"NFL Charms Wembley" - A Brit's blog

[Scouse Patriot]

Couldn't agree more. I'm agreeing with a Scouser. What is the world coming to?

It's because you know who the bigger force is after sunday.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Our football has the advantage of being the truly superior sport.

Soccer can only be "enjoyable" if your other option is to have a root canal without novacaine.

Besides, I would think just the number of Americans in Europe would make one game per year a sellout.

Has anybody ever watched soccer faint in pain and see those clowns fake an injury during contact?

The World Cup can end in a shootout or whatever they call that ?

What's up with that?

 

[Big-T]

Reading some of the comments on this site do the Americans think only Soccer is watched in the UK? because there's 2 types of Rugby (League & Union) that a lot of people watch, cricket which is watched by probably nearly as many people as Soccer, as well as less common occuring sports which attract decent crowds.

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.

 

[oldskool138]

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.

Well, considering football was almost banned in the US (back in the early 1900's) because of all the injuries and deaths that were happening pre-pads, I doubt the NFL or players union would sanction a padless NFL game.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Well, considering football was almost banned in the US (back in the early 1900's) because of all the injuries and deaths that were happening pre-pads, I doubt the NFL or players union would sanction a padless NFL game.

I wonder how many guys would like to encounter Big Vince on the pitch with zero pads?

Perhaps a few years back- Beckham vs Rodney?

My guess is it all comes down to the two fanbases having no clue what they are actually watching.

 

[Covert]

I wonder how many guys would like to encounter Big Vince on the pitch with zero pads?

Perhaps a few years back- Beckham vs Rodney?

My guess is it all comes down to the two fanbases having no clue what they are actually watching.

Now I'm a football fan, but you should watch some high-level rugby union sometime. Those guys tackle as hard as football players and with much better form. The big guys aren't as big (300 pounds, tops), but top-level locks, loose forwards and three-quarters have all the physical attributes to make *evil* football players. Incidentally, many of the best rugby players are, like Seau, able to trace their heritage back to Pacific Islanders...

But there are guys everywhere in top rugby who'd have made decent NFL prospects. Someone like Martin Johnson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Johnson_(rugby_union)) - 6'6", 260lbs, can handle the ball at least as well as any NFL player, fiercely smart, and hits like a maniac. He'd be a world-class linebacker/FB/TE if he'd played football from an early age.

That's something which gets lost in the NFL-team-in-Europe discussion. If there's a team based here, and there's serious effort to mine the talent pool, there'll be more Vollmers and there'll be guys like Martin Johnson (or Jason White, 6'5"/240lb of hitting venom and former Scotland captain) who wind up playing NFL ball. It has a real chance to grow the talent pool.

 

[Rossmci90]

I wonder how many guys would like to encounter Big Vince on the pitch with zero pads?

Perhaps a few years back- Beckham vs Rodney?

My guess is it all comes down to the two fanbases having no clue what they are actually watching.

Wilfork would be absolutely useless in a 'soccer' game.

Being a fan of both sports, i really hate the ignorant trash spouted by idiots like this guy on either side of the 'argument'. They're different sports, they require a different set of skills and body type. Get over it and stop being so childish.

 

[Big-T]

Now I'm a football fan, but you should watch some high-level rugby union sometime. Those guys tackle as hard as football players and with much better form. The big guys aren't as big (300 pounds, tops), but top-level locks, loose forwards and three-quarters have all the physical attributes to make *evil* football players. Incidentally, many of the best rugby players are, like Seau, able to trace their heritage back to Pacific Islanders...

But there are guys everywhere in top rugby who'd have made decent NFL prospects. Someone like Martin Johnson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Johnson_(rugby_union)) - 6'6", 260lbs, can handle the ball at least as well as any NFL player, fiercely smart, and hits like a maniac. He'd be a world-class linebacker/FB/TE if he'd played football from an early age.

That's something which gets lost in the NFL-team-in-Europe discussion. If there's a team based here, and there's serious effort to mine the talent pool, there'll be more Vollmers and there'll be guys like Martin Johnson (or Jason White, 6'5"/240lb of hitting venom and former Scotland captain) who wind up playing NFL ball. It has a real chance to grow the talent pool.

Then from the other code of Rugby there's:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Taylor_(rugby_league)
who NFL teams were scouting until he signed for the Rabbitohs, and Willie Mason, another Australia international who was in the Jets training camp a few years back as a defensive end.

Although to say Martin Johnson hit like a "maniac" is pretty poor considering a big hit in Union is nothing comapred to in League and the NFL (no shoulder charging...really? ) In fact didn't he play 1 game at TE for someone but left the game early because he couldn't handle it?

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Wilfork would be absolutely useless in a 'soccer' game.

Being a fan of both sports, i really hate the ignorant trash spouted by idiots like this guy on either side of the 'argument'. They're different sports, they require a different set of skills and body type. Get over it and stop being so childish.

Tampon on too tight?

Get a grip Maurice Ronald.

My point is that wearing "pads" doesn't make American football wussy.

Also, note the fanbase comments. Watching the "finer points" of soccer is as brain dead as reading your comments.

 

[Kasmir]

Tampon on too tight?

Get a grip Maurice Ronald.

My point is that wearing "pads" doesn't make American football wussy.

Also, note the fanbase comments. Watching the "finer points" of soccer is as brain dead as reading your comments.

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?

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

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]

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 sh!t.

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

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

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 sh!t.

For the majority in Britain it's soccer and the fans of that don't give a sh!t 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.