regular season games and have an extended post season.
Cya!
P-
Paulie! Too funny! Hope you are not right! It would be a late evening snack either way..... 😉
09 Jan 04
Originally posted by PhlabibitRugby can be a funny game, you dont get many "serious" problems in internastional Rugby, but English club rugby can be quite violent, with some of the worst problems/injuries occuring in games with the "Met Police".
I'll tell you what, Rugby is crazy! I read an article about a guy who had a cut that just wouldn't heal right. He went to the doctors and they removed a tooth from his leg or arm...
Yup, they don't need all the pads to play a real sport like Rugby.. but if I were out there I'd want a helmet playing either!
Baseball World Series... sorry abo ...[text shortened]... e! Too funny! Hope you are not right! It would be a late evening snack either way..... 😉[/b]
As for baseball, its probably the one "American" sport that I would watch, but again TV coverage is usually 3/4 in the morning during the week, not exactly primetime viewing.
09 Jan 04
I was quit interested in football for a while (because a school friend of mine had a chance to go play it in america), although here it gets less coverage than gardening shows.
A lot of people who watch/play rugby don't think too highly of football players. From what I've seen you definately need the extra protection. The rules differences between rugby and football dictate it.
In rugby you only expect to be tackled when you've got the ball, but in football you may be tackled at any time (right?)
Have you seen how high they go in on their tackles? Sheesh, in rugby your not allowed to go at someone above the shoulders.
Also, you see alot of those heaps of players on top of each other. If any of you played a forward in rugby, you'll want that padding when 8 or so guys fall on top of you...
But in the end, everyone's got their sport - and they love it!
10 Jan 04
Originally posted by PaulieI believe Cuba will not allow their players ( or any citizen ) to go to USA. They have many great baseball players who would do well in the major leagues. Maybe that has changed, I don't know.
Lol.. thought that`d get you. Do the Cubans still play baseball? I saw a tv show about the good players getting offered blank pay cheques to play in the states, but refusing `cause they love their country so much 😕
10 Jan 04
Originally posted by ianpickeringThe reason it (Soccer) doesn't take off in the US is because, let's face it, it SUCKS. Guys running up and down the field for 90 minutes and crying when they get their knees scraped or their shins bumped and then you may get only one point......then you gotta worry about the Hooligans and making out of the stadium alive...yeah, great national past time...🙄
I watched a game of American Football live once when two teams came over to England to play an exhibition game in London many years ago. as a spectacle I didn't rate it at all. You couldn't even see the ball during the running plays and the game lasted so long that I was bored to tears. I watch over here on TV and thoroughly enjoy it as it is much eas ...[text shortened]... why was it that when your team did so well in the 2002 world cup in Japan it wasn't reported?
10 Jan 04
Originally posted by chancremechanicYe who was just a couple hours away from watching Heather Mitts play the great game of soccer spend this time dissing what made her, um, famous in this area..... 😀
The reason it (Soccer) doesn't take off in the US is because, let's face it, it SUCKS. Guys running up and down the field for 90 minutes and crying when they get their knees scraped or their shins bumped and then you may get only one point......then you gotta worry about the Hooligans and making out of the stadium alive...yeah, great national past time...🙄
Sorry chancre, completely disagree with you here. I grew up with soccer and love the sport, will watch it any time. Kind of tough to follow the European leagues because the coverage is so poor, but let's not forget that the Cosmos were drawing 65,000 a game up at Giants Stadium when Pele and top players in the world were playing there. Let's not forget the women's team sold out the Rose Bowl, which holds close to 100,000.
I think it has a lot to do with Americans expecting the best of the best before they'd consider taking it seriously. Which will never happen with so much money established in the UEFA clubs. As for the World Cup example, those type of events are going to be tough to market as long as the United States is a second-tier squad. Are they now? I don't know, I think they're on the cusp of being a first rate international squad. They still lack the depth that some teams have but with Tim Howard, DeMarcus Beasley, and Landon Donovan, they have the talent at the top end to compete. Howard will have to perform at the same elvel Friedel did for the Americans to advance as far as they did last year, but he's got the pedigree to do it.
10 Jan 04
Originally posted by ianpickeringianpickering,
I watched a game of American Football live once when two teams came over to England to play an exhibition game in London many years ago. as a spectacle I didn't rate it at all. You couldn't even see the ball during the running plays and the game lasted so long that I was bored to tears. I watch over here on TV and thoroughly enjoy it as it is much eas ...[text shortened]... why was it that when your team did so well in the 2002 world cup in Japan it wasn't reported?
It may be because you are used to the flowing style of soccer, where the action is constant. That is why soccer also struggles in the States -- all the other sports have starts and stops and TV timeouts. You can focus in on the game, enjoy it, and then during the breaks debate what is going on. That is how baseball still is considered a major sport - because it's all about talking about what is happening on the field and then the fan gets to play "I'm better than the manager."
Football is very American because of it's aggressiveness, power, and strategy. Europeans like soccer because of its' elegance and flow. That is why I think neither sport has taken root in their respective continents despite efforts from soccer (MLS) and football (NFL Europe.)
10 Jan 04
Originally posted by stammerI think in dear old England it was known as "The World league of American Football", where is it now? just a distant memory I believe...
ianpickering,
It may be because you are used to the flowing style of soccer, where the action is constant. That is why soccer also struggles in the States -- all the other sports have starts and stops and TV timeouts. You can focus in on the game, enjoy it, and then during the breaks debate what is going on. That is how baseball still is considered a m ...[text shortened]... root in their respective continents despite efforts from soccer (MLS) and football (NFL Europe.)
10 Jan 04
Originally posted by stammerWhilst coverage varies between all the domestic channels and Sky's blanket coverage, the general broadcast formats are the same, you have a main commentator and his assistant (who can often be a manager/ex manager/player/ex player etc), and as well as commentating, they will comment of certain incidents during the game. Before the game, during half time and at full time, the coverage will switch to the studio, when the main presenter and several studio guests (also usually players and managers, past and present) will cast their judgement.
ianpickering,
It may be because you are used to the flowing style of soccer, where the action is constant. That is why soccer also struggles in the States -- all the other sports have starts and stops and TV timeouts. You can focus in on the game, enjoy it, and then during the breaks debate what is going on. That is how baseball still is considered a m ...[text shortened]... root in their respective continents despite efforts from soccer (MLS) and football (NFL Europe.)
As for fans getting to be the manager, have you ever actually watched an English match, whether it be in an English pub or at the game itself,
then you will find that everyone watching ther game is "the manager".
This has also spawned the arrival over the past 15 years of countless "football management" simulators giving you the chance to be the manager of virtually any club you want!
I've been regularly going to games since I was 7/8 years of age and "real" fans (not the idiots who dress themsleves as fans then cause trouble) live and breath every minute of the sheduled 90! It can make or break your weekend depending on your teams performance. Trust me sometimes it aint worth going to work the following day if your team lost to a team someone else in the office supports!
So to suggest Football/Soccer dosnt offer the same interactive experiance as "American" sports is very insular and way off the mark!
😵