Version en Español abajo!
Ok, so yesterday I wanted to talk about soccer, a sport I love. Ever since I moved to the US I became interested on American Football. At first I was very confused by it, to the point that it was almost painful to watch because there are a lot of rules and so many player positions. It was hard to keep up with who does what, let alone figure out who was who. Then there is the whole NFL vs. College ball difference, not to mention the complexity of who plays who when it comes to college. Then I started to become a Chicago Bears fan, and little by little I began to understand the game. I love the game now and think is excellent. This is a by no means a lets put down American Football, however in a worldwide point of view, soccer is king. Therefore I can call Soccer the real football.
American Football has a lot of depth both from the strategy side and the physical aspect. At times it can be a game that requires a lot more knowledge of the rules to truly enjoy it. It makes it seem almost too complicated to pick up in one afternoon like you can do with other sports. I think this really taints the American audience and at times turns the game from sport to spectacle with all the stop and go and little to no flow. Comparing Soccer to Football at times seems unfair. It is like matching a kitten against a lion, they both have claws, they are both felines, but only one of them can kill you. To compare to soccer to football in an sports realm seems to me like comparing Tennis to Ping Pong(or table Tennis). I am sure this will be controversial to some people but hear me out.
Starting from the athlete side of things, I don’t care who the strongest football player in the NFL is, who fastest player might be, or even who the most talented or gifted for the game is; because in the end you will not be talking about the same player. Soccer however is a lot more straightforward when having a number one player, a lot of times who the person wearing that number 10 shirt might be. You could argue that the quarterback is all of that, but I would disagree, while during the history of football we have had players like Pele and Maradona that were brilliant at scoring goals, you also have Valderrama that while not a striker was the best player to come out of Colombia during my generation. Football has its idols too, and almost every position has someone that you can remember if you have followed the game, but show me if you can come up with one name that everyone in the world would agree was the greatest player ever (except for Argentineans of course). Ask that question to a soccer fan, and he will tell you Pele was the best player that ever lived.
While there are stars in the game of football, and most of the time they are quarterbacks there is no overall best player that encompasses the whole range of what the game entails. There might be a player that can play both offense and defense, even special teams, but not consistently. A lot of the players are conditioned according to their position and team and for example a lineman and a receiver can have two totally different body types. Soccer players have for the most part the same constitution and athleticism. Soccer players all posses the same basic skills that are fundamental to the game. Football in the other hand is opposite, a lineman might not even be capable of throwing the ball ten yards, while every single player in a soccer team will be able to make a long pass.
One of my biggest complains about Football is how it consumes its players. Partly because of the ferocity of the game, some players are injured for life. I also blame the NFL for not taking better care of their players’ health, the weight that a player gains during its career to me is alarming. While soccer is also a very physical game, it is not the norm to check for an injured list after every game like it is costume if you follow football. I am sad to hear a lot of times that many of the players from the NFL die young and of problems directly related to their weight gain, not to mention forgotten. I feel that the NFL should be more responsible for keeping people healthy after they have given the best years of their lives to the sport. Conditioning your body for soccer will not be detrimental to your health so this is another point that I think soccer has over football.
I have a lot more to say about this subject. I really don’t want to elaborate on the obvious points beyond just mentioning that soccer is global. Also that anyone can play soccer, while playing football requires money. Sure you could say that you can pick up a football and just play with a group of friends outside, but in reality without the protective gear required if you play tackle football you will get hurt. I cannot wait to hear your ideas on why I am so wrong 
Para la version en Spanish
Bueno, ayer quise hablar de futbol, un deporte que amo. Desde que me vine para los Estados Unidos me intereso mucho el futbol americano. Al principio me confundía, hasta el punto que era doloroso verlo porque hay tantas reglas a tantos posiciones distintas. Era difícil entender quien hacia que, y muchos menos saber quien era quien a la hora de ver a los jugadores. Encima de eso también esta el debate de que se mejor NFL (La liga nacional) vs. College (Lo universitario), y eso es sin ni siquiera mencionar quien es que juega con quien a nivel universitario. Entonces me convertí en un aficionado de los osos de Chicago, y poco a poco empece a entender el juego. A mi me encanta el deporte y me parece excelente. Lo que escribo no es un articulo para menospreciar al futbol americano, pero en un punto mundial, el futbol es el rey. Por eso es que yo llamo al “Soccer” el fútbol real.
El futbol americano tiene bastante profundidad desde el punto de vista de estrategia como el aspecto físico. A veces el juego pide bastante conocimiento de las reglas para poder apreciarlo. Hace al juego a veces sentirse bastante complicado y algo que no se puede aprender solamente en una tarde como se puede hacer con otros deportes. Yo creo que esto corrompe a las audiencia americana y a veces vuelve el deporte mas espectáculo con todo lo que lo que lo paran constantemente, no es un deporte que fluye. Compararlo al balompié me parece hasta injusto. Es como comparar a un gatico con un león, aunque ambos tienen uñas y son felinos, solo uno nos puede matar. Comparar al futbol con el futbol americano en el ambiente deportivo es como compara al tenis con el pingpong(tenis de mesa). Yo entiendo que este tema es algo polémico para algunas persona pero por lo menos escuchen lo que quiero decir.
Empezando por el punto de vista atlético, no me importa quien sea el mas fuerte de la NFL, o quien sea el mas rápido, ni siquiera quien tenga mas talento para el juego; porque al final de cuentas no estaríamos hablando de la misma persona. En el balompié es mas fácil determinar quien el jugador numero uno es, como dicen las aficionados al futbol quien es el numero 10. Usted podría discutir que el quarterback es todo eso, pero yo no le creo, mientras en la historia del balompié tenemos jugadores como Pele y Maradona que fueron magníficos goleadores, también tenemos a Valderrama que aunque no fue un delantero fue el mejor jugador que ha salido de Colombia durante mi generación. El fútbol americano tiene también sus ídolos, y casi todas las posiciones tiene una persona destacada que los que siguen el juego recuerdan, pero muéstreme un nombre que todos los aficionados al deporte puedan llamar el mejor (excluyendo aquí a los Argentinos por supuesto). Pregúntele eso a un aficionado al balompié, y el le dirá que Pele es el mejor jugador que ha existido.
Aunque hay estrellas en el futbol americano, y la mayoría de las veces son quarterbacks no hay ningún jugador que constituya todas las facetas de lo que es el juego. Puede que haya un jugador que juegue en ambos escuadrones de ofensa y defensa, hasta parte del los equipos especiales, pero no constantemente. La mayoría de los jugadores están acondicionados a su posición y escuadrón, por ejemplo un hombre de linea y un recibidor tienen constitución física totalmente distinta. Jugadores de balompié tiene por general la misma condición física. Todos los jugadores de futbol tiene los mismos conceptos básicos que son fundamentales pare el juego. El futbol americano es totalmente opuesto, un hombre de linea puede que no sea capaz de pasar la pelota diez yardas, pero todo jugador en un equipo de futbol puede hacer un pase largo.
Uno de mi más grande se queja por el balompié es cómo consume a sus jugadores. En parte debido a la ferocidad del juego, muchos jugadores quedan lesionados de por vida. También le hecho la culpa a la liga NFL por no cuidar mas la salud de sus jugadores, el peso que un jugador gana durante su carrera para mí es alarmante. Mientras que el balompié es también un juego muy físico, no es la norma mirar la lista de lesionados después de cada juego que si usted sigue el futbol americano ya es costumbre. Es triste escuchar que ex jugadores profesionales se mueren jóvenes después de su carrera por enfermedades relacionadas al peso que mantenían durante su carrera, y eso es sin siquiera tomar en cuenta que ya nadie se acuerda de ellos. Yo siento que la liga NFL debería ser mas responsable por la salud de sus jugadores después de que ellos les ha dado los mejores anos de su vida al juego. El acondicionamiento necesario para jugar balompié nunca es danino a la salud del jugador, este es uno de los mayores puntos que yo creo el balompié tiene sobre el futbol americano.
Tengo bastante mas que decir acerca de este tema. Realmente no quiero hablar de las diferencias obvias mas aya de solo decir que el balompié es un deporte mundial. también que cualquier persona puede jugar balompié, mientras que jugar futbol americano requiera dinero. Seguro que usted puede decir que para jugar futbol americano lo único que necesita es el bacón y unos amigos, pero en realidad es peligroso jugar con contacto físico sin protección. Me siento y espero las respuestas aquí, a ver quien me va a decir que tan errado estoy
07 Oct 05
soccer is the best. though i don’t watch it much these days. ronaldo is my fav player. chelsea is my team in england. i dig greenbay packers in the nfl.
07 Oct 05
Good call Billy, I should list my team afiliations to.
Colombian League - Deportivo Cali
MLS - Chicago Fire
Spanish League - Barcelona
English League - Manchester United
NFL - Chicago Bears
College - Michigan, Go Wolverines!
07 Oct 05
vi que estuviste por mi site. Curiosamente trabajo en MLSnet.com por favor ve a ver al Fire
07 Oct 05
I think you’re right on the money about not comparing the two. It’s like comparing a painting and a symphony, both are art, but the similarities end there.
I grew up playing both. Football, because I was born and raised in Alabama…where it is the unofficial state religion. Soccer, because my dad lived in Germany in the early 60s and brought a love for the game back with him that he imparted to us.
Yes, football is absolutely brutal. I once jammed some vertebrae playing and thought I was paralyzed because it was about 20 minutes until I could move. The game stopped with everyone in the place stone silent until they knew I was okay. Thankfully, I walked off of the field. I missed about 2-3 weeks and was then playing again.
I’ve also received horrible injuries in soccer: spraigned knee ligaments, ankles, hamstrings, etc. My soccer injuries cause me more pain to this day than my football injuries.
When we were kids, we played football without pads and I don’t ever recall anyone getting hurt. By the time we got big enough to hurt each other, we were all playing in pads for our school. Once you get too old to play without pads, you don’t need to be playing unless you’re playing with pads (or playing flag football, which is still quite fun.)
Yes, football’s rules are difficult to understand. A few years ago, I watched the superbowl with a French girl, an Italian guy, a Serbian guy and a Germany guy and they had an impossible time undertanding it. On the other hand, it’s hard for Americans to understand the simplicity and subtlety of soccer.
I for one, love both, but for different reasons.
My team affiliations:
MLS - Chicago Fire
College soccer - UAB Blazers
I don’t care about the NFL
College - Alabama Crimson Tide
07 Oct 05
Excellent response Nico, sorry to hear about your soccer injuries still bothering you. The sad part about appreciating football is that outside the US, well maybe now with the NFL Europe, no one really understands the sport. I know I did not until I moved here.
07 Oct 05
Oddly enough, despite being a kid who spent the better part of his life growing up in Malaysia, i DO know the rules for American Football. Sure i’ve never played an actual game of it in my life (the closest was having a few games of Australian Rules Football which is ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL) but i still find it interesting to watch regardless…
Soccer is still king to me though - in all the countries i’ve visited/lived in (Australia, France, India, etc.) its one of the easiest things to relate to with almost anyone there and i just love the speed and flow of the game.
Go FRANCE!!!
07 Oct 05
Aussie Rules & rugby are both quite rough too. When I was in New Zealand, these guys tried to get me to play rugby with them, but I passed on the offer as they all were waaaaaaay bigger than me.
I agree with Pat about soccer being a great way to connect with people from other places. I’ve made friends with people from Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, England, Brazil, Russia simply because we shared a love of soccer.
I’m just happy it’s football season now and almost MLS playoffs (one of my favorite times of year since both are on!)
One of my most memorable football moments. I must’ve watched this play 100 times on tape:
07 Oct 05
Oops, forgot to link to the play:
Here it is.
07 Oct 05
Very interesting… I had never heard of a single play called The Sack… will have to check that out for sure. Thanks Nico, glad to hace connected.
07 Oct 05
Soccer all the way!!
Por cierto, Logtar, ¿Cómo hago para cambiarle la hora a mi blog? La que sale ahora es la de Ingaterra…
07 Oct 05
Pues no sé nada del fútbol americano, sólo recuerdo que una amiga australiana llamaba al Rugby “el deporte de los cuellos anchos y los cerebros estrechos”. Pero en realidad no puedo decir nada del fútbol americano.
Lo que si comparto es que el fútbol, que para mí es el fútbol de verdad, es el deporte rey, el que mueve masas y pasiones en todo el mundo. Hay una comparación interesante en cuanto al fútbol y los demás deportes, mientras que las grandes potencias siempre aventajan a los países en vias de desarrollo en todos los deportes (no se sino ver la medallería de los juegos olímpicos) en el fútbol han tenido buena figuración los países sudamericanos aventajando a los europeos en títulos mundiales. Los grandes clubes europeos se nutren de brasileños, argentinos y uruguayos. Lo cual para mí es un indicador de que es un deporte que no necesita dinero ni escuelas, ni ligas, es más bien una pasión, algo que lo juegas en un potrero, en la playa o en el patio de tu casa. Los mejores jugadores de fútbol no salen de escuelas, salen de los barrios más pobres de las ciudades brasileñas o argentinas. Mi voto para el fútbol, el de verdad.
08 Oct 05
I’ve always watched football, but I was raised in Northern Michigan where we didn’t have soccer as a sport to play at any level. Althought I didn’t play football I enjoy watching the game. I’ve tried to watch soccer on several occassions and it’s boring to me. I know a lot of people love it, but I don’t see the excitement. How many times a game is there a shot on goal? If you ask me it’s like a basketball game where each team only shoots 10 times. I love watching basketball, but I wouldn’t watch it if it was constant passing and stealing. Scoring and scoring attempts are what make sports exciting for me. Yes, you can argue that there aren’t that many scoring attempts in football. I totally agree, but there is always a battle for a team to get the next first down so they can keep the drive alive.
I’m not sure where the arguments about weight come into play. Most players either put on weight in muscle mass (just like NBA players do after leaving college) or some of the big lineman lose weight so they can move faster. The reason there are so many body types is because there are so many different skills involved in a football game. I think that is part of what makes football such a great game to watch. Even large men can be athletic. Some of those lineman can run faster than any of us.
09 Oct 05
Im sorry but I really think that soccer (the real football, as you said), as the most practiced sport around the world, is pretty much more interesting than the amercian footbal…
but it is just my opinion.
09 Oct 05
Soccer and football are 2 different games… hard to compare.. its like comparin.. tennis to golf… I disagree with Nick sayin its borin to watch.,.. thats cuz u never played it or introduced to it!! If it was a popular sport in the US .. you woulda prolly loved it… its a cultural thing I believe! I played soccer in Highschool and I love the game.. I never played football.. however I like it as well .. just cuz its so popular in the US that almost I got pushed into watching it and I do admit I like it.. but again its the culture effect… SPORTS in general is a wonderful thing! Before anyone judges a sport… u gotta try it.. learn it .. play it … or just watch it
09 Oct 05
Oh, I totally agree, but since I’ve never played it I can’t get into watching it. There aren’t many sports that I watch that I never played. I didn’t play football in high school, but I’d play in backyard games as kid. It really isn’t fair to compare football and soccer as many people have said. There isn’t anything besides being a sport that they have in common. You hang on to a ball in football and in soccer you have to kick it. In football you have different teams on your own team….offense, defense, special teams. On offense you have different teams for run formations, short plays, long plays, trick plays, passing downs. It goes on and on. In soccer your team stays out on the field and you make one or two player substitutions. You whole team never comes off the field and is replaced by other players.
I just don’t get soccer so I don’t watch it. That’s completely fine. Just like I love to watch golf on TV, but someone who doesn’t play it all the time and doesn’t appreciate how hard of a game it is to play will get very bored very fast watching golf.
That is what makes sports so great…there’s something for everyone.
10 Oct 05
Mo and I can get you into soccer for sure, if you are ever interested just say something and we will make you a soccer fan faster than you can say football.
11 Oct 05
Thanks for the offer, but I really don’t have any desire to do that much running around with so few chances to score. I’ll stick to my winter basketball league.
06 Jan 06
Soccer is the king no question……..Futbol es vida (Soccer is Life)
13 Feb 06
I comand the NFL to hereby change the name of American football to american rules football or american rules rugby like ausie rules. I have made this decloration on the grounds that the feet are not used often enough for it to be called football also the dictionary definition for a ball a spherical object.
Also the word soccer is no longer allowed to be used. The word Soccer comes from asSOCCiation football (the full title of football) and some smart ass american must have thought i know lets take 4 random letters out of this word chuck er on the end and rename the sport coz we want the word football for our sport! lol
from CJ
im a football fan incase u hadn’t guesed
21 Feb 06
Nick, you probably watched MLS games… where basically everyone is pretty much a soccer “newbie”(except for dorovan, that guy is gooodd). Therefore chances of scoring is low since they have no idea what they are actually doing. Cant blame them, USA is way too far behind in soccer and no matter how many mexicans they have in their team, it will be at least another 4-5 world cups for USA to be even close to teams like Argentina or Brasil. Most of the goals in MLS I saw was because of some dumb idiot defender that made a terrible mistake and ended in a goal from the opposite team. Try watching World cups, Eufa champions league, etc… Watch teams with amazing players, u will be amazing how many times they shoot at the goalie. Also, another thing amazing about soccer is the “ole, ole, ole” coming from the crowd, its a nice feeling when my team is like 2-0 against someone and the crowd kept yelling ole, ole, ole!! (Ole means ur team has the ball and ur players keeps passing it around, dribbling, and the opposite team has no chance of stealing it back. Funny to watch cause u will notice the other team becoming more and more pissed off.. haha, playing against Brazil is my fav since im Argentinian). Anyways, watch the world cup 2006 in july, more than 70 million people around the world will be watching it LIVEEE! and im one of them! Vamos argentina carajo!
28 Feb 06
is there camparison to know who is faster, a soccer player or a football player (runningback or reciever) ?
01 Mar 06
That’s an interesting thought. I will have to see if I can put a comparison together.
11 Apr 06
Hi, Great topic by the way!
American football should be compared to our rugby really as this is where it originated from. Rugby was brought over to America by the Irish I believe and as there we’re no real laws governing the sport in the new world they introduced some of thier own like being able to pass the ball forward. There is also alot of unfamiliar sports in Ireland that are similar to american football. Due to it looking dangerous I reckon they introduced all that heavy padding and helmets, If we did that to rugby it would never be the same. Rugby is a great sport!
As for football (soccer) I think the Americans should start to call it by the real name and come up with a new name for their version of rugby. The rest of the world apart from northan America calls soccer football, Football has been around ever sinse history was recorded , American football is reletively new. Our beloved football and the americans version of rugby should never ever ever be compared. Football has never really taken off in the States that much and to be honest im glad of this. Its a shame that the majority of Americans dont share the rest of the worlds passion for the game and I feel sad for them that they are missing out on this but just imagine the typical American understanding what off side was, think of the team names!!! no no no no…… this is not hollywood! I think if we were to ever compare football to American football than this would be it. Our football does not need glammer and frills like what the American football has to be popular! Football has its own passion and excitement that no cheerleader or fireworks can ever reproduce! Not that I would say no to cheerleaders at a game of football mind! ;O)
22 Apr 06
“USA is way too far behind in soccer and no matter how many mexicans they have in their team, it will be at least another 4-5 world cups for USA to be even close to teams like Argentina or Brasil”. If i’m not mistaken didn’t the US go farther into the World Cup than Argentina? Didn’t the US beat Mexico in the World Cup?Isn’t the US national team ranked 4th best team in the world by FIFA?
I played football in High school never played soccer, i love to watch a good soccer match.I can appreciate the sudtlety and beauty of the game,but football will always be my favorite sport hands down.
26 Apr 06
well, futbol will alaways be my love
i am mexican
and my uncle is good friends with the coach of La Seleccion Mexicana (meican soccer team) and he told me that the reason US beat Mexico in the WC was because Mexico was taking it easy
I have nothing against US, i live in the US, and i play futbol, and i love how futbol is growing here
but yeah
whatever
i like football too
but it’s like 95% futbol and 5% football
06 Jun 06
MIKE SAYS: If i’m not mistaken didn’t the US go farther into the World Cup than Argentina? Didn’t the US beat Mexico in the World Cup?Isn’t the US national team ranked 4th best team in the world by FIFA?
I played football in High school never played soccer, i love to watch a good soccer match.I can appreciate the sudtlety and beauty of the game,but football will always be my favorite sport hands down.
Thats Right Mexico was taking it easy becuase they didnt want thier players getting hurt since they have better mathces to worry about like the concacaf mathces and no america was never ranked 4th they were ranked 5th and many countries ranked 11th and higher beat them many times. Mexico has lost to US but comapared to how many challenges US has asked and lost its nothing.
AND FOOTBALL (SOCCER)IS WAY BETTER SINCE I PLAYED BOTH AND IM STICKING WITH SOCCER ITS MUCH CHALLENGING MENTALY AND PHSICALLY, SINCE IN FOOTBALL YOU JUST GOT TOGET STRONGER AND FASTER AND PRACTICE ONE POSITION, YEAH I WOUD KNOW I PLAYED FULL BACK AND TIGHT END AND LINE MEN AND I WAS CHAMP LOL ITS TO EASY SOCCER IS MUCH HARDER. US IS GAY CAUSE THEY SHOULD CALL SOCCER FOOTBALL SINCE IT INVOLVES THE FOOT, THE FOOT HAS BARLEY ANYTHING TO DO WITH FOOTBALL ACCEPT PUNTING AND RUNNING. CANT WAIT TO HEAR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO SAY AGIANST ME.
16 Jun 06
You guys are getting too aggressive. The majority of Americans will never love International Football the same as the rest of the world. Just as other nations will never appreciate American Football the same as the U.S. does. You can not force your love of the game onto someone else. These American vs International Football talks are like talking Religion or Politics, you can’t. Because everyone is too stubborn. I know I am.
I love watching the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL. For the life of me no matter how much FIFA World Cup I watch I know I will never have that same passion for International Football. FIFA is not physical enough for most Americans. Northern Americans are not able to sit through a game that penalizes contact. If you go north to Canada, hockey is king, predominantly because of the physical nature of the sport.
What I find interesting is how a low contact sport such as international football has created such passionate and physical fans that stadiums have been known to riot and kill one another. I have nothing but respect for that type of love of the game. Although I also find those fans too scary and barbaric for me to sit next to at a FIFA game.
As far as the mental aspects of the game are concerned I am not educated enough about International Football to appreciate the necessary intellegence many FIFA fans mention. American Football is a lot more than just fat people running into one another as FIFA supporters might accuse. American Football is arguably one of the most cerebral sports available and has often been compared to a chess match. An American Football player needs to remember hundreds of plays, watch hours of film on their opponents before a game and be able to anticipate how their opponents play will break down before it starts.
But the games are completely uncomparable and your love of the game is untransferable.
29 Jun 06
Hi! Being a Euro who lived in the US (Atlanta) from the age of 11 to 16, I know both sports. I must admit that I never really caught with what I too would call American Rugby rather than football. Games allways seemed long and boring, lacked action and I think I never really got all the rules. I “played” it once in a while with friends in backyards but allways ended up trying to teach these kids how to play real rugby…
Simpler rules, more action, more sports… But then, my neighbours and school friends disliked rugby which they found too violent !?
I think the biggest difference between football (soccer) and US rugby has to be the stamina of the players. Perhaps US rugbymen run faster than footballers, but I’m pretty sure the football (soccer) players run for longer periods of time… They certainly have more physical endurance… US rugbymen are certainly good sprinters, but couldn’t hold running a marathon…
It allways seemed to me that US rugby was a sport of pauses… More pauses than actual play! Actually, baseball is the worst for that! I wonder how much time the players actually run or do something in a baseball game ? Baseball has allways seemed to me closer to a board-game than a sport….:)
Allright, I don’t mean to offense anyone here, just expressing my opinions. Nothing like a good football (soccer), rugby or hockey game! Fast-paced action, 98% of the game-time…
30 Aug 06
Honestly, I don’t think even American Football fans fully understand the rules. But I’ll be damned if it isn’t super entertaining to watch.
MyFantasyBall Football
08 Sep 06
Football (soccer) is so great and beautiful because it does justice to eveything that happens. Everything is natural, not artificial rules that makes things fake and is very simple. You usually feel after a match that the result was rather acurate, not that you got cheated somehow. For example, the time-outs, a timer, a series of little rules, and an over-time; all these break the naturalness and flow of the game. Games become artificial and do not make sense in the end, those thing are just unecessary. How horrible the feeling of getting beat because the other team called a time-out, which not only gave them a breather but a time to plot someything out. Football very much resembles life itself, the passage of time is quite natural, it rewards you for your hard work, and it doesn’t force things, like shots because of a time clock or a winner in over-time. I think thats why just about everybody loves the game. Another great thing about football is the feeling after scoring or watching your team score. It is like a huge orgasm, when they’re close to scoring its like a build up of emotions and when they actually score it is quite heavenly. Even if the score was 0-0 at the end, the action itself was orgasmic enought to leave you satisfied, plus fair is fair, that was the result, don’t force a score or a win here. If you do it’ll be a fake result, unless there has to be a winner like in a playoff. I, however give everybody the freedom to like any sport they wish. I like many sports, but nothing even comes close to my passion for Football (soccer).
19 Sep 06
Philosophical, i like that. They really need a better way to end international playoffs though. The whole shootout negates that the game as a whole was a team effort. Being an American i hated watching the end of the 2006 Italy v France World Cup. All those minutes played without either team allowing a point only to decide the outcome with a football-based “mini game”. Shootouts are only a step more appropriate to declare a winner than flipping a coin.
It’s the World Cup. Everyone is watching regardless of game length. All the players and fans understand the importance of endurance. Why not play overtime as first team to score wins, until someone scores. I don’t care if it takes hours. Someone will fatigue, someone will slow down on defense, and someone will score. If for no other game, atleast in the final match, reward a team effort rather than a small series of individuals.
20 Sep 06
I agree with you 100%. Alot of people seem to be against that rule and I’m one of them.
25 Oct 06
well, its a bit hard for me to talk about american football, as ive never played it, but to me, and im sure to most europeans too, it seems like a game where the main thing is to run and tackle the opposite players as hard as you can, to keep them from effectively resuming the game or so…
but in real football, its all about the technique, you just cant push down your opponent to keep him from getting the ball, you have to think.
and in footie theres the whole team spirit of the sorts, its hard to explain what i think, im in ahurry so:D
but i think that american football can hardly be called a sport?.. its more of a violent beating
sorry
20 Dec 06
The same is true about American Football too! It’s the same concept except there is more contact. Quarterbacks have to think just as much as a soccer players have to think. Football players just can’t aimlessly through the ball to a fellow team member, they do have to have that instantaneous thought process happening just like a Soccer(aka Football) player right before he passes it. And sure, American football is violent (as hell!!), but so is soccer. I personally wouldn’t want to play either professionally out of fear of getting seriously injured for life.
There is just too many differences, culturally and how the actual game is played, to determine which is better and honestly that is based more on opinion than fact.
20 Apr 07
American FOOTBALL!!! sheldon brown will jack u up like he did reggie bush ^.^
18 Jun 07
To all of you Europeans and South Americans out there- though soccer (Football, Futbol) may be your sport, at least flip on ESPN one day and check out my sport. At least make an effort to appreciate the ruthless war-like camaraderie, strategy, and determination that go into American Football. Also, to all those who doubt the athleticism of American Football- I dare you to go out to a real Football practice in Middle America (or the south). It doesn’t matter what age level you’re watching, if the team is successful in any way, they will be running, doing push ups, etc. until their lungs seem literally on fire. Last season, every single player on my team took off his shoulder pads and had nothing but sweat under it. Thirdly, if any soccer (Football, Futbol) players doubt the reason for wearing pads, I would like to refer them to google. Look up the horrendous injuries which occur even when the players have full pads. You just don’t see that in American Football’s padless forefather. Finally, on a very perhaps blustery American note I’d like to ask all soccer players who were born in America why they play Europe’s sport. We had very brave men like George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Glover stand up for the freedom and sovereignty from Europe’s greedy, tyrannical hands to have our own version of football. Just a thought.
Finally, I should put forward my allegiances-
Soccer- Chicago Fire… I guess.
NFL- DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BEARS!
NCAA Football- Northwestern Wildcats, Notre Dame Fighting Irish. (I’ve actually been to a Notre Dame game, many actually, posers!)
18 Jun 07
Sorry, I forgot to mention, If you’re looking for a real version of football, Disney or Friday Night Lights is no way to find out what it’s like to be on an American Football team.:)!!!!!!!!!!!!!
22 Jul 07
Guys,
Do you like the word “Soccer” for football? These silly Americans, I don’t know why are they exhibiting malapropism by calling American Football as football. Their American Football sucks and doesn’t deserve to be called football. Its a silly sport…..Rugby is far better than this assholic game.
31 Aug 07
I can appreciate the skill of the european/world footballer, but nothing can match the strategy, physicallity, and skill of American Football. We can call it football if we want too, because we are the most powerfull nation in the world. If you don’t like it, too bad.
Everything in American Football is about technique, strategy, agillity, and quickness. It’s about matchups. The coaches who are in charge of the offense(off. coordinators) spend an entire week thinking of ways to get their best athletes matched up against a poor athlete on the other team. This results in a big play or score. They can do this by employing different formations and playcalling rythm. It is absolutely brilliant to watch when you learn to appreciate.
All the rules of American Football have one purpose: to make sure that you don’t gain an unfair advantage over the other player. A weak player shouldn’t be allowed to hold up a strong player on the line by grabbing him and holding. He has to match up man to man and pit his strength and quickness against the other. Your not allowed to grab a reciever to keep him from running by you if you aren’t fast enough to run with him. Your not allowed to go before the snap of the football. Every single rule is there to balance the game.
There is far more violent action and strategy in American Football, but I have had many european friends tell me that they don’t like the breaks in the action. That’s a valid point, but the biggest difference between the two sports(besides the whole kicking/throwing/running with the ball in your hands thing) is that the game is broken up into seperate plays in Ame. FB. While this can be annoying, the upside is that every play is essentially a shot on goal. Think about that. Every single play. You either have a succesfull play or an unsuccesfull one, and one single play can lead to either side scoring. That is very exciting. There are far more “big plays” in Am. FB. That is exciting.
In short I would say that Am. FB is more…not exciting, but the indiviual plays are more satisfying. There is a definite conclusion to every play, and it is either positive or negative. String enough positive plays together and you score. Make a bad enough negative play(an interception-which is a thrown pass caught by the opposing team, or a fumble-a dropped ball recovered by the opposing team) and the other team can score on that same play. While this is possible on individual passes and runs in soccer, it happens far less frequently than in Am. FB. Oh, and there is no such thing as a tie. That brings closure. Each sport has its positives, but since Am. FB is the more physical, more strategic, and the game more apt to produce big plays and big hits and scoring, and always has a clear resolution(I.E, no tie games), it is the one I enjoy watching the most.
That is just one man’s opinion, and everyone should just watch what you like.
02 Jan 08
ok heres the thing anyone outside of the us and even inside can come and say that soccer is better its more played bla bla bla.well to all of you have you ever really tryed watching a game or asking the rules,i ont thinkso,in football you reward the best if you want to be a pro you have to go through college and you have to build your body in to been ale to take hit after hit and keep going,if you soy its not a sport try getting hit by a 300pound nose guard and getting up to get ready for the next play ,or havening to run a 30 yard sprint and fighting of a defender just to try to get open for the ball and then lining back up just to doit again.im a full back and a mike linebacker so i can tell you how much of an atlete you have to be.besides some one said that soccer is a game ofpatio becaus some of the best came from the streets of south america and they ernd there your just making an idol out of some one cus they can kick a ball well in football if you want to get rewarded you have to make it passed highschool and college trust me your not going to find a pro thats an idiot ,and you think that football is just about hitting a guy to move him out of the way to score,well if you pay atention you can see that the big runs are made because of a guys ability of juking of a spin move.
so dont try and say that soccer is better then football cus your wrong i played bouth…well i cant say i played soccer because its hardley a game its more like running around with a ball so that t the end you give it to some one else.in soccer you only see a good game in the pros,well whats the point in that it better be good there pros,if you watch a football game you can see the fans starting from highschool and the emotional matchups even at that level.
so i say FOOTBALL is not a game its life ,reward the ones who deserv it,and just watch a game the pure battle of streght and dominence .
13 Jan 08
Football vs gridiron.
I enjoy the super bowl and of course cheerleaders. But football will always be number one.
The tactics in football are rarely understood and it is vastly more complex than gridiron or basketball. All you need to know in gridiron is that they need to get 10 yeards in 4 downs it really is no more complex than that.
Skill wise football is vastly superior to gridiron or any of the many codes of rugby. Using your feet and having to do amny things at once is so much harder than simply catching, running, throwing or tackling in gridiron.
I guess you can compare gridiron to rugby union/league but in truth football will always win out as the most superior teamsport mankind has.
NFL euorpe went bust which shows that gridiron will never be a global sport. Spreading 1 hour of sport over 3 hours of TV just to stack in adverts is not sport in any tue sense of the word I am afraid.
Addto the boredom the steroids and you have the reason gridiron will never succeed globally. But hey… the cheerleaders are still the greatest thing about american sports.
07 Jul 08
I grew up in Turkey and have been living in the US for the last 8 years. Since the most played sport in Turkey is soccer, I played it my entire life and it’s my favorite sport. I still play 3 times a week at the age of 33. But I must admit, I enjoy playing more than watching unless it’s a good game (quality clubs or national side) As for football I believe everybody saying that it’s tactically and physically good game etc but I think in order to be passionate or appreciate a sport you have to grow up with it so that’s why most American’s never played soccer might not have the desire to play or watch soccer and it goes the other way as well. One last note, Euro 2008 was truly fantastic, it’s so amazing to watch different countries having different styles, Italy famous for strong defence, Germany for team play, work like a clock, Spanish for more technical abilities and etc.
08 Sep 08
Football > American football.
Source: The world.
20 Nov 08
JT, youre so wrong about Soccer is more physical and mentally challenger. Soccer can be played by anyone. Physically?? so why Football needs to be played with equipment??
I like much more Football. Is boring to see a match with no scoring. WHat is that, Soccer players did not traing enough to kick a ball and put it inside a Goal??
To play soccer only you had to know how to kick a ball. Football need to be fast, strong and clever and you had to respect your position.
About Strategy, football need more than soccer.
I have played both so i can say this. If you are good play soccer, but if youre better play football.