Which is the real 'Football'?

And guess how many times the average American, flipping through all 1000 ESPN channels and finding nothing but soccer, throws his remote at the TV and screams until something else just as exciting, let's say golf, comes on?

In California, soccer's really big with the younger generations (youth league especially) but once in high school it seems to stop. MLS here is as familiar as the Euro NFL. Which means not at all. I didn't even realize the San Jose Earthquakes were shut down a few years ago until I read they're getting re-organized in Santa Clara. Even then, I don't care. That's just the nature of most Americans not exposed to "teh beautiful game" until it's too late.

 

Yeah well I don't expect you to like it. And you may say u get it, but u don't. Otherwise u wouldn't be so cynical towards it. But don't diss people who do like it because you'll find yourself in minority very quickly. The USA is the only country that plays American Football and almost in every other country in the world soccer is one of the 3 most popular sports. In most countries it's the most popular one. So what does that say about American Football? Please indulge me...

 

I'm sure MLS is far more popular in the US then the NFL Europe in Europe, considering NFL Europe ceased operation.

 

I'm not sure how you can justify saying that American Football has twice the skill. As George says, it's a hell of alot harder controlling something with your feet than with your hands. Type Ronaldhino, Jay Jay Okocha or Joe Cole into YouTube and you'll get an idea of what skill is.

I'll agree with you that Gridiron has more strength, as players need to be built for it.

And athleticism?

[image=http://sportsmed.starwave.com/i/magazine/new/william_perry.jpg]

 

The athleticism involved is fairly different I would think. Explosively American football players would have the edge. Then again, none of them ever play 90 minutes on the field continuously, since they get to change teams repeatedly.

 

Not in the U.S.

And where did I diss the people? I only dissed the sport.

It says that it is a younger sport.

An American style football player has to be skilled with both his feet and hands. Look at a wide reciever and tell me again who has more skill. Leaping in the air to catch a ball, while shedding a defender, while keeping your feet in bounds, while trying to keep you balance so you don't get your head knocked off, takes much more skill than anything a soccer player does.

That is only one example. Also if that is the best you can do, for your argument on athleicism, you already lost. Go to you tube and type in Chad Johnson, Champ Baily, or LaDanian Tomlinson.

 

American Football is better for 2 reasons. 1. Like in everything else we are better (or at least what this is what everyone thinks Americans think.) and 2. American Football is on at a decent time at least. ESPN televises Soccar at 2AM for a reason, Football is on thats why.

 

Making sure you stay on the field...

Okay. Gotcha.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abOvv2feEcs

^watch the first 45 seconds at least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo7IgS_x_fc

^only 35 seconds or so

Sublime.

 

Even though I do have a preference, I just don't see how the two sports are really comparable. Seems silly to argue about which is "better" or "takes more skill".

 

If you guys would just have the decency to call it American Football and the NAFL, we wouldn't be having this discussion.


EDIT: or American Rules Football.

 

Just call it gridiron. That way it doesn't clash with the real football at all .

 

Aussie Rules doesn't bug me. As long as I don't have to clarify which football I'm talking about (football), I don't mind.

 

I'm probably in the minority, but I wouldn't be opposed to that. It sounds cool and it makes more sense, especially if you've heard George Carlin's bit comparing baseball and American football.

 

[Michael Bolton]Why should we have to change it, yours is the one that sucks.[/Michael Bolton]

 

Not in the US? Are you saying that only the opinions of Americans matter in this argument?

When u diss the sport ur dissing the people for whom it is a religion, whether u like it or not.

Younger sport? Yes that's true but do you seriously think that American Football will EVER be as popular as real football? I'm not saying that that'd be imposible but realistically it's right next to impossible.

You say that in American Football one has to be skillful with both hands and feet. Well I'll give you that cause I've played the sport so I know. But don't underappreciate or at the very least underestimate the amount of skill required by professional footballers. To say that NFL players are twice as skilled as say, Ronaldinho or Zidane in his prime, is absurd. Although I think Imperial Dork hit the nail when saying that you can't really compare the two sports though. Which makes it all the more silly that they both have to be called by the same name.

 

You think we care if it's as popular as soccer to the rest of the world? It's the biggest sport here in the US, and that's all that matters. Soccer's not even a top 5 sport here. And yes, I realize Football isn't a top 5 sport anywhere else but here, but honestly, no one gives a ****.

 

Based on average attendance football is 5th on the overall list in USA (barely losing to ice hockey).

 

What the hell are you talking about? The lowest football crowd draws on average 57000+ every game. The highest hockey average is 21000+... this has to do a lot with the size of the arenas, but NHL arenas hardly sell out anyway.

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aGOcu99txyA

 

I love that commercial.

 

Stop playing ignorant.

 

ok... what?


I'm the one playing ignorant? You're the one who thinks football is behind hockey in attendance...



EDIT: anyway, after some research, the top 5 sports in america, attendance-wise are: Nascar> Football> Baseball> Basketball> Hockey


but attendance isn't the only way to judge a sports popularity. You have to look at tv ratings for certain sports that don't take place in arenas. Golf for instance can't possibly have 50,000 people standing out there, but it's still a more popular sport here then soccer.

 

Shouldn't you be out campaigning?

 

campaigning for what?

 

Hockey average attendance: 16,961
Football average attendance: 16,770, but I'll admit I didn't count NASCAR. So I suppose football is the 5th most popular team sport in the USA?

Indeed, 16.9 million Americans saw the World Cup final in 2006, that's pretty impressive for a Sunday at 14:00 (EST) and considering so many Americans think the sport is 'boring' I suppose that early July day must have had exceptionally bad weather around the entire country. BTW that number is actually higher then the number of people who say the NBA finals of that year, slightly lower then the World Series final (17.1 million). Of course that number is pretty low compared to Super Bowl but compared to the other popular American team sports its pretty good especially considering the time it took place and the fact it didn't involve an American team.