You’re just not watching it correctly.
Please explain the point of the game to me then, maybe with some video examples.
It has puzzled me for a long time.
Yesterday’s matches were a must-see… the skills, or lack thereof, exposed for all to see.
Oh Panama. 
The point of the game is to get the ball into the opposing team’s end zone, or to prevent the opposing team from getting the ball into your team’s end zone. You can throw it to someone and have them try and catch it there, or catch it and run it there. Or, you can hand it off and have someone just run it there without a pass being involved at all. If you feel as though you’re not going to make it there, then you can attempt to kick it there for less points.
There are linemen, offensive ones who protect the quarterback, (the guy who throws the ball), from being tackled before he has a chance to throw it, and who make blocks and create lanes for a running back, (the guy who takes the hand-off and attempts to just run the ball). And there are defensive linemen who attempt to sack the quarterback and attempt to tackle the running back to prevent him from getting downfield with the ball. There are also defensive players in the backfield who can lay down massive hits to stop a running back who has made it past the linemen, and who can do the same to a receiver who has caught a pass and is now trying to get to the end zone and score.
So you don’t know whether the other team is going to try and run or pass, and so you have to account for both. And if you’re the offensive team, you don’t know whether they are going to all rush the quarterback at once or if they’re going to spread out and try and cover the receivers thus creating more time for the quarterback to decide what to do with the ball.
It’s a substantially more physical sport than soccer, and requires as much, or more strategy to formulate an effective game plan. Not to mention that you get significantly more explosive plays where shit is actually happening on the field that’s interesting to watch.
I mean, in soccer almost no one scores ever. In basketball everyone scores all the time. If football, you get some scores that you expect, and some you don’t expect, and sometimes a team has to suddenly be on their toes and take risks to catch up. It’s just an overall more interesting game.
Here’s what happens when the offensive line fails to protect the quarterback.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVw50e_udg8[/youtube]
Here’s what happens when the defense tries to blitz the QB and fails, and the guys who should have been downfield fail to cover the receiver.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0azywbCNoA[/youtube]
Here’s what happens when you have an 18 year old kid who’s 6 foot 4, weights 240lbs and can run 100 yards in 4.6 seconds. No one can stop him.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY6bKadSW0o[/youtube]
Here’s what happens when you’re in open space and fail to identify the defensive player who’s about to knock the teeth out of your head if you keep moving the ball toward his end zone.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ki6Fz-W_fY[/youtube]
This is 40 minutes from where I live and grew up.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryant%E2 … ny_Stadium
It’s been sold out for every home game in history. More people care about football than soccer…and this is just a college level team. Soccer is a game for kids.
Appreciated. I know most of that but still, good post.
Addressing popularity, the US has no football tradition and has never produced a player that is good enough for the mediocre clubs in Europe. Well I think, once, a player called Ernie Steward, he played for a team that sometimes finishes 10th in the Netherlands, Willem II. But other than that the nation has had no contact with football. Forgive me if I use the actual term, Im not going to call America “the great Satan” just because some Arabs cal it that either.
Football is a team sport defined by individual skills, like basketball but a lot more rich and interesting.
This has little to do with the atmosphere we feel around games - that your American football can definitely produce. I see American football as a congregation of communities, as real football is in South America. In terms of the variety in athletic feats, I find it limited. Running fast holding a ball in your hand is not that impressive to me - taking American sports I find hockey a lot more impressive. Of all American sports thats the form that I admire, it allows for fast combinations like football, it requires quick witted reorganizations initiated by the payers themselves, much more tactics come up in the moment.
Its pointless to try to deny that American football is a cool game to be involved in - I can see ho it mobilizes communities and how it gets very tense with nice violent resolutions. But I still find it a lot less interesting than football, which Ill admit is boring often enough.
Yet the difficulty of scoring a goal is what makes the game so rich - scoring a goal is almost like inventing the wheel, it demands a lot of creativity.
Probably this is just a matter of background.
More people care about football in the USA only, the rest of the world is silly for soccer.
…although American football has taken off big-time here (nfluk.com/tickets/index.html) it is not our national sport, but it does draw the crowds and has an ever-growing fan base.
Does it make you feel at home, MR?
PK: "so, after some research, I am predicting Germany to win it…
what are your thoughts?"
Der: I think you are wrong. (Wink/smiley face)
Magsj, I always feel at home no matter where I am.
That was fantastic. I think it’s the first time ever the Germans went out in the group phase.
Certainly didn’t expect that one. Excellent tournament. Did you see the Messi goal? Poetry in motion!
You simply just dislike Football, as opposed to American Football? your strong dislike of Football was saying to me otherwise.
Immersive experiences of the un-experienced are not your thing? and I don’t mean bedding a different ethnicity female to you…
I will have to watch that in the hi-lights… I’ve missed the last few days of matches due to an excess need to sleep
K: well, that certainly didn’t go the way I thought it would…
UMMMMMMMMMM
I will wait until after those fine Brits face Belgium this afternoon
to decide… but I really have only Brazil to fall back upon…
as far as favorities go…
it really is anyone’s tournment at this point…
Kropotkin
Im glad he came through for these awesome people that traveled along, they were singing en full masse the whole time they were down, no other match had that kind of atmosphere so far. I started out supporting Nigeria but being impartial the passion of these Argentinians despite their idiotic coach convinced me of their rights in the tournament.
Croatia would be my pick. They don’t have any real defects and offensive they’ve alway impressed me.
Just watched the France-Argentina game and it was an excellent
game……. I think that France just wanted it more and had more
heart then Argentina and that is why France won…….
It looked to me like Messi kind of gave up after the 80th minute.
He really didn’t play a very good world cup at all and he will
be critized for it and he should be…
Now, can France win? Maybe if the draw works out
but they have the heart to win it, but will the talent follow?
Kropotkin
Since we’re out, I’m rooting for Croatia. They are the best slavic team anyways, they always were. But I don’t think they can compete with Brazil which looks like destined to win this world cup. Here are my predictions:
Semis:
Brazil - France
Croatia - Switzerland
Finals:
Brazil - Switzerland
Final ranking:
- Brazil
- Switzerland
- France
- Croatia
Let’s see how wrong I am.
There you go. Spaniards are out (thanks Akinfeev) and so Croatia’s path can’t be easier now.
Belgium was lucky as sin to win that game…
Japan really should have won it… never discount luck
in any sport…
Kropotkin