N F L. WHO LIKES IT?

Welshtel

Welshtel

Vital Football Hero
I've been trying to like American football and like anything else I try to give things fair time and a bit of patient understanding but I'm finding it hard going to get into American "FOOTBALL". (It's a handball sport for goodness sake, they hardly 'kick' the ball).

OK so I thought while being in Denver over the Christmas I would embrace the sport and give the yanks a chance and not write them off straight away. It looks WAY over complicated as a game to me and always did. I've looked at it from afar for years, with my son in law (A Broncos fan) trying to explain it to me in small bits, not to overload me but couldn't 'GET' it. ANYWAY, while in Denver, with Broncos fans crawling all over me and the orange and navy blue waving all sound me wherever I went, surely the enthusiasm would rub off and finally I would see why there was SO MUCH hype and following for the game. But no so, nothing really. I watched the games blow by yawning blow, the TV adverts coming on every five second in between plays. "A GAME OF 4 HALVES, 'VERY FUNNY OLE GAME", Greavsie would have said. (I know, maths was never my strong suit).

ANYWAY, after a great build up before my visit to 'the states' the BRONCOS were really motoring, winning most of their games, what a chance to really 'catch the breeze' and finally get the idea in my head of what its all about. The first couple of games and the Broncos started well going points ahead and then lost the second halves and the games with it. Finally they came good, won a couple of games and my son in law was smiling, they went to the play offs, my son in law got tickets even and Sunday night did well again but am I now really enthused by it? None of it. Can't raise a smile over it really. I wouldn't mind but I have the cap and T'shirt to boot.

CAN SOMEONE TELL ME THE SECRET OF GETTING TO LIKE IT? I'm trying my best but it can't be this hard, CAN IT?

I mean we are talking HUGE STADIA here, with thousands of people paying BIG BUCKS to get in (hundreds of dollars to get a seat!). WHATS THE ATTRACTION? I know, I'm shouting again but although I can get a sense of occasion with all the hype, is that all it is ? HYPE? Surely not.

Answers on a post card please........ I'm sure there's somebody out there who understands it and can just say that phrase that can make it make sense. EVER THE OPTIMIST ME.
 
I have lived in New york, like you I tried to embrace the NFL, the whole culture social culture of the BBQ in the car park pre game or mates round to the apartment. Well I CANT. IT SUCKS. You are a polite person so I'll just put the boot in on your behalf. It is utter crap masquerading as a sport, it's a waste of good athletes. It is dull with a tiny bit of frenetic action once every twenty two mins. Hate the game makes me sleep. NFL is the total thriumph of marketing over substance it is SHITE!
 
I got to love it - it took a while but love it now for a long while...
 
Averages 14 minutes of actual playing time over a 2+ hour period.

That, my friends, is why you are bored out of your skull.
 
Wow is that for real 80? Damn that explains, plus I am not have the constant stoppages. Just dull an watchable and dull.
 
I enjoy it. Do the fantasy team every year. Play offs are great. Was actually in LA last year on super bowl day and I had a good time.

The tackles/hits are ferocious at time and the amount of injuries and concussions is a lot, some coaches expect there players to play on with concussion but the NFL have brought in a rule that you have to get checked out and cleared by the match doctor if have the symptoms.

What some of these players get paid to play football for 17 games plus play offs is incredible.

I actually stream most games.

The thing that pisses me off is the wait from feb to sep for the league to start. They have the draft inbetween. What these top draft picks earn straight out of college is great.
 
Highgatespur - 19/1/2016 12:29

I got to love it - it took a while but love it now for a long while...
Click to expand...

Great 'HIGHGATE'. SO say the words, what and why and how.... WHAT made you enjoy it? WHY did NFL do it for you? and HOW do I get some pleasure from it? I mean, I have the patience, I need to see the thing that makes it click for viewers. Do you have to get right into the plays? It seems like it all hangs on the accuracy of the throws and who can barge who off the ball. Or is there more to it, I feel like I'm being naive (probably am).
 
For me I like the physicality of the game. The shit talk between the players and they usually have a player mic'd up for the game and they post them on youtube.

I like the fact that the coaches have to try and outwit each other with plays just to get the ball 10 yards in 4 attempts, which is actually harder then you think.

I also like that you could be 10-15 points down with 4mins to go and still end up winning the game if things go your way or you use the timeouts to perfection.

I fyou had watched the super bowl last season, the last attack by seattle, wow edge of your seat stuff. Just shows what happens if you choose the wrong play. Cost them the win.

You say its all about the accuracy of the QB, which is true but, its so much more. Your blockers have to stop the other team from sacking him and the runners need to get open which is difficult. It must take some dedication for the team to learn all the plays.
 
I'm not too sold on the games physicality but ok it's a lively factor which is a relief from the long stints between plays and there is a sort of challenge to see it through to get a few yards up the pitch, which I can deal with.

I must admit I hadn't looked too much at the fact you could win the game with a few minutes to go but the timeouts and other things are still a bit of a mystery to me and MAYBE that's where I'm not giving it chance.

I'm not sure if I saw the Seattle game you're talking of, I could have watched it all the way through and never been on the edge of my seat and never remembered, that's how little it's caught my imagination, to be honest. My Son in law gets real screwed up watching it sometimes and he was brought up with the Broncos in Denver, so what does that say?

I guess it IS much more than just the QB's playing accuracy but it can seem so hit and miss from my perspective and I can see how difficult it is to block runners and for runners to get past the blockers but it's still very frustrating to watch as a game. I think having been brought up on FOOTBALL, which is a fast flowing game with every second having something happening such that if you close your eyes for a second, you will have missed something, so it's a real drop down to watch this game. MAYBE that's why 'soccer' is catching on like wildfire in 'The States'. I feel like giving it some more time but the meters running out of cash, it seems.

ANYONE GOING TO PUT SOME COINS IN IT?
 
Baseball is worse, that game rivals test cricket as a total snoozefest for me.

Football is a great sport most of the time like you say, its action packed and thats why its getting bigger in the states plus the bigger names going over there for a couple of seasons is helping also.
 
Taricco the yid - 19/1/2016 15:04

Baseball is worse, that game rivals test cricket as a total snoozefest for me.

Football is a great sport most of the time like you say, its action packed and thats why its getting bigger in the states plus the bigger names going over there for a couple of seasons is helping also.
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Rugby is the fastest growing sport in the US. It will eclipse soccer. I would say 7-10 years.
 
80deg16minW - 19/1/2016 15:52

Taricco the yid - 19/1/2016 15:04

Baseball is worse, that game rivals test cricket as a total snoozefest for me.

Football is a great sport most of the time like you say, its action packed and thats why its getting bigger in the states plus the bigger names going over there for a couple of seasons is helping also.
Click to expand...

Rugby is the fastest growing sport in the US. It will eclipse soccer. I would say 7-10 years.
Click to expand...

Can't agree; soccer is still their number two sport and youth leagues are still growing - Rugby does have core growth of a reputed 10% or thereabout p.a., but the relevant actual playing numbers are hardly comparable....and still look highly unlikely to even get close to Soccer - even if you compound it's annual growth...

What is driving the annual % growth in Rugby?

 
This makes my point better than I did:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-cox/us-soccer-popularity_b_6549764.html
 
http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/pie-chart-actual-football-watching-nfl-game-vs-replays-commercials-etc/

What is driving rugby? Cost of participation in a full contact sport. The millennials are looking for alternatives to the traditional sports.

And last but not least......the gold medal available in rio for 7s.

The Americans won the last gold medal for rugby back in the early 1900s. A fact they are talking about a lot leading up to rio. The money going into rugby is astronomical.
 
I could never get into watching the games. One of the big driving forces behind the NFL is gambling. Whether its the official sports books, or fantasy leagues or simply the office pool its absolutely massive the amount of money spent wagering on the sport. The NFL is also a massive marketing machine. They sell the hype better than any other league in the world.

The other thing about the sport is that its made for TV. All of the down time between plays provides so much room for sponsors and over analysis of each and every play. (The fullback just ran for a 2 yard gain, lets look at that again from a different angle, and another angle) and explain why the 300+ pound lineman (who is not on performance enhancing drugs, honest, believe us, really its true!) did what he did to the other 300+ pound lineman.

 
80deg16minW - 19/1/2016 07:52

Taricco the yid - 19/1/2016 15:04

Baseball is worse, that game rivals test cricket as a total snoozefest for me.

Football is a great sport most of the time like you say, its action packed and thats why its getting bigger in the states plus the bigger names going over there for a couple of seasons is helping also.
Click to expand...

Rugby is the fastest growing sport in the US. It will eclipse soccer. I would say 7-10 years.
Click to expand...

I'd place a wager against that but don't want to wait 10 years to claim my winnings :17:
 
80deg16minW - 19/1/2016 08:18

http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/pie-chart-actual-football-watching-nfl-game-vs-replays-commercials-etc/

What is driving rugby? Cost of participation in a full contact sport. The millennials are looking for alternatives to the traditional sports.

And last but not least......the gold medal available in rio for 7s.

The Americans won the last gold medal for rugby back in the early 1900s. A fact they are talking about a lot leading up to rio. The money going into rugby is astronomical.
Click to expand...

Americans will get behind anything in an Olympic year if they think they have a chance to medal.

I much prefer Rugby to American Throwball but just don't think it has the legs to truly make a dent in the sports market there. I guess we will see how much success the new professional league has but it seems to be really only a regional league with only 6(?) teams.
 
One man bankrolling the league ATM. Not sure how it will work. It may force the clubs in NA to professionalize which would be a giant step forward.

Super Rugby is the best option. It will give national players the chance to play professionally for home team at a higher level. I would guess the Americas division will be up and running within 3-4 years.

 
Welshtel - 19/1/2016 13:45

Highgatespur - 19/1/2016 12:29

I got to love it - it took a while but love it now for a long while...
Click to expand...

Great 'HIGHGATE'. SO say the words, what and why and how.... WHAT made you enjoy it? WHY did NFL do it for you? and HOW do I get some pleasure from it? I mean, I have the patience, I need to see the thing that makes it click for viewers. Do you have to get right into the plays? It seems like it all hangs on the accuracy of the throws and who can barge who off the ball. Or is there more to it, I feel like I'm being naive (probably am).
Click to expand...

Hard to describe : the precision of planning every move and the how it's applied to the second/minutae - when the QB throws
the ball the WR catching it exactly on time ... the defensive side knowing how and when to attack the man / ball... the plays are all memorised by all .... the coaches (several thousand of them it seems) even when they kick; the crowd involvement is just brilliant too - like the old days at the football games here - the rivalry is just as intensive but without the violence! But most impressive is how it galvanises the whole community - the game goes from primary school level high school and college system ... I mean the whole community backs the game... the college game is even more popular than the NFL... the game lasting so long is interrupted by events and plays being relayed on the ginormous screens.... I dreaded going the games at first but the time flies by in no time it is like a social outing!

As I said it took me a while - best way I found it was to observe and learn - first defence and then attack and my friends were very good at answering my inane questions several thousand times over!!!

A true supporter of the game now - but football is 2000000000x better!!!
 
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