"NFL Charms Wembley" - A Brit's blog - Page 4 - New England Patriots Forums

***patsfaninpittsburgh*** · 10-29-2009, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasmir

What could possibly be the point of chastising UK American Football fans -- who are even NE Pats fans -- for not renouncing soccer? Are you practicing for a later go at Red Sox fans, perhaps?

Football American style happens to be the only professional sport I care to follow these days. I don't like soccer, but I don't much care for baseball or hockey either. Still, I don't feel a need to attack fans of other sports to justify my focus on football. I understand that some fans manage to care about more than one sport at a time.

Why are you picking such a pointless fight with fellow Patriot fans?

Please follow the entire thread.

The origional comment is that "American Football" isn't considered "manly" in Britain because NFL players wear "pads".

The second poster mentioned that the sport was almost outlawed.

My point is that I doubt "American Football" players wouldn't be "unmanly" if set in the other environment. Would they be good? That's different.

My second point is if you don't watch various sports for extended periods; "appreciation" is difficult. Have someone from Europe watch baseball/ have Americans watch cricket.

Scouse Patriot · 10-29-2009, 09:56 AM

Theres confusion here. The Rugby players have always said NFL players are girls because they wear pads, end of the day it's just banter and quite a few Rugby players follow the NFL. It's not serious. It's not the case for "Britain" as a whole, Britain has bigger problems than who's got the bigger muscles or who would win in a fight between Beckham and Harrison or other macho bull *****.

For the majority in Britain it's soccer and the fans of that don't give a ***** what other sports have or do. It's the biggest sport in the world so why should they...

***patsfaninpittsburgh*** · 10-29-2009, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scouse Patriot

Theres confusion here. The Rugby players have always said NFL players are girls because they wear pads, end of the day it's just banter and quite a few Rugby players follow the NFL. It's not serious. It's not the case for "Britain" as a whole, Britain has bigger problems than who's got the bigger muscles or who would win in a fight between Beckham and Harrison or other macho bull *****.

For the majority in Britain it's soccer and the fans of that don't give a ***** what other sports have or do. It's the biggest sport in the world so why should they...

We seem to be a lil testy across the pond.

I couldn't give a rat's rear what soccer fans do or think.

If they don't like "American football" because they don't understand, fine.

If they don't like the pace, fine.

However, if "fans" (not players) think pads are wuzzy; that's rather absurd. They are also not the type of "fans" to target for wider appeal. The IQ isn't there for things like "Cover 2", "Spread Offenses", or "Zone Bltzes".

Scouse Patriot · 10-29-2009, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patsfaninpittsburgh

We seem to be a lil testy across the pond.

Nothing "testy" here, just explaining the matter. How you and your attitude deal with that is up to you.

Rossmci90 · 10-29-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patsfaninpittsburgh

We seem to be a lil testy across the pond.

I couldn't give a rat's rear what soccer fans do or think.

If they don't like "American football" because they don't understand, fine.

If they don't like the pace, fine.

However, if "fans" (not players) think pads are wuzzy; that's rather absurd. They are also not the type of "fans" to target for wider appeal. The IQ isn't there for things like "Cover 2", "Spread Offenses", or "Zone Bltzes".

They don't really think they're wussy for wearing pads, its just an inane comment to make when you don't like the sport such as your comments earlier in the thread about soccer.

SEA_Pat · 10-29-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big-T

Football does have an advantage over Soccer with it being physical and no players rolling around on the floor pretending to be injured, or acting like they've been shot, but Rugby has the same advantages in that respect.

Based on what people over here say, people don't like/watch Football because it's "too slow" or "because they wear too much padding" etc, and that's what the NFL will have to get round to make the sport a big player in the UK sports scene.

This is my experience living abroad and hanging out with a lot of Brits, Aussies, South Africans, as well as other Europeans who like rugby. It's more the long stoppages in between play, especially the awful sequence after a touchdown with all the TV time outs. Can't say as I am a big fan of that either.

In respect of the "too much padding" complaint, many rugby fans don't understand that the contact is very different. NFL players hit with a lot of more speed and launch their bodies into other guys - you can't do that in rugby, you get penalized as well as badly injured because they don't have the helmets and padding (and yes, rugby players do wear light body armor and head protection now). It's just a different game. I love them both, the Six Nations, Tri-Nations and World Cup are amazing and I think any NFL fan would get into it in a very short time if they lived abroad.

***patsfaninpittsburgh*** · 10-29-2009, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SEA_Pat

This is my experience living abroad and hanging out with a lot of Brits, Aussies, South Africans, as well as other Europeans who like rugby. It's more the long stoppages in between play, especially the awful sequence after a touchdown with all the TV time outs. Can't say as I am a big fan of that either.

In respect of the "too much padding" complaint, many rugby fans don't understand that the contact is very different. NFL players hit with a lot of more speed and launch their bodies into other guys - you can't do that in rugby, you get penalized as well as badly injured because they don't have the helmets and padding (and yes, rugby players do wear light body armor and head protection now). It's just a different game. I love them both, the Six Nations, Tri-Nations and World Cup are amazing and I think any NFL fan would get into it in a very short time if they lived abroad.

A number of hockey fans I know do not like football due to the stoppage.

Also, if you are used to continual action; stoppage is understandably annoying.

Rossmci90 · 10-29-2009, 06:08 PM

After going to the game on Sunday, i find the stoppages more annoying in person than when watching on TV. The stoppages are definately one of the main reasons people don't get into the game.

Funny thing is, of the people i know who like cricket which is also stop-start, most of them either like or don't mind american football. Whereas my friends who are only into Rugby/Soccer can't get into it. I guess it really is a major issue.