The difference between Americans and Europeans ....

[Ironside]

"Europeans think 100 miles is a long way."

Uhm, nope.

But that's probably more of a "local" occurence.

[Banquo's Ghost]

We know. I'm not calling it anything but Soccer, just because the rest of the world calls it Football. Here in America, it's Soccer, and Football is a sport where two teams of large men in body armor try to invade the opposing team's side of the field by using strategy to transport the Football itself.

The interesting thing is that the transportation of the 'football' is largely by hand!

I must admit to enjoying all three 'brands' of football (let's discount local variances such as Gaelic football - and yes, I know, one could argue that American Football is a local variant).

Association football is hard to beat for sheer excitement, flow and second to second emotion. It can also be the dullest activity to watch short of wood warping (Switzerland v Ukraine replay anyone?)

Rugby Union (League is not a game, it's an abomination) is the most sublime, the most athletic, the most tactical of the football brands. It relies on wonderful skill, incredible bravery, and deepest passion. It is all these things at test level, and at amateur club level, which cannot be said for the others. It is the only human achievement that makes me want to have been born in New Zealand.

American football is an enormously enjoyable romp, and so deliciously American. Even the idea of franchises leaving traditional cities because of money (a concept so universally loathed in Europe, no-one save those in Wimbledon can even conceive of it) is very American. GC is right about the rivalry - in my youth I was privileged to visit the Cleveland Browns when supporting my adopted Steelers.

Three wonderful games, united only by the word football.

[Joker85]

Ah soccer ....

What with all the fake injuries, dive taking, and running back and forth for an hour and a half to culiminate in a mind blowing nil nil tie... what's not to love?!

[Al Khalifah]

I know. I much prefer to watch a bunch of oversized meat-heads in armour repeatedly run into each other while the few athletic members of the team attempt a game of catch around the general melee to try and move 10 yards per 4 throw-and-catches. Fascinating.

Mind you, this World Cup has been terrible for the amount of diving and cheating. I suppose its quite hard to dive or cheat in a sport where the objective is to run into the other team and smash their face.

[Joker85]

I know. I much prefer to watch a bunch of oversized meat-heads in armour repeatedly run into each other while the few athletic members of the team attempt a game of catch around the general melee to try and move 10 yards per 4 throw-and-catches. Fascinating.

Mind you, this World Cup has been terrible for the amount of diving and cheating. I suppose its quite hard to dive or cheat in a sport where the objective is to run into the other team and smash their face.

...yes he sure looks like an "oversized" person to me.

In case you don't know who that is, he's an NFL star.

Perhaps you should learn the difference between Linemen, and Wide receivers, defensivebacks, and runningbacks. They are some of the best athletes in the world.

You see they actually have to be able to do more than run back and forth for 90 minutes randomly falling down when you think the ref is looking.

[Al Khalifah]

Yeah, they run about for 10 seconds... then play stops and we have another minute long break and then they run about for 10 seconds.... then play stops and we have another minute long break and then they run...................

And repeat. Its the sustained duration that 'soccer-players' have to run about for that makes them superior athletes. Terrell in that picture seems to have a lot of superficial muscle that would increase his weight dramatically without significant improvements to his physical performance. He's also a wide-reciever so like I said:

while the few athletic members of the team attempt a game of catch

I do understand American football - I just find it very boring to watch.

[Joker85]

Yeah, they run about for 10 seconds... then play stops and we have another minute long break and then they run about for 10 seconds.... then play stops and we have another minute long break and then they run...................

And repeat. Its the sustained duration that 'soccer-players' have to run about for that makes them superior athletes. Terrell in that picture seems to have a lot of superficial muscle that would increase his weight dramatically without significant improvements to his physical performance. He's also a wide-reciever so like I said:

I do understand American football - I just find it very boring to watch.

Fair enough, I really don't have anything against soccer (ignoring my posts). But the prevaling condescending attitude towards Americans in manythings (our sports least of which) gets old after a while. And being I can dish it out as well as I can take it, if people with little to no knowledge of the intricacies football want to simplify and attack it as a "bunch of fat people pushing into each other", then I, a person with little knowledge of the intricacies of soccer will simplify it as "people running back and forth for 90 minutes periodicaly dropping to the ground".

[Boohugh]

American football is just Rugby Union for sissies in my opinion. American footballers need to wear body armour and take breaks all the time, whereas rugby players will be constantly running and tackling each other for 80 mins with only a short half-time break

[Watchman]

I always thought those American football players, especially with their armour on, looked like infantile muscle-man fantasies...

I also find the appereance of a line of large, armoured, uniformed, disciplined young men kind of creepy in general.

For some reason I always found the hurly-burly freewheeling of soccer far more pleasant to watch. Maybe it's just my slight claustrophobia speaking though.

[Joker85]

American football is just Rugby Union for sissies in my opinion. American footballers need to wear body armour and take breaks all the time, whereas rugby players will be constantly running and tackling each other for 80 mins with only a short half-time break

Or one could say Rugby is just Football without it's balls.

Let's continue to generalize sports we only have a general working knowledge of to make ourselves feel better about our own.

[doc_bean]

This debateis getting us no where, besides, women's beach volleyball pnws all other sports

[Fragony]

I am sure american football is a fantastic game if you know how it works, which I don't. What I really don't understand is baseball though, what fun is that??

[doc_bean]

I am sure american football is a fantastic game if you know how it works, which I don't. What I really don't understand is baseball though, what fun is that??

From what I understand from American culture: the beer.

[Boohugh]

This debateis getting us no where, besides, women's beach volleyball pnws all other sports

[IMG]insert pic of hot beach volleyball players here[/IMG]

I so agree

[Watchman]

From what I understand from American culture: the beer.

I keep hearing persistent rumours that counts as beer only theoretically, though.

[Atilius]

I am sure american football is a fantastic game if you know how it works, which I don't. What I really don't understand is baseball though, what fun is that??

You know Fragony, that's a very good question. I dearly love baseball - it's my favorite sport - but explaining why is hard.

Perhaps it's the intellectual challenge of attempting to remember all the rules which might apply in any given situation: I think there are 11 different ways for a batter to reach base. I can only think of 5 right now.

Long home runs are good: watching Barry Bonds hit a baseball out of 3COM park and into San Francisco Bay is cool. Stolen bases are usually exciting. A well-turned double play is also - the pivot man often throws at the runner's head in order to force him to get out of the way of the throw to first base. Meanwhile, the runner tries to crash into the pivot man before he can make the throw.

But mostly nothing happens. The pitcher looks in for the sign from the catcher, the batter is getting signs from the 3rd base coach. So you have a lot of standing around interspersed with bursts of violent activity. A lot like American Football actually. Hmmmmm.....

[Rodion Romanovich]

Do South American babes count as "Americans" in this discussion? And are Asian babes counted under "Europeans"?

[Husar]

Americans should look at the game more, I think most don't understand what is really going on. It's playes like a battle, just as I expext american football to be. A lot of the critism, like football being 'sissy' sport would be quikly watered down after seeing one match, these guys make terrible falls, and unlike american football, where you falling is part of the game, players don't expect to fall so they move differently and have worse injuries.

Wouldn´t the guys who dress all over in body armour be the sissies?

I advice all Americans older than 16 years to watch the latest Netherlands vs. Portugal football game.

And to clarify my first post, soccer is football and football is rugby.

[Incongruous]

Oh sheesus!
Yanks trying to tell people their Football is tough pah!
Man you guys should come down to nz, take of ur armour and play a game of ruggers with us, hows you're scrum?

[Fragony]

I advice all Americans older than 16 years to watch the latest Netherlands vs. Portugal football game.

Well, eh ahum, that would be, well, you know

@Atilius, more a battle of statistics and chance no? Someone here described it as a preasure boiler, I can understand that if you know all the players, how hard they throw, etc etc that it is fun. I love to sink my teeth in complex strategy games, so if I grew up with baseball I would probably love it as well.

[Al Khalifah]

If you like the combination of the cheating of football with the violence of rugby you can always watch the Six Nations - where England not only have to struggle against the opposition, but also against the most ridiculously biased refereeing decisions in sport today.

[caravel]

We know. I'm not calling it anything but Soccer, just because the rest of the world calls it Football. Here in America, it's Soccer, and Football is a sport where two teams of large men in body armor try to invade the opposing team's side of the field by using strategy to transport the Football itself.

[sarcasm] Forgive me for calling it what the rest of my country calls it. [/sarcasm]

You need to calm down mate. I was just pointing this out, because it can be confusing. Sometimes when conversing on an international messageboard one has to be prepared to compromise somewhat.

As to American Football and Rugby, they both seem very similar indeed. How has American Football "evolved" from rugby. What are the differences apart from the armour?

[macsen rufus]

Gah! This thread was more fun when it was about babes, before sport crept in

@ Legio

Do South American babes count as "Americans" in this discussion? And are Asian babes counted under "Europeans"?

No way - Latinas count as angels

[caravel]

No way - Latinas count as angels

[Al Khalifah]

You have four plays in which to get the football at least 10 yards (a little less than 10 meters for you Europeans, I think), or else the ball goes to the other team.

This is one point that really pisses me off about the use of the term 'European.' What measurement system do you think is standard in the United Kingdom?

We buy beer in pints, we measure distances in miles and we have our own independant currency. Europe is not an isotropic whole. It is far more diverse than even the USA. The UK is as different to France as Texas is to California.

[rory_20_uk]

This is one point that really pisses me off about the use of the term 'European.' What measurement system do you think is standard in the United Kingdom?

We buy beer in pints, we measure distances in miles and we have our own independant currency. Europe is not an isotropic whole. It is far more diverse than even the USA. The UK is as different to France as Texas is to California.

Amen. We're only close to france in terms of distance.

[Perplexed]

Or one could say Rugby is just Football without it's balls.

Rugby is to Football as Ox is to Bull

[Brenus]

“We're only close to france in terms of distance.” Easier to go for shopping…

[Al Khalifah]

Why go to France? The food there is terrible.

[Samurai Waki]

...Back on Football vs. Soccer

Admittedly I had a low opinion of European Football before I saw a game in Person. Its one of those things that gets your adrenaline going because everyone elses adrenaline is so high, within the first half your cheering and booing the team your going for even if you don't quite understand whats going on. Its quite phenomenal really. Same could be said about a European going to an American Football Game.